Thanks, Bisque, and welcome to Psych Central! Funny you mention buying loose shadows (like powder, right?)...I just bought my first loose powder eye shadow yesterday...and paid around $30 for it! Ack! I ONCE bought a lipstick for $16 from a JC Penney's cosmetics counter and I found I like the more expensive stuff, but I can't afford it, so most of my cosmetics are the stuff found in pharmacies, Walmart and all that. I haven't found some types of shadows I wanted in those stores, though, so I turned online and decided to find what stores have cosmetic counters around here. Macy's...expensive store, that.

I like the idea of palettes, but like you, I don't want to end up wasting a lot of it because only certain colors work for me. Plus, unless they're small amounts, you'll have to throw most of it away when the makeup expires or gets too contaminated.

I guess going to those makeup counters is the only way to find out if certain colors will work on you, but I don't like to have makeup applied to me that's been used on others. I know they apply alcohol to lipsticks and stuff, but it still creeps me out. I just wish you could get free samples to test one application. I'd be up to my neck in free samples, trying this color and that, LOL!

I've learned a couple of things, though, from the YouTube video I mentioned (or did I? I forgot--anyway, I watched some YT videos on applying makeup for certain looks), you should use lip conditioner (I'd never heard of that!) and eye makeup primer. Now, that I heard of, but never saw it in among the pharmacy- and Walmart-store brands.

Again, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. I know it's a lot. Just trying to get a feel for how others are doing what I'm trying to get back into.