KonMari may have been a 2019 trend, but doing a de-clutter session on your beauty collection is worth doing regularly. A midyear inventory check helps you evaluate what you’ve been using and enjoying so far, and what you should chuck from all those holiday purchases. Life’s too short to be using bad products, so here’s a quick guide on how to let go of your old beauty stash and make space for new ones!

Check the expiry dates

Do you know how old your makeup is? If you’ve been suffering from acne or skin irritations, expired makeup may be the culprit. Check the label for expiry dates, or look for the little jar illustration on the label. This is a symbol for the “period after opening”, or how soon the product should be used once it has been opened. The jar drawing usually includes a number and the letter M, which indicates the number of months the product stays fresh and usable.

If you can’t find any relevant dates, carefully examine the product for any changes. Did it change color or consistency? Does it smell funny? Is the packaging still providing adequate protection for the product? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to throw it out.

Count your blessings

Find out exactly how much makeup you actually own. Group similar products together and count how many items you have for each category. There’s no shame in having “too much makeup” if it makes you feel happy and doesn’t put you in credit card debt. But if you feel shocked by the number, this can be a wake up call for you to put a temporary stop on your beauty shopping.

If you want to go the extra mile, start a beauty journal to keep track of your collection or create a digital spreadsheet to list expiry dates and other notes. You can use this as a reference before making any new purchases, so you don’t accidentally end up with multiple items of the same products.

Get organized

When you’re in a rush to get ready in the morning, it’s easy for your makeup to get all over the place. Take advantage of the quarantine lull to empty out all your purses, clear your clutter, and get your vanity in order. Sanitize your makeup with wipes or 70% alcohol, and wash your brushes with soap and water. Once everything is clean, curate your space so that applying makeup and skincare makes you feel happy and inspired. Enjoying beauty is a form of self-care, and having a beautiful space helps in setting a positive mood. You can invest in nice makeup organizers to keep everything neat, and add candles or plants to further enhance your beauty nook.

Enjoy what you have, right now

With face masks as our new essentials and most of us stuck at home, many of our makeup collections are probably languishing from disuse. Unfortunately, expiration dates aren’t going to change just because we’re in quarantine. Instead of letting your makeup go to waste, continue the fun and enjoy using them, even if you’re just at home wearing pajamas. You don’t even need to have a Zoom call scheduled for an excuse to glam up. It’s definitely a fun way to de-stress too. Plus it is a sure way to feel cute and pretty in an instant!

Wearing makeup is something that you do for yourself. It’s a way to express your creativity and literally put your best face forward. Maybe no one else will see your perfectly drawn cat eye or appreciate how natural your contour looks, but you will. You deserve to experience these little joys, so go ahead and enjoy your collection!

Image Sources: Unsplash.com, Nadine Lustre’s Instagram Page