I imagine I'm not the only one who gets the whole "out with the old, in with the new" feeling at this time of the year. It started with my wardrobe and when that was done I moved onto my makeup collection. I knew things were bad when I couldn't actually access half the drawers of my storage system due to the makeup piling up outside them and when I opened some of the drawers only to find makeup I didn't even remember buying, it was definitely time for some serious weeding out.
The yesses, stored in Muji and Habitat containers
Much like my wardrobe edits, I did my makeup cleanout in phases. Phase one involved dividing the collection into three piles - yes, no and maybe. The "no" pile went straight into the bin. Phase two involved a closer look at the "maybe" pile. Because I wasn't sure, these products were worn once for testing before a final decision was made. Those that didn't pass the test after one wear were out.
Advertised
And so I was left with an edited collection of "yes" products. Products I love and am much more likely to actually use now that I can easily access them and actually know they are there. I'm trying not to feel guilty about the number of barely used products that were chucked out, but hopefully this feeling will last a while and prevent me from making any mistakes when next I feel the urge to buy something I'm unsure of.
In case you need some support to do a clearout of your own, here are my criteria for items that needed to go:
- AGE
I don't always follow the guidelines for how long to keep makeup (as long as it looks and smells fine), but where lipstick or other cream products were concerned and we were talking years and especially if they are rarely or never used, it was time to go - UNSUITABLE COLOURS
Why some items stayed put despite the fact that the colour never worked on me, I don't know, but if I was really unsure they got one last try and then were out if I still didn't like them on - UNNECESSARY DUPES
Yes, I like taupe eye shadows. A lot. Did that really mean I needed 48 of them? Probably not. The ones with the best texture or finish stayed - those that didn't quite meet the grade went - DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCE
The eye pencil where I loved the colour, but hated that it didn't last? Bye bye. The cream eye shadow that made my eyes sting whenever I wore it? See ya! If I didn't love wearing it, why was I keeping it all this time?
How about you? Have you done any spring cleaning lately, or do you always keep your collection in tip-top condition? Let us know in a comment!
