Stage 5 of My Makeup Evolution: Acceptance and Curation

I've been meaning to give closure to this Makeup Evolution for months now, but was caught up with schoolwork, labwork, and of course studying for my oral comprehensive exam.  I had made up my mind that this little blog was going to take a back seat until after at least June 4... but as of right now, 9:27pm 5/25/13 I declare myself incapable of studying for a while.  I seek reprieve from studying by closing up a gap in my blog.

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The stages of my makeup evolution so far:
Stage 1: Makeup to cover up
Stage 2: The power of makeup aka. "Makeup can do that?!"
Stage 3: Collect all the makeup
Stage 4: The purge

I started out not knowing anything about makeup and used it as a way to change my appearance to "fit in." I then discovered that makeup can be used to enhance, not alter.  And then I went crazy filling my cravings with everything makeup.  It took some time, but the age-old adage rang true: Quality over quantity.  I began purging my collection of things that were just things, items that had no quality to them that would make me feel good using it.  The purge and the self-imposed makeup diet really allowed me to assess what was worth keeping and what was worth adding.  In short, by going through these previous stages I have arrived at a sense of acceptance: I have allowed myself to feel healthy about my hobby with makeup and beauty.

I accept that I have a love with all that is makeup and beauty related.  I accept that this love is probably more than what the average woman has for her own makeup; however, I am realistic enough to also know that my love will never surmount some other people's addiction to this stuff (i.e. girls on YouTube and the blogosphere).  Does my obsession with makeup make me vain?  Sure, I can admit to being vain.  I like to look pretty, put-together, and polished.  Who wouldn't?!  But through this evolution, I've come to realized that wanting to look pretty and having a little vanity is not a weakness of my womanhood.  Having a little vanity is not a fault, rather it is what motivates me to put effort into making myself look, and feel, better.

This acceptance puts to rest two struggles I had before.  The first struggle being that liking makeup and taking time to put on makeup was somehow contradictory to being a strong, independent woman.  I'm not quite sure where this notion got ingrained in me, but I had felt that I first needed to put my time into academics and family to make sure those ends were met before I could take time to make myself feel good.  Somehow it wasn't okay in my mind to take time to put on powder and blush if those other more significant things in life hadn't been taken care of.  And it is true that in the grand scheme of things, makeup matters zero.  But if I put effort into everything else, why would putting effort into my appearance lessen my ability to be a strong independent woman?  Why should it diminish anything?  Through these stages, I've come to realize that liking makeup doesn't make me that superficial woman of my fears; rather I feel empowered by makeup.

The second struggle that I felt was between my consumerist-driven desire to acquire goods, and my practical (and somewhat frugal) nature.  After discovering the power of makeup, I went on a collecting spree, gathering anything and everything makeup.  Granted, I was still frugal in what I collected, but I still ended up spending a lot of money.  This blind hauling served to show me what waste comes from amassing quantity and not quality.  More positively, though, it gave me a chance to try out different items and figure out what works and what doesn't work for me specifically.  I would argue that had I not tried so many things, I would still have been curious and would not have reached this stage yet.  Through trying out all those different things, I've come to have a much better idea of my tastes and what would suit my skin type and skin tone.  It was an educational experience in both regards, and I don't regret having gone through it, so I give myself a pass for having spent money on those products that I ended up giving away or tossing.  Given that I've accepted my obsession with makeup, it's unrealistic to not allow myself to indulge in my hobby.  However, having gone through these changes, I am much more discerning on what I add to my collection.  I will not buy something just because it's the latest and greatest.  I will not buy something solely based on rave reviews; it must also be something truly unique and something that will suit me.

In this last phase, I will work on curating my collection, just as a curator of a museum, to a state where everything I have should have a purpose and reason for being in my collection.  What I have now could still be trimmed down some more (summer project).  I want to end up with a collection wherein I know the pieces will perform well for me and that will make me feel good using it.  In this quest, my collection will grow some and shrink some.  But that's another reason why makeup is such a fun hobby!