Have you ever decluttered your collection? How did it go?

Oh, definitely! I do this regularly and continuously to some extent. As I receive press samples, I set aside products for donation that I don’t expect to cover (from products that aren’t a good to fit ones I can’t use to products I already have). After I’ve tested and reviewed products, I sort them into two “piles” where anything I expect to keep goes into bins to be sorted later, and then anything that I don’t plan to keep is set aside for donation (products that can’t be donated are given to friends/family or recycled). When I put things into “long-term” storage (actually organizing them where they should go), I routinely take older products and remove them; as they’re older, they are more likely set aside for friends/family or recycled as appropriate (e.g. 3-4 year old glosses).

— Christine

27 Comments

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Celesta Avatar

Yes! I try to declutter regularly. Not only my collection though, I mean, EVERYTHING. I hate the idea of things piling up and not being used, especially when someone else could be getting better use out of it.

When I did one of my first declutters, I did some research into my own collection and tried to find dupes, and only kept one of each. Then I gave the make up to friends and donated the rest. It felt like I could breathe again and I was inspired with the make up I had.

Probably time to declutter again.

Mags Avatar

I’m the same way. I find myself decluttering everything around my home about 3 times a year. Less is always more and I’d rather give my items to a new home for a (hopefully) happier second life.

Seraphine Avatar

I have done one big declutter, getting rid of mostly drugstore makeup (because I can’t seem to part with makeup I’ve spent a lot of money on). I threw away some of it, gave some away, and I have a bag of makeup in my desk drawer at work that I haven’t figured out what to do with yet. Some of it I am keeping for emergency on-the-job touchups.

I’ve also done a mini declutter with MAC products for a Back-To-MAC. Currently, I have four MAC products collected for my next BTM, which includes two lipsticks and two eyeshadows that I haven’t used in a few years.

Sarah Avatar

I’ve read that L’Occitane and Bare Minerals recycles empties from any brands if you take them into a participating store. I’ve never done it myself though to confirm how it works.

Ginny Avatar

I have done large declutters in the past and it’s gone well, I’ve never regretted anything. Now I try to regularly declutter as I go along. Toss a product here and there like eh, I’m done with this right? I used to feel very guilty about not using products I bought, and then keeping them around like one day I might get to them, or “but I used to love it!” But I shouldn’t feel like that anymore. They’re just things and consumables at that.

AB Avatar

I declutter when the spirit or circumstances move me; no set pattern or trigger. Maybe 1-2 times in the last year, when I look around and realize I have just too much stuff, or I’ve decided I don’t like some item and the act of tossing or donating it blossoms, or I’ve just bought a new container for one thing that triggers a whole reorganization. Like a dusting project can blossom into a day-long cleaning jag

I’d give myself a B+… almost all of what I have, I like and use. Since over the years I’ve had a few items that were back of drawer until I rediscovered and liked them enough to put in rotation, I don’t get too ruthless.

Nancy T Avatar

Other than a few small declutters, nothing since I moved to Arizona. And before that, the massive declutter I had to do at 33 y.o. due to having suffered severe conjuntivitis and iritis. Nothing recently compares to those 2 events, though! Thing is, I really do need to downsize in a major way. I have 50-60 older Nyx eyeshadow singles that get totally forgotten about due to the virtual sea of palettes I now own. Also, a bunch of other stuff, like nail polish with some bottles over 10 years old!

Karen J. Avatar

The only time I just went through everything all at once to do a total declutter I ended up regretting quite a few items that I had thought i didn’t want. I think that when i made it a task like that I felt I wasn’t doing a good enough job getting rid of things so I got ruthless.
It works much better for me if I declutter as I go. I’m pretty good at cycling through my collection so as I come across things that have expired, dried out or that I really don’t like on me I get rid of them.

Brenda C Avatar

I am into that right now. Anything that I don’t use is getting tossed. I am being ruthless because I have way too much for one person. This is why I am also on a no buy, except for things I have run out of and Pat McGrath (my obsession).

Sarah Avatar

Yeah, I do it roughly twice a year (along with other stuff like clothes, books, etc)

I don’t declutter much since I use almost everything I have, but there are a couple things that get moved on. If it’s something I haven’t used I’ll pass it to a suitemate, and if it’s something used (like a lipstick) I’ll probably give it to my mom.

Jill Avatar

I declutter quite often, my usual method includes rounding up the items and putting them in a tub or bag and stashing them somewhere–out of sight, out of mind. I’ve had a few instances where I found myself later digging through the bag to retrieve something I eventually realized I wanted to keep, but typically I forget about the stash until like months (or even a year) later. When I find the bag I say “oh yea, this was my declutter stash, I obviously didn’t notice any of this was gone so out it goes!”

Silvia Avatar

I do a very small decluttering occasionally with my makeup items specially lipsticks and mascaras, also foundation. I find it harder to declutter makeup than my clothes a few times I have regretted donating some pieces but when I declutter my closet I don’t go back and forth deciding otherwise I’ll end up keeping some stuff so I do it pretty ruthless. Is great to make new space though and reduce clutter throughout the entire house.

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