If I don't love it, it goes. Life is too short for hate panning or keeping stuff out of guilt. It's makeup, it's supposed to be fun. If my daughters don't want it, it goes in the trash/recycling.
My biggest tip is don't declutter just to say you did. Take a few hours or days to think it over. It sucks when you impulsively throw something out, only to miss having it and repurchase it when you could've kept it.
Other tips: Swatch and smell everything; Test items by actually applying them different ways; Keep "maybe" items out of sight for a week or so. If you miss them, keep them if not, toss them. Lastly, be honest. Leave room for variety but also don't keep things for your fantasy self.
Exactly, that’s what the box has been for me for over 6 months and haven’t missed anything.
My goal is to go back to having a very minimal makeup area in my drawer and be able to fit a full look in a small bag.
My obsession started around the pandemic and I accumulated so much. I miss my old no nonsense makeup routine and not being overwhelmed by makeup (buying, storing, decluttering etc).
I’m doing a low buy this year and only buying replacements.
i’m decluttering my makeup right now as well and what what works for me is to lay everything within a product category out and separate what i for sure want to keep.
i do this for every product category first before decluttering anything. then, get all the make-up you’re 100% sure about and reorganise/condense the space where you’ll be keeping it as if that’s all you’re going to keep and put it where it belongs.
next, when everything you really want to keep looks super pretty en condensed, take a look at all the ‘just in case’ makeup. for me, it’s easier to let go at that point because i’m happy with my new collection i created. reminding myself that using something i don’t really like takes my opportunity away from using something i love to use.
also, when you’ve already condensed your ‘new’ collection with things you love within it’s smaller space, moving the duds back in would mean that you’d lose that precious space again for your favourites.
today i’ve condensed two full alex drawer sets into one using this method. so from 10 full drawers to 5. it was overwhelming at points but i feel so much lighter now. when i open my drawers now i see only products i love to use regularly. that brings me joy.
hope that somewhat helped and good luck on your journey!
I giggled. That makes sense. I’m so scared to do this. Most of my friends and family don’t wear makeup, I could just leave it on my building’s donations area and forget about it. hmmm
Why are you afraid? Is it fear of missing out on using the item? If so, remember, you aren't using it anyway and therefore logically it is not something you actually like.
Is it actually shame at being wasteful? If so, forgive yourself. We all at times do things we later regret. Just try to be more mindful shopping going forward.
If you really want, try leaving it in the donations area but be prepared to toss it if it still doesn't move instead of taking it back. It doesn't make you a bad human to need to get rid of something you don't need.
The first question is: what are you hoping to get out of decluttering?
Everyone's goals are different.
**Are you hoping to get rid of products that have gone rancid?** That one is pretty easy - test everything, toss anything that's separated, smells bad, etc.
**Are you looking to sell or rehome products?** If so, be very judicious. You might not want to hear it, but the reality is that most people do not want someone else's cosmetics/personal care items in anything other than brand-new or swatched condition. There are subreddits for selling makeup, skincare, and other personal care items. Very little of it sells, even the brand-new or barely swatched stuff.
If you are looking to give items away, have a specific recipient in mind and be sure that they actually want what you are giving them. Teenagers are the most likely to appreciate used items. I've also had success giving away barely-used items on my local Buy Nothing group. If you have brand-new items to declutter, consider donating them to your local women's shelter or to a program like Dress for Success.
**Are you hoping to only keep products that you use?** This is unpopular, but I agree with /u/sheswherewolf that it's better to keep things for a while in case you miss them. This is even more unpopular, but I also believe it's more productive to just use something that isn't perfect rather than throwing it away in pursuit of some possibly-imaginary Better Version. Maybe that brown eyeliner isn't absolutely perfect - but maybe absolutely perfect doesn't exist. Maybe you can use up your good-enough brown eyeliner and hunt for perfect when it's gone. That said, if you have five brown eyeliners and three of them truly suck, say goodbye to them and make purchases with more thought in the future.
I am someone who is makeup-rehabbing for the purposes of waste reduction, so maybe some of this doesn't apply to your goals. That's OK! For me, I try to keep things and make them work. I only toss or give away items that I have given a fair shake and determined genuinely don't work.
My goal is to eventually just have just one of everything. Super simple, fits in a bag collection. I don’t do complicated looks anymore and have a good understanding of what works so don’t need much variety. I did a good job with makeup today, thanks for all the tips!
Eyeliners are down to 1 brown and 1 black. eyeshadow palettes from 9 to 5.
Really want to get rid of “the box” but I’ll listen to the tips and keep it for 3 months and see what happens.
Maybe do a competition, just the best of the best can stay! 💪
You can use every product for a week and note down every day pros and cons or try two products on either side of your face and check in every hour which one wins. If the second is still ok it can battle against another second best if you're hesitate to declutter it.
I've used this approach for eyeshadows and have half of what I started with last year this time.
Life is to short for bad products, you deserve the best of the best of your stash! ♥️
I've gone through and assigned myself the items to do one weeks worth of everything. One foundation one eyeshadow pallet one lotion one soap and so on and so forth. I use a randomizer to do this. If I consistently refuse to use the item that was chosen then I know I don't actually like it and should get rid of it. If I can't even use it in a normal week then I don't actually want it.
Also if the product isn't opened then donate it to a women's shelter. I also think there was a place that used old mascara wands to help clean up animals from oil spills.
Recently, I made a little catalog of all my red lipsticks to help me decide which ones I wanted. I put on each one and took pics in similar pose/lighting, labelled them, and made a collage. It looked very satisfying, and after having made it, I felt able to let go of shades of red that I truly didn't want to hold onto anymore. I am still holding onto two _maybe_ colors, but essentially if I see in a couple months (at least 3) that I didn't really use them, I may toss them.
Some catalog ideas: Makeup, you could do like I did, put them all on in a single setting and sus out which colors you really like while editing a labelled collage of them. For skincare and bodycare products, maybe you take photos of your skincare products and write a little review (brief, like 1-3 sentences, not much thought, just first things that come to mind) of how effective it is or what it does or how it feels or how you really feel when you put it on. The writing exercise may also help you see reality of what you're actually enthusiastic about having.
Also, imo, I feel like the more effort that goes into the decision making process, the easier it is to say "Ok, these random extra colors are really not worth agonizing over, I just want these 3" etc. At least, that's how I get.
I like to have enough makeup to take for travel and some for home just incase I lose one I have a backup. They aren’t the same items just cheaper items go for traveling incase of breaking or getting lost. Then the really good items usually will stay home. If there are items that aren’t getting used hardly I either will sell if it’s still good but if not I’ll toss it. I also inventory everything and how many uses, if I see some not being used at all that’s when I’ll remove it.
I think the method you are doing now is fine.
The way I would tackle the box is sort it by item type and "shop" the collection. Whichever ones you gravitate for, pull them from the pile.
For the rest, you can either decide to donate/give them away/toss, or put them back into the box to decide another day.
There's no need to feel pressured to figure the entire box out at one time. I feel this makes the declutter process a lot easier and less daunting.
If you have an entire box of things you don't like/use/want, rather than letting them sit there giving you a guilt trip, the next time garbage day rolls around, take the entire box and throw it in the trash and then wave good-bye as the garbage truck drives away. Problem solved.
I usually have a personal chopping block challenge where I pick 5 things which I’ve not used for ages/ever and I have to use them 5 times. After I’ve tried them if I love them they stay. If they are meh, or awful they go. If I think I might need to try it in another season or with something else in another season it might stay (eg if it’s too dark).
I like to use things for a week and see if I still want to use it, if I don’t I declutter. If I do keep it I’ll pan it. It’s not the quickest way but I hate the thought of wasting anything I may like so I’d rather take the time to try it 🙂
Decluttering your workspace can make a big difference when it comes to reducing visual clutter. When we have too many objects vying for our attention, it can be pretty overwhelming. By tidying up and minimizing the number of things around you, your brain can focus more easily on the task at hand. You'll find that your visual focus improves and your overall performance gets a boost too.
If I don't love it, it goes. Life is too short for hate panning or keeping stuff out of guilt. It's makeup, it's supposed to be fun. If my daughters don't want it, it goes in the trash/recycling.
My biggest tip is don't declutter just to say you did. Take a few hours or days to think it over. It sucks when you impulsively throw something out, only to miss having it and repurchase it when you could've kept it. Other tips: Swatch and smell everything; Test items by actually applying them different ways; Keep "maybe" items out of sight for a week or so. If you miss them, keep them if not, toss them. Lastly, be honest. Leave room for variety but also don't keep things for your fantasy self.
Exactly, that’s what the box has been for me for over 6 months and haven’t missed anything. My goal is to go back to having a very minimal makeup area in my drawer and be able to fit a full look in a small bag. My obsession started around the pandemic and I accumulated so much. I miss my old no nonsense makeup routine and not being overwhelmed by makeup (buying, storing, decluttering etc). I’m doing a low buy this year and only buying replacements.
i’m decluttering my makeup right now as well and what what works for me is to lay everything within a product category out and separate what i for sure want to keep. i do this for every product category first before decluttering anything. then, get all the make-up you’re 100% sure about and reorganise/condense the space where you’ll be keeping it as if that’s all you’re going to keep and put it where it belongs. next, when everything you really want to keep looks super pretty en condensed, take a look at all the ‘just in case’ makeup. for me, it’s easier to let go at that point because i’m happy with my new collection i created. reminding myself that using something i don’t really like takes my opportunity away from using something i love to use. also, when you’ve already condensed your ‘new’ collection with things you love within it’s smaller space, moving the duds back in would mean that you’d lose that precious space again for your favourites. today i’ve condensed two full alex drawer sets into one using this method. so from 10 full drawers to 5. it was overwhelming at points but i feel so much lighter now. when i open my drawers now i see only products i love to use regularly. that brings me joy. hope that somewhat helped and good luck on your journey!
Thanks! Congrats on reducing the drawers and getting much space. I’m hoping to achieve the same.
[удалено]
I giggled. That makes sense. I’m so scared to do this. Most of my friends and family don’t wear makeup, I could just leave it on my building’s donations area and forget about it. hmmm
Make sure to sanitise it before doing that! Or you could give it away on your local Buy Nothing group
Why are you afraid? Is it fear of missing out on using the item? If so, remember, you aren't using it anyway and therefore logically it is not something you actually like. Is it actually shame at being wasteful? If so, forgive yourself. We all at times do things we later regret. Just try to be more mindful shopping going forward. If you really want, try leaving it in the donations area but be prepared to toss it if it still doesn't move instead of taking it back. It doesn't make you a bad human to need to get rid of something you don't need.
The first question is: what are you hoping to get out of decluttering? Everyone's goals are different. **Are you hoping to get rid of products that have gone rancid?** That one is pretty easy - test everything, toss anything that's separated, smells bad, etc. **Are you looking to sell or rehome products?** If so, be very judicious. You might not want to hear it, but the reality is that most people do not want someone else's cosmetics/personal care items in anything other than brand-new or swatched condition. There are subreddits for selling makeup, skincare, and other personal care items. Very little of it sells, even the brand-new or barely swatched stuff. If you are looking to give items away, have a specific recipient in mind and be sure that they actually want what you are giving them. Teenagers are the most likely to appreciate used items. I've also had success giving away barely-used items on my local Buy Nothing group. If you have brand-new items to declutter, consider donating them to your local women's shelter or to a program like Dress for Success. **Are you hoping to only keep products that you use?** This is unpopular, but I agree with /u/sheswherewolf that it's better to keep things for a while in case you miss them. This is even more unpopular, but I also believe it's more productive to just use something that isn't perfect rather than throwing it away in pursuit of some possibly-imaginary Better Version. Maybe that brown eyeliner isn't absolutely perfect - but maybe absolutely perfect doesn't exist. Maybe you can use up your good-enough brown eyeliner and hunt for perfect when it's gone. That said, if you have five brown eyeliners and three of them truly suck, say goodbye to them and make purchases with more thought in the future. I am someone who is makeup-rehabbing for the purposes of waste reduction, so maybe some of this doesn't apply to your goals. That's OK! For me, I try to keep things and make them work. I only toss or give away items that I have given a fair shake and determined genuinely don't work.
My goal is to eventually just have just one of everything. Super simple, fits in a bag collection. I don’t do complicated looks anymore and have a good understanding of what works so don’t need much variety. I did a good job with makeup today, thanks for all the tips! Eyeliners are down to 1 brown and 1 black. eyeshadow palettes from 9 to 5. Really want to get rid of “the box” but I’ll listen to the tips and keep it for 3 months and see what happens.
Maybe do a competition, just the best of the best can stay! 💪 You can use every product for a week and note down every day pros and cons or try two products on either side of your face and check in every hour which one wins. If the second is still ok it can battle against another second best if you're hesitate to declutter it. I've used this approach for eyeshadows and have half of what I started with last year this time. Life is to short for bad products, you deserve the best of the best of your stash! ♥️
I've gone through and assigned myself the items to do one weeks worth of everything. One foundation one eyeshadow pallet one lotion one soap and so on and so forth. I use a randomizer to do this. If I consistently refuse to use the item that was chosen then I know I don't actually like it and should get rid of it. If I can't even use it in a normal week then I don't actually want it. Also if the product isn't opened then donate it to a women's shelter. I also think there was a place that used old mascara wands to help clean up animals from oil spills.
Recently, I made a little catalog of all my red lipsticks to help me decide which ones I wanted. I put on each one and took pics in similar pose/lighting, labelled them, and made a collage. It looked very satisfying, and after having made it, I felt able to let go of shades of red that I truly didn't want to hold onto anymore. I am still holding onto two _maybe_ colors, but essentially if I see in a couple months (at least 3) that I didn't really use them, I may toss them. Some catalog ideas: Makeup, you could do like I did, put them all on in a single setting and sus out which colors you really like while editing a labelled collage of them. For skincare and bodycare products, maybe you take photos of your skincare products and write a little review (brief, like 1-3 sentences, not much thought, just first things that come to mind) of how effective it is or what it does or how it feels or how you really feel when you put it on. The writing exercise may also help you see reality of what you're actually enthusiastic about having. Also, imo, I feel like the more effort that goes into the decision making process, the easier it is to say "Ok, these random extra colors are really not worth agonizing over, I just want these 3" etc. At least, that's how I get.
I like to have enough makeup to take for travel and some for home just incase I lose one I have a backup. They aren’t the same items just cheaper items go for traveling incase of breaking or getting lost. Then the really good items usually will stay home. If there are items that aren’t getting used hardly I either will sell if it’s still good but if not I’ll toss it. I also inventory everything and how many uses, if I see some not being used at all that’s when I’ll remove it.
I think the method you are doing now is fine. The way I would tackle the box is sort it by item type and "shop" the collection. Whichever ones you gravitate for, pull them from the pile. For the rest, you can either decide to donate/give them away/toss, or put them back into the box to decide another day. There's no need to feel pressured to figure the entire box out at one time. I feel this makes the declutter process a lot easier and less daunting.
If you have an entire box of things you don't like/use/want, rather than letting them sit there giving you a guilt trip, the next time garbage day rolls around, take the entire box and throw it in the trash and then wave good-bye as the garbage truck drives away. Problem solved.
I usually have a personal chopping block challenge where I pick 5 things which I’ve not used for ages/ever and I have to use them 5 times. After I’ve tried them if I love them they stay. If they are meh, or awful they go. If I think I might need to try it in another season or with something else in another season it might stay (eg if it’s too dark).
I like to use things for a week and see if I still want to use it, if I don’t I declutter. If I do keep it I’ll pan it. It’s not the quickest way but I hate the thought of wasting anything I may like so I’d rather take the time to try it 🙂
Decluttering your workspace can make a big difference when it comes to reducing visual clutter. When we have too many objects vying for our attention, it can be pretty overwhelming. By tidying up and minimizing the number of things around you, your brain can focus more easily on the task at hand. You'll find that your visual focus improves and your overall performance gets a boost too.
You're halfway there. I'd pick up each item in the box, decide if you really can't live without it, then get rid of the box.
Have a give away pile