Yes, definitely! I do them every month or so (depends on when I have the time to sift through things) more aggressively but try to put things in bins based on what I want to do with them (keep, donate, recycle) as I try products so I don’t have to sort through them needlessly.
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Nope and I never plan to! I research before buying so I don’t end up with unnecessary items.
Obviously I don’t acquire as much as you do. I try to keep things from accumulating within my collection by keeping a “Project Beauty Share bag” handy and when I buy something new that doesn’t work, I put it in the bag right away. I also do that with free products that come along.
In the past I wouldn’t have because all the money I spent on the items hurts. This year I have decluttered a lot, probably over 50% of what I owned. There’s just no way I could use all that makeup and it was time to get real.
Yes! After my last routine decluttering (New Years and June) a few years ago, it was pretty eye opening – a lot of things weren’t even opened or used and I just donated them. I’ve found that decluttering for me works best as an on going process. I have this set up:
1. Collection – organized displays of things in regular rotation.
2. ‘Maybe’ display shelf – an area by my collection that showcases products I consistently skip, don’t reach for and/or haven’t used. The idea is maybe if I see it, I will reach for it more, maybe I haven’t been using it because ‘out of sight, out of mind’. This is like the last chance to see if I will consider using these items. Some things stay on this shelf for a long time because I’m just not ready to part with them yet, and for others, after a few days it’s a no brainer – I know I’m never going to use it.
3. Prepared box – I have a box set up with stuffing and packaging to wrap my goodbyes. If it’s been a month or 2 and I have routinely skipped over the things on the Maybe shelf, whatever I haven’t tossed or given to friends or family gets wrapped and goes in the box for Project Beauty Share. As soon as the box is full, it gets shipped and I set up a new box.
I typically destash once a week or every two weeks. I don’t have the storage space that you do and if I didn’t, I’d be completely buried in products! Sadly, that often means I destash before I’ve even worn a product.
I generally do some type of declutter at least once a year. I completed a massive lipstick declutter in October and tend to do lipstick more frequently as they do go bad more quickly. I also tend to use new products pretty aggressively when I first purchase them and if they don’t work and I can’t find a way to make them work, I declutter them right away. I use to collect all my unwanted makeup and give it to my daughter who would then give it to her friends in college. Now that she has graduated I have been giving it to a women’s shelter in Missoula.
I should mention that when I completed the lipstick declutter I vowed to only buy a new lipstick when I was ready to get rid of one as I didn’t want to grow out of my current storage space. Well, one order from YesStyle that resulted in the purchase of 14 lipsticks and another YesStyle order on the way means I have already broken that vow. I gave into it and picked up another lipstick carousel!! Way to go, Deborah.
Deborah, you are so funny! I wasn’t going to order any more lipsticks either until a fantastic sale from Elizabeth Arden came up and I just adore her lipsticks. So, yes I indulged then too. At least I bought some for my daughter in law, who is so in love with the coral shades.
Yes. I do big ones about twice a year, and smaller ones throughout the year.
Yes, I declutter roughly four times a year, when the seasons change. I’m a big fan of the Konmari method and it’s made me realize that we all make mistakes and may buy things that end up just not working, for whatever reason. You can hang on to them and feel regret every time you see them, or you can thank them for the lesson they taught you and let go. It’s amazingly freeing. (I do try now not to be an impulse buyer and be a more careful shopper, but it’s a process.)
Your reply is right on target! No way could I have expressed this better – I agree and am doing what you are doing. It does feel good!
I’ve done one major declutter of drugstore brands about a yea ago. I should probably do another one soon, but it’s harder when it comes to higher end brands. I have way too many lipsticks, but can’t part with them.
Yes, minimally. Decluttering (for me) doesn’t mean getting rid of things that don’t work for me, as I rarely own anything like that (I do my research), it’s about getting real. I’m in the middle of a “test every lip color I have” phase (which should last me the whole year) after which I’m going to get rid of the ones that seem pointless. I did something similar with my loose eyeshadows last year. I’ve also discarded all but one foundation. I’m decluttering my skincare by using it religiously and generously every day and have managed to use up 16 full-sized products (that I won’t replace) since about mid-January.
I have a fairly decent skincare stash myself and I love going into it to find what I need next, whether it be a serum, a cleanser or a moisturizer. I purchase the products when they are on a really decent sale and then only selectively from brands I know that work.
Yes, approximately once a season. I try to keep my stash under control.
Yep, I did one last week and reorganised all my eyeshadow and highlighter palettes. I ditched at least a dozen things, much to the delight of my friend who came over later that day and spirited half of it away for me 😀
I need to do my lipstick drawers quite badly, they’re a jumbled mess and I have to fit my Lux lipsticks in somewhere!
Yes, I have. Due to circumstances beyond my control. At 33 y.o., I became extremely ill with viremia and wound up with severe conjunctivitis and iritis. As a result, when I was finally well, I had to toss ALL my eye makeup and buy all brand new.
Another time was when we moved to AZ. I just couldn’t bring it all, and I actually had a fairly modest stash compared to what I presently own! Got to AZ and I slowly rebuilt it for the first 7 years, then it just took off 8 years ago.
No. Im a stay at home mom so my makeup budget is very very limited. I only buy 1 or 2 products every few months and because my budget is so small, im very selective in the things i buy so I never buy something that i wont use or like. My stash is small and i use everything I own. I couldnt imagine throwing or giving makeup away.
My daughter in law is in the same situation as you, so I buy her some makeup items she needs for her birthday. Last Christmas I gave her a beauty bag full of really good cleansers, moisturizers and SPF products, plus an eyeshadow palette in the shades she uses. I was a stay at home mum for many years myself and know what it’s like.
Thats very generous of you. My mom also usually gives me an Ulta gift card every year at christmas which I appreciate. When my twins start school in 2 years (they’re 3 right now) I plan on going back to work fulltime and that’s when I’ll be able to build up a stash.
Jess, I am a twin as well and have a twin sister – we are not identical and have very different personalities. Twins are a lot of work and you must be exhausted by the end of the day. And 3 year olds are such busy people into everything. – my grand daughter has just turned 4 and her brother is 2 and we help out a lot, so I am familiar with this age.
An Ulta gift card is such a useful present for you.
I occasionally toss things that REALLY aren’t working for me, or I give them away. My sister is weirdly happy to accept pretty much everything, even though she almost never wears makeup.
I like and use pretty much everything I have at this point, but I have slowed my purchasing down significantly over the past couple years to keep it that way. I still enjoy reading this blog to see everything that’s coming out but I neither need nor want almost any of it at the moment.
Yes I have – I did a recent declutter of my lipsticks and tossed out quite a few that were old and I wasn’t using them any more.
As I only use two foundations at a time (a HE and an everyday) that is not a problem for me. I have a couple of backups in each to keep going with.
As far as eyeshadow quads, quints and palettes are concerned, I have gotten rid of a few that I simply don’t use and the quality of them was average. However I still have a lot.
Yes, and the process is enjoyable and always makes me feel better about how big my collection is (because it shrinks a little with each session!) I’ve been working my way through categories in the last few weeks, and have reduced most of those by at least 1/3. I will never wear it all, and I’ve become more choosy about what I purchase, and I try to employ a “bring something new in, get rid of two items” system that helps as well.
I’ve done larger declutters in the past, but find that smaller, more frequent ones work better for me. I get to go through my collection more and can think about things so I don’t get rid of something I actually want in a moment of “get rid of it all!”
About once a quarter. I like to experiment with different formulas, textures, and finishes. I’m getting more selective now that I’m starting to figure out my preferences. But I also have a habit of doing a big haul to try a bunch of different colors or items when I’m trying out a new brand.
Absolutely. I recently did one of all of my makeup and it was so satisfiying. I try to go through things seasonally to weed out expired products or find dupes and weed out that way. It also gives me more room to try new products as well.
I have been on a major decluttering kick lately, not only with makeup, but across my home in general. My over-consumption of things was a bit out of control, so it’s made me appreciate the fact that less is more! It’s helped me take control of any purchases going forward. It just pains me that I had so many things to begin with…wasted money.
I just did get rid of a very few items but they were given to me so it didn’t cause any pain in this beauty junkie’s heart! More than decluttering I love to organize my stuff. Actually have been decluttering entire house, garage, medicine cabinet, closets but my dear lovely makeup items I find it so hard to let go lately I’m enjoying everything I own except for two blushes from Essence that didn’t work out but hey! They were super cheap! I bought them on pure impulse they are the neon pink & peach color don’t have much payoff although color looks so fun & strong through the clear plastic. I have them on ‘time out’ see whether I keep or donate.
Yes, I try to do a declutter every couple of months because I always seem to hold on to products that don’t work for me or are older! If I make an effort to do a declutter, I can keep my collection somewhat maintainable!