I'm getting clearer, but its still cloudy. LOL. Now, when I went to Paris this last time Strawberryfields was there to help me back and I forced her to sit there with me and I ONLY brought like ONE foundation and ONE primer and TWO mascaras and like two eyeshadow sets all for one week I was so proud of myself!

Oh Kate. You need to destress. Can I recommend a product? Listen, I nearly cried myself silly while reading the People Mag Style issue today. There is a page (ONE???) for "neatly storing your cometics". They were lovely cases and storage drawers and I would have needed FIFTY to get some of my stuff in. Yes, I have tried, the "use it up because it isn't my favorite" approach. But if it isn't my favorite why do I have to use it? Aren't I worthy of the better product? So when I head off to teach Pilates I try to use the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, but what if TheBALM is on top? And I try to use the Smashbox O-glow over the Laura Mercier, but sometimes I really want a swipe of Nars. My Bad Gal blue mascara is for nighttime, but damn if it wasn't the first one I got to and on it went and off I went to Pilates. At least it is not a brightly lit room. My one trick for getting rid of facial moisturizers I really don't like is to use them on my feet and elbows. Less guilt over throwing away a used product. Now I just saw a Dior shadown I think I need because I only have 2 drawers of shadows. I would need 16 eyes to use this stuff up.

Yes, I sat there on Kate's small bathroom floor with baskets and baskets of makeup strewn in front of me. It took us a looooooooong time to figure out what to pack up for Paris. And in the meantime, I found about 50 different products I want to add to my own makeup stash. But Kate did manage to narrow down her selection... and then borrowed some of my makeup when she realized we'd forgotten some (how did we forget the staple black eyeliner, Kate!?). Anyway, Katie, I wouldn't worry too much. Just think how much less space makeup takes up than something like shoes!

Kryssanthe - Bless you my child. I think this site may have actually reached a new plateau of enabling: I am sincerely and utterly impressed. Who cannot equate the gifting of near-orphaned product to missionary work? And if MMU is not a religion, it IS most certainly a cult. Of course, I personally like the equation of make-up to lingerie. After all, there are certain unmentionables I wear for certain tasks/outfits: cotton boy shorts for drudgery and lacy things for fun. I purge my lingerie about as often as I purge my cosmetics - and generally it is only because they’re long past their expiration date - or in the case of my unmentionables, because I need room in the underwear drawer (very few reach an expiration date). Without an occasional purge, I’d need an underwear closet.

Kate--I feel your pain. I keep trying to weed out some of my stash. It's almost impossible. I've accepted that I'm emotionally attached to my makeup. The evidence of my sickness currently covers a long dresser, a lingerie chest, a deep shelf in an armoire, several makeup bags, a large Sephora train case, along with some lovely lidded baskets and I know there's more in the dresser I keep in the bathroom, too... I actually HIDE most of it in my closet when my mother-in-law visits because I don't want her to judge me (she wears White Diamonds, I don't think I really need to say more). I have figured out a way to let go: I find my makeup a good home. It's just like adoption! About once a month, I'll clear out things that are new/almost new that I know I won't use and I mail them to my sisters or my friends. My sisters get so much swag from me that they actually invite their friends over for makeup parties and let their friends benefit from my illness. Some of those girls didn't even know what Stila or Benefit was before me. I imagine it's what the missionaries felt like when they tried to bring religion to indigenous peoples. It helps me to sleep at night.

I have four teenage nieces that love makeup just as much as I do. I pack up all my old stuff and let them sort through my madness when they come visit. Sometimes I even bribe them with free makeup if they will babysit for free...they get $10 bucks an hour to play with my kids so I'll do everything I can to save myself some $$$. I bribe them with names like Smashbox and O.P.I and they come running. Kate, keep the stuff you love. Don't worry if it is taking over your closets. There are worse things in life to be addicted to.

"I imagine it's what the missionaries felt like when they tried to bring religion to indigenous peoples. It helps me to sleep at night." Kryss-this may be the single funniest thing I've read on MM. You really are a giver! I'm sure one day when you are gone these woman and their relatives will worship you, if they don't already. Large lipstick or compact shaped monuments like Bebe Golini wanted to erect (Early Brady Bunch for you youngsters)! And Kate-you can always count on me for enabling. XO.

I put my 2 cents in on the other Sat. post already, but I have to add more - I still say (in echo of DDoll and others) throw away nothing. This may not apply to you, Katie, b/c you are way more hip than I am and probably know immediately what you can wear and can't - but get this - up until last week I wore pretty much only red lipstick! I tried nude on one time (or any light lipstick/gloss) and thought - nope, not for me, I need the color or I'm washed out. I even broke the cardinal rule constantly of wearing heavily made up eyes and lips together. So last week, Carmaqara (our new member who's also a makeup artist) finally taught me how to do it-just put a little gloss over the nude - can you believe I didn't know that?! Wow-I'm finally up to date...and nude lips will go "out" soon, therefore, I'm sure! Anyways, she used this color and said do you want to buy it? I"m like, no I know I have a nude or 2 at home that I should've thrown away when I got them 2 years ago. Well, we started looking through the palette at the store...and I started recognizing names...turns out I have 6 nudes in my posession that I thought I would never wear and if I was more charitable would've given away 2 years ago! So you just never know what you may give a 2nd look to in the future-maybe put the stuff you think you won't use in shoe boxes and label them and put them in closet storage?

I AGREE! I realized that the stuff I really use is my cargo bronzer and tarte cheekstains, liquid liner and mascara, and balm. I'm like an organization f-reaaak, if I don't like something, I'll find some way to use it. :P Those things are my lingerie. In makeup, you only need enough organization to find the stuff you love, lol. <3

OMG - you girls crack me up. I mean it, I laugh out loud at the things you write. I really have a hard time with the idea that I can't even just pick ONE thing to use for an entire week. I don't want to be wasteful but there are differences between all these fabulous products! And desertdoll, you are not a good influence on me...so you are now my BFF for life!

Oh, Kate... we all have things we cannot part with -I have coats dating back to the early 80’s. BUT - Have your makeup stashes truly taken over like a band of Tribbles? Are they slowly rotting like a mediocre salsa on the back upper corner of your fridge? Did you take a third full-size suitcase to Paris just for cosmetics? No - then don’t sweat it... Instead get an OCD pal to help you develop an organizational system. Yes - Well it’s kind of like finding that perfect little Bordeaux Blanc: Nice to savor, but best shared among friends. Open a few bottles, invite a few friends, hide the Caudalie and keep the Korres Party Survival Kit for the next day. Be Strong! And hey- maybe there’s a lip gloss that celebrates this cause.

Indianafarmwife, see that's the thing. I'm really good about purging in other areas of my life. I purge my closet of things I don't wear at least twice a year - a couple bag fulls. I'm good about throwing away junk mail and last year's birthday cards and leftovers sitting in the fridge. But why can't I bring this into the bathroom? Seriously!

i love the term "makeup lingerie"- I tend to use a few items, YSL Touche Eclat as concealer, Monistat Gel as a primer, random powder/Maybelline foundation, Jane blushes and /or WnW highlighter, L'oreal Telescopic mascara ! I forget my lips and i skip shadows during hot summer days

I'm the same way. You can never have enough, though!

My make-up collection has exploded over the past year. My storage system went from two small make-up bags, to two bamboo boxes, to four bamboo boxes, to the four boxes plus a ziploc baggie of samples under the sink AND backups being stored in the bedroom. Oh yeah...I also have a few products stashed in a drawer with my flat iron. Oh...and the bowl of lip products in the bedroom. However, I have gotten pretty good at using things up. My lotion stash is down to a reasonable size. I'm gradually working my way through little sample bottles of perfume. MMU samples have been used up (although I've been adding to my stash too). I only ever have one open mascara, and rarely have a backup in the house. My real downfall is with eye shadows and blushes. When it comes to colors, if I like the color, I want to keep it, even if I'm never going to use it. Also, color products last FOREVER!!! I have been able to use up small blush samples, but some of the full size blushes that I have would take me a couple of years to finish if I only used that one blush every day. Same with eye shadows. It can take me weeks to use up a small sample, so using up a 5g jar would take AGES. At least I know I'm in good company.