How To Declutter Your Makeup Step by Step
We’ve never been ones to hype the whole New Year, new you here at missy.ie. BUT there is something super refreshing about organising and cleaning to start fresh at the start of the year. And we don’t know about you, but we are very keen to leave everything about 2020.
If you’re anything like us you have a huge collection of makeup that contains a lot of products that you don’t use and probably some that are out of date
Here’s step-by-step guide on how to declutter your makeup collection…
Get Everything You Own
Yep, you need to track down every makeup item you own. That means everything in your makeup station, travel makeup bag and digging though those night out bags that haven’t been used in almost a year to track down all your lipsticks and setting powders.
Once you have everything lay it all out on your bed with a big towel underneath to keep everything clean.
Sort Everything Out
Next, bundle all your makeup together by category such as foundations, concealers, palettes etc. This will make it easier to see everything.
Time To Say Goodbye
Hard choices are going to have to be made, so start with easy ones first. Check your products to see if there’s anything that has clearly gone off. That Anastasia Beverly Hills Pomade you’ve had for 4 years, yeah we’re pretty sure it’s dried out. Bin it.
Next look for items that you’ve had for a long time. Fess up, we all have a few items that we’ve had longer than we care to remember. Makeup goes off once it’s opened and it can be a bad idea to use it beyond the recommended advice. All makeup should have a little symbol of an open cosmetics pot and is used together with a written number of months or years.
Makeup Expiration Dates You Need To Know
- Eyeliner: 6 months to 1 year. Gel eyeliner only lasts six to eight months because you’re constantly double-dipping a brush into a pot
- Mascara: 3-6 months. …
- Blush, eye shadow, and other powder cosmetics: 1-2 years. …
- Foundation: 6 months to 2 years. …
- Lipstick: 2 years. …
- Natural products: 3-6 months.
So, if you have something for quite a while, it might be time to say goodbye.
Be Ruthless
Yes, we know it’s wasteful to throw out things and in one way it just feels like throwing money away, but if they product is out of date it just needs to go, sorry. Pay particular attention to eye products such as eyeliner, mascara and eyeshadows as these products can contain bacteria that cause eye infections. No thank you.
Get Rid of Things You Just Don’t Use
Chances are if you haven’t used a product is quite a while it’s out of date anyway, but if you know you have no intention of using that primer anymore because you hated it, get rid of it.
Look For Products That You’re Almost Finished
Have you hit pan on a highlighter and there’s only a bit left? Put it to one side and include anything else that’s nearly gone and make a pact with yourself to use them up instead of reaching for other products first.
Have Unopened Products You Don’t Use?
We’ve all ended up with makeup products we’ve never used. If you have anything that is unopened and that you know in your heart and soul you’ll never use give it away to someone who will. Check with your mam, sister and friends to see of they would like it. If not put them aside to donate to charity once they reopen again. Someone will be grateful for it and it stops perfectly good products from going in the bin.
Disinfect
Sure aren’t we all mad for the disinfectant these days? Makeup can be gross at the best of times so take a disinfectant wipe and clean all the packaging of all the makeup that you’re keeping.
Next wash out the area that you store your makeup in and through your makeup bag in the wash.
Clean And Sort Your Makeup Brushes
Makeup brushes are another thing that regularly get neglected and it’s making us a bit queasy thinking about all that bacteria.
You don’t need anything super fancy; warm water and soap is perfect for cleaning your brushes. Once you’ve cleaned them leave them to dry on their own – using a towel or anything else to dry them could just ruin the brushes.
Organise A Place For Everything
So your makeup declutter is complete; now you just have to put everything back.
The best way to organise everything is to group products together and to have a place for everything. That way you know where everything is and you can clearly see what you have.
Recycle
Don’t just throw products in the bin; check to see if the packaging can be recycled first. You may have to clean any of the remaining products out of the packaging first, but it’s worth it instead of seeing it all end up in a landfill. At least then you can feel *slightly* better about throwing it out.
And that’s it! Congrats on on completing your makeup declutter. Next stop the dreaded wardrobe clear out!