I have way too many lip products in my drawer

Buying another shade when I already have ten

I was looking at my vanity mirror this morning and realized that my lipstick collection is becoming a genuine problem. It is not even about having a variety of colors anymore. It is more about the fact that I keep buying these tiny tubes because they look cute in photos, or because some influencer posted about a specific ‘summer coral’ shade. Last month, I picked up a new Hera gloss in Georgia. It cost me around 40,000 won, which is honestly a bit much for something I just end up tossing into my bag and forgetting about. I tried layering it over my old matte tint from a local brand, and sure, it made the color look softer, but now I have two products cluttering up my desk instead of one.

The obsession with pocket-sized beauty

There is this weird trend right now where everyone is obsessed with ‘keyring beauty’ products. I saw on Zigzag that people are searching for lipstick keyrings like crazy—the search volume jumped 25 times compared to last year. I get the appeal; it is convenient to have something small hanging off your bag when you are out for the whole day. But does anyone actually use these things? I bought one of those miniature lip balms that hooks onto my keychain, but after two days, it just gathered dust and lint. It is definitely lighter for my bag, but my lip care routine hasn’t actually improved. I still find myself reaching for the full-sized tube I keep in my office drawer anyway.

Those synthetic ingredients I try not to think about

I read a random article recently about how some of the chemicals in our lipsticks, like 2-octynoic acid, might be linked to health issues for women. It felt a bit alarmist, but it stayed in the back of my mind while I was putting on my favorite red shade before heading out to a meeting. I have always been careful about choosing products, but really, how much do I know about the molecular structure of what I am putting on my face every day? It is one of those things that I feel like I should worry about, but then I just ignore it because I want to look decent for the day. It is an uncomfortable thought that sits there while I am smearing synthetic pigments across my lips.

The price of keeping up with luxury brands

I remember when buying a Chanel lipstick felt like a big deal. Now, with the prices jumping 3 to 4 percent every few months, it feels less like a treat and more like a tactical investment. I walked past the department store yesterday and saw the queue for the boutique. It is wild to think that basic makeup items are becoming luxury goods that people feel they need to grab before the next price hike. I stopped myself from going in, mostly because I already have three tubes I haven’t finished yet. It is funny how we convince ourselves we need just one more specific shade, even when our drawers are overflowing with options that are 90 percent similar to each other.

Finding a use for the ones I don’t like

Since I refuse to throw away things I have paid good money for, I have started this system where I use the ‘failed’ lipsticks as a base. If a color is too orange or too pale, I just rub a little bit of a darker red or a plum shade on top of it. It creates this muddy mess sometimes, but I tell myself it is ‘blended.’ It rarely looks as good as the professional photos, but at least I feel like I am getting my money’s worth. I am not sure if this is actually a beauty tip or just me being unable to let go of bad shopping decisions. It is probably the latter, but it keeps me from buying even more for at least a few more weeks.