When it comes to Sundays, I love nothing more than a wander down the beach, a clearing out sesh and a big ol’ roast. That’s my perfect Sunday right there. I know I’ve mentioned it a million and one times before and you’re probably yelling at your screens ‘Anna you’re a Virgo, you love tidying – we get it!‘, but… *whispers* there’s nothing quite like starting the week feeling all fresh and new and de-cluttered. I mentioned before that I’d given streamlining my makeup stash a go a few times over the past months; before we moved, after we moved, when my new storage arrived, but I was still holding on to a few items that I was long overdue saying goodbye to and watching Lily seriously cut-down her stash when I helped her move in was just the motivation I needed. If you’re feeling in the mood to say so long to some beauty bits this Sunday then here are a few techniques I like to employ…
1. The Sniff. This one is easy. A quick swatch or sniff of a product will tell you whether it’s off and needs to be thrown into the bin or not. I had so many foundations that I was clinging on for dear life to when actually they smelt pretty rank and the formulas had become thin and watery or thick and unbendable. Gross. Check out this post by Meg to see how long you should keep certain items for before they expire.
2. The Maybe Pile. Once you have a ‘definitely throwing in the bin’ pile complete, it’s time to have another sort and collate a ‘maybe’ pile. These might be items that are old, but are a bit sentimental. I have a few things that all have little ‘back in the day’ anecodates attached to them so have popped those in my collectables drawer for old times sake. Or maybe they’re things you still love, but you have a friend or family member that you know would love them more. You’ll find that by the end of it you’ll probably be able to talk yourself into giving a good 50% of this pile away. Give yourself a pat on the back.
3. The Swatch Test. Do you own 20 red lipsticks? Then it’s time to have a swatch and see just how similar they all are. If there’s 10 that look the same (yep, I’ve been there before too), then pick out your favourite and pop the rest into your giveaway pile. It’s a good way to revisit step one as well and see if there are any rank formulas that have slipped through the net. Naughty, naughty.
4. The Occasion Question. This is the one that I struggle with, but sometimes I just have to ask myself ‘When will I actually wear this crazy colour of lipstick/eyeshadow/blush?’. It might look pretty, but if it’s not wearable or not something that suits your skintone then it’s time to quit it. Goodbye cool eyeshadow palettes…
See? An easy, fuss-free process, so you’ll be done by dinnertime and ready to chow down on that roast. OH YEAH…
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