The Declutter Diaries
After writing numerous posts about decluttering in the past I thought it might be fun to share the results of those ruthless rifles through my beauty stash. I've had my usual Spring clean like I always do at this time of year and I'm going to be starting a new segment on the blog today called 'The Declutter Diaries'. So from everything I'm getting rid of to what I'm going to be using next here is the first instalment of The Declutter Diaries.
THE RULES OF DECLUTTERING
I have a few ground rules about decluttering and they are the following;
- If anything is old and starting to go off then it has to go no questions asked.
- If it's not been used in 6 months it has to go [apart from bases in different colours].
- If I have no use for it at all then it has to go.
THINGS I'VE USED UP
I've been pretty good at getting through my beauty stash recently and here are the things that I've used up [note I don't keep empty beauty packaging laying around, some people can keep bags of recycling around but it's not something I can bear to do].
SOAP & GLORY SMOOTHIE STAR*: I love Soap & Glory body moisturisers, I've been through so many bottles of their different formulations and scents over the years. I absolutely adore the Smoothie Star scent, it's a heavenly almond scent with sprinkles of brown sugar and a few other notes so it makes you smell like a baked good. Which we all know is one of my main beauty goals because what else is better than eating cake than smelling like one? If you've never used an S&G moisturiser I highly recommend them as a somewhat budget product they're truly wonderful and they leave you feeling silky smooth without the stickiness.
YSL YOUTH LIBERATOR FOUNDATION: Without a doubt, one of the most talked about beauty products on my blog has been the YSL Youth Liberator. It's a gel formulation that's a solid medium coverage and it does all sort of wonderful things to the complexion. The way that this made my skin look is how I wish it looked without any base products, it perfected it with ease but it still looked incredibly natural and gave off this beautiful glow. Not only does it make the skin look beautiful but it had great staying power and I knew that I could rely on this all day. Whenever I'm in need of a new base and use up a lot of the things in my stash I will more than likely return to this. Even though it was incredibly expensive it was a great base that was more than worth the money.
PACO RABANNE OLYMPÉA FRAGRANCE*: As I'm so poor at describing fragrance I'll keep this short and sweet. Olympéa is a spiced vanilla that has a strong underlying musk which is probably why I loved this scent so much as it had all the elements that I love and it's something that could be transitioned between all seasons. From my past experience with Paco Rabanne fragrances, I know that they last incredibly well on the skin so if you struggle with your scent staying all day then it might be a range worth checking out.
ANTIPODES AURA MANUKA HONEY MASK: Whenever my skin was in a bit of a mess and I didn't quite know what to do with it I would reach for this mask. It deep cleansed, hydrated and had antibacterial elements to it so it just worked for my skin no matter what. As well as being a general skin saviour it didn't dry down to that uncomfortable cracking feeling that masks so often do so it's super simple to remove. If you're after a great all rounder mask then this is one that I'd really recommend.
LAURA MERCIER FOUNDATION PRIMER*: I went through a big love-hate relationship with this primer and by the time I'd finished it I actually really loved it. Whilst it didn't make my foundation last any longer which was a little bit annoying because that's typically what we want from our priming products. It made for such a beautiful base for makeup to be applied over the top and it made your base wear wonderfully throughout the day. If wear time of your base isn't an issue and it's more how your base wears throughout the day then this might be a great option for you as it keeps everything looking fresh for hours.
EMBRYOLISSE LAIT-CRÈME CONCENTRÉ*: When it came to using this moisturiser I was so so excited. It was something I'd always seen praised throughout the blogging world, every beauty magazine always suggested it and it was always something that I deemed way too simple and probably wasn't as a good as everyone made out. But it is and even though I know it's got mineral oil in it's still something that I absolutely adore as it not only made my skin feel wonderful but it also makes a great base for makeup. For the price, I think it's pretty reasonable and if your skin agrees with the ingredients then it's awesome and one I will return to.
THINGS I'M THROWING AWAY
Typically I really don't like to throw anything away and try and avoid it all costs because if there is something that someone else can use and get joy from then I would rather give it to them. But sometimes things just have to be binned and it can't be avoided. And here they are;
LORD & BERRY KISSABLE LIP PENCIL: Typically I'm not that bothered about pencil products being out of date but this had gone really hard so it was time to go. It was a dreamy product though.
SOAP & GLORY SMOOCH OPERATOR*: There was only a smidgen of this left and it was looking a little grubby.
CLINIQUE SUPERPRIMER: One of my all time favourite primers for helping to conteract redness in the skin, will more than likely purchase this again.
PIXI BY PETRA MAKEUP FIXING MIST*: The pump stopped working on this so it was pretty useless but I did love the product inside.
RIMMEL, SALI HANSEN, ACCESSORIZE AND TRUE BRIT LONDON NAIL POLISHES: All gloopy, no questions asked, they just had to go.
L'OCCITANE LIPSTICK: One of the prettiest lipsticks I owned and the colour was ideal, it had just gone very hard and difficult to work with.
DR JART SLEEPING MASK*: The last time I used this it broke me out which means it must have gone off as it never did that before.
ESSIE LICORICE NAIL POLISH*: Way too old, I never ever wear black nail polish.
SUDOCREM: An old faithful in my skincare stash, I don't care what anyone says when I've had a raging breakout it's always worked wonders.
LUSH MINT JULIPS LIP SCRUB: I don't even want to think about how old this is.
BALANCE ME TINTED WONDER CREAM*: For some reason I had been keeping an empty product in my stash without releasing.
SMITHS MINTED ROSE LIP BALM: I love the Smiths tinted rose balms, this was just way too old.
ELEMENT PRO RADIANCE ILLUMINATING FLASH BALM: I didn't get enough use out of this and it had started to smell.
CLARINS LOTUS TREATMENT OIL: This was passed onto me from a friend so it was pretty old. I didn't get as much use of it as I should have but there are oils that I prefer.
STILA LILIUM CONVERTIBLE COLOUR: Pains me to throw this out but it was really dirty inside and there was only a small amount left.
THINGS THAT NEED USING UP
AESOP PARSLEY SEED MASQUE: I've featured this in posts before and always said that I think that I've only got one more use out of it but it's the gift that doesn't stop giving apparently. However, I'm pretty sure that I am at the end of it now so I'm saving it for when my skin is a congested mess to return it back to normality as that's what this mask has always done for me. When I've used up more of my other deep cleansing masks I'll more than likely to return to this because it's such a beautiful mask that I can get an awesome amount of use from. Typically I don't think you need to spend a lot on a clarifying mask as clay is such a cheap ingredient but this is well worth it.
JO MALONE BLACKBERRY & BAY: I can't believe that I'm finally at the end of this because for so long it reigned supreme in my collection as my all time favourite scent. And it's still something that I absolutely adore but my bottle has gone off ever so slightly so now it doesn't smell the way it should which is sad and also the reason why you shouldn't leave perfumes for too long. The mix of the freshness from the blackberry with the earthiness of the bay is absolutely delightful. It's such a sentimental scent to me and again once I've used up a few more things in my stash I'll probably go back and pick it up again as it's such an important scent to me and is perfect in A/W.
NEW IN BEAUTY
So now we've gone through everything I've got rid of, used up and the items that I'm making a conscious effort to use up here are the new products in my life. Just to make an obvious disclaimer here, as I write about beauty products as part of my livelihood I'm incredibly fortunate to be sent products on a regular basis which is why there are a few new items here. So here is what I'm going to be trying out over the next few months;
CAROLINES HIRON & PIXI DOUBLE CLEANSE*: There has been a lot of coverage on this cleanser from Pixi and Caroline Hirons. Which is hardly a surprise so when it arrived in a huge parcel from Pixi I was excited to see it. I've not tried this yet so I can't comment on how it performs but something I'm really not digging is the packaging. It contains two cleansers; a cream and a solid balm and they're housed in the same pot and only separated by a plastic wall and I can already imagine this getting incredibly messy. I know why this has been done but for me, I can imagine product crossing over which is incredibly frustrating.
NIP & FAB MAKEUP*: Nip & Fab is a skincare brand that typically sits at a really good price point for the quality of the products that they deliver and they've just released a makeup line. There are a few things that I don't have any interest in like the palettes etc but something I have been really enjoying is the coloured concealers, particularly the green one. It covers up redness like a dream and it's replacing concealer in my routine at the moment because once the redness is taken out of a blemish it's a hundred times easier to cover up. Also, the foundation lightening and darkening drops are something I'm looking forward to using as I don't want to have to repurchase a foundation if my skin tone changes which it frequently does so this is a great product to have in my stash.
LANCOME BASE PRODUCTS*: I mentioned the primer from Lancome in this blog post [read here] but I've also been trying a foundation and a brush from the brand. The foundation is the Teint Idole Ultra Wear and it reminds me of the YSL Youth Liberator in a lot of ways, it boasts 24-hour wear without retouching. Of course, I'm never ever going to be wearing my base for that long but it's great to have a foundation that can withstand an entire day of wear without it wearing away. The shade range is incredibly impressive and it's amazing to see a brand make a base that could possibly work for everyone. Their brush is also lovely, it's small but powerful but I'm not 100% sure I'd be happy spending that much money on something so small, even though it does make it perfect for travel.
SU-MAN SKINCARE*: A brand that I've heard about through the blogging world but not one that I've investigated all that far into is Su-Man. I've been trying out their sheet masks so far and I absolutely adore sheet masks in general for a nice skin treat, after catching a little bit of sun on my nose I knew I needed something to help calm down the redness and this worked perfectly. It delivers an immediate boost of moisture and brightness which is exactly what my skin needed. As they're a high-end skincare brand they are incredibly expensive but if you're after a serious treat for your skin or you have the budget they're beautiful.
KIKO COLLECTION*: Considering how relatively new Kiko as a brand is to me it's hard to believe that it's actually 20 years old. Their anniversary collection has an awesome story surrounding it and has a range of products that I'm all about. It's called 'Less Is Better' which we all know is something I'm totally on board with. Their cream blush and eyeshadow palette are a couple of things that I've particularly been enjoying and their fluid highlighter looks beautiful. Not only are the products great but I also adore the baby blue and pink packaging too.
MORE POSTS ON DECLUTTERING
What have you used up recently?
