"What do you think?" Wednesdays - Applying makeup in public

I fear my 'What do you think?" Wednesday posts are coming to an end - I am really struggling with topics to talk about! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I only have one topic for next week and then I am out of ideas!

This week's topic may seem like a bit of a strange one, something that perhaps you hadn't thought about before but it is one of those things that bothers me.

Everyone has those 'things' that other people do that really, really get on their nerves. Whether it be chewing with your mouth open, touching your hair all the time, cracking your knuckles, pronouncing a particular word incorrectly or making a particular sound when you sneeze, I can guarantee that there is some silly little 'thing' in life that really gets on your nerves.

For me, that is applying makeup in public. Weird, right?

I cannot stand seeing people apply their makeup when I am out in public. I'm not talking about freshening up your lipstick or blotting your skin to get rid of that oil, but rather the continual application of foundation or the brushing on of a bit of blush.

Don't get me wrong, it isn't actually something that I see occurring all that often, but occasionally I will stop in at the public toilets (although I avoid such occasions like the plague) and will see someone with the contents of their whole makeup bag sprawled across the bench, reapplying a full face of makeup. 99% of the time it is completely unnecessary too because their makeup is perfectly fine.

I used to know a girl who would carry around concealer in her pocket. She wore a super thick layer of foundation (which, by the way, did not match her skin tone at all) and would literally apply a layer of concealer to what I considered wasn't even a blemish every hour. Every hour!

It bothered me more than you can imagine.

The thing is, I actually have no idea why I feel so funny about it. It really makes me so very uncomfortable. I was trying to think about why this is and I came to the conclusion that maybe it was because I kind of associate applying makeup with getting dressed (and I'm pretty sure getting dressed in public is unacceptable). Maybe it is because I would like to keep up the illusion that I am naturally gorgeous and don't need makeup to look so stunning (I hope you all don't think that I was being serious about that last comment!). Whatever it is, I actually have no why it is that I have this ridiculous 'pet peeve.'

I decided to mention it to a couple of people to see what they thought about it, and I didn't really come across anyone who thought it was all that strange...until I spoke to the males. Every male who I mentioned this to was on my side - they found it weird and uncomfortable. I think for them it was like all girly things - they prefer for them to remain a mystery so that when a female comes out looking all gorgeous it is quite magical, as opposed to them understanding the complicated process that has gone behind the scenes to create such an illusion. Knowing how it was created takes away the magical element. Of course, this theory doesn't apply to me at all, but it was nice to get an idea of their perspective.

Anyhow, basically I have come to no conclusion as to why I feel so funny about this and why it bothers me so much. Like I said, a fresh application of lipstick doesn't bother me in the slightest, it is really just foundation, eyeshadow, mascara, blush etc. that gets under my skin.

Why is this? What on earth makes me think like this? Is there anyone out there who can relate or am I really that strange?

"What do you think?" Wednesdays - Are makeup use-by dates worth listening to?

I have a confession. I have never ever (and probably will never ever) taken notice of use-by dates or 'throw out' guidelines when it comes to makeup. Every product is treasured in my collection and therefore I would struggle to throw out something that I've not yet used up.

I've always had the view that use-by dates on cosmetics were solely put in place so that the companies can get you to purchase more of their products more frequently, but is that really the case?

First of all, I must explain myself a little in that if I came across a product that was looking a bit dodgy - has changed colour, separated, lumpy, so on and so forth - then I wouldn't hang on to it for much longer, however if it still looks fairly good then I wouldn't consider chucking it out for a second!

Now that you know that, back to the topic. Use-by dates. Before writing this post I was aware that there were such things as use-by recommendations for makeup but I didn't know what they were for each product so I looked them up and here is what I have found.

Mascara - 3-6 months
Moisturiser - 3-12 months
Foundation - 12-18 months
Powder - 2 years
Concealer - 12-18 months
Blush - 2 years
Eyeshadow - 2 years
Eyeliner/lipliner - 2 years
Lipstick - 2 years
Perfume - 2 years

Of course, the answers vary according to who tells you what, but this is about average in general.

I don't know about you, but I certainly have products that have outlived their recommended time period and according to the 'rules' they should be thrown out. Am I going to? No way.

I imagine for some of you, this might evoke a response of disgust. You might find the prospect of keeping a makeup product too long much like eating mouldy yoghurt that has been stewing in the dark depths of the fridge for a couple of months, in which case I can understand why this post and my attitudes towards the topic might gross you out. However, in my view unless there is some detectable change that I can notice (even smell or taste change - like for a lipgloss) then I would carry on using it as I always had. After all, I paid for it and therefore I want to get maximum use out of it.

I appreciate that there is the flip side of the argument whereby you tell me that germs are too small to be seen and that there is a fair chance I have hoards of bacteria breeding in my eyeshadows ready to attack my eyeballs at every opportunity. You may be correct, but I've not yet found such to be a problem.

I also think that some products are more susceptible to acting as lovely breeding grounds, like mascara. I would be hesitant to apply a mascara that has been opened for a couple of years, especially because it is bypassing the skin barrier and going straight for the eyes, thus making it considerably easier for it to infect me!

When it comes down to it, I am pretty relaxed about it all in that I never even consider makeup use-by dates, instead waiting for a product to go funny until I throw it out. I probably could be a little more careful and put practices in place that extend the life of my products, but until I actually come across major problems with it, I think I shall remain careless and continue ignoring the guidelines.

How do you feel about makeup use-by dates? Do you care about them at all?

"What do you think?" Wednesdays - Youtube vs Blogging

Youtube vs blogging. The age old debate regarding which of the two is better. As a blogger and not a youtuber I am very much aware of the fact that I am biased in my opinion, but when I sat down to write this I tried my very best to be open and understanding about both! For the purpose of this post, when I speak of 'youtubers' I am specifically referring to those who make beauty based videos, and when I write about bloggers I am making reference to beauty bloggers in particular.

I think you need to split this debate into two categories in order to cover all the positives and negatives: the person making the posts/videos and the people who read/watch them.

The positives and negatives for those who create the content

As a youtuber, you are required to record yourself on film. Obvious right? Well the way I interpret that is that you have to make yourself look presentable every time you wish to make a video whereas a blogger has the freedom to wear their pyjamas and look like a dog's breakfast if they wish, and their readers wouldn't have a clue. Who has the time and energy for that? Not me.

Another benefit that I think bloggers have over youtubers is that creating a post takes significantly less time to write, edit and post as opposed to the trauma it seems youtubers go through as they try to upload their videos!

As a blogger I think you are less subject to criticism and attacks. I personally have been so lucky to have had nothing of the sort, but it seems that all youtubers suffer from those who just like to make life difficult and leave unnecessary comments on a regular basis.

I feel that youtubers have a wider range of viewers and can get regular 'subscribers' more easily, whereas bloggers really have to work at it to build up a strong group of followers.

Bloggers have more privacy than youtubers, generally speaking, and are able to control their content more easily. What I mean by that is that a youtuber has to film a video somewhere, most likely somewhere in their house, so their viewers have already seen a chunk of their lives that a blogger wouldn't necessarily reveal.

Also, what would be considered a perfectly good post on a blog, if read out like a script for a video it would probably seem ridiculously short and half-done. It means that youtubers have to think of more to say in order to make a video last longer.

I think bloggers are able to post more regularly without having to devote their whole life to their blog (thus allowing them to have a job, social life etc) whereas if youtubers wish to make videos as frequently, they really need to commit to being a youtuber in a way that bloggers don't have to do.

In terms of freedom and variety, I think that both bloggers and youtubers have the option to get really creative with their content and that whilst youtubers can play around with music videos and creative challenges, bloggers can turn to the creative writing type side and online based diaries.

One of my favourite things as a blogger is that you can write a post and continually go over something to refine it and make it better during the editing process. Such luxury is not available for those who make videos, unless you write a script prior to filming, in which case the video comes out horribly. The improvisation side of filming is not something that I would be terribly comfortable with, I much prefer being able to write something and edit it later when I come up with a better way to write it.

Bloggers are able to personalise their blogs more than youtubers, particularly their layouts, backgrounds and general blog design.

Lastly, blogging is easy and free from too many expenses, whereas youtubers (who are really serious about what they do) need good quality cameras and perhaps even lighting set ups too, which all add up.

The positives and negatives for those who receive the content

The positives and negatives are abundant for both those who read blogs and those who watch videos. I think that videos can be more to-the-point and can convey more information more easily, especially when demonstrating the use of a product or describing shades and characteristics of a product. In saying that, there is nothing better than reading a hilarious post which has been perfectly written by a talented blogger about a subject you are interested in.

Whilst I appreciate that many may differ in opinion to me here, I really feel that one's character can often be understood a lot better through text and writing than video. This might seem strange, but I know with me at least, that on camera I behave quite differently to my usual self, whereas through writing I am myself.

I do think that videos require a lot less 'effort' to watch than blogs posts do to read. I know that after a long day I would much prefer to watch youtube videos than scroll through pages and pages of posts.

On a more personal level, I much prefer blogging as both a blogger and a reader of blogs. I love to write my posts, including all of the pictures and responses to comments that come with it, and I also love to read other people's posts. I don't see myself as someone being suited to making youtube videos whereas I've always kind of viewed myself as a blogger.

Despite this, I don't think that there is a definite winner as both videos and blog posts are good for different things, and people are suited to different things too.

I would love to have your input, especially if you have had experience in both areas and can make a better comparison than me!

"What do you think?" Wednesdays - The importance of social media sites for your blog

This week's topic is less of my opinion and more of a discussion (hence the short post) that I hope you can get involved in, because I think the majority you will know a lot more about this than me!  This week's topic was inspired by Jasmine who runs Sweetaholic Beauty, after she left her comment on last week's "What do you think?" Wednesday about the influence followers and comments have on your blogging presence.

When I first decided to make a blog I couldn't have dreamed about what it might lead to and the way in which it could turn out. As my blog developed and I began to follow other people's blogs I discovered that for some people their blog was more like a business! With their blog to run, PR interest, emails to respond to and a twitter/facebook/youtube account to run it almost became a part time job for them!

The way my blog is now takes up a significant portion of my life to run it to my satisfaction, and that is solely the reason that I haven't made a twitter or facebook account. I am very much aware that with other social media sites come more followers, which of course would be nice, but I don't think I have the time and energy to keep up with another platform!

There are of course, other perks associated with these sites, not just an increase in followers and traffic. As far as I am aware, please correct me if I am mistaken, twitter allows for bloggers to discuss things as a large group. Of course this can be done on someone's blog, but I imagine it would be so much easier to find these discussions on twitter in the first place, and so much easier to participate in. Not only that, but twitter and facebook are just different environments for discussion and interaction that I think some people find less intimidating and easier to be a part of.

My question, for all of those who have a blog in addition to another account like twitter/facebook etc, is are those accounts worth having? For someone like me, who feels like that haven't much additional time to spare, would you recommend me signing up for other social media sites? What are some of the benefits that I am not aware of and are they worth the time and effort you might put into keeping up with it all?

"What do you think?" Wednesdays - Do followers and comments influence your blog presence?

What do you picture when you think of a successful blog? Chances are the first thing you thought of was a gazillion followers and steady flow of comments from all around the globe. You might think of a blogger who gets a lot of media attention, or one that receives many products to review.

These things are the products or results of a successful blog. A successful blog would have regular, interesting posts. It would have good images, a nice layout and a variety of posts within a theme.

These things are all achieved with ease, but if you had no followers and no comments coming in then you would undoubtedly, not put in as much effort into your blog.

For this week I decided to write about the influence that followers, or comments themselves, have on the presence of a blogger on their site. Without the input of readers on a blog, it really isn't nearly as enjoyable.

Sure, for most bloggers (for the purpose of this post I'm going to use beauty bloggers for any examples) the act of blogging itself - researching a product, purchasing it, testing it out, writing a review on it and taking pictures of it - is highly enjoyable in itself, but it really isn't sustainable if you don't get some kind of response, or if you're not aware that others are reading it.

When I started out my blog it took me quite a long time to get followers. There were definitely many mistakes I made (poor blog design, no images and poorly written, brief posts) but compared to other bloggers, it took me a long time to build my readers up. Whilst I found blogging really exciting even without any followers or comments, everything just became so much better when I was receiving input from the outside world. It certainly made my presence on my blog more frequent and of a better quality.

Now that I have (what I consider to be) a lot of followers, I spend a lot of time responding to comments and coming up with post ideas that I think would be both fun to make as well as interesting for the reader. In fact, the majority of my time as a blogger is spent not only responding to input other bloggers have contributed to my blog, but ensuring that I return the favour by following, reading posts and responding to other people's blogs.

If everyone ceased to read my posts and I didn't allow for any comments to come through, I don't believe I would continue to blog, or at least not for any longer than a few months.

This may seem quite dramatic, but when it comes down to it, it is the followers and comments that make the whole posting process enjoyable, because you know that someone else is going to get information/enjoyment from the post that you are putting time and effort into.

Having said all of this, I am very blessed to have never had any negative attention. I've never received any attacking type comments or negative insults. I haven't actually seen much of that on anyone's blogs in fact (maybe I'm not looking in the right places?) but I do imagine if I was to experience that then it might work in the opposite way and really weaken my blog presence. I would love to know people's thoughts on this because as I said, I am really lucky not to have has such experiences. Do you think it would make you blog harder or weaken your blogging presence, or even make you stop blogging all together?

I would struggle to believe that followers and comments don't improve a blogger and their online presence, with the exception of personal blogs that act more as diaries as opposed to informative/theme based blogs.

I would love to know to what extent you think outside input like followers and comments improves your blog presence and the enjoyment you get out of blogging.

"What do you think?" Wednesdays - Can you judge someone by their makeup?

Makeup, like clothes, is a way of expressing yourself, who you are, your personality and your creative flair. It makes sense to believe that someone would only wear makeup that they like the look of, right? Does that mean that you can judge someone by their makeup? Are there any stereotypical judgements that can be made? Does their makeup (or even lack of) reflect anything about their personality?

This is something that I find fascinating, because the simple fact is that we all judge whether we are aware of it or not, and to a large extent we are often right with our judgements.

Here is an example - When I take a step back and look at all the females in my life, for 90% of them their makeup choices reflect their personalities. There are the no makeup girls whose approach to life is practical, down to earth and no-fuss. There are the minimal makeup girls/natural girls (like myself) who wear a little bit of everything but rarely dare to be bold or take on a trend. Once again, our approach to life is balanced, sweet, comfortable but not too luxurious, full of routine and knowing what is next. Then there are the bright-lipstick-wearing-green-eyeshadow-loving girls who are full of fun, excitement, spontaneity, joy and craziness. Then in the smaller categories are the bronzer/tousled hair beach-goers, winged eyeliner/red lippie retro lovers and heavy eyeliner/dark shadow music fans who are all people I know and love. The girls I've mentioned aren't even the beginning of all the makeup styles people adopt and of course no one can be labelled accurately no matter how many labels we develop. When I think about it, the girls in my life really do use their makeup as a way to express who they are and what they love, so I can come to the assumption that I can judge a person by their makeup.

Wrong. The other 10% of people are those who are very much chameleons and to a degree this is where I fit in. We are the people who can rock any look and often confuse people as to where we belong and which label they should stick on us. During the week my makeup is very, very minimal but on the weekends I tend to really dress up my eyes with a smoky look, or slap on some hot pink lipstick or a bright blush. Such huge changes in my makeup has really, really surprised people in the past who have stumbled across me at the shops, having only seen my minimal look before! I'm not nearly as outrageous as some of the others I know, but I can certainly change up my look according to how I feel or where I am going.

The conclusion I have come to after really thinking about all the ladies in my life, is that people do use makeup to show who they are but they also use it as a tool to be someone else for a night, or get a taste of something else that they want to experiment with. For this reason I do believe that you can get a great deal of understanding in terms of their personality or lifestyle simply by checking out their makeup, but it is easy to be tricked!

I think there needs to be an understanding that judging someone by their makeup is a bad idea. If you want to write off a possible friendship with someone simply because they have electric blue eyeliner and coral lipstick whereas you are more of a heavy eyeliner and plum lipstick girl then that is your mistake because for all you know they could be the perfect friend. I do, however, think that you can understand a person from their makeup choices and get a small insight into their life because the chances are that they are wearing their makeup how they like it, and therefore it represents a small part of who they are.

What do you think? When you look at your makeup choices do you find that they reflect who you are? Are you a chameleon who changes their look on a daily basis? Let me know whether you think accurate information can be gained regarding one's personality simply by checking out their makeup!

"What do you think?" Wednesdays - Do you make an effort to support Aussie brands?

Australia has some awesome makeup brands - Face of Australia, Australis, Jurlique, Bloom, Model Co and Napolean Perdis, just to name a few - but is it important to support Australian brands and if so, do you make an effort to do just that?

I know that when it comes to local, Australian things, I like give it my full support. In saying this though, sometimes they just don't compete with British or American brands that are just so much better. I have so many Face of Australia and Australis products and I really, really like the brands so there is no denying that I'd happily spend my money on them. The thing is, I'm not actually doing it because I want to support the Australian business, I'm doing it because I like the products.

Then there are brands like Essence, Maybelline, Revlon, Rimmel and Loreal that really aren't Australian brands but create some amazing products. I'd like to think that if, say...Maybelline and Australis created the exact same product and sold it for the exact same price that I would purchase the product from Australis, but the truth is that it is more likely that I would go for the one from Maybelline.

I'm not exactly sure why this it, it might have something to do with the fact that because Maybelline is so widely known it is an expectation that their products are of a great quality whereas Australis has a bit more leeway for hit and miss products. It might be that I'd be seeing more hype about the product from Maybelline and therefore would pick that to jump on the bandwagon...I don't know what it is but I really do think I would go for the one from Maybelline.

When it comes down to it, is it really that important to support Australian brands? I think so, especially the smaller independent ones. I think Australian makeup brands produce some amazing products and it would be a real shame to deprive them of the opportunity to continue doing so. I also think that there is something special about having products exclusive to Australia, just like America has with their brands that we can't access here down under (except of course online!).

What do you think? Do you go out of your way to support Australian brands or are you like me and just purchase products that you like, leaning towards the more well known American brands?

"What do you think?" Wednesdays - Buying makeup off of Ebay - Good or bad idea?

This week's post is about purchasing makeup off of Ebay. Unlike other weeks where I have had an opinion and made it quite clear, when it comes to this topic I really have no idea because I've not had any experience with the matter.

Ebay is an awesome place to look around. It's like a mammoth second hand store where prices are so cheap it's practically free, but for the valuable items you can come up against competition. I've bought numerous books and magazines from Ebay, but when it comes to makeup and beauty related items I'm not game enough to give it a shot.

Ebay is renowned for dodgy dealers who claim that a particular brand of makeup (*cough cough MAC and NARS*) is genuine, when in fact it is anything but.

I personally hate the idea of fake knock-offs of bigger brands. Who knows what has gone into that fake Naked Palette? For all I know I could end up with lumps resembling Mount Everest and tomato-like rashes all over my body from an allergic reaction to the dodgy ingredients they have used. Most of all, if I've paid to get a MAC lipstick, a MAC lipstick is what I expect to get no matter how similar it is to the real deal.

That's another thing - some people don't mind copies of real products, as long as the quality and shades are reflected accurately in the knock-off. I don't think so. No matter how good a copy is, if I think I am paying for the real thing then that is what I expect to get. If I wanted the fake copy, I would go out and get that instead.

Anyhow, that is the main problem I have with purchasing cosmetics off of Ebay, and that brings me to my next point (which is more of a question I ask you all): Is there any way that you can determine whether someone is selling genuine cosmetics or not? How can you trust someone and what makes you trust them?

Are there any tell tale signs that you can follow before making that purchase? I'm not talking about when you receive that fake Naked palette and see that they've spelled 'Naked' wrong and half the mirror has cracked and fallen off and the eyeshadows are all the wrong colours - I'm talking about whether you can determine if someone is selling the real thing prior to making the purchase.

It is for all these reasons that I can't bring myself to purchase any makeup off of Ebay, no matter how appealing the prices appear to be.

Are you like me in that you can't bear the thought of using a fake copy, or are you fine with purchasing knock-offs? Do you have any tricks up your sleeve when it comes to spotting a fake seller or is it just luck of the draw?

Have you had any good or bad experiences with purchasing cosmetics off of Ebay? I would love to become a little more informed because (clearly) I know very little about the subject.

"What do you think?" Wednesdays - When is it okay to start wearing makeup?

For most things in life there is an age band where an action is considered appropriate (drinking alcohol, having children, throwing tantrums etc) but sometimes the lines get a little blurry. Wearing makeup is one of those things where people differ greatly in opinion, and most often they have very good reasons as to why they believe a certain thing. So is there an answer for the question When is it okay to start wearing makeup?

Another question that can be raised, is "Does good application make up for someone being very young?" What I mean by that, is if you saw a ten year old with orange foundation, heavy eyeliner and bright red lipstick I imagine you would frown upon their parents for letting them wear makeup. However, if you were to pass a ten year old wearing a light tinted moisturiser, colourless lip balm and perhaps even a coat or two of mascara, you probably wouldn't think so poorly of them (or their parents), if you even noticed it at all. By applying their makeup well, can someone gain 'rights' to wearing makeup at a younger age than their peers with shocking application skills?

I know for me that was certainly the case, at least with my parents. When I was about twelve I remember taking an interest in tinted lip balms, gradually moving on to glosses. I remember making a deal with Mum that I could wear a light pink (practically non existent) gloss only on the weekends, and I could use a colourless lip balm as I pleased. I remember thinking that this was a brilliant deal. As time moved on and others around me began wearing makeup of a more serious nature (like mascara, eyeliner and foundation) I too wanted to give it a try. Not confident in what I was doing, I sought lessons from Mum who was happy to teach me. The way she saw it, when she was teaching me how to apply makeup tastefully, I would be able to wear all the makeup that I wanted (which was not a lot) and I would look nice, instead of trashy like all my peers who seemed to have broken all the unwritten rules of makeup application.

I really appreciate Mum doing this, because it allowed me to experiment and have fun with makeup without people looking down on me and judging both me and her. I wore tinted moisturiser that tricked people into thinking I had gorgeous glowing skin, without even realising that I had sought the help of a tinted moisturiser. I wore one coat of mascara that served the purpose of separating, lengthening and defining my lashes. No one ever thought I was wearing mascara, they just thought I had to-die-for lashes. As for the lips, I wore natural shades of pink in every kind, and whilst people could tell I had something on my lips, it was never something to be frowned upon.

My good application skills meant that I was able to get away with wearing makeup at what I consider to be quite a young age (about 12). As I got older I began to wear more makeup and incorporate a wider variety of products into my daily 'look' but in the beginning it was simple, natural and sweet.

Coming back to how old one must be to start wearing makeup...I really don't think there is an answer to this. Some people start young, others start wearing makeup in high school or university. Some never wear makeup for their whole life. There is no right or wrong, however I do personally  think that Primary school aged kids (5-12 years) is a bit young, although by 12 years you are in that awkward stage where you are either too young for everything or too old for everything, there is nothing in between.

I wouldn't think anything of a 12 year old wearing what I did when I was that age, and I would in fact praise whoever taught them how to wear makeup because they have instilled good taste into their child in terms of makeup from the start! Seriously though, I avoid judging people that age because there is no right and wrong. I do think that when you see tiny little girls (like those in the awful beauty pageants) wearing a full face of makeup (or even just a little) that it is quite heartbreaking more than anything.

No five year old would express an interest in spending time applying makeup every morning - they have important things to worry about like finding good hiding spots for hide and seek and which clothes to put on their doll for the day. In those situations, it is the parents who are forcing the makeup upon the child, and that makes me sad. The poor child is being introduced into a world of never looking good enough and where beauty is all that matters. You really want kids to view makeup as a fun confidence booster, not a compulsory 'face' that is the difference as to whether they are ugly or attractive.

When I see those photos of the celebrities whose 5 year old daughter is wearing shocking red lipstick, I find it strange and perhaps even a little uncomfortable. Sure, little kids loving playing with Mummy's lipstick at home every now and again, but I can guarantee my Mum would never have let me out in public with perfectly applied red lipstick before I was even old enough to go to school! Even nail polish was one of those things where I could only wear it on my fingers once I was about 8 years old!

Well that was a remarkably long post - I guess I have a lot to say about this topic! I would love to know your thoughts, especially considering that it is one of those topics where people differ greatly in opinion (I know some people who think that 18 is the age that one should begin wearing makeup, because it is an 'adult' activity - I guess I broke that law then!)

"What do you think?" Wednesdays - Is constructive criticism in regards to makeup okay?

I hate it when people comment about my make-up in a negative way. It's okay if they are complimenting me on it, but if there is anything even remotely negative (even if it is constructive criticism) then I just don't take it well.

I like how I do my make-up, hence why I do it that way. I wouldn't wear it in that particular way if I wasn't pleased with the way it looked. I think that this is why it bothers me so much when someone doesn't like what I've done - because they are essentially insulting me as a person.

I couldn't care less if people didn't like my clothes, shoes or jewellery, but for some (perhaps strange) reason I just hate comments about the make-up.

It is for this reason that I never, ever judge another person's make-up. Okay, that's a lie - I judge everyone's make-up, I just never, ever comment about it. I'll laugh/complain/express my disgust in regards to another's makeup to someone else, but never to their face. I know that if they wore it like that, they must like it, and therefore it is not my place to tell them that they look like escaped clowns from the circus with two hairy caterpillars perched on their electric-shock blue eyelids. Not my place.

I do, however, know several people who would not refrain from 'advising' others on their make-up, whether they be good friends or complete strangers. "That winged eyeliner looks disgraceful honey!" they might shout, or "What were you thinking with the lippy, you look half dead!" Since when did they become make-up experts (we all know I'm the expert here!). But in all seriousness, who is the expert? Maybe they are wrong in their ideas regarding what make-up looks best...maybe I am the one who looks shocking.

Also, is there a point where constructive criticism is kinder than it is mean? If someone is suffering from heavily pencilled eyebrows, orange foundation and navy blue and forest green eyeshadow, is it kinder to suggest a more 'natural' look than it is cruel?

I personally couldn't do it, not to their face. Would you?

I would love to know what you think about giving 'constructive criticism' in regards to other people's make-up.

"What do you think?" Wednesdays - How much is too much makeup?

With beauty blogging comes a bigger make-up drawer. With a bigger make-up drawer comes more make-up. With more make-up, comes an empty bank account. Whilst this is a very well known and accepted fact amongst beauty bloggers, does there become a point where you simply have too much make-up? Is there a line that you can cross to enter 'excessive and unnecessary' territory or can you literally never have enough makeup?

The size of one's makeup collection is relative - it cannot be labelled big or small unless there is something for it to be compared to. My make-up collection, for instance, is absolutely huge in comparison to my Mum's which consists of the absolute basics. However, when I compare it to most other beauty bloggers, I find myself muttering about how tiny it is and how lacking in shade selection it is. Is it a big or a small collection? To be honest I really do not know, but it doesn't stop me from feeling both hungry for more and guilty for 'wasting' money on products I will never use up.

"How does that even make sense?" you may be thinking. It puzzles me quite a bit too. On one hand I'm thinking about all the people who could really do with the money I am spending on yet another lipstick in a similar shade to the ten I already have, but on the other hand that lipstick (which is coincidentally on sale for $10) is really calling out my name.

I try to justify my purchases with any excuse that I can, but it doesn't really change the fact that I really do not need it. Some of the excuses I have come up with include "I don't have anything like this!" (lie), "It's only $5 so it's not like I'm wasting that much money," (true, except for the 5 other things priced at $5 too) and "It's my hobby, other people have obsessions with comic books or model aeroplanes, mine is make-up," (true, but I could always put it safely away in the bank).

When writing this post it really forced me to think about whether I had actually stepped over the line of having too much makeup, and if I'm honest with you, I think I probably have. Yes, I may only have two foundations whereas others have eight, and yes I may only own two highlighters and three bronzers when others dedicate a whole shelf to such products, but in the end one of each product would probably be sufficient. Not nearly as much fun, but sufficient.

Instead of feeling all guilty about it and vowing never to purchase anything ever again, I have decided to really think about my purchases beforehand in order to eliminate any silly purchases. I feel better about my collection when I think about how often I use all the products and how much fun I get from using them.I think this is what you need to think about when weighing up your make-up collection:
- Do you use the majority of the products?
- Can you actually afford your collection, or do your big purchases continually leave you in an awkward financial position?
- Have you got any other products like this?
- Is there anything that you actually need that you could spend this money more sensibly on?
- How much does it bother you when you think of other things you could have spent the money on?

Basically, with no real answers to give, I think the key point here is balance. Everyone's idea of balance will be different but as long as you feel comfortable about it all, that is the main thing. I also think judging other people about their choices when it comes to their make-up collection is also important to avoid. I, for example, spend my spare change on make-up so it would appear as I 'waste' a lot, however I spend almost nothing on my mobile phone bill and I consider it to be a waste when others spend $400 on theirs! Everyone has different choices which allow them to justify their purchases.

What do you think about all of this? Is there a clear cut line for you when it comes to having a make-up collection too big, or do you think there is no such thing as too much?!

"What do you think?" Wednesdays - Make-up snobbery

Cheap make-up was something that I always, always fell for. By fell for, I mean as soon as I saw the $3-$6 dollar price tag, you could literally be guaranteed that it was in my hands ready for purchase. Over time I found a common relationship between the price and the quality of the product - the lower the price, the lower the quality.

There are of course, exceptions to this rule, with particular products from brands like Essence, (and even BYS to a point) that are products I use on a daily basis, love, and only have to fork out $5 or so to get hold of it, but in general, most of the time I have found that you get what you pay for and that is that.

When I woke up and realised my mistake, I did a turn in the opposite direction and found myself overlooking anything that was suspiciously low, dismissing it as complete rubbish that I didn't need. The didn't need part was certainly true, but as for it being complete rubbish, sometimes I was wrong.

There are gems out there that you can pick up for next to nothing, but they are difficult to find and don't happen all that often.

I know many people who only consider purchasing makeup with a somewhat impressive price tag, and I can kind of understand that - you feel like you can be guaranteed quality and that you can trust the product itself - what is in it, where it has been made etc. I do feel a little sorry for people like this though, because they miss out on all the cool 'drugstore' brands like Face of Australia, Australis and Rimmel, preferring to go for the significantly more expensive and understandably better quality brands like Clinique and Estee Lauder. What they don't realise is that whilst they may have a makeup collection full of products I am ridiculously jealous over (Nars and MAC are products I only dream about!), I am having all the fun with FOA lip crayons and Rimmel Nail polishes that are still lovely products that only cost me a fraction of the price.

So when it comes down to it, I can understand why some only trust the really high end brands, and whilst I personally think that they are missing out, I kind of get it, but here is the part I don't get:

 I know some people who openly, and proudly admit that they never purchase anything on sale. What?!

Sales are my life! I can go a whole year desperately wanting a product but vowing to only purchase it when it goes on sale. I struggle to buy things when I know that within one or two months I could get it cheaper. The way I see it, picking up things on sale means that you still get good quality products, but you can buy more things with the same amount of money! Who wouldn't like that? I pride myself on being a wonderful bargain spotter.

But some people are different to me and think it is almost, dare I say it...shameful. It's almost as if they have to prove to both themselves and everyone else that they can afford it full priced, or that they only ever purchase the best things. I will never understand how a sale can be frowned upon because for me they are about the greatest things that exist and I will forever hunt through grotty bargain bins to find that perfect lipstick half price.

What do you think about all of this? Are you suspicious of cheap makeup in general? Do you look down on sales or are you like me and think they are heaven? Be sure to vote in the poll on the right hand side and leave comments regarding the matter!

"What do you think?" Wednesdays - New Series!

As you might know, for a while there every Tuesday I was posting a 'Top 3 Tuesday' post whereby I would list my top 3 favourite products from a particular category. I found this series to be quite enjoyable to make, and from what I gathered, you enjoyed reading it too.

I really found that having a regular series meant that I was more likely to post and stick to the promised deadline, and I looked forward to adding to my ever growing collection of similar posts. When I finished up my Top 3 Tuesday posts I found myself looking for another series to replace it, and after a brainwave at 1:35am (yes, that was the time according to my computer when I leaped out of bed and wrote a whole heap of stuff down) I found what I was looking for.

My new series is labelled 'What do you think?" Wednesdays and will consist of me addressing a particular beauty related topic each week that perhaps might often be debated or that I think people will have differing opinions on. I will state my opinion on the matter then open it up to you for discussion. It is one of those things where reader participation is really important in determining whether it is a success or failure. I will also try to have corresponding polls on the right hand bar of my blog so that those who might be shy can simply click a button to share their views rather than writing a good old comment.

I want it to be a really respectful discussion, which I am not at all worried about because I am really lucky to have never had any negative or nasty comments on my blog. I think 99% of the beauty bloggers look out for one another and get on remarkably well, so I needn't worry about any attacks. I'm going to do my best to be open to all ideas and opinions and I hope that you can too.

I am looking to start the series this upcoming Wednesday, so keep your eyes peeled! I would love it if you guys could be a part of this series, whether you comment telling me how wrong you think I am, state your personal experiences in regards to the matter or if you are too shy, just voting on the polls!

I've decided to kick the first post off  next Wednesday with "Make-up snobbery - do you fail to give cheap make-up a chance simply because of its suspiciously low price tag?" I'll let you know my opinions and experiences with this next Wednesday, and I hope you do the same!