Back That Thang Up!

If I have learned anything during all my years of shopping for things, from clothing to food to makeup, it's that if you absolutely love it then you better buy more than one.  Yes, my darlings.  Companies are so quick to discontinue, redesign or "limited edition" the heck out so many of your faves - especially cosmetics - that it would behoove you to grab an extra one (or two) of these items to save yourself from possible frustration, lamentation and an onset of depression upon hearing that your beloveds are no longer available.  After suffering a few heartbreaks of my own, I became a quick study of the retail game and have even added certain foods to the list of things I buy in multiples.  But for now, I'll share with you some of my makeup faves that I've made a concerted effort to get backups for.

To anyone that has read my blog early on, this item should be very familiar.  In fact, it's one of the first eyeshadows I reviewed.  It's L'Oreal HIP's eyeshadow duo in Sassy.

I focused primarily on the taupe side of Sassy in my earlier review, but the duo as a whole is ab fab.  If you love taupes and you don't already own this, you need to get it.  I absolutely LOVE taupes!  Therefore, I had to get a backup.  Birthday Boy unknowingly bought a second backup to win some favor in my eyes.  Well, it didn't work.  But I digress.  To the victor goes the spoils and now I have two backups of my beloved Sassy taupe.

CoverGirl's Ebony Bronze bronzer from their Queen Collection had my heart when I first laid eyes on it then sealed the deal when I applied it to my face.  It is a gorgeous, deep brown without the spectacle of sparkle and I grabbed two backups when I saw it on sale.  Sadly, the other one shattered, but is still useable... and use it I shall!

The next item is a very pretty blush from Wet 'n' Wild called Berry Shimmer.  If you're at all familiar with Wet 'n' Wild products then you know that they are a fairly inexpensive drugstore brand so procuring a backup for this number was not too heavy an investment.

Berry Shimmer is a reddish-pink with subtle gold pearl.  It's a finely milled, high-perfoming blush that totally belies its low price point.  If you haven't given WnW's blushes a try, I urge you to do so.  This one in particular is awesome.

I missed out on this one when it initially became available with one of MAC's limited edition collections so when I saw it later at The Cosmetics Company Store (a discounted makeup outlet) I grabbed two.  It's MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish in Brunette.

MAC's Mineralize Skinfinishes are frosty highlighters that bring a veil of color to the cheeks as well as a shimmering glow.  They come in many variations and color configurations, but it's the Brunette that I really wanted.  It's the only Skinfinish that I own thus far and I am lovin' it!

I saw this beauty in a magazine ad and nearly broke my neck to get to the nearest drugstore to get it.  Of course, my store hadn't received the item yet.  So after mercilessly stalking the store for a few days I finally hit pay dirt.  At long last I was able to get my hands on Revlon's limited edition Illuminance Créme Shadow in Eternal Summer.

I have a lot of the other Revlon cream shadows in my stash, but it was the colors in this one that made it a "must have" for me.  And of course it being limited edition made the situation all the more dire.  I had to have it.  And so I bought two of them before they disappeared forever.

With the collection of several lukewarm reviews and nearly retina-burning neon swatches, I honestly didn't think this lipstick would work for me.  It can be a tricky color to pull off and the unforgiving, drier texture doesn't help in the least, but I took the plunge.  And when I got it and played around with it a tad... I ended up being besotted with it.  Therefore, I was compelled to get an extra double dose of MAC's Viva Glam Nicki lipstick.

Viva Glam Nicki is one of those lipsticks that looks one way in the tube (a bright, yellow-pink), but can apply as a totally different hue.  Depending on how you play it up, it can go from straight pink to pink-coral to a subdued salmon and that's what I like about it.  It has a satin finish so it applies smoothly, but will lay on and expose every crease, crack and crevice on your lips so exfoliating prior to application is a must. 

Another favorite of mine that I've spoken about in an earlier post is MAC's Brown Script eyeshadow.  It is super smooth and super pigmented.  Got my backup for this at a discount from The Cosmetics Company Store.

And this one I just could not resist, y'all.  No, it's not limited edition or anything, but if you read my post gushing about it then you know that a girl simply couldn't help herself.  This LORAC Front of the Line Pro liner is so ab fab that I had to get a backup.  I had to!  What if for some reason LORAC stopped making it?  What if all the stores that carried this liner spontaneously and simultaneously combusted, thus bursting into flames and ruining any chances of me buying another?  Crazy?  Far-fetched?  I dunno.  It could happen... Not probable, but certainly possible.  Regardless, I got me a backup, so there!

So I list all this and say all this to say... no, to implore you that if you really, REALLY like something, whether it's a pair of shoes, a bangin' top or outfit, and especially if it's a cosmetic item, please back that thang up!  It'll save you miles of legwork in trying to find a dupe or reasonable substitute for an item you know deep in your heart can't readily be replaced or duplicated.  Companies are way too fickle to remain lax on this.   Securing multiples of your beloved items early in the game can save you from a heap of heartache later on.  It's a savings in time and effort that can't be aptly quantified.  And it's a savings that I most earnestly pass on to you.