How I Destash

Bit of a different post today, but I'm slowly trying to cut down my slightly overwhelming collection of makeup in the hopes it'll make my makeup drawers a bit easier to close. So I thought I'd write out a quick post on how I'm doing that.

First things first have a) a bin/'to bin' container and b) a 'to sell/swap/gift' container on hand. I'm using my empties box for the bin and a separate make up bag for sell/swap/gift. (The real first thing I did was get a cup of tea and stick Casualty on iPlayer, this is a long job)

Step 1: Pick a section to go through. This is good whether you have a massive collection or a small one, it helps keep things organised and if (like me) you find it hard to let go of things it allows you to go slowly and make small steps.

Step 2: Empty everything out of the drawer (or bag, or whatever you keep your stuff in, for this purpose I'm using drawer since that's what have.)

Step 3: Pick out any things you use all the time. Either on a day to day basis or your immediate go to red lip. Put these back in the drawer (I'm assuming since these are things you use often, they're not gone off).

Step 4: Anything you know you hate or have never used since you first bought/swatched/blogged about it take out and put to one side. Sort through these for things that need binning (they've gone off or are so awful you wouldn't inflict that on your worst enemy) and things for the s/s/g pile.

Step 5: Find anything past its use by or that's started going off. Bin it. Sorry.

Step 6: The hard bit, sorting through the not-regular use but not hated pile. First look for any dupes, if they are dupes (in colour or the exact same product) then put one in the s/s/g (or bin for anything nearly used up or that you wouldn't give away), if they're near dupes see if there's one you like more or try to think about if you'll really need/use both. Also pick out anything you use semi-regularly and put it back in the drawer.

Step 7: If you haven't used the product in over 6 months then unless it's something you need for certain specific things (like that green lipstick you use for cosplays and halloween) it's unlikely you'll use it again in the next 6, so it's probably time to bin/give away. If you have a hard time doing this then a great tip I picked up from (I think /u/daisyismydog) reddit is to force yourself to use that product every day for a week. If you fall in love with it again then keep it, if you find that you're starting to dread using it then it's probably time to let go.

Step 8: Put the newly destashed draw back. Congratulations! Now time to move on to the next one...

I am also using this as a time to inventory my whole collection, because that's a useful thing for me to have. And if you wondered what my hand looked like after all the lipstick swatching:

Yep. 

I haven't started on the eyeshadows yet. I dread to think.