Downsizing Your Makeup Collection: My Tips and Advice

Being a blogger that often writes about my love of beauty, cosmetics and body care, I now have quite the collection of makeup. I love makeup, and as much as I do use most of the products in my collection, there were quite a few things sitting in my drawers which were unused and hadn't seen the light of day for some while. As I don't wear a full face of make-up on a day to day basis, (and was also getting stressed from all of the clutter) i decided to go through everything I owned and down-size my collection. I have compiled a little list of things to think about when organizing and down-sizing your make-up collection.

How old is the item? There is a lot of talk about use-by-date and shelf life with makeup, there are lots of websites online which can help you when it comes to chucking old make-up away. I got rid of a lot of eyeliners and mascaras which I hadn't used in a while - you have to be careful what you're putting near your eyes! 

When was the last time you used it? I love, love, love lipsticks, but to be honest with you, I held onto a lot of mine just because I like a choice of every colour. Glittery lip balms and orange lipsticks soon found there way into the rubbish pile - I have never worn them out of the house and probably never will, so why I am I holding onto them?

What does it look like? With some products, such as nail polish, for example, you can kind-of tell by sight if it is usable or not. Products that don't really look right or the way they should; the formula has changed, the product is gloopy - will you ever use them? I thought not. 

Does it suit you? Do you like how it looks when you wear it? If not, why not donate it to a friend that would use it. I had a few concealers and foundations which didn't match my skin tone at all - so I never used them. 

Do you like a lot of make-up or do you prefer a smaller collection?