Just Binge Cleaned My Stash and Boy, Does It Feel Great!!!!!!

It's always a good feeling to "lighten the load". I do that every once in a while and I find that once I get started, I build a momentum. It's as if I become blind to the clutter then it hits me and I realize I've been looking at something every day for the past months/year and I don't really "see" it. It takes a minute or two for the guilt about the money wasted to dissipate. If something isn't embarrassingly old and still pretty full, I will bring it to work to offer it to whoever wants to try something new (new to them, at least). If it doesn't get claimed, into the garbage it goes!

I did the exact same thing last week. I weeded out what I need vs don't need; ie: I don't need 5,000 tubes of lipstick lol. This is my new makeup inventory:

1 lipgloss

1 lipstick

1 lipliner

1 tube of tinted moisturizer

1 powder compact

1 tube of mascara

1 eye shadow palette

1 blush/highlighter compact

Concealer

I also pared down my makeup brush collection.

Cool thread, OP!! Simplicity is one key to a happier life imho and autumn and spring are great times to declutter and refresh.

I did that in July and it did feel really good. I will need to do it again in a few months, because I keep all samples with the intent that I will evenutally use them!!!!!!!

Thanks for the replies! And JM, OMG samples!!! I had a whole basket of them I had collected intending to use. I think I had a dozen of just various Smashbox primers! Tossed about three quarters of them and kept the few I might actually want to try. Things really pile up quickly and unfortunately I am a sucker for new ingredients and a good sales price. But honestly, I couldn't say there was actually one product I had that was making a dramatic difference but there are some things I love that I will keep using just because they make my skin feel good.

I tried to do that a few nights ago but found that it's going to take me a lot longer than the amount of time I actually had free to sort through things. I guess I need to schedule a day to do it soon. I did toss a few things, but I have so many things...I truly probably need to go to Cosmetics Anonymous!! And don't get me started on lotions, body butters, etc. My husband joked with me yesterday that he might take an inventory to see how many I have.

I have ALWAYS been what you'd call a "priss-pot"...loved makeup, pocketbooks, and most things "girly" even when I was just a little girl. It started with those flavored rollerball lipglosses and grew from there. I didn't actually start wearing makeup until I was about 12-13, but I've always loved it! I even had the Barbie head that you could do her makeup and hair. Wow...I might just be "once a priss-pot, always a priss-pot"!! I think the line from the song..."I enjoy being a girl" fits me quite well!

Good for you! That's a tremendous accomplishment and one I'm all too bad about not doing.

If you ladies don't mind, I'd like to toss in a great idea for what to do with products you decide you no longer want, but that your family/friends can't use or don't want.

My mother was a dark-haired, olive-skinned brunette with brown eyes and I'm strawberry blonde with green eyes and ruddy cheeks like my dad. When she passed away, I wasn't really able to use any of her cosmetics, and she had tons of them. Expensive, beautiful things. And I couldn't use her fragrances either. They were 'hers'. So I gathered up all the makeup, skincare and fragrances and donated them to a charity program that assists homeless women with finding jobs. They teach them how to dress for an office, how to comport themselves in an interview, and teach them basic office skills. They then mentor them throughout the job search and afterwards help them budget and eventually get their own place to live. It's a wonderful program that really helps women. I had seen them advertise for donations of clothing appropriate for the workplace and thought they might appreciate some makeup, etc., also. They were absolutely thrilled! The faces of the women who were in the room when I brought in the boxes just lit up. Every woman likes to look pretty, right?

Now, whenever I get a product I don't like or won't use, I donate it to this program.

Thanks for reading.

I did that a few months ago and I certainly don't miss any of it. It's definitely a great feeling! I also gave away some of the things I didn't use which is always nice to be able to do.