Thinning the Hoard

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Someone once asked me how I decide what to keep and what to get rid of when sorting through my accumulation of makeup products. Now seems like as good a time as any to write a post about that process, since I just realized that I'm going to have to move in less than 6 weeks. Ugh! I mean, I'll be glad to get out of my current shithole of an apartment, but apartment hunting and moving are huge pains in the ass.

Before I pack everything up and move it somewhere else, I'd really like to eliminate as much of the useless shit I have lying around as possible. My piles of unnecessary belongings extend far beyond just makeup, but since that's what I mainly talk about here, that's what I'll stick with right now. Writing it all out is a useful process for me, because it forces me to come up with realistic rules for myself about what I should or should not hold on to, and to spend the time to consider whether or not I really have room for various items. So I'll go through a few categories of cosmetics here and lay out some guidelines upon which I'm basing my decisions about what to keep and what to set free. If you can think of any other suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Trash or Keep

There are certain items that I can easily decide to hold on to, such as products that I use on a regular basis and/or one that are unique and well-loved, and there are those that I can easily dispense with, because they are of no use to me.

Trash: There are some things that I'm never going to use, and that I also don't think anyone else should use. I tend to come into the possession of shit that falls into this category through subscriptions (Ipsy, in particular), free samples/gift-with-purchase deals, or the occasional impusle purchase. For example, in a recent Ipsy bag, I got some "Mark Fading Pads" by Proactiv, and the first ingredient in them after water was SD alcohol. No thanks. I don't want to use them, and I don't want to subject anyone else to them, so bye bye.

Practical, non-perishable stuff: This category includes products that will get used up eventually and won't expire in the meantime, like eyebrow pencils. Yes, I have too many of them. But they don't take up a lot of space, and they will be fine waiting for me to get around to finishing them. Just don't pick up any new ones in the meantime, self.

Those categories are pretty straightforward. But I also have a lot of things that are more difficult to classify. They may or may not be superfluous. They probably are, but it's helpful to think carefully about why, so that I don't regret passing them along to someone else, because I am ridiculous.

Makeup

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner and Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide On Eyeliner

Dupes: I confess that I own a lot of unnecessary dupes and products that perform basically the same function as one another. One example is black eyeliner. Everyone has a favorite black eyeliner, and so I've picked up quite a few along the way that I've heard good things about. I don't really like to open something that I don't yet need, so I have several brand new black eyeliners just sitting around waiting for attention. And I don't even fucking wear black liner very often. Why did I buy them? (Anxiety?) I'll hold on to a couple in addition to the ones I'm currently using, but the rest must go.

Dupe Test: e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whip in Lilac Petal ($1) vs. Benefit High Beam ($26)

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e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whip in Lilac Petal is frequently mentioned as a cheap dupe for the much beloved but very expensive High Beam highlighter from Benefit. I'll be the first to admit that I am pretty liberal with applying the term "dupe". I'm no stickler. If it's basically the same and performs the same function, I'm fine with it. Nevertheless, after comparing these products (and two other pinkish highlighters I own), I have some mild reservations about calling them dupes. They can be used for the same purposes, successfully, but there are some significant differences. Rather than a dupe, I'd say that the e.l.f. highlighter is a good product, and a reasonable alternative to the Benefit version. A near dupe, maybe. Since I'm convinced that there are cheap options that are comparable to almost all higher-end beauty products, and since I'm on a weird quest to determine which e.l.f. products are decent and which ones are shit, this kind of comparison is my idea of fun. Wheeeeee.

Left to right: e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whip in Lilac Petal, Benefit High Beam, Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer in Pink Shimmer, Pixi Brightening Primer in Pearl Essence

I threw two other similar highlighters into the mix, just for the sake of completion, and in case anyone else has them and would like to see how they fare. None of these are dupes. You can see just from the photo above that the e.l.f. highlighter is quite a bit pinker than the Benefit or Stila, and it is pinker than the Pixi option too, though the bottle for that one is opaque. On to the swatches!

Top left to bottom right: Swatches of e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whip in Lilac Petal, Benefit High Beam, Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer in Pink Shimmer, Pixi Brightening Primer in Pearl Essence

Let me break them down one by one - I'll end with e.l.f.

Pixi and POP Beauty on HauteLook right now (up to 68% off)

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I haven't used anything from POP that I thought was particularly interesting. Pixi is best for their shimmery eyeshadows, in my opinion, but their shit is usually overpriced, so this is a good way to get your hands on it. I have the Pixi Eye Glow Cube, and it's lovely. It's only $9. (I bought it for more than that. Boo.)

I've also heard good things about the Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen (a pencil eyeliner). It's actually made in the USA, according to Target, so maybe there is something about it that's different from all the rest. $7 is a decent price for a quality eyeliner.

Shipping is $6 and can take a couple week. You need an account to browse HauteLook, so feel free to use my invite link (same as above) if you are so inclined.

Anything look good?

Quick review: Pixi Flawless & Poreless Primer

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I guess the theme of this weekend is: Shit I Don't Like. This is going to be a pretty quick one, because I don't actually like anything about this product. Or quick by my long-winded standards, anyway. Here's the description from Pixi's website:

Primer creates a seamless, silky canvas with a beautiful no-shine, cashmere finish. The formula's skin-loving ingredients clear and unblock pores to allow for utterly flawless, long-lasting makeup application. It is the perfect skin primer for all complexions and all skin types. Pore minimizing. Shine controlling. Hydrating. Oil free. Hypoallergenic. For all skin types.

Here's what it looks like:

Pixi Flawless & Poreless Primer. Looks pale beige but goes on transparent.

Here's a list of things it doesn't do, which could alternatively be titled "Things You Might Reasonably Expect a Primer to Do":

• minimize/blur pores or other "imperfections" (like fine lines/wrinkles, scars, etc.)
• mattify
• make foundation or other makeup apply more smoothly
• make foundation or other makeup last longer
• control oil/shine

Pixi and POP Beauty on HautleLook today (up to 80% off)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
I have a Pixi palette that I love, and their nail polishes are decent too. I haven't been a big pan of their primers, but I haven't tried the one that's included here. I've never used a POP product.

You need an account to browse HauteLook, so use my invite link to sign up, if you like.

Anything look good here?

Pixi and POP Beauty are on HauteLook (up to 70% off)

I haven't tried anything from POP, but the Pixi nail polishes are definitely worth $3 (too small for the $8 full price, I think). They make good eyeshadow too. I've heard brilliant things about the Pixi eyeliners, but haven't tried them myself, yet.

I'd avoid Pixi primers. Haven't been impressed with them. Things are selling out already, so you might want to check it out soon. You need an account to browse, so here is my invite link.

theBalm is still available too, if you want to make your shipping dollars go further.

Pixi and POP makeup on HauteLook today

I'd recommend the Pixi Glow Fairy Face palette, on for $12 (originally $34). You get a lot of shit for $12, especially if you like shimmery neutral eyeshadows and pink lipsticks. The blush is nice too, though a little shiny (which I don't mind), and it comes with a good quality blush brush. It's one of those flat ones though . . . I can't figure out how they're supposed to work. Oh, and the packaging is obnoxiously cute, if that's your thing. I also have the brightening primer, which is nice (the usually pale pinkish shimmery deal), and they make some nice nail polish, which is on sale for $3.

I've never tried POP. Anyone else have suggestions from these brands?

You need a HauteLook account to browse, so here's my invite link, if you need it.