When was the last time you decluttered?

I try to do it every three to six months, depending on what else is going on. I keep significantly less and less as the years go on as I don’t need to do as many in-person comparisons, so there’s less need to keep products after I’ve reviewed them. So these days, they get separated into bins of tested but not keeping rather than being put away and then later decluttered.

— Christine

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zizzie Avatar

Yesterday. Major. Probably 2/3 of what I owned.
I find I buy a palette and use maybe 3-4 colors. So I depotted, consolidated into a magnetic container, arranged by colors, and tossed the rest. Feels GREAT.

Helene Avatar

I did a declutter this spring and summer when I tried all my Dior quints to see if they still worked, had turned bad or if I still liked them. I tossed about eight, that either didn’t last more than a few hours or had colours I actually don’t use, or both.
Last year I went though all my palettes.
I’m doing the same with lipsticks right now, I use everyone, unless they have turned bad then I toss them right away. I still have some left to try, in coulurs I’m not that fond of, but work for me, I’ve started with liquid lipsticks now and also very pigmented glosses.
It’s actually fun, doing this.

Lesley Avatar

I declutter when the seasons change. Last month I made a point of using up all my warm weather cleanser samples but threw out all the various creams and serums from brands I did not know. Then I sorted my sunscreens and threw out the ones that were about to expire and some hair care that wasn’t working for me. Now I am pondering makeup.

Z Avatar

It feels recent, but probably was earlier this year or last. I haven’t done a “huge” declutter in a while as about three years ago I made the very firm decision to stop buying things just because they’re “good” and start buying things that fill a hole in my collection or are basics *for me.* Having said that, there are still some things that I’ve had hanging around because I don’t want to part with them or feel like they need more use for the money. But as I do my daily makeup, if I reach for something that sucks or has gone off, I just straight throw it in the trash without waffling.

kjh Avatar

Massive decluttering now. I have move. Omg. 😱 But I have until the end of April. Piles: Out. Meah. Emily..always promised her any bye bye m/u. Plus, she is getting her 2 year AA chip. She’s only 26. Hope she can keep it up. Maybe some selling, but I have zero experience in any online selling. I know about evil bay, glambot, and mercari. Not asking for how-tos, but any comments on what’s best would be appreciated.

Francesca Avatar

My collection is quite under control. I’ve decide to take only the pieces that I use (even if I use face and lips priducts not so often as once I did, but hooe that soon or later thing would chane…) so I declutter a single item at time once, when I see that the product has dried/expired/not performed well anymore. Last ‘declutter’ in this sense was an almost empity eye primer that has been bought much more time ago than the pao. I am also going to declutter my black eyeliner soon, because texture has become a bit thick, less fluid

Cara Avatar

I used to be really good about decluttering every quarter but got lazy over the last year or so. I recently did a major one because my laziness led to overflowing drawers and I gave my 19 yr old niece a big bag of products that must have weighed at least 10lbs!

Denise S. Avatar

Same for me Nancy. I have too much and get overwhelmed. Plus I hate throwing good eye shadow palettes in the trash. I do get rid of anything that’s gone bad. But I have lots of old Dior and Nars eye shadow palettes that I need to get rid of.

Helene Avatar

I did declutter my Dior quints this year. I tried every shade and tossed the quints that didn’t have good lasting power and the ones I just didn’t like at all, like one with lighter pastel colours. I never wear pastels, I don’t know why I thought it’d suit me.
Trying everything was fun, and made the purge much easier even if some of the looks were horrid, I say again, pastels aren’t for me. 🙂

Denise S. Avatar

Unfortunately I don’t do a regular makeup declutter. Except for expired/gone bad stuff. I have way too much makeup and need to get rid of stuff. I did give away a few palettes to my daughter, and when my niece visited I gave her an almost new MAC highlighter, Fenty lip gloss set and a Jouer eye shadow palette.
I struggle with throwing away nice looking neglected stuff away. Feel guilty about the waste. I’m a big recycler. All the stuff I love and wasn’t able to get before and now can afford to buy even though I have too much. Clothes, perfume and makeup are my weakness. I don’t watch decluttering videos because they make me nervous. Fortunately I have a lot of space in my house but I need to do better.

Nina Avatar

I’m just on a repeat of favorites but I do toss if I reach for something I’ve lost interest in that day. I don’t kid myself anymore that I’ll regret getting rid of a shadow or bronzer. Since I do zero impulse buys now there really isn’t anything to toss.

brendacr1 Avatar

I am constantly tossing things that are expired on a weekly basis. I did a big declutter a year ago, I haven’t bought a huge amount of makeup, except for eyeshadows! I seriously have to stop buying eyeshadows! I love all these beautiful colors and I can’t help myself! Now I really don’t have any more room so the end of buying eyeshadow has come. I have self control with everything else so I’m good there.

Andrea Avatar

I’ve been decluttering since last week because I can’t do it all in one go (I feel too guilty). I had at least one primer that is over 5 (five!) years old and that triggered the need to do sth. Whenever I throw sth in the bin, specially when it’s sth I’ve hardly ever worn I can’t help but cringe a little… between the wasted money and knowing it’s going to end up in a landfill somewhere – the guilt is high!
I kept a lot of stuff in trays & cups in a cupboard (what’s the point of it being a see-through tray if I keep it hidden…or if I pile things on top of each other?!) and I’ve decided to try a different approach: keep what I can in sight. I’ve realised I was -still am- a hoarder, I’d buy stuff without even trying it and because sb I don’t even know said “it’s pretty”, then I’d come home and be like “oh, I don’t like it today but maybe tomorrow I’ll need it so I’ll like it then”- when has the last time sth I hated at first sight ended up being brilliant later on…? Hmmm, never…? Unless cookies count (hate them when I’m pretending to be on a diet, then I 💛💛💛 them to bits)!
I can understand how there are people who make so much money helping others declutter! Except the lady who likes throwing books out- that should be illegal.

Andrea Avatar

The Guru of decluttering Marie Kondo is known for making people get rid of books -don’t know whether they’re donated or recycled though. Still, my books are off-limits, even the ones I don’t read regularly. In fact, I moved homes fairly recently and noticed some had gone missing when I put them in order so I replaced them.

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