Do you keep product boxes and outer packaging? With so many gorgeous holiday gift packaging, do you just toss or keep it?
I toss or recycle when it’s possible (depending on the material). On the rare occasion that it seems like it has another use, I might repurpose it!
Thanks to Mariana for today’s question! Got a question idea? Submit yours here.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
I had this habit with electronics I really loved of keeping the boxes and putting them on display with the rest of my knickknacks. They’ve all since gone away, but whenever I buy an item I’ve wanted for a long time, or carries a certain prestige, I have to fight the urge to put it on the shelf. Recently I got an order from Lime Crime, and while the shipping box was way too big (for a single pot of primer??), it was sturdy and large enough that it now houses jewelry and sunglasses next to my desk for quick grabbing.
I keep everything! I keep the box that comes with it and the receipt I got it with would usually stay in between the box and the actual product (when I remember to do so).
The only packaging I’ve held onto is from MAC’s Baroque Boudoir Couture Collection. I just couldn’t bring myself to throw it away. LOL
no, i try to recycle them however, i do keep regular mac packaging to participate in back to mac!
I keep them for a while, but most of the time I end up recycling/tossing them anyways. When I get something new I can’t bring myself to tossing the packaging right away, so I do accumulate a little. Every once in a while I look at the packaging I have collected and think to myself:” oh what the heck, I’ll never really do anything with it!” and off it goes to the trash/recycling bin!
I have a bad habit of keeping all boxes… It’s got to the point where I have bags full that just look messy and waste space… Should really ditch!!!
MAC was one of the 1st brands I lushed over and because of it I keep all outside packaging. I know I really don’t need to as the normal packaging is nothing special. The LE boxes get front row. Other brands I may keep the boxes, or packaging … especially if they are ‘artistic’ or can be recycled. The holiday perfume boxed sets are a killer for me. I’ve been doing good about freecycling them, if I don’t use it within a certain time.
Honestly I used to, until I realised I was saving waaay too much. But the original packages came in very handy for traveling!
Oh yes…I do…infact I retain the cardboard in which it was delivered to me 🙂
i always keep boxes & outer packaging. idk why, it’s been an obsession of mines for a long time. i just really like the idea of them looking brand new.
I keep it for about a week (because it feels special) but then I get rid of it. I hate clutter!
Only for MAC Mineralized stuff. A lot of their mineralized products seem prone to shattering and so don’t travel all that well (at least, this is what I read – haven’t had it happen) so I have one box from MSFs, one from eyeshadows and one from mineralized blush and if I’m travelling with those products, I’ll slide them into the cardboard sleeve for extra protection (if I’m taking 2 MSFs or shadows, I’m sort of screwed, though). As for the actual containers of products, when they’re empty, they go into recycling unless I can use them for some other purpose (many sample sized jars and bottles are perfect for decanting for the gym or travel).
I’ll only keep the packaging if it’s especially beautiful or unique. Otherwise, it just collects dust or creates clutter, so out it goes!
The only product box i keep is that of lipsticks, so I don’t have to put labels on them. I’m a bit OC with my stuff, and I don’t want my lipsticks stored bottom side up(which is impossible especially with MAC) so I just keep their boxes with their name on it. 🙂
I recycle where possible, repurpose when pragmatic (i. e. use the heavy plastic MAC holiday packaging for a travel bag for nail polish) and the rest gets tossed. I keep a separate bag for ‘back to MACing’ Otherwise I’d just have way too much clutter. Besides which, there would be no room to add new things if I saved useless packaging. 🙂
I always keep my boxes for 1 simple reason. Returns! The beauty stores that I shop at have pretty good return policies and if something breaks or even if I just changed mind, if I keep the box I can return/exchange the product. If its a product that I know I’m not getting rid of I’ll usually keep the box anyway incase something is defective or breaks.
I HOARD boxes and empty packaging unless I can Back 2 MAC it. But I like to study packaging design so that seems like a fair enough reason to keep everything 😉
I keep it in the original box packaging until I use it for the first time so that I know it’s still new. 🙂
If it’s MAC LE product with special packaging, I keep it. This would include collections like Wonder Woman and Venomous Villains.
Sheepishly…yes. I use some of my e/s palettes so much (TF, UD) that I try to protect the inner cardboard packaging from too much wear and tear. I also keep MAC outer packaging for Back 2 MAC recycling.
No I throw it away
I keep product boxes because it helps me organize my make-up trolley. It makes it look organized, let alone professional.
I absolutely keep packaging when it helps me store a product safely and effectively. One example is the boxes Zoya polish sets come in. I have tons of loose ones that I would love to have boxes for. I even contacted Zoya about buying the boxes, but they don’t sell them separately. If anyone has extras, I would be thrilled to have them!
I’ve kept all my Sugarpill boxes.. Only ones I’ve kept, but they’re just so gorgeous and well-designed.
I’ve kept all my packaging, mostly in case I end up returning something. Otherwise, it’s also nice to have on the off chance that I want to do a swap or something, but I have one small drawer full of boxes and it makes me guilty even opening it LOL. Time for some cleaning 😛
I re-purpose if possible, but recycle/toss otherwise. My Urban Decay Naked 2 palette looks very useful as a brush case someday, and I just got a holiday palette where the shadows pop out and you’re left with a reasonably sturdy pretty cardboard box.
I keep everything for about a year, just in case.
After that I throw them away. Even if they are the cutest little things in the world, I try to resist the urge to keep them and “re-use” them. They are just clutter, attracting more clutter, pretending to organize it instead.
Whenever possible, I prefer products with minimum packaging. Since we’ re talking makeup, though, there are not many chances of that…
I’ll usually keep packaging until I use something for the first time, just in case I need to return it. but after that, I’ll throw the packaging out. I always had a cluttered room at home, then I moved to a student apartment, and now I’m in a studio, so I just don’t have the room to keep everything.
I keep the packaging on the off-chance that either A. I’ll be able to re-purpose it (which I’ve done in the past for makeup organizing purposes), or B. if I eventually decide to swap or sell the item, I’ll still have the box it came in.:)
OMG I was going to ask this. I chickened out. I have a dresser drawer full of boxes, neatly flattened. I have culled out all of the black MAC boxes but special packaging from The Sophisticates and Fafi on is in there along with big Nars boxes from sets. I’m kind of embarrassed about it, but it’s Special Packaging! Sometimes the boxes are even better than the make up.