Gluttony is about excess. It’s the restless craving for more: more palettes, more procedures, more proof that we’re worth noticing. And in the beauty world, it looks like indulgence and sometimes, it looks like constant dissatisfaction.
You buy the serum, then the second serum to “boost” the first. You layer lipsticks. You add to cart at midnight. Your bathroom counter becomes a shrine of unopened promises. And still, something feels missing.
Beauty as Binge
Modern gluttony hides behind self-care. The tenth face mask? “I deserve it.” The fifth foundation in the wrong shade? “I’m just experimenting.” And maybe you are, but often, that experiment is a search for identity through accumulation.
Beauty gluttony is emptiness disguised as appetite.
In my studio, I’ve seen it manifest in clients who say, “I have everything, but I still don’t know what works.” They’re drowning in options. Overwhelmed by choice. Consuming products faster than they can form an opinion. What they really want is clarity, confidence and control.
Gluttony Onscreen
In Marie Antoinette (2006), Sofia Coppola paints excess in candy colors. Piled wigs, pastel eyeshadow, glittering cakes. The Queen of France is surrounded by indulgence, but remains alienated, bored, and emotionally starved. The aesthetic is rich, but the soul is unfulfilled.
Beauty is everywhere, but it’s too much and never enough.
This mirrors the modern consumer’s dilemma: bombarded by beauty marketing, we collect more than we connect. We want the feeling the ad promised, not the product itself.
Psychological Appetite
Gluttony is often a response to emotional deprivation. We fill the void with stuff. The act of acquiring gives a rush, a sense of temporary control. But the satisfaction fades fast. So we do it again.
Beauty gluttony may stem from:
- Perfectionism: “If I just find the right product…”
- Insecurity: “Maybe this one will finally fix my face.”
- Comparison fatigue: “Everyone else is glowing. I must be missing something.”
But gluttony is insatiable by design. It wants repetition instead of a resolution.
From Consumption to Curation
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying beauty products. But when joy is replaced by compulsion, we lose the ability to see ourselves under the clutter.
True beauty isn’t built on more. It’s revealed by less. It’s not how many colors you own, but how well you wear them. Not how many brands you chase, but how well you know your own face.
Gluttony keeps us chasing. Awareness helps us choose.