$698.64 worth of makeup. Holy crap.

Whoa. I thought this was going to be an easy project... silly Lauren. I feel weirdly vulnerable as I take these pictures, like it's me the pictures are of, and I suddenly regret committing to do this.

Some of these are listed online as costing much less than I paid for them, so I estimated on about 1/4, but it's amazing how the monetary values have stuck in my head. I've omitted the items that were gifts or free, but they're in the pictures to show just how much I have.

Eye Makeup first:

Eye Makeup, Left to right:
1. Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush (4): $5.35
2. Maybelline Cool Effect Eyeliner (2): $5
3. Cargo Eye Pencil: $6.95
4. Tweezerman Eye Lash Curler: $20
5. Love Me 365 Eye Cream: $5
6. ST Liquid Eyeliner: $6.95
7. Maybelline Amazing I-Liner: $8.99
8. Urban Decay Liquid Liner (3): $18
9. Smashbox Liner: $5
10. Rimmel Colour Rush Shadow: $5.95
11. False Eyelashes: $7
12. Maybelline Shimmer E.S.: $3
13. Sephora Eye Shimmer: $5
14. Profusion Eyeshadows: $10
15. Physician's Formula Quad: $8.95
16. Stila Smudge Pots (3): $20
17. Cover Girl Singles (2): $3
18. Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow: $6.95        
19. Bourjois Eyeshadow: $13.95
20. Santee Beauty Secret Palette: $5
21. Victoria's Secret Silk Wear: $12.95
22. Milani Crystal Eyez: $7
23. (My Favorite) Too Faced Collection: $30 (ouch)

Eye Makeup Total: $320.04

Now, on to lips:

1. Physicians Formula Plump Palette: $9
2. Cover Girl ColorStay Lipcolor (3): $8.95
3. Neutrogena Glossy Lipcolor: $10
4. Essence of Beauty Lip Frosting: $3.95
5. Neutrogena Lip Boost (3): $10
6. Cover Girl Lipstick: $5.95
7. L'Oreal Endless Wear: $9.95
8. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick: $10
9. NYC Lipcolor: $3
10. The Body Shop Longwear L.C.: $7.95
11. Maybelline Lipcolor: $5
12. Rimmel Lasting Finish: $6.95
13. Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stain (2): $8.95
14. Cover Girl LipSlicks: $5.95
15. Jordana Lipliner: $3.95
16. Victoria's Secret Shine Lip Lacquer (2): $6.95
17. Lip Power Lipstick Sealer: $5
18. Wet 'n' Wild Mega Last: $4
19. NYC Longwearing Lipcolor (2): $7

Lip Makeup Total: $193.30

OK, this is officially not fun anymore. Cheeks and skin:

1. L'Oreal Blush Delice: $8.95
2. Neutrogena Glow Sheers: $12
3. Neutrogena Daily Sunblock: $15
4. Cover Girl Classic Color: $8.95
5. Physician's Formula Finishing Powder: $15
6. Wet 'n' Wild Ultimate Minerals: $5
7. Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash: $8
8. Airspun Loose Face Powder: $12
9. Almay Clear Complexion Concealer: $7.99
10. Neutrogena 3-in-1 Concealer: $9.99


Skin/ Cheek Total: $102.88


I need a break. I'm hungry and cranky. It's been four hours now that I've been doing this.

...And I'm back! There's an episode of "Scrubs" on where Elliot struggles with how much makeup she wears: too much, she gets made fun of. None, she gets made fun of. I can't decide how I feel about this as a show topic. (Blog, absolutely. Show: BLASPHEMY!)

Lotions:

1. Neutrogena Body Oil: $9.99
2. La Fleur Organique Hand Lotion: $5
3. Eucerin Original Moisturizer: $12.49
4. Aussie Tanning Solution/ Sunscreen: $8
5. Pond's Cold Cream: $4.99
6. Burt's Bees Baby Lotion: $9.99

Lotion Total: $50.46

The stuff I overlooked in the process of picture-taking (there's also some hair stuff in there which will be counted with hair stuff tomorrow, plus a few things that were counted in the right categories, like that eyeshadow in the front -- Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow):

1. Sea Breeze Astringent: $4.99
2. Almay Pure Blends Foundation: $9.99
3. Clearasil Overnight Lotion: $8.99
4. Cover Girl Pressed Powder: $7.99

Misc. Total: $31.96


Grand Total: $698.64


This is just makeup, and about half of what you see was free, from my mom (who knows how much I love cosmetics and smelly things) or as free gifts from wherever. I haven't even covered my nail polish, hair products, shoes or clothes, all of which I was intending to do today. I took pictures, but after just doing my makeup I am thoroughly sick of this. I have to resume tomorrow.

My eye and lip stuff all together.

Now that the start date is coming closer, I really don't want to do this experiment. Making myself up every day and wearing cute clothes are what I know how to do. I move through the world feeling like I fit in. I won't fit in anymore when I look plain -- worse, I'll look boring. But I was thinking about something today: people tell me I'm pretty often, and I recognize that as something to be very appreciative of. But secretly I think, "No I'm not. I just make myself up and dress really carefully. If you saw me without it, you wouldn't say that." Without projecting an image, I feel like I'm somehow losing time, like I'm leaving for Mars for nine months or something. It's a really odd feeling.

All this angst, of course, just shows me how much I need to do this. People may not tell me I'm pretty anymore (and those of you who see me a lot, don't tell me I'm pretty just to make me feel good cause that sorta skews the data). But if they don't... who cares? I mean really, why, with all my education and talk of female empowerment, is this so difficult for me to do? If it doesn't matter, why am I so scared?

I suspect I'll find out during this experiment.