October is over and the little ghosts and goblins will be making their annual visit tomorrow night. Halloween makeup may be top of mind for you right now but I’ll bet you have a ton of old makeup stuffed in a drawer or caddy somewhere. This week in the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge, we’re organizing and decluttering makeup.
At one time, I had a ton of makeup – every colour of lipstick under the sun with lip liner to match, not to mention a rainbow of eyeshadow colours. You name it. I had it. These days, I wear very little makeup. Most days, I don’t wear any (a definite advantage of working from home). When I do venture out, a little foundation, blush, eyeliner and lipstick or lip gloss is all I need.
I didn’t expect to find much when decluttering makeup. Are you ready to see what I learned in week 43? Let’s go!
What is the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge?
In this year-long journey, we’re tackling one task at a time with the goal of cleaning up and organizing our homes. If you’ve just joined us, no worries. You can jump right in with this week’s challenge. Just check out the first two posts in the series to download your free checklists.
You can get easy access to all previous weekly posts on the main Decluttering page.
Week 43 – Decluttering makeup
I keep my makeup in one drawer in a vanity table in my bedroom, so this was a pretty quick decluttering task.
This week’s tips – 7 ways to simplify your makeup routine
Beyond the usual baskets to keep things organized, I don’t have a lot of decluttering or organizing tips to share this week. Instead, I’ll share some tips on how I’ve simplified my makeup routine to reduce waste, and save time and money.
- First, a good set of makeup brushes will reduce clutter, waste and save money in the long run. No more plastic eyeshadow applicators, or cotton swabs.
- Similarly, makeup sponges can eliminate the need for cotton balls and cotton pads. You can wash the sponges and reuse them for ages.
- Keeping those makeup brushes and sponges clean is easy. Just swirl them on your favourite mild bar soap, rinse well and dry on a washcloth.
- To reduce waste, look for a refillable compact. I bought one from Pure Anada a couple of years ago and I love it. The refills are magnetic so you can mix and match colours easily.
- I make my own face power with simple kitchen ingredients.
- Coconut oil is great for removing makeup and you can also use it instead of lip gloss. Check out Coconut oil – 1 simple product, 12 beauty hacks for other ways I use this simple ingredient.
- You can cut down on the amount of makeup you buy by finding colours that work for you and sticking to them. I used to own 6 or 7 shades of lipstick. Now I’m down to 2.
What I got rid of
Here’s what I got rid of this week. Just 6 items.
- 1 unopened eyebrow pencil
- 3 makeup samples
- 1 eyeliner pencil cap
- 1 paint sample from when we painted our bedroom years ago
And here’s a before and after shot of my makeup and vanity table.
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So that’s week 43 done. I hope you found my tips for simplifying your makeup routine helpful.
If you have friends or family members who could benefit from a little less clutter in their lives, please share this post and spread the word!
What did you declutter from your makeup collection this week? Tell us below.
Decluttering my makeup is something I did during lockdown. I had a ridiculous amount, especially since I used to subscribe to a few beauty boxes. The amount of samples and mini-sized products was unreal. I ended up giving a load away to family, who were more than happy to take it off my hands.
Like you I’ve cut down on the amount of makeup I wear and I only buy what I need now. It’s lovely that all my makeup sits in one drawer and I know I use every item. Your eco-friendly suggestions are great too. Good quality makeup brushes make all the difference and they last. I’ve had the same ones for years and they are still in great condition xx
I avoid those subscriptions like the plague. I see other bloggers writing about what was in their various subscription boxes, and always feel like I would just end up creating waste and feeling guilty if I subscribed.
I see so many people throwing away cheap makeup items they used to buy, experimenting with new, hype products that do not work for them, or chucking palettes they have only used once or twice, so I love seeing that you have it down to a few staples and colors that you consistently use! 🙂
The cosmetics industry just generates so much waste. It wouldn’t be nearly as bad if the packaging was recyclable but most of it isn’t. Life is definitely simpler with fewer cosmetics to sift through on a daily basis.
Yes! Thank you for sharing Michelle! I do this often, clean applicators and brushes are a must. Remember the 80’s makeup? It is all the rage, again!(and the clothes!) Tonya Harding blue eye shadow, gold yellow metallic eyes and liner. Yuk!
Burt’s Bees products, and three-in-one makeup-stick blush,lips & eyes all in one so easy. Coconut oil is a must. I haven’t worn mascara in years!
Thanks Lorraine. Oh yes, who can forget the bright blue eyeshadow? I love multi-purpose products, too. The fewer products, the better!
Great post, Michelle. Makeup is a tough one for me. I use only specific colors of everything, but hang on to the other stuff “just in case!” I just need to learn to let go! 🌞
Thanks for reading Lisa. At one time, I was proud of my “every colour under the rainbow” eyeshadow collection. Over time, I whittled it down to two or three colours. I found it just simplified everything.
I rarely buy and wear makeup these days.
I like your eco friendly suggestions for it.
When I think of all the money I spent on makeup, skin care and hair care products when I was younger, I just cringe. I’m older and wiser now. LOL