June 16, 2010

Musings of the Day: The Makeup Graveyard, Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Here Lays Some Old Makeup I Wouldn’t Trust!


Ahh the makeup graveyard…

It’s where long dead cosmetics go to rest in peace. It’s where that new lipstick that looks so amazing in the store but ended up not being so great at home goes to lay its weary head. It’s where that blush you absolutely LOVED last month resides when it’s replaced with that new blush that’s the hottest shade of the season.

Count me wasteful but I rarely return cosmetics because 1. I hate the hassle of doing so. Seriously, even with a receipt don’t SA’s treat you like a criminal when you have to exchange or return something you don’t like? And 2. I hate returning makeup I used, I dunno…seems weird to want my money back for something I already tried out. I feel guilty somehow.

So what happens to all this makeup I’m not using or stuff that’s old or stuff that’s been replaced with the next best thing in my makeup world?

Jump!

Why it goes to the makeup graveyard to RIP until I either give it away, trash it, or perhaps find that I really love it after all or of course, I sometimes play Bride of Re-Animator and mix it with something else to create something new. And hell on occasion I revive old stuff and remember how much I loved it a few months ago or a year ago…..

Ahh yes the makeup graveyard is good for many fine things.

At the moment my makeup graveyard is in several places. I lay things to rest under my bathroom vanity sink. I have little pull out drawers which I toss stuff into when I’m not lovin’ on it. Or I stash stuff away in my bedroom in decorative hatboxes…great way to disguise something as creepy as a graveyard dontcha thing? Chic yet shabby….

Let me think….

New stuff in my makeup grave yard would be the Stila One Step Prime Color (just can’t get on board with these yet), a crumb load of MAC Mascaras I have to test out but haven’t been motivated to do so (I hate MAC mascara)….mmm I’m positive it’s packed full of other goodies but I can’t begin to remember what at the moment….

Now my really old graveyard located under my bathroom sink has some seriously ancient makeup. I become emotionally attached to everything I own so I haven’t had the heart to ditch some of this stuff. Lord knows some of it is prob 10 years old or MORE…no worries I’m not using it anytime soon, just can’t find a will or a way to toss it…..Pupa Lipgloss, Revlon Lipsticks (there used to be this incredible wine color that I brought 50 of when I was in High School, I just KNOW it’s still in that drawer), Prescriptives Magic Powder (the old multi-hue one from a decade ago…), and plenty of other stuff that you’re probably too young to remember….

How about you?

Do you have a makeup graveyard?

What’s in it?

Anything new?

Anything REALLY old?

Share it!

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Heather / Eyeconic

    Under my bathroom sink is where all my shower gels of seasons past go to rest, haha. It’s crammed full of half finished gels and lotions I know I’ll never use.

    • the Muse

      omg heather I have that too. the graveyard cabinet of unused lotions and potions LMAO!

  • Lenna

    I don’t really have a place where I stash my super old makeup…I ended up throwing a bunch of the super old stuff away a few years ago. However, I still have this one little NYC eyeshadow trio that I’m sure I bought when I was 11…a good 9 years ago…and for some reason, I cannot make myself get rid of it.

    • the Muse

      OL Lenna mmm sounds like someone I know *whistles and looks at the ceiling*

  • Marina

    I have an ‘everyday’ drawer, so the stuff I’m constantly using is up there…but I have bins beneath it of other makeup that ranges from ‘Like’ to ‘Yuck! Why did I buy this?’ I actually just reorganized everything, so I found a couple of things I won’t be using anymore (couple Marykay shadows and a NYX trio). Instead of throwing them out, I asked mom if she wanted them since she has a very bare makeup kit. She said she’d try them out…so win/win! More space, didn’t have to throw it out, and mom liked them 🙂

    • the Muse

      marina always trying to shove makeup off on my fam but my mom is so NOT a makeup type and my friends don’t see the point of owning 10 eyeshadows lol 😀 but my best friend Jai is always happy to dig in lol!

      I have the yuck drawer too LOL!

  • kali

    I don’t really have a makeup graveyard anymore. About a year ago, I started actually THROWING the stuff out or giving it away to anyone who wanted it. But I’ve faced some consequences as I’ve wanted some of the things back but of course, I couldn’t have them back! =P I guess that’s the good thing about holding onto things you think you don’t love.. you may want them/love them later.

    • the Muse

      LOL kali! that’s too funny, wanting them back, yes I have giving away remorse myself LOL!

    • michelley

      i ALWAYS end up becoming reinterested in a makeup that i hated when i bought, so ive learned to keep everything cause later on my tastes shift.
      this girl is fickle to the end.
      <3

  • Tammy

    I usually throw out old cosmetics or give away ones that I don’t really like, not much of a hoarder in that sense LOL Oooh I’d love to see a photo of your makeup graveyard! A little gruesome sounding, but always interesting to see other ppl’s XD

  • brooke

    Off the top of my head I can think of a couple of MAC mascaras that were horrible, some shadows from Stila and MAC that I have no idea what I was thinking when I bought them, and some Clinique foundation that broke me out like crraaazzzy.
    I keep them in my makeup stash because I always think “well maybe someday I will use it” – but never do. Somedays I get in a throw away mood and clean out my makeup but these have yet to be disposed of…maybe the next throw away day (fingers crossed)…

    • the Muse

      hey brooke oh whoe the mac mascaras tend to pile up in the graveyard 😀 same here…some day I’ll get to these and they rot before I do LOL!

  • jonnie

    I try to give stuff away when I fall out of love… sometimes I keep things in a makeup bag when I think I might use it again (especiLly if I mostly stopped wearing it because I felt like it was out of season).

    I figure at least if I give it away, someone got some use out of it (or also didn’t like it and threw it away for me!).

  • carlie

    I love swapping my unloved makeup on makeupalley or give away to a friend who has a teen girl who loves makeup but can’t afford it.

  • Lindsay

    Yep, I have a traincase of stuff I don’t use. RIP old crappy stuff 🙂 I don’t hesistate to return stuff I didn’t like. If ou buy tons at the place and know your face, i don’t see what the problem would be.

  • Jayme

    I do have a box i keep on my desk (it is a pretty shoe box) that i put my non wanted makeup in. the second it hits that box i put it online to swap. If it has not been swaped within 1 month, i either throw it out or give it away.

    Its not that i am impatient with the swapping, but i just do not want to swap something old.

  • Vera

    I have a large makeup bag full of stuff I have to throw away. but I’m gonna make a blog post about it before I do. It’s mostly wetnwild liners…I went through a stage where I bought up every 99cent colored liner out there. I even used to wear pink lip liner as an eyeliner. I looked cracked out, but I loved it!…I still kinda love it 😛

  • Comrade_Garlic

    I don’t have a grave yard. Wired, I know. If I just don’t use it I trash it, or try to find it a new home. My oldest items have to be my Stila cruise to Cairo blush and Touchdown in Tokyo eyeshadow trio. I still use them. Thank jeebus they are powders.

    • the Muse

      oh god comrade touch down in Tokyo….so retro le sigh when stila was stila!

  • Ryan

    I don’t buy enough makeup to really have a graveyard for it. I do have an eyeliner graveyard though, with pretty much every pencil under the sun,along with a few mascaras that somehow wound up there. They’re all duds from my search for the best eyeliner ever back when I first started wearing makeup which wasn’t until the fall of 2009. Look how far I’ve come. 🙂

    • the Muse

      ryan have you tried the korres eyeliners? oh god soft as butter 🙂

  • Adora

    A few moths ago i spent �80 on a HUGE train case to store my make up, I dont have enough make up to quite fill it up and I dont have any grave yard make up so… I fill it up with stuff my mum dosent use! She had a huge eyeshadow palatte that she never used so Im using it to fill my palatte drawer! I give it her back when i have something new and better so Im not to terrible, well mabye I am but, hey! You cant fight cosmeticnosity!

  • Marcy

    Muse long time no see!!
    I am an organisational addict, so I go through my stash monthly, and swap them or give them to a very good friend of mine who also loves makeup. NZ doesn’t really have a MU return policy 🙁 I also clean up cos I don’t want my better half to rest his eyes on it and shout at me for how much I ‘waste’ my money on makeup!

    • the Muse

      hi marcy long time 🙂 happy almost weekend dear! LOL awww…damn if we can only get SO’s on board with makeup 🙂

  • ladydi

    Returning used make up is exactly like returning dirty underwear. Not to mention whomever it was returned against probably took a loss on their paycheck when it was done..however, a good make up specialist wouldn’t give you a hard time and would turn that around into a sale and make sure you find something else that you do like =D I try to be very selective when I purchase from the gals at the counters. The ones I know are skilled at their craft and deserve every dime that they make (and more).

  • Jean

    I have about 6 makeup bags under my sink with various makeup items that i never use but would never dare throw out. Can you imagine throwing away a shimmering teal color? I mean, one never knows when I will need a shimmer teal color for work- yeah right. I think I need to start letting my kids color with these and make some great artwork.

    One positive thing is that these items brought me happiness when I purchased them and somehow when I look at them now, they still bring me happiness. It’s an illness I guess!

    • the Muse

      LOL Jean! Same here actually..weird but it’s true. At the time they gave me such joy and I can look back and smile fondly 🙂 hehe!

  • jerseygrrrl78

    Actually, I recently resurrected some old lipsticks that I had tossed aside because even though I liked the color, the formula wasn’t comfortable to wear. I ended up scooping the lipsticks out of the tubes and mixing them up in these tiny travel jars with my fave clear gloss. Now instead of a bunch of crummy old lipsticks I have some new, nicely pigmented, highly moisturizing pot glosses 🙂

  • Robin

    My graveyard is under the bed in a big plastic storage thingy. Bad feng shui though so I need to declutter!
    Was your fave Revlon wine l/s Wine with Everything? I remember loving that one and had the lippie and matching blush, lol!

    • the Muse

      damn robin I wish I can remember….but I don’t think that was it…it was something else must go look in that bin LOL!

  • whitney krainock

    hmmm… Benefit’s Hollywood Glow (probably an old moon beam and high beam too), revlon nude attitude l/s (i know it’s not old but I tried it on once and shoved it deep into the makeup drawer), i think I have a couple of those old hard candy eyeshadow palettes with CHUNKS of glitter, urban decay gypsy den face case, tarte rock royalty palette, MAC’s hyperreal foundation (ok, I know it’s most likely gone bad- it’s been discontinued and it’s damn old but I CANNOT LET IT GO- that sh*t was amazing!), and a crap load of old MAC lipsticks that have lost their vanilla scent (most are barely even used)- jesus, I AM a hoarder, my father was right!

  • Ruthless

    I just packed up a boatload of hair sprays, eye shadows, lip gloss/sticks, (we’re talking Dior palettes here folks) shampoos, conditioners etc to take up to my family and friends.

    It gets to the point where I look at my collection and see monetary value and it depresses me to see things I don’t enjoy or never use. So I give them away to people I think can use them.

  • Bridgette

    I’m not quite a hoarder…
    I’m an experimenter. 😀
    If the product harms me, (ie, body butter gives me a rash) then I just throw it away (unless it was really expensive, but I rarely buy super expensive cosmetics anyway)
    If I do not like the product, I work with it and see if I can adjust it. I had a super sticky lip gloss that became wearable when I discovered putting a certain lip balm under it made it slick and shiny.
    If it, in the end, really sucks, if usually ends up in the trash, and I learn from my mistakes. 🙂