March 18, 2015

Do You Buy Beauty To Make Yourself Feel Better?

bad day beauty

You ever have one of those days when the world is crumbling around you, fire is raining down upon your head, and hell has surely frozen over? Let me tell ya, that’s a rarity for me. I’m just that type of girl that never has bad days but I’ve been just having a hell of a month and today, ugh today, I need a hug please, like ASAP. I laugh and smile my way through life about 364 days of the year but I’m stressed to the point I’m about to burst today! Phew!

Someone tweeted me today, thanks K, that I should go buy some makeup or a new fragrance. Ahh blessed retail therapy! It’s NOT a fix but it sure does help sometimes.

So, tell me, do you sometimes indulge in a little beauty to make yourself feel better after a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?

Or perhaps you feel like it’s dangerous to indulge when you’re not feeling bad because you fear overspending?

Do treat your bad days to a little beauty retail?

I do and don’t. If I’m having a bad day, like today, I’m actually not even in the mood to shop! But sometimes, like, TMI ahead, if I’m PMisng, I do indulge in a little retail therapy because lord knows new lipstick takes your mind off cramps like a double dose of Midol!

It’s a funny thing! As obsessed as I am with makeup, beauty, etc..it’s weird to be like “OMG please I DO NOT NEED makeup in my life right now!” I tend to just shut myself off when I’m stressed or feeling bad and beauty is not going to solve my issues at all!

So I guess it depends.

Tell me when and if you practice retail therapy!

46 Comments

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

  • Lenore

    I practice retail therapy when I’ve had a bad day in a very dumb way…I go to various websites, fill up my various carts and then end up closing all tabs without actually buying anything.

    I’m a long time reader of musings, and I want to say how much I enjoy your posts every day! 🙂

    • Isabella Muse

      thank you lenore thank you very much 🙂 <3! haha I like online window shopping that always helps make me feel better plus it costs nothing hehe!

      • denni

        I do this too!! I fill up a cart and then convince myself why I don’t actually need it later and close the tab. LOL.

        But, I am guilty of too much retail therapy. Especially with life lately making me all @_@

        I have found a dollar store close by that sometimes have things to make me feel like I bought something awesome and it satisfies the need.

    • Eriu

      OMG, I thought I was the only one who did that! Although, sometimes I do indulge in retail therapy at the drugstore. If I’m having a frustrating day I tell myself if I buy a one cheap thing I can get my fix without feeling too guilty.

  • Janessa

    SEPHORA SAMPLE SHOPPING!!! Great way to get some frustrations and a handful of new products to try without spending any money. I have a huge mall within short driving distance from work and there have been many many days that have had hellish mornings so I head over on lunch, think of some products that I want to try and get samples. It sounds so bad when I actually write it out… Haha! But seriously, give it a try 🙂

    • Isabella Muse

      LOL! just hit up random sephoras! “bitches be like, I’m having a bad day, need SAMPLES!”

      • Janessa

        Exactly!! That’s how I found that I don’t like the Bite lip scrub, or Too Faced Hangover primer, but LOVEEE the new makeup forever primer. I love to try new skin care with samples. Plus some samples will last well over a week… God it just sounds worse and worse! haha!

  • Patrice

    I do love retail therapy, and if I feel like I can’t or don’t want to spend much, I go to my favorite thrift stores or a dollar store or other bargain bonanza type place so I can get a few (or a lot of) new things without feeling like I broke the bank.

  • mindy

    hey Musekin, hugs galore, tomorrow will be a brand spankin’ new day, this one is almost over

  • Stephanie

    I’m having a bad time lately as I’m looking for a job and don’t have much money right now. I got the Sephora email about the 5 free samples instead of 3 with an online order, so I bought a $5 lip balm, got my 5 samples (they had ones I actually wanted!) and got 3 or 4 BI rewards (that I actually wanted! lol). I’d normally go makeup crazy if I had more money. I definitely do makeup retail therapy, and I’m glad I was able to get a pick-me-up without spending much money!

  • Katherine T.

    Hey, sorry to hear you are having a bad day, I’m sure tomorrow will be better! Uh yes, I do retail therapy. When I’m stressed out, I’ll go shopping for makeup as a pick me up. Checking out all the colors and products relaxes me and takes my mind off things. If I need a “fix”, I’ll try to go to the drugstore to get some cheap thrill, but what’s really dangerous is going online because it’s 24/7 and you can do lots of damage very quickly!

    • Isabella Muse

      oh thanks Katherine today is much nicer 🙂 oh lawd yeah online shopping=deadly!

  • Ryou

    Yes and no.

    I’ve been in a long-distance relationship for the past 8 years, with as much as 2+ years in-between visits with my spouse. It sucks, especially with my BPD. We spend our days Skyping a lot, and during Skype sessions it’s just SO easy to browse around beauty blogs and whatnot — And get tempted by the pretty swatches. I guess in a way I try to cope with my situation by keeping myself busy most of the time.

    I’m less likely to just buy EVERYTHING nowadays since our finances aren’t the greatest at the moment (having a spreadsheet to keep track of the products I have also helps), but there are days where I just go “screw it” and purchase something that’s been sitting on my wishlist for months (after making sure it’s doable financially, I refuse to get in debt). It’s just that some days I feel I deserve to feel less shitty about SOMETHING, you know?

    I’m sorry to hear your day has been less than stellar. I hope things look up for you soon. *hugs times a million* <3

    • Isabella Muse

      aww that’s hard Ryou! 🙁 hugs! Long distance can really be heart breaking!! A little treat every now and again is always in order girl 🙂 I’m good I feel a lot better today hugsssssssssssssssss!

      • Ryou

        Thank you for your very kind words. Validation always helps. 🙂 Glad to hear you’re feeling better! <3

        • Isabella Muse

          hugs! I’m ok. I’m kinda struggling through a complicated time in my life and trying to make the right choices for myself! I’ll get there 🙂 I always do! we should do a little retail therapy together haha!

  • Nat

    First off, *HUGGGGZZZ!*

    Second, yes. I have to be careful not to indulge myself too much when I’ve had a bad day – because all of a sudden anything I want (food that’s bad for me, online shopping for things I don’t need) I will reason that I should get to have (like, as payment for how my day has been bad).

    I try to remedy the bad day with cat-time instead. I have three, so usually at least one of them is up to indulging my need for cuddles or pets, heehee. 😀

  • Nadia A

    Hello! I am currently a stay-at-home mom and wife. With my family’s budget being tight, I tend to now purchase makeup only when I know I am able to financially and/or when I see an exclusive or limited edition product that I absolutely must have. If I am having a bad day, I now make sure to shop my current makeup collection primarily. I am just realizing that I am resisting my bad day makeup buying temptations for the more happier times in which I buy more unique products that I can add to my current makeup collection.

  • Bonnie S

    I have over 100 lipsticks and about 30 bottles of perfume, 10 foundations and seven (or eight?) powder compacts. So, yes, I buy beauty products to make myself feel better. Of course, they don’t make me feel better sitting in storage in bags scattered across my bedroom. But that moment of purchasing, that MOMENT! It fills me up when I’m way too sad, and I’m sad a lot of the time. I always feel, with each purchase, that THIS VERY THING is exactly what I need; and that feeling does last a couple of days until I realize that it’s THAT OTHER THING that I need that will do the trick. I wonder how long I can go without buying a beauty product? I bought a couple on my way into work today. Wish me luck. I really need to stop this addiction. That’s what it is, an addiction, not a need. I realize this.

  • Cj

    Nothing cures a bad day better than a spa day. A nice massage can fix almost anything.

    • Isabella Muse

      come over? I miss you boy! I’ll let you play with my lipstick if you give me a massage!

  • yelena

    aww many ((HUGS)) for you Muse! I’m like you, I either need to get out and shop and decompress or I need to get home and be alone to decompress and recharge.
    do whatever works for u 🙂
    hope you’re feeling better today!

    • Isabella Muse

      much thank you yelena 🙂 and I didn’t spend a dime hehe!

  • Simone

    When I’m having a bad day I’ll go through the Internet and make lemmings lists! Lol.
    Then on a good day I’ll go actually go out and start buying 😉

  • Eraser

    I do it way more often than I should. Somehow it’s easier to justify splurging on a tube of lipstick compared to a new pair of shoes, but it still adds up.I also indulge in the online shopping cart thing too, since it’s just a variation on window shopping – although that also accounts for more temptation.

    Sorry to say but once you’re off the PMS roller coaster, you head straight down Menopause Hill… and you still need retail therapy! Hope your day gets better.

  • CupK8

    Yeeees, I do. It can get pretty bad, but fortunately I manage to keep myself out of *too* much trouble and have been mostly expanding my collection rather than duplicating items.

    Hugs if wanted, Muse. Hopefully you feel better soon! <3

  • Arielle

    I feel the same way as you – depending on how bad my mood is, I definitely don’t feel like shopping. I’ll window shop and looking at all the pretty things in fashion and makeup will eventually make me feel better, but in the end, I have this thing where I just won’t want to actually spend money because of said bad mood.
    On the other hand, getting something you bought a while back in the mail will instantly cheer me up.

  • Ashley

    Retail therapy helps with anything. I love doing my retail therapy at the perfume and makeup counters.

  • Ruth

    I like to look at books. being surrounded by all of those words, thoughts, and ideas calms me right down. it can be just looking at by books at home or at the bookstore, either one works.

  • Iris

    I admit I’ve done this in the past. Only a couple times and the items were useful to me or giftable. I try to not do this and think about my purchases from now on.

  • Holly

    Several weeks ago I was passed up for promotion (again!) and engaged in some lipstick therapy. That’s when I purchased Jealous from Sephora’s house brand. It thought is was rather apropos. Plus it has become one of my favorite power colors.

  • Diane

    The happy people who uplift us crankier ones especially deserve a little retail pampering!! Lol getting your nails done(Im not even a nail person) just to enjoy the chair massage is heaven! When all else fails hide out in a bubble bath till it passes. Sending hugs to you Muse! Xo

  • Deborah

    Absolutely! Makeup, shoes, clothes, dog toys, etc! – it all makes me feel great!

  • Genevieve

    Firstly – sorry to hear that you are having a bad day and I hope it passes soon. Everyone has a down day once in awhile. The weather you are experiencing at the moment does not help either. Yes I usually indulge in some retail therapy when I am unhappy or upset. Generally I just buy myself a drugstore lipstick. It won’t break the bank and I always feel good when I am wearing lipstick.

  • Julie

    I go to Ulta when I’m really stressed and look for that perfect eyeshadow pallette or blush…..have been quite stressed!!! But, sometimes I do go return it!

  • Telle

    Awwwww 🌺🌻🌷🌸🌞 for you! when you smell the flowers, maybe they will invoke a good memory and take you to that place for a little while- a little mental reprieve from the stress. And/or, taking a deep inhale and slow exhale of that flowery goodness is also relaxing for brain and body. 💖 *hugs hugs hugs and love to you always* ☺️

  • devon

    if i’m sad and driving, i end up at sephora or ulta. and i end up getting something i don’t need/should really be waiting to get. but if i am stationary, i like to fill up my loves list on sephora or qvc and then analyze what else i need or want. that fills the void too :]