A typical week's worth of makeup?

What does a typical week's worth of makeup look like for me?  How many individual makeup items do I actually use in seven days?  That's what I was wondering one day when I had a little too much time on my hands... 

Of course that makes for a good makeup blog post so I set about finding out, dutifully writing down everything I wore over a seven day period - Monday to Sunday.  I figured it was going to be a pretty small and boring post because I was in a little bit of a makeup rut but it turned out not to be so boring after all - being this time of year it's been all about office lunches, parties and special dinners - all in all it was a more colourful week than I expected!

Now, this is a bit of a makeup porn post - lots of product shots coming up - but it's not a favourites post per se.  There are lots of items I use for varying reasons, not necessarily because I love them best.  You'll see what I mean as I go through the list.

I'm going to start with eye makeup because that's what I actually apply first, rather than my base.  I managed to use 16 different eye makeup items which probably isn't a lot for some of you but it's quite a variety for me!  That 16 comprised 8 eyeshadows, 5 eyeliners and 3 mascaras:

Here's the rundown on what I wore on my eyes:

•  L'Oreal Shadow Minerals (10 Gold) - I dug this out to use as a warm lid shade to counter a cool blue accented eye I wore for an office pre-Xmas lunch.  I don't love this eyeshadow at all because of all the fallout and it literally disappears from my lids halfway through the day.  The good news is it's been discontinued.
• Revlon quad (Tickled Pink) - You can see this eyeshadow quad is on its way to finished.  I've been wearing the last remaining shade everyday as an inner highlight because I'm on a mission to try and kill it before the end of 2012!
• MAC (Phloof!) - I wore this as an inner corner highlight (instead of Tickled Pink - yikes!) for my Saturday night eye.
• MAC (Shale) - I love this neutral grey-purple shadow and wore it as a crease colour a few times during the week.
• Essence (Cappucino, Please!) - A staple browbone shade, a real workhorse neutral, and I wore it nearly every day.
• MAC (Deep Truth) - I wore this deep blue as a crease shade twice, stretching my colour boundaries for a colourful smoky eye.
• MAC (Tempting) - This golden brown shadow was a crease shade for me a few times during the working week.
• MAC (Satellite Dreams) - I wore this purple shadow all over the lids on Saturday night.
• MAC Powerpoint (Bordeauxline) - this plummy liner's a staple and a favourite of mine.  I used it a few days during the week.
• MAC Powerpoint (Handforged) - I used this gold liner one day as a lower lash liner to contrast blue liner on the upper lid.  I've had it for an absolute age, love it and ration how I use it cos it's no longer available :(
• MAC Powerpoint (Duck) - Another staple I used a few times during the week because this grey-brown is the perfect everyday liner.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner (Perversion) - I don't normally wear inky black liner but I wore this for a Saturday night rock chick look.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner (Ransom) - A lovely violet-blue liner that I wore for a pop of colour when I went out for lunch with the girls.
• Christian Dior Diorshow Mascara (Black) - One of my all time faves of the luxe mascara variety, I wore this a few times for a feathery, defined lash look.
• Maybelline Lash Stiletto Waterproof Mascara (Black) - This coated my lashes on the days I exercised after work.  I hate the prickly brush but refuse to waste it because the formula itself is a pretty dependable everyday waterproof mascara.
• Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultimate Curl Mascara (Black) - I wore this a few times too just to mix it up a bit.  I've been enjoying this creamy drugstore mascara because it thickens my lashes with no clumps and makes them reach for the sky!

Eyeshadows shown clockwise from left:

Tickled Pink, Phloof!, Shale, Cappucino, Please!,

Deep Truth, Tempting, Satellite Dreams

Eyeliner shades from left:

Bordeauxline, Handforged, Duck, Perversion, Ransom

My base routine is a little more, erm, routine I guess and I varied it very little over the week.  I generally keep it very simple during the working week and will try to get away with as little as concealer, powder and a little cream blush if I can:

• L'Oreal Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation (Light Ivory) - My mind changes about this product constantly but now I just want to finish it.  I wore it on the days I felt I needed more coverage and a bit of extra SPF.
• Nyx Mosaic Powder (Plummy) - I swirled my blush brush in this a few times during the week for a natural flush.  It has a weird chalky scent but I do love the natural shade I get on my cheeks.
• L'Oreal True Match Blush (125 Nude Pink) - This literally sits on the border of nude and pink and I wore it to work because it's so easy to wear and again looks natural on me.
• Bloom Sheer Colour Cream (Shy) - I can see I don't like wearing bright cheeks much (at least on that particular week!).  This soft pink cream came out to play on my cheeks on those days I didn't bother with any foundation.
• Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch highlighting concealer (02 Nude) - I wore this every day to cover up my under-eye circles.  I love this product and I'll tell you that again and again...
• No. 7 Vital Enlightening Highlighter Powder - I managed to wear highlighter once during the week on Saturday night.
• theBalm Sexy Mama Anti-shine Translucent Powder - I wore this colourless, one-size-fits-all powder every day to keep my skin looking cool rather than slick.

Blush shades clockwise from left:

Plummy, Shy, Nude Pink

I very nearly managed a different lip colour for every day of the week but not quite because I wore an old Revlon lipstick on a few consecutive days, trying to finish it for my November empties!

• Wet 'n' Wild Lip Liner Pencil (666 Brandy Wine) - This is my lipliner of choice so it was the only lipliner I wore during the week.
• Chanel Extrait de Gloss (51 Insouciance) - I wore this creamy nude lip gloss over Rimmel's Undressed once for a work-appropriate lip. 
• Revlon Colorburst (Raspberry) - This sheer red was another work-appropriate pick for the start of the working week.  
• Revlon (Pinkerbelle) - I wore this lipstick on three days because it was down to the stub and I just wanted to FINISH IT! I didn't quite make it for November - because I got bored and needed a change from blue-toned pink lips - but it's in the bag for the December empties!
• Rimmel (Undressed) - I wore this to work one day partnered with the Chanel gloss.  It's one of my favourite daytime lip combinations (see here).
• MAC (Gem of Roses) - I wore this subtle blush pink for a weekend daytime lip.
• Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (Smitten) - I wore this bright raspberry pink to a pre-Xmas office lunch when I was in the mood for OTT eyes and lips.

The lipsticks from left:

Raspberry, Pinkerbelle, Undressed, Gem of Roses

(see here for a closer look at Smitten)

So, to get to the point of this long-winded exercise I used 30 different colour products over seven days.  Is that a lot?  Or simply average? I don't really know - this wasn't scientific in any way - but in any case it kept me occupied for a week!

How do you think you compare?

I'd love to know! 

Until next time

Vita :)