By BR Kellie
There's nothing like the fresh bloom of a daffodil, the hint of warmth in the air, and leggy lambs gamboling around fields to inspire us to get spring cleaning!
These last few weeks the crew have been chatting about downsizing our collections, removing that which we don't need in our lives, and to do so we've employed three rules, which have seen our stashes seriously (well, sort kind of, better-than-they-were-before) streamlined.
So what are the three rules to dealing to your out-of-control makeup, skincare and haircare collection? Check these out...
The product is old enough to say 'back in my day'. If you've yet to read BR Natalie's excellent article on when to throw out products based on their expiry then now's the time to read it. If a mascara's been opened for more than four months? It's time to biff it. Have an old lip pencil that's been hanging around for a good five years or more? Toss. That blush you can't part with but have been using for more than two years? It's time to hold a beauty funeral and get grieving. Even those items that you bought and have left unopened may well need to go. The average shelf life of unopened products is three year. During that time the ingredients used can detoriate - this is especially true for natural products - which is why you need to use your noggin when it comes to choosing whether to keep or throw. Treat it like the 'best before' date on ham or yoghurt. Sniff it. Eye it. If it smells funny or looks funny get rid of it. And if you're not sure how old a product is then you can check the code at a batch checker website like Cosmetic Calculator.
You don't use it, and deep down you know you're not going to. Shall we talk about my old hair product 'station'. It had oils, mousse, dry shampoo, hair spray, balms, masks, smoothers... it wasn't a massive selection, nor was it tiny. How often did I reach for said products? The dry shampoo, oil and hair spray were used... the rest? Not so much. So what's a gal to do? Go through your products - nail polishes, skincare, makeup, haircare - and ask yourself: have I used this? Am I truly likely to? And if the answer is no, then donate it or gift it or dispose of the contents and recycle the packaging. Holding onto something you don't use is like holding onto a grudge - it'll weigh you down and irrirate you whenever you see it or think about it. Do an Elsa, let it go.
It's not right for your type. If you have dry skin, then why would you keep a foaming cleanser designed for oily skin? If you have poker straight hair, why would you hold onto a hair lotion designed to tame curls? Be honest with yourself - keeping products just because your skin 'might' change or your hair 'might' reverse its genetic decision to be curly or straight, or you 'might' start curling or straightening on a regular basis for the first time in your life, is a waste of time and space. Move it on, then move on.
I'm not in the mood for a spring clean, but I'm trying to make an effort to do it more often.