Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Letting Go

I love make-up. All kinds. However, I am reluctant to toss anything, even when it's almost completely used up or ancient.

Why is that? Do all women hold onto a lipstick for 10 years thinking, "I might want to wear that shade again. I like it."?

For the past month or so, I've been trying to chuck at least one way past it's usefulness date make up. Lipstick, foundation, old ratty brushes, lip gloss that is practically dried in the tube.

I feel bad, thinking, "That might be useful to someone." Like who? Who would want ancient half used make up??? No one, I can guess. I certainly wouldn't want any one else's cast off make up.

It would be one thing if they bought a perfume, didn't care for it and offered it to me right away. I might take that. Of course, it's hard to resist such things for a make up pack rat like me.

It seems that I am forever in the quest to find the perfect mascara. I think I've found it in Mabelline Lash Stilleto. (waterproof - black, of course).

Now, I have a veritable treasure trove of mascaras. Most used, some unused. Who knows? I may find myself in a pinch and need an emergency back up mascara someday. I'll hang onto them.

I think I need an intervention! I'm addicted to make up. And liquor bottles, although I don't drink liquor, I love to look at all the shiny bottles when I go in to buy my wine. I think that stems from my childhood - we would accompany mom and dad to the liquor store and the shopowners handed out lollipops to the kids, just like the bank. Going to the liquor store for a lollipop and to look at all those shiny, shiny bottles became a coveted trip!

That reminds me, I need to run out and get some champagne for NYE! Maybe I can talk the Evil Twin into doing it for me.

Our drugstores sell beer, wine, liquor AND make up. Perhaps I shouldn't temp fate. ;-)

20 comments:

  1. a) The second a mascara wand touches your eye, it begins breeding bacteria. Throw out the old stuff! It's not worth an infection!

    b) I ADORED going to the liquor store when I as a little kid. I would wander around, just looking at all the shiny bottles. One time my dad took me to the liquor store, I wandered off, and he left, forgetting I had come along. By the time he got home, was asked where I was, and got back to the store, I had ceased to be entertained by the liquor bottles, realized I was alone, and had cried until I puked on the liquor store floor. Needless to say - he wasn't allowed to bring me there anymore. Oh... and wasn't the first kid he left in a store. Ah, the 70's, when you could do those things without your kids getting stolen, or yourself arrested.

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  2. I want to know how big No Celery's dad's liquor store was!

    Your post immediately reminded me of how junky and disgusting my makeup drawer is. I really need to get my ass organized!

    Don't knock being able to get your hooch at a regular store! It's a PITA to have to make a separate stop all the time!

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  3. SC liquor laws are ridiculous. We can buy beer and wine in a supermarket, but not liquor. Why?! And yes, I too like to look at the shiny, shiny bottles, though once emptied the luster kind of goes away.

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  4. NCP - I know that and I still have a hard time parting with it! Ugh!

    Vinomom - Oh, it's definitely handy. We had separate ABC stores, but they disappeared in the late 80s, I think. Even our "Smoker Friendly" shops sell beer and wine! :-)

    Will - I know! We arrived in SC on a Sunday and had to cross the NC border to buy hooch! Crazy!

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  5. I too may be a makeup hoarder. I once kept a tube of lipstick used down to the stub because Circle of Beauty (Sears old makeup line) went out of business and it was my perfect shade. I would try to compare it to other brands, but never quite found a match.

    I also still have the concealer and lipstick that I bought for my wedding and I have been married for 7 years!

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  6. I wanna go to YOUR drugstore. It sucks living in the Bible Belt!!!

    Happy New Year!

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  7. My mascara is getting pretty old.. I should throw it out soon.

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  8. I use exactly 4 items in my makeup bag, yet I'm sure it contains about 30 items. I can't throw it out either. Some is leftover from my university days when glitter was in. I will never touch this stuff again but who knows, maybe my grandchildren will!

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  9. Hey girl... my friend Willba use to call herself a "make-up whore"! :) Thought it was a good term because she LOVED buying make-up! Sometimes I feel that way....

    BTW... the best mascara is the one by CoverGirl in the orange tube. LOVE IT!!!!

    Hugs - Tiffany

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  10. i don't think anyone took me into a liquor store when i was a kid, well, except for that one time my uncle robbed that one.. naahhh, just kidding.
    but i do ADORE liquor stores now..
    old makeup? not so much.
    we have a place in town that sells pizza, rents movies, AND has tanning beds! talk about convenience! sheesh!

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  11. Girl, I have TONS of makeup, too. Especially mascara. It's hard to find one that works, looks good, and doesn't smudge. I've found MAC works best for me, but I've tried out a lot of others in the process. Lipsticks, too. I hardly ever wear lipstick, but I'll buy it once in a while thinking "this would be nice." Oh well, there are worse things, I guess? Right?

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  12. I'm the same way with makeup. Luckily one of my girlfriends from college is just slightly off my coloring so stuff I buy that doesn't look quite right on me is perfect for her! So she gets it. :)

    We got over germs a long time ago.

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  13. Funny you say that about liquor bottles. I was in a bar in downtown Charleston yesterday and just kept staring at all the bottles. Of course I have been told I am attracted to shiny objects...huh.

    The makeup thing in just in our genetics. I have the hardest time finding a good mascara. I pretty much wear a plethora of brands. Clinique for foundation and powder, Estee Lauder for eyeshadow, Maybelline mascara, etc...loving the new Estee lipsticks by the way, they last for hours!

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  14. Oh you can tempt fate just this once...

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  15. I love my makeup too & I can't bear to toss any out either! :(

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  16. I've got glitter eyeliner from 1978. I have lip gloss from the early 70s. I have a bunch of empty perfume bottles. The odd thing? I discovered that mineral makeup a few years back. I love it. I have three colors that serve as foundation, blush, highlighter, eyeshadow, contourer, lip color, etc. etc. The only other thing I need is mascara and I can't find the perfect one either. I'll try the stiletto - like the name.

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  17. I like make-up, but not much.

    And yeah, you gotta chuck it when it expires,so I like to have one really good black mascara, red lipstick, rose colored lipstick, and one fushcia lip stain, a great black eye-liner pencil, and a mineral blush that works for my skin with or without its coordinatng mineral loose-powder

    And then when I chuck them, I just replace them with same product. Of course I do try the odd different eye shadow a coupla times a year too, LOL.

    Cosmetics are a great topic!

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  18. The book I just wrote had a similar sub-theme. When I grew up we never threw anything away because "...it might come in handy someday." I don't know about my mom's makeup stuff, but bent, rusty nails, old lamps, worn out batteries, electrical cords, magazines, chipped coffee cups, stained T-shirts, lumber--you name it. Well, a day came when it ALL got hauled to the dump.

    And by the way, if I wanted liquor, all I had to do was go into a Mexican liquor store and buy it. The first time I bought liquor, I was 16; no questions asked. (Don't tell my folks, OK?)

    Nice post. Happy New Year.

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  19. No celery is right. When my dermatologist told me not to use any kind of eye makeup that was over 4 months old - I quit using it altogether. Ruining my eyes was not an option.

    Happy New Year!!

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  20. Makeup junky, right here! I just cleaned out the medicine cabinet where I shove all my makeup. I know it is time when every time I open the door shit comes flying out at me!

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