The bathroom is hands-down the most difficult room to clean out. Like your wardrobe, you may have some favorite hair, skin and makeup products. But when you buy a t-shirt for you closet, it doesn't come with three sample size t-shirts, amiright? The beauty industry thrives on sending out sample sizes to attract new buyers. So how can you effectively keep your make-up drawer (or in my case, one overstuffed Caboodles) under control?
1. The First Pass
Pull all your beauty and hair products out of the bathroom. Yes, all of them! Get down in every drawer, every bag, and every shower caddy. The first pass is simple.
Make three piles:
- Items you love and use often
- Underwhelming products to toss
- Everything else (we'll get there soon)
2. Separate Your Samples
Grab a small basket or container and add all the sample size products you would like to try. Be honest with yourself - are you really going to use that sample size brown lipstick? On your next night out, you can get experimental with your makeup samples - or have a Sunday home-spa day with the skin care and hair products. If a sample makes it more than a few months and is still in the basket, throw it out.
3. The 6 Month Rule
Now look at your "everything else" pile again. If it is liquid and over 6 months old - throw it out. No exceptions. Powders can last a few years, but just remember, a few years doesn't mean five. An easy way to keep on top of your liquid makeup is to plan two times a year to clean house. If you switch up your color palette with the season, choose a month in Spring and Fall. Since my look is more classic/year-round, I choose January and June every year, but choose what is right for you!
4. Buy More, Have Less
This rule is my favorite. It's time to make a shopping list! First, look at your pile of "must keep" items - what is missing? Do your hair texturizers go limp? Are all of your lip-liners in the "everything else" pile? Maybe you should research which lip-liners are getting a lot of love on Youtube right now - and add that brand to your shopping list. The truth might be that you don't need MORE eye pallets, you just need the right eye pallet. If you're looking at your collection and saying, "I can do better than you," kick that relationship to the curb and dump that product.
5. Letting Go (Insert Frozen Pun Here)
So you have this one lipstick that looks cute with that cranberry sweater, or that mousse that works fine, but you just like your other one better. If you are having some serious trouble letting go of perfectly good products, consider boxing up your favorite products for now until you finish going through everything else. If the thought of temporarily parting with your favorite eyeliner just to finish off another one sounds horrifying - only keep your favorite eyeliner. There is a clear winner, so why look less than your best?
After using these 5 tips, your beauty product collection will be more concise, easier to manage and you'll only have your best products to choose from! If you need a resource for finding better products, the Youtube world is teeming with beauty bloggers here to rate every new BB Cream, CC cream and... is there a DD cream yet? Every few months, gather up your products and be willing to toss products that didn't work well for you. It will cut down on your morning routine and keep you looking your best.