My Massive Makeup Clean-Out + What I Kept!
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Makeup seems to be one of those things that keeps accumulating over time, and before you know it, you have bins and bins full of makeup you haven’t touched in years.
I remember getting so frustrated when I’d dig through one of those bottomless bins and find an eyeliner that I had loved and completely forgotten about, only to find that it was super expired.
In this blog post, I’m sharing the 5 secrets I learned that allowed me to purge my makeup, and keep it organized and clutter-free for good. I’ll be covering:
• How I painlessly purged over 50 (!) makeup products
• Get rid of your expired makeup!
• The makeup products that are worth keeping
• How to organize your makeup in a way that makes sense
• The products that will keep your makeup contained
So if you’re tired of digging through dozens of products to find the few that you love and use daily, then you’re in the right place! We will purge and organize your makeup so that every time you get ready, it becomes an experience that is joyful and calming.
How I Purged Over 50 (!) Makeup Products
I have always loved the thrill of walking through Sephora, trying out new products of every kind, splurging on the latest “it” products, and running to the car and putting them on in my rearview mirror.
Before my minimalist journey, my goal was to acquire as many items as possible and hold onto them forever. Makeup was a way for me to feel wealthy, luxurious, and beautiful. Until they got thrown into the bin and forgotten about.
I realized that I was wasting so much money on products that I didn’t really love and didn’t suit my currently lifestyle. I also learned that makeup can expire… a lot faster than you think it will.
I started doing tons of research on product expiration, clean beauty, and products that really work.
From there, I finally created a plan that would help me purge my makeup in a painless and simple way, even for someone that somehow has a deep connection for every little thing I own. After I was down to the basics, I only bought new products after I had thoroughly researched them and knew I had a daily need for them. Then, I discovered ways to organize them in a beautiful, yet functional way.
Life can be stressful enough on its own, and minimalism can help you find the joy in your belongings and a sense of calm during this act of self-care. It may sound like “just makeup” until you realize the impact it makes on you each morning.
So here’s exactly what I learned, and how to implement it for yourself. This is exactly how to purge your products, find new products that work, and organize them in a way that fits into your daily life.
Get Rid of Your Expired Makeup!
The first step in purging your makeup is to throw out anything expired. This will probably get rid of 98% of your products, lol. Some products have an expiration date on them, but others don’t. However, most will tell you the product’s shelf life. Look on the bottle for a little round container picture with a number in it (12M, 24M, 6M, etc.). This is how long you can keep your makeup once it’s opened.
This is your PSA to throw out all of your Naked palettes from high school.
Here is a great video I found that explains the science behind it all. She’s a super cool biochemist.
Watch her video for the specifics, but here is a summary of her recommendations for keeping your products after they are opened:
Water-containing products (lotions, creams, foundation, etc.)- 6 months
Powder face products- 6 months
Eye shadows- 1 year
Mascara- 3 months
Balms- 1 year
Lip liners / eye liners- 6 months
Brow pencils- 1 year
RIP to our makeup, right? This is why we want just ONE of each product at a time!
The Makeup Products That Are Worth Keeping (My Makeup Routine)
Since we should really just have one of each product, we want to make sure that we have the best! I don’t want you to have to try out more products and create more clutter for yourself, so here are a few of the products I actually love that I keep buying over and over.
IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream
Why are people not obsessing over this more?? Maybe they are and I just didn’t know about it. But this stuff is actually incredible. I was a die-hard lover of my Lancome foundation and didn’t think anything could top it, until now. I was actually searching for how to do wedding makeup, and this kept coming up. If it was good enough for a wedding, it would be good enough for me. I sent it to my sister, and she’s obsessed too! She asked why I didn’t tell her about it sooner. Plus, it’s SPF 50+!
Again, I didn’t think anything could get me away from my Lancome mascara, but here we are. I started learning about clean beauty, and realized I wanted to be more conscious about what I put on my body- especially near my eyeballs. I heard “clean” mascaras are never as good, and a few that I tried smeared throughout the day. Not this one! I was pleasantly surprised at how amazing this mascara was! I don’t think I’ll try anything else again.
Biossance Squalane + Rose Vegan Lip Balm
Not technically “makeup”, but this is the best lip balm I have ever used- and I’ve tried a lot of them. I have really sensitive lips and will get rashes from a lot of lip products. Plus, this is another clean beauty product! Now you don’t have to worry about accidentally swallowing any of it.
This is my winning bronzer pick! It’s a great color, the perfect amount of pigment, and it goes on so evenly. Because of my rosacea on my cheeks, I actually use this in lieu of blush. I apply this to my forehead, cheekbones, and jawline; it adds so much to my makeup look, but looks effortless and natural.
I plan to add more to this list, but I only want to include the absolute best. Otherwise we are defeating the purpose of minimalism and only buying the products we love!
How to Organize Your Makeup in a Way That Makes Sense
Properly organizing your products is essential to keeping your space clutter-free and enjoyable. Luckily, makeup lends itself to being easily categorized: face, eyes, lips, etc.
Here are 5 rules to follow when organizing your makeup:
Use clear, acrylic bins so you can see all of your products
Don’t put too many products in each container- they’ll get lost and you’ll end up buying more!
Label each bin / section (order custom labels, like the ones here)
Store your containers close to your mirror / where you get ready
Wipe down all of your products- Wipe off all of the excess makeup that is floating around. Trust me- it makes it feel so clean, organized, and brand new!
The Products That Will Keep Your Makeup Contained
Stackable drawers allow you to customize your bins for the space you’re working with. These containers, linked below, all fit nicely together, and you can mix and match what you need for your products.
Here, you can find the products that I use to organize all of my makeup:
Organizing your makeup is a great first step in decluttering and minimizing your entire house! It’s a smaller-scale undertaking that gives you quick results that you will notice every day. You may feel guilty throwing away all of these barely-used products, but give yourself this one free pass and commit to not impulse-buying beauty products again!
Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments below!
