Just like you would edit your closet, you need to edit your beauty collection! 1. Take a complete inventory of what you have. Gather up all of the products you have in one place to make this easier. I have an excel spreadsheet (in an easy to share Google Doc!), which helps me keep track of everything. You don't necessarily need a spreadsheet, but get everything together to start off the inventory edit! You may be surprised where you find your products, and how many similar products you've left around inconvenient places.
2. Toss out any expired products - check the little expiration date logo on the label. I often stick a small label on products (mascara mostly!) with the date I open it, so there's no way that I can make excuses! Especially easy to toss are products that smell or have changed consistency.
3. Evaluate the products you haven't used in months (or perhaps at all?!) Figure out why you haven't used it.
- Is it the wrong shade or the wrong type of product for you? You may need to try it on again if you don't know why!
- Do you have too many of this product so it's been left forgotten?
- Again, ask yourself, is it really expired and you're just not ready to throw it away? (We are all guilty of this I think!)
If it is still in great condition, set it aside - I can't bear to toss products and I'm sure many of you are the same! Next week's post will discuss some of the things you can do with your unloved products!
4. Get organizing! Now that you've cleared out the expired and unused products, organization will go much better. At this point, you need to decide the most effective way of organizing. I like to start with the goal of the organization. Here are a few examples.
- To prevent repeat purchases
- To make products easily accessible for daily use
- To conserve space
- To store products for longevity or to prevent accidents
My personal goals for organization are to prevent repeat (or similar) purchases, to remind myself of how many of each product type I already have, and to make my products easy to find. Because of these goals, I've chosen to organize by type, but you may choose to organize by usage or even occasion (for example everyday makeup on the countertop where it's easily accessible and special occasion products safely stored in a drawer).
Hope this helps you in your quest to organize your vanity! Stay tuned for posts on what to do with those rejects as well as ideas and DIY's for organization!