Beauty Pie... I'm wolfing it down

I recently realized that for my entire make up wearing life I have stuck to my products with military precision. I am the harshest critic. I will accept nothing less than maximum performance from each of them. I would angrily read reviews citing one foundation as perfect for day, another with exceptional coverage better for night and a third just to whip out when you want to change things up. 

There was something I found deeply unsatisfying about this cosmetic flippancy. No, I said firmly to whoever would listen. Simply no. The best foundation will do for any occasion. As per all other items in my make up bag. I couldn’t be doing with multiples, who has time for that? I struggled through on complex, arduous hunts for the ‘perfect’ products that would cover all eventualities, no matter the conditions. It was exhausting.

Well. If you could see my make up bag now, you’d know I’ve changed my tune. And you know what instilled me with this sudden sense of peace and acceptance? Beauty Pie. If you haven’t heard of it (although how this is possible I don’t know) it’s a monthly beauty subscription service allowing you to buy brilliant quality products with the same ingredients as all the best brands at a fraction of the price. 

I initially signed up with characteristically fixed and rigid goals. I, like every other woman on the planet, was attracted by the pleasing alliteration and financial implications of the whole ‘make up without the mark up’ philosophy. For me, it was all about finding the perfect foundation (there I go again with my black and white thinking). That was it. Hence my first order consisting of four foundations in varying formulas and shades which swallowed up the majority of my monthly allowance. I just had enough left to slip in an eyebrow pencil. The foundations weren’t quite right but the eyebrow pencil was amazing. And here began my journey of self discovery.

The next month, I bought a bronzer, two different types of highlighter and even different shades of eyeshadow. I was hooked. I was experimenting. And now I accept that sometimes you need multiples. No product is an island. Our skin is always changing so it’s a constant journey finding products that work for us at different times and for different moods. Our arsenal of products needs to change, and thanks to Beauty Pie, I have come to accept this. 

Also, it’s just really fun. When I first signed up I intended to leave after the required 3 months as I assumed I’d be done finding my favourites and struggling for more products to choose. But 5 months in, I’m still going! And there is no struggle. I leave my comfort zone, I play, I’m disappointed by some products and elated by others. It’s something of a rollercoaster, and I would highly recommend it.

I want to do another post on the products I love best (hello, One Powder Wonder) but for now, I just want to make this a musing on the power of trying new things. I spend 20 minutes a day doing my make up and I now really enjoy that process – it’s given me a new sense of joy where my beauty regime is concerned. A glorious jumble of packaging and powders and brushes. So much fun.