What’s in my Medicine Cabinet

By
FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com
 – December 16, 2009Posted in: Life

I’ve been thinking about doing a post like this for a while, because even I am amazed at how much I cut out.

Amanda over at Jing-Wen posted about this recently, and I thought it was time I showed what’s in my cabinet.

She says:

For someone who’s as conscious of self presentation as I am, I don’t use that many beauty products.

Certainly more than those who genuinely don’t care about their appearance one way or another, but by no means as much as those who spend half an hour in front of the mirror every day.

Me neither.

I don’t spend more than 10 minutes, and that’s only if I am putting on makeup.

(Yes I do think I look fine without makeup, and am not self conscious about going out with a bare face. Helps my skin breathe.)

What do I own?

Toiletries I use on a daily basis

Toiletries

  • Contact Lens Solution: Opti-Free Express (I like it, I stick with it)
  • Contact Lens Case
  • Glasses: EyeGlassUSA
  • Body Moisturizer: Pure shea butter, and I mix it with olive oil to be more lotion-y
  • Face Wash: Cor Silver Soap (Prefer this over very moisturizing cleansers)
  • Acne Masuqe: Proactiv Refining Masque (Sulfur Acne Masque. Cheaper & works like Mario Badescu)
  • Face Moisturizer: Paula’s Choice Antioxidant Concentrate
  • Sunscreen: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer in SPF 55 (BF hates the smell)
  • Conditioner: Hugo Naturals Vanilla & Sweet Orange Conditioner (Smells AWESOME)
  • Hand Cream: J.R. Watkins Lemon Creme (I smell like Lemon Biscuits after)

Makeup I use for events

Makeup-All

  • Makeup Remover: Using up Nivea for now, but I want to switch to something natural
  • Face Primer: Smashbox is the king of primers. Yes, that’s  Sephora sample 😛
  • Concealer: TimeBalm by TheBalm. Too dark for winter now, but is the best coverage
  • Eyeshadow: Annabelle. Yes… Annabelle. I don’t wear much eyeshadow.
  • Mascara: Maybelline Colossal Mascara. I also don’t wear much mascara.
  • Blush: Cargo in Molokai. Feels soft and moisturizing.
  • Eyeliners: Bonne Bell in Brown, Marcelle in Purple
  • Eyebrow Filler-Inner: Bonne Bell Tiger’s Eye (I have sparse, light eyebrows)
  • Foundation: Bare Minerals No. 3 and Mineral Veil. Very light on my skin.
  • Perfume: Serendipity Serendipitous 3. I love smelling like a milk chocolate bar.
  • Lip Balm: Forgot to picture this. I don’t like lipstick or lip gloss. Lip Balm = Great.

Makeup I wear on a “daily basis”—- if I wear any.

I actually don’t wear any unless I have a meeting, appointment or work.

Makeup-Daily

  • Blush: Cargo in Molokai to stop questions about how ghoulish I am
  • Concealer: TimeBalm – TheBalm to stop people asking me if I am tired today
  • Eyeliners: I usually wear brown, but the purple from Marcelle is growing on me.
  • Brow Liner: Sometimes I wear this. Just to shade in my eyebrows a bit.
  • Makeup Remover: Oops, forgot to picture this. It’s the Nivea stuff.
  • Lip Balm: Forgot to picture this too. Burt’s Bees Honey.

Tools I use

This is on a regular basis.

I also have a full set of brushes that I am thinking of giving away to my sister or a friend because I don’t use them.

I also have a Kabuki brush for the Bare Minerals (not shown)

Tools

  • Tweezers: Tweezerman and Revlon (I actually don’t tweeze often. Only if I feel like it, which is twice a year)
  • Small Mini Brush Set — From Sephora. Is surprisingly versatile.
  • Eyelash Curler: Shu Uemura. Best. Ever.
  • Nail Clippers: Use them.. a LOT. My nails grow fast & are generally very strong.

What does it all cost?

Amanda says:

I’d estimate that I’d spend about $20AUD-$30AUD a month on beauty and hygiene products

I actually can’t say for certain, but I estimate it on average to be $10/month or less, because I do think that for SOME items I need to spend more, but for things like eyeliners and mascara — not so much.

When I buy something like moisturizer, I tend to buy at least 2 of it, because it’s probably on sale and I just want to stock up.

As for makeup, I don’t wear much of it, so what I have has lasted quite a while.

The last makeup item I bought was Marcelle purple eyeliner for $12 last month.

And the makeup item before THAT, was TheBalm TimeBalm Concealer.

About a year ago.

Why so little in stuff?

I am not into makeup and toiletry stuff as much as I used to be.

Partly because I am turning minimalist

But also because I am cutting down on using products that aren’t more.. well, edible. 🙂

While I believe in science and the leaps they are making towards finding new chemicals to improve our lives, I think going back to the basics is best.

We absorb POUNDS of moisturizer & products in our lifetime.

Where does it all go, if not into our bodies, and perhaps stay there for decades?

Does it work as well as the old stuff you used?

Well I still swear by Olay’s Quench Therapy Lotion, because it cured my eczema in the past, but it had a real cocktail of ingredients listed.

Plus, the smell started giving me headaches after a while — the fragrance is too strong.

So I switched to shea butter and mixed it with pure olive oil to make it more liquid-y.

It’s a bit messier, and it doesn’t absorb perfectly, but still keeps my eczema away if I am diligent on rubbing on lotion each night.

I may decide just to stick to rubbing on olive oil, or buying coconut oil after I run out, as I’ve heard it absorbs better into hair and skin.

Kind of turning very au naturel aren’t you?

Maybe.

But I still wear makeup and care about looking put together & presentable.

I don’t dye my hair (although I used to, and that FRIED it, which made me buy more products to try and get it shiny & healthy again).

And I don’t balk at paying $100 for a haircut.

If I can pay less, great.

But $50 – $100 guarantees me a great style that can last for 6 months or more without going back.

eye-creamI am just more relaxed, or laissez-faire about wearing makeup and trying to prevent wrinkles.

I think I look good without makeup.

I don’t feel self conscious at all with a bare face, but I still enjoy wearing it once in a while, because it does make a difference.

As for aging?

Wrinkles are inevitable if you make emotions on your face.

And you cannot erase them once they are there, unless you get Botox or collagen fillers.

So instead of paying $50 for a small tub of eye cream (which is just facial moisturizer re-packaged and tripled in price), I don’t subscribe to that mentality.

I also don’t wear a lot of makeup all the time, or any at all, most days.

It’s not for everyone (my sister is amazed at my medicine cabinet, considering that her whole bathroom is JAMMED with half-used products).

But I also want to use up everything I own before moving on to something new.

But are you paying more for organic stuff?

coconut-oil

In some cases, yes.

The hair conditioner I buy costs $20.

But it actually turned out to be cheaper to use the shea butter & olive oil.

One $20 tub of shea butter, turns into 2 tubs once I mix it with olive oil, and I don’t need to use a big heaping glob of it each time.

And each tub lasts me about 2 months, so 4 months in total.

2 Olay Quench Therapy bottles cost $9 each, and they last me about 3 months because there’s less of it in the bottle so I use more.

I think if I switch to coconut oil, it will be MUCH cheaper at $10 for a jar 3 times the size of a shea butter tub.

And I can double that quantity by mixing it with a $2 jar of extra virgin olive oil, so that’s 6 jars for $10.

I figured it that the average cost evens out in the end, and may even be cheaper, as I don’t buy extraneous things like wrinkle creams, eye creams, shine-boosting whatevers…

What about you? What’s in your cabinet?

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About the Author

Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver. I cleared $60,000 in 18 months earning $65,000 gross/year. Now I am self-employed, and you can read more about my story here, or visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist.