The Belle: How many just-in-case lipstick colors does one person need?
Tales from the bottom of the cosmetic case
It’s spring!
We’re having some seriously beautiful weather in Boston this week. And that means it’s time to open all the windows, switch over my closet, and swap out higher-coverage makeup and brightly pigmented lipsticks for more sheer products.
In the spirit of spring cleaning, I dumped out my lipstick case on the floor to take stock of the situation. And it’s… a situation.
Not counting the two balms and two samples that made it in there, having 25 lip colors isn’t totally out of control, in my opinion (lol). But the thing is that they’re not all in rotation. I didn’t even remember I had a lot of them. Ever since realizing what good things Dior Beauty colors do for me and experiencing the great quality of their products, I’ve hardly touched anything else all winter besides my four Dior shades. (Not sponsored, just a fan.)
The other thing is that I’m kind of a beauty minimalist. I don’t wear full-coverage foundation, I have one eyeshadow palette, a few individual cream eyeshadows, and one mascara (which I reach for less and less lately). I do love blush, but I’m maxed out at five options. So the lipstick situation is in contrast with the rest.
But of course, no two shades/finishes are identical, so it’s easy for me to justify buying a new one (and keeping them all) because it could come in handy for some specific occasion; I might want it for some specific outfit.
But something came over me today and all those mights and coulds lost their persuasive power over me. Without overthinking it, I picked out about half the tubes you see pictured above and tossed them.
The brighter, redder, more pigmented products that I kept will get packed away until next fall and the lighter, pinker, glossier products will be easy to access and choose from this spring and summer.
And (shocker!) I feel better! I’m finding that, like with clothes and accessories, I’m not actually that experimental and the better I know myself, the less I want. Stuff and clutter gives me anxiety. Letting go of things is freeing.
What about you? Maximalist or minimalist when it comes to beauty? Have you ever tossed out half the stuff you own in one category? Let’s discuss in the comments.
Not only will these never get thrown away, they will forever get replenished
Top pigmented lipsticks:
Dior Rouge Dior Refillable Lipstick - I wear Rendez-Vous in satin finish and Classic in matte finish year-round, and Favourite and Icône in matte finish in cold weather
Nars Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencil - I wear Dolce Vita in warm weather and Cruella in cold weather
Top light glosses:
Nars Afterglow Tinted Lip Balm - I wear Dolce Vita whenever I don’t want makeup but just a little something
Ilia Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil - I wear Petals (not pictured in the pile because it’s in some handbag or other) in the warm weather
Reading recommendations
Switching gears! I wanted to shout out some other newsletters/blogs I really enjoy reading, whether they’re longtime faves or recent finds.
I love Sarah’s perspective on many things at Fewer & Better, but her recent post on being at ease and having a signature personal style, citing her grandmother, was particularly standout.
If it’s not obvious, I’m feeling the spring energy and Heather’s post on C’est Bien about her April to-do list inspired me to make my own.
I need to make better use of space in my tiny closet, and Venita Aspen shared some really good closet hacks as part of her Spring Cleaning series.
Leandra Medine Cohen recently wrote about quiet luxury and its links to anonymity, and it’s something I’m thinking about a lot as I figure out how much to share / keep private via this newsletter.
Megan Strachan is a very busy lady as the founder of Dorsey (named after her grandmother), but she’s kind enough to make time for her What I Put On Today newsletters, which I always rush to click. I love her relaxed styling and great eye.
Tessa at Heds and Deks recently shared an ode to her grandmother’s style, on what would have been her 100th birthday.
Grandmas seem to be a theme of my recs today! And for good reason — they’re incredibly inspiring. I think all of our grandmas probably had a few signature shades of lipstick that they replenished over and over (at the makeup counter at the department store) rather than always trying something new, don’t you? That’s the energy I’m channeling into my own beauty wardrobe this spring.
xx Jane
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I'm absolutely a minimalist when it comes to makeup (foundation, setting powder + spray, eyebrow pomade, and eyeliner - one of each and it never changes). But dresses are my weakness, and I saw such much of myself in that area when reading your reflections. I've started doing similar exercises to yours whenever I'm tempted to buy one that's very same-but-different to the ones I already own.
Minimalist with Maximalist Taste ;-)