As a longtime makeup lover with an extensive collection spilling out of drawers and crammed into bathroom cabinets, I feel overwhelmed trying to get ready each morning and seriously need to declutter my makeup again.
I’m taking inspiration from Marie Kondo and tackling the decluttering process for my beauty stash. My main goal is to simplify and better organize my collection by purging unused or expired items.
If you also feel you have too much makeup, here are my best tips for decluttering it step-by-step:
1. Gather Everything Together
The first step is taking all your makeup out so you can see the full visual clutter.
Pile it on your bed, floor or table in one space. Just be ready for the amount to feel overwhelming! This step alone motivates me to start purging.
2. Sort by Makeup Category
Go through products category-by-category, making a pile for eyeshadow palettes, foundations, blushes, lip items, etc.
This is where you’ll start to see where you might have a problem. I have a lot of blushes, for example, that take up most of the room.
3. Check Expiration Dates
Be ruthless about tossing anything that’s past its shelf life and expiry date, especially mascaras (replace every 3 months). Makeup beyond its prime won’t apply well anyway.
This is an easy place to get started because makeup past its expiry date can also contain bacteria.
4. Evaluate Condition
Additionally, declutter items that are in poor condition – hardened mascaras, broken powders, dried out liquid lipsticks, anything that smells or looks off. Don’t feel bad about throwing away anything that’s not in good condition.
5. Assess Frequency of Use
For products still in good condition, separate your “daily” makeup from “sometimes” and “special occasion” items. If you reuse certain lip glosses and eyeshadows often, keep them handy while stashing lesser-used pieces.
Daily items should be kept for sure. Those other items you use on nights out (a really good highlighter, for example) should be kept but consider if you really need more than one of anything you don’t use very often.
6. Declutter Unused Gift Sets
I like to donate brand new, unopened gift sets from the holidays to local women’s shelters so others can enjoy. No reason for perfectly good makeup to go unused!
7. Invest in Storage
Organize your edited down makeup collection neatly into clear bags, drawer organizers and storage containers. Seeing everything easily will help ensure you use products regularly without buying duplicates.
Implementing these makeup declutter tips cuts down my time getting ready daily. I can grab my favorite lipstick from the top drawer without digging around messy boxes on my counter. Regular decluttering sessions keep my love for playing with makeup fun instead of stressful. Give it a try – your beauty routine will thank you!
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