Simplify Your Beauty Stash The transformative art of decluttering your beauty space
Image courtesy of Robin West / @robinwest
The guiding philosophy of Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo’s bestselling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, is to “Keep things because you love them - not “just because”. Not only is the process a chance to clear physical clutter, it’s the perfect opportunity to organise your thoughts, and in turn forge a calmer, more motivated mindset.
Although Kondo’s original self-help book applies to the entire household, the basic principles are easily adapted to a more targeted area usually consumed with vast clutter; case in point, your overflowing bathroom cabinet and makeup bag.
Here, Lane Crawford takes you through the key rules to help you clear out your beauty stash - and reset your mindset - the KonMari way.
Keep only what you love
A key commandment of Kondo’s book is to physically pick up each item during the process and ask, “Does this spark joy?” If the answer is no, it’s time to say thank you to the object for playing its part in your life - even if it’s just a lipstick - and toss it, making room for something that does make you happy.
Category is key
Sort by category, not location is one of Kondo’s commandments. Why? If you clean out your handbag and bathroom cupboard separately, chances are you won’t realise just how many old mascaras you are actually hoarding.
Tidy all at once
A commanding rule of Kondo’s is to finish the entire tidying process in one go. By completing the task little by little, the job is never done properly, allowing things to get messy again, quickly. “Tidy a little a day, and you’ll be tidying forever,” Kondo teaches.
Visualise your final destination
Kondo suggests visualising your ideal lifestyle to help you reach your end goal. In the context of beauty, envisioning a streamlined, Instagram-worthy top shelf will help you keep on track during the process.
Discard samples
If you are guilty of hoarding miniature shampoo bottles and beauty pouches from airplanes, stop. “To use possibly outdated cosmetics, especially when you are supposed to be enjoying your travels, seems rather foolhardy,” Kondo explains.
A Practical Guide to Expiry Dates
While the KonMari approach to de-cluttering targets an emotional response to your possessions, you can minimise your beauty stash further by applying a more practical question to each item: Has this product expired? The risks of using expired products include irritation, rashes, blemishes and various skin or eye infections. We ask Dr. Scott Wells, New York plastic surgeon and founder of his own medical grade skincare line, for his professional opinion on how long it’s safe to keep different types of cosmetic products before it’s time to toss them.
Expiry Dates of Beauty Products
Official expiry dates aside, Dr. Wells warns that “any product that has come in contact with contaminated skin, lip, or eyelid issues should be discarded immediately.” He adds that the most important determinant of expiration is one’s sense of sight, smell and feel. “If a product changes in any of these three ways, discard it!”
Skincare
- Alpha or Beta hydroxyl acids
- 6 months
- Retinol products
- 3 months
- Moisturisers and antioxidants
- 3-6 months
- Sunblock
- 18 months - 2 years
Makeup
- Eye products
- 6 months
- Foundations and cream based products
- 6 months-1 year
- Powder blushes or mineral products
- 2 years
- Lip products
- 2 years