A Beauty Addict Spills Her Secrets

• How she's amassed almost 200 makeup palettes: If I think a palette is really gorgeous, I buy two so I can use one and save one. Although sometimes I buy two…and don't ever use either one. Look at this one [an embossed Dior highlighting powder palette]. Isn't it beautiful? And this [another shimmering Dior powder]. I don't exactly know what it is or what it does, but I had to have it.

• And also: I love anything with bling. [Even her nail files are bedazzled.]
  

• Oh, and also: If it's limited edition, I can't resist. Those words put me over the edge.

• What her two adult daughters might not be happy to hear: I love all this makeup. These things are like my children.

• Why she owns (relatively) few skincare products: Fancy face creams don't excite me. I actually don't even use foundation. What I love is color.

• How she explains the 140 styling products: I also love doing my hair. I've been dyeing it blonde since I was 16. I'm at the salon every five weeks, and I always buy products when I'm there. My stylist, who's also my sister, tries to stop me. She says I have everything I need. But I don't listen.

• Where she stores the stuff: We have two bathrooms—my husband uses the small one, I have the big one. I have three packed drawers in there, and an entire linen closet. I also have a separate stash in our weekend house—probably about half this much.

• Why she wakes up at dawn: I have to be at work by 8 A.M., and every morning I wash my hair, blow it out and iron it. And I always put on a full face of makeup—three or four different eyeshadows, more than one mascara, three different concealers. And, of course, eyeliner and lipstick.

• Her hunting strategy: I rip pages out of magazines and plan what I'm going to get. I'm not loyal to a specific brand; I'll buy whatever catches my eye. If it's new, I have to have it. If I need to track it down, I do.

• How her makeup is like a traveling museum: I'll carry makeup that I know I'm not going to use in my purse. I like to have it with me and know I can look at it when I want to.

• Why she's different from the people on that Hoarders show: I always keep everything very neat and organized.

• The biggest problem she's faced because of her love of makeup A few years ago, I found myself $14,000 in debt. I had to tell my husband what was going on, and he paid it off.

• Why that didn't stop her The rush from buying is stronger than the guilt.

• Why the plumbing in her house might be sluggish I usually get bored halfway through hair products. I either stash the bottles under the sink or just squeeze them down the drain.

• The most obvious thing about her I'm a girly girl. It makes me feel good to try to look pretty.

• The heartbreaking truth I was insecure growing up. I was okay-looking, but I wanted to be beautiful. I still feel like when I walk into a room, no one's saying, "Look at her." And I guess with all of the makeup and hair products, I'm hoping I can make that happen.

• What a little self-reflection yields I'm looking at this pile thinking, "This is not normal; this is not healthy." It does bother me that I have these beautiful things that I can't even find because there's so much. When I go home and put all of this back, I'll aim for a 25 percent purge.

• How much she actually purged after the photo shoot Maybe 5 percent? I gave away a big shopping bag full of hair products but only a small bag of makeup. I couldn't bring myself to toss it. And when I got home, there was a new Bobbi Brown delivery.

O breaks it down: How Kosofsky spent $30,000 on beauty products

Hairsprays (X9) $134.00
Deodorants (X4) $20.00
Shampoos (X29) $473.00
Conditioners (X24) $363.00
Styling Products (X140) $2,797.00
Brushes/Combs (X25) $242.00
Sunscreens (X4) $36.00
After sun products (X2) $12.00
Nail Polish Removers (X4) $10.00
Self-Tanners (X3) $90.00
Soaps (X19) $75.00
Eye MakeUp Remover (X1) $16.00
Blushes (X72) $1,758.00
Lipsticks (X31) $837.00
Single Eyeshadows (X94) $1,863.00
Eyeshadow Palettes (X137) $6,125.00
MakeUp Bags (X42) $840.00
Mascaras (X36) $952.00
Face Washes (X6) $150.00
Eye Creams (X22) $880.00
MakeUp Brush Sets (X7) $280.00
Face Lotions (X36) $2,160.00
MakeUp Removers (X7) $112.00
Bronzers (X29) $725.00
Makeup Palettes (X30) $1,650.00
Face Powders (X56) $1,960.00
Face Mists (X2) $34.00
Lip Glosses (X81) $1,458.00
Eyeliners (X68) $1,360.00
Concealers (X32) $800.00
Lip Balms (X5) $16.00
Lip Liners (X4) $68.00
Hair Straighteners (X2) $140.00
Hair Dryers (X2) $260.00
Curling Iron (X1) $17.00
AntiWrinkle Creams (X9) $167.00
Perfumes (X12) $600.00
Nail Polishes (X86) $688.00

TOTAL : $30,168.00

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