How much is enough?

I grew up with 3 younger sisters and we never had a lot. My mother left us when we were young and left Dad with 4 girls to bring up.  I have always appreciated what I have and try not to take things for granted. I have ( and still) worked hard to get what I have and am proud of what I have achieved. 

I have a lot of make up ( a lot!) and my husband is asking "how much do you need?". This lead me to wonder exactly why I have so much. To be honest, I know I really only do my make up once a day, with a few touch ups during the day, but deep down I guess I am afraid to have nothing again. 

My question is, does anyone else feel this way, or do we all just like to have lots and lots? 

I think my main problem is "sales". I think I'm saving money, but really I still the spend the same amount (or more) but I just end up with twice as much stuff that I really don't need but it's just such a great deal I can't pass it up.

I can relate to both fo what you say I don't want to be without again & I can't walk past a good sale without stopping & walking away going back to it again & again & again until my self control is none & I crumble to purchase

  I come from a large family and while my family does try their best to make do with the income finances are always on the tighter side and we have always had to budget. I was raised to work and save for things I wanted or needed and rather than buy on credit. So having more than one as a backup or at least two of something I go through quickly is like a security blanket for me. I do have a medium size makeup collection but the main things I do back ups on are like skin and body care. Even if I have a full bottle of shower gel or cleanser or lotion or spf moisturizer that I'm currently using, if I don't have one or two backups for me that's what I consider running low.
   However, I don't do backups on things like lipsticks or eye shadows. If I'm almost out of a product I truly love I will repurchase it but I just don't feel an urgency to have a backup of a blush or powder unless I don't have any other powder or blush I can wear in my makeup collection. One exception to the rule would be something like mascara or liquid liner since you need to toss that out every few months. But even then I'm not a stickler for having a backup of those. 

Kim you asked very tricky question. Lets talk about myself.
i spend good money on my good diet and then after skin care.... If you have good balance for these things your skin will glow and u looks beautiful without makeup.
then after good foundation, nude lipstick, eyeliner, nude eyeshodow this thing have to be good.... If I want to try some bright colours ( but I reraly buy bright colours) then I go for cheap brand...

i buy what I need and i am going to use that. I don't collect makeup.... Sometimes I see some makeup on Instagram and youtuber people say this product is amazing. I go crazy like yes I want that to.....open the laptop, search the website, put the things on cart and shut the laptop.....lol.

 

I had to think hard on this. Realistically for my use I have more than enough, I don't need to get much at all except a highlighter and face powder. I know my stash and a half used face powder that I haven't enjoyed is sitting in there waiting for finishing which is why I haven't bought the next one, dewy glow has been the way recently. I also have an expensive (for me) foundation that I despise, worked well in shop failed at home, that must be finished as well. I have a stock pile of items, facemasks and bodywash, that I will be using before I go shopping again. I do also think that I have my favourites in my current collection that deserve more attention than I give them.

Then I think of my mum's collection containing powder, brow pencil, 2 shadows and a couple of lipsticks, no blush, primer, mascara, eyeliners. It was her choice to have a collection that small and she stuck to the things that she was comfortable with. Since she was one of 8 when growing up in the 40's and 50's makeup was not on the shopping list at all even if she wanted it. My mum also had a habit if something was special to her, she kept it hidden only to bring out at certain times, eg the good plates/china, She had a heap of decorative plates that should have been out for her to enjoy looking at instead of in boxes hidden in draws.

Regardless of what I have said, it doesn't stop the want however. Do I want more? Well yes, I have a wanting for the Gwen Stefani UD palettes, Too Faced Peach Palette, Jeffery Star Palette and highlighters. I do suspect that even if I had these it wouldn't be long and I would be wanting more. Unfortunately I have bills to pay and a mortgage, for me this is a little higher priority than adding to my collection at present.

Good question. I look at my collection and know I have enough, I mean, I only have 1 face and I barely wear what I have, but it's a nice little collection and does the job, and I love all of the products I have. I think if I had anymore I would be overwhelmed and end up throwing it out or gifting it on. 

Hey Kim, 

My partner asks me the same thing. I tell him that there will never be enough make up or beauty stuff because I love it alot. Just like he has his tool collection. I never tell him that its too much much because we have an understanding. I enable his tool habbit and he enables me with beauty habbit . Just the other day we were talking about insurance for our tools and beauty stuff.  

I have been a good girl lately haven't purchased anything in a while. If it makes you happy Kim totally do it :) 

I'm with you Kim! My sister and I were having a similar conversation earlier this week. We had nothing growing up and were always cold, tired and hungry, so now we have some money we get the things we enjoy - food, warmth, products, appliances....

You only live once, may as well  enjoy it and have what you are able to afford - why not?

I know what you mean Tannygirl - it's hard to outgrow the 'poor mentality'. I too hoard some things - it's hard not to. When my grandmother had a stroke the family found thousands of tea bags she had stashed, because that's what she missed during the war and she was ready for if it ever happened again!

My Mum was the same ragingfrog - she had special thngs that only came out on occasions. She didn't have much make up either - foundation, lippie, eyeshadow, and eyebrow pencil, but she had a very good hand using them! she  always had a comb and lipstick in her pocket, she never went anywhere without them.

I like that you both let each other have your passion Macs - that's got to be good for a relationship!

Interesting thread Kim. I use to buy like crazy when I was in my earlier twenties but since I had a little person I have a lot less time to apply and play with make up. The desire to spend is always there but I am conscious that it's likely to sit in a draw untouched for a while unless it's a item I use everyday.

So funny that this thread was started because I was thinking the same thing today. My collection is massive, and having my wee beauty blog enables me to buy more than I could ever need (or use). I try to rotate my products so I use everything, and I sell or pass on the things that get neglected. But I definetly  have enough and think I need to cull my collection down to the products and things that I love the most. 

I have a lot of make up too. But overall each thing is different.

Such an interesting thread! I honestly used to buy anything and everything that I liked the look of. My collection grew quite rapidly but I quickly learn't not all of it was great and quite a bit I'd never actually use so I got rid of these Items. My collection is still what I would class as 'Little' but it's all stuff I love....Would I buy more? Yip, because I'm a makeup lover but I now only buy what I swoon over. So my collection are Items I love....I'll never get through what I have but It's more the satisfaction of using a product I love and getting enjoyment from it. I think you could have a ridiculious amount but if It's something you absolutley love why not have a heap of it? I just compare my collection to my mans tools......He has a garage full, I have a few Draws and containers full. He has may have 7 types of one spanner, I may have 7 types of the same sort of nude eyeshadow palettes lol. 

I'm actively trying to use up my stash. I'm trying to be more of a minimalist so project pan it is!