How To Stop Buying So Much Make Up By a Self Confessed Beauty Addict

Confession: I haven't bought any new make up since before Christmas. For me, that is a ground breaking achievement. 2016 is the year I decided to really evaluate my spending habits and start being more responsible with my money. I'm putting a decent chunk into my savings every month, as well as putting some aside for my holiday and a whole host of other boring adult things. YAAAAAWN. So, that doesn't leave lots of spare cash for pretty pink lipsticks. The thing is, I have so many lipsticks, if I keep buying them, I'll never even get the chance to use them all and actually appreciate what I have. It's made me realise that I should be spending my money on things I need, or experiences and memories, things that will give me that happy, elated feeling for a bit longer.

Now, don't get me wrong, I will ALWAYS be a beauty addict and there have been several moments when I have been so close to caving and buying make up, but I've somehow miraculously managed to resist (it's definitely been made easier by my lovely mother who bought me the UD Gwen Stefani palette and some bits from the Rosie for Autograph collection- what a doll). That being said, I've actually found it easier than I thought, I'm not going to ban myself from buying make up ever again because guuuurl I love a cat flick and flawless base way too much, but I'm definitely going to be buying less make up, making sure every purchase is well thought out and something that's missing in my make up collection. So, for any fellow make up addicts out there, here are I've learnt a few tips along the way:

•  Shop your Stash. When you have the urge to try something new, check out your existing collection. If you're anything like me, you'll definitely have some products you've forgotten about and in rediscovering them, it will feel like you've got something brand new!
• Research your Purchases. Long gone are the days when I'd go crazy in boots, buying all the new launches and taking advantage of the special offers. Now, before I buy anything, I make sure I've read several reviews and really assessed whether the product will work for me. This means, when I do buy something, 99% of the time I love it and it's money well spent.
•  Can you Dupe it? Recently, when I was considering buying a new eye shadow palette, I realised I had dupes for almost all of the shades in other palettes. Think about it, there are only so many different types of bronze eye shadow and even then, they all look pretty similar.
• Will you use it? Don't be suckered in by pretty packaging and special offers, how often are you really gonna wear that navy eye shadow? Be real, you do a smoky eye like twice a year and even then, you use the same 3 shades. It's ok to have a make up comfort zone, if you know what suits you, don't be afraid to stick to it.

So, hopefully now I'm moving towards a new, more streamlined make up collection with products that I really appreciate and use regularly. I mean, I still have a make up wish list in the notes of my phone that's as long as my arm, but I'm going through every product, reviewing it carefully to make sure I really want it and when I do make my purchases, I'll be sure to blog about them.