As a beauty editor, makeup and skincare products are part of my daily agenda. From testing different lip colors to learning about the latest beauty crazes (BB and CC creams are yesterday’s news; today it’s all about DD), I’m hooked on cosmetics.

I’m proud to say I haven’t crossed the line that makes makeup junkies, well, full-blown junkies. If you find yourself ticking these 8 signs of extreme beauty product addiction, then you need an intervention, stat!
8. You can’t say no to sales and compulsive shopping

From bulk deals to flash promos, you’re always ready to swipe your credit card. You still have five unopened lip balms from your last spree, but seeing the “buy 1, take 1” sign in your favorite makeup store is too good to pass up. You find yourself purchasing a product before giving it much thought or even trying it on your skin. Even when you’re broke, you often spend on cosmetics and toiletry sets you didn’t really plan to buy.

Beauty rehab: Make a monthly beauty shopping list of things your truly need, such as your favorite brand of red lipstick that’s run out, a bottle of shampoo to replace the one you’ve used up, and that new foundation you’ve been saving up for. If it’s not on the list, don’t buy it.

7. You can’t go bare.

You’d rather die than be seen in public without makeup. In fact, your friends can attest to not knowing what you really look like without your signature foundation and perfectly lined lips. You even wear makeup at the beach, while lifting dumbbells at the gym, or while confined in the hospital.

Beauty rehab: Check out magazine spreads of celebrities photographed with zero makeup. If the likes of Demi Lovato and Jessica Simpson can happily shun makeup for the world to see, then so can you! Besides, we need to let our faces breathe once in a while by going au naturale.

6. You’ve been told you wear too much makeup.

It’s one thing to hear a compliment about the cool double eyeliner trick you pulled off. It’s another thing to get an awkward “Please don’t get mad, but I think you wear too much makeup” comment from a concerned loved one—or worse, that hot guy you’ve been dating for weeks.

Beauty rehab: Just like fashion, it’s not a good idea to pile on multiple trends in one go (ex. orange pout + Nicki Minaj-esque eyeliner with falsies + flushed cheeks = Disaster Barbie!). Try focusing on just one of your features and play down the rest (ex. loud lips with natural eyes and cheeks, or smokey eyes with nude lips). Also remember that even supermodels don’t wear layers upon layers of foundation.

5. Your bathroom is overrun by beauty products

10 kinds of shampoos and conditioners, a nauseating mix of scented bath bombs and luxury soaps, and multitudes of perfume bottles and other beauty items you bought on a whim. There’s practically no space in the shower to actually take a bath. And we haven’t even gotten to the stacks of makeup kits in your bedroom yet.

Beauty rehab: Get rid of almost-empty bottles you haven’t touched in months. Give away products you don’t really like. If you love trying out scents, get the free atomizer samples first to see if you really like it.

4. You have huge piles of unopened beauty products from months to years ago.

You keep telling yourself that you’ll use them eventually, but they’ve turned into permanent decorations on your boudoir. You’ve even purchased beauty products only because the packaging is too cute or pretty to resist. Worse, you spot items you don’t recall buying.

Beauty rehab: Master the shelf life expectation of common beauty products so that you’ll know when to toss them and have the discipline to buy only what you need. In the same way that households have a fixed budget for utilities and food, you should also allocate a strict monthly beauty budget that won’t break the bank.

3. You can’t go clubbing with a tiny purse.

A cross-body bag or embellished party purse can’t hold half of your daily kikay kit. You need to retouch often and you can’t live without a purse full of products to fix beauty contingencies—perfume atomizer, face powder, lipstick, lip liner, lipgloss, hydrating face tonic, hand sanitizer… the list goes on.

Beauty rehab: Master the art of putting waterproof and smudge-proof makeup before heading to a concert or party. Be confident in knowing that all you need is a thin pack of oil-absorbing paper and maybe a tiny lippie to slip into your party purse.

2. You try to conceal your beauty shopping habits

Just like other serious shopaholics, you start hiding your shopping bags from your parents so they won’t get mad you, or you minimize your computer screen so that nobody will see you making another online purchase.

Beauty rehab: Sure, a bag of new cosmetics can give a girl the ultimate thrill, but make sure you have other activities to make you feel good about yourself, such as sports, music, or even just reading. You may even get your beauty fill by just window-shopping—browsing beauty blogs, flipping through magazines, and watching Youtube videos about makeup.

1. Your beauty habits start to beget negative feelings

Your beauty habits start to beget negative feelings, such as personal guilt from spending too much on items you don’t really need, distress from adding to your credit card debt, or arguments with your boyfriend who has to put up with your daily two-hour makeup prep time.

Beauty rehab: One of the signs of a real addiction is when it affects the relationships with loved ones and even yourself. Makeup is supposed to be fun, so if you start seeing problems arising from your love of beauty products, then it’s time to curb your habits.

Kate Alvarez


A former full-time magazine and newspaper editor, Kate now juggles a career in writing, modeling and acting. She is also an advocate of animal rights and mental health awareness. Check out her blogs, Kate Was Here and Retro Prints, as well as her beauty articles in BDJ Box.



 


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