Show Me Your Declutters!

[RGbrown]

I received an order today with four new lipsticks,

(Lancome L'Absolue Lacquer...I will never ever stop mentioning these every-dang-where 😄😍)

but had absolutely no room for them in my containers. While the thought "buy more containers" crossed my mind for a brief second, I quickly dismissed it as I'm starting to feel overwhelmed with too much stuff. I'd been pulling out one or two here and there, but today was the big reckoning!Sorry I didn't stage a better pic, but that's 55 lip items that are now gloriously gone from my stash!

This is only the stuff I pulled today; I have a small train case packed full of the other lippies (and some palettes) that I've been slowly pulling over the last couple of months. Do I still have more I could get rid of? Yeah, most likely...if I was on the fence, I erred on the side of keeping it rather than tossing. And I didn't swatch every single keeper to weed out similar shades, so there's probably still a good bit of overlap in my berry-heavy collection. But my oh my, I feel soooo much better now. I found not only things I had forgotten about, but things I really had no clue I even owned in the first place 🤣

So...do you have too much too? Ready to clear up some space and salvage a little sanity? Share your declutters with us; we wanna see it! 

[itsfi]

A handful of items I've moved out of my collection during the first quarter of 2026.

January Declutter

March Declutter

Most of my declutters are brought about based on usage through the Capsule Makeup Collection Challenge 2026 (which I just realize I'm behind on posting, ack! *adding to "to do" list) and as I go through various drawers and bins for the Beauty Challenge -- Twelve Months of Beauty Inventory. I've donated or re-homed most of my ne'er used or gently used items during the last couple years of capsule makeup challenges so there's fewer declutters this year. The Beauty Challenge / Beauty Inventory thread provides me a much needed opportunity to take stock of what my overall collection in a particular makeup category looks like, which is helpful in shaping, setting and resetting my ongoing Beauty Goals for 2026 and for keeping me mindful of my beauty budget and shopping sprees for the year.

Recap of Q1 2026 Declutters

• January declutters involved all eye makeup ... interesting. 🤔 The color mascaras were both well past their expiry date (by a long shot, which is not typical for me when it comes to mascara, but neither had exhibited any signs that warranted concerns as far as smell or performance) but they were drying out and I just wasn't reaching for them, or even remembering that I had them.  
• Nothing moved out of my collection by way of decluttering my stash in February but I had a good amount by virtue of use or Empties - V2 and a few samples for the  Foil Challenge 
• This month consisted of a mix of unopen and very gently used products. The two lip products were unused and have been donated. The YSL is what I refer to as a "grown up red" - its stunning but I'm still in training wheels when it comes to red lipsticks and it's better that it goes to a home where it will be loved and used, and it has. I have a lot of lip glosses, to put it mildly. The INN Beauty lip gloss is fine, I just don't reach for them like I do my other glosses so I've been donating the unopen ones that I come across, like this one. 
• Spring means allergy season for me so I use my eye makeup less and rotate more frequently through my lip products, so there'll likely be more Lips on Lock 🔐: List Your Lip Combos 💄👄 I come up with and more lip products decluttered (one of my beauty goals for this year) in the second quarter.
• I came upon the Touch In Sol foundation when I was doing a foundation beauty inventory. This is very full coverage and a shade I probably won't get back to until November. I've passed this along to someone who will get a lot more wear and enjoyment out of it. 
• The PanOxyl pimple patches just don't perform as well on me as other similar products. I've passed this along to a friend's granddaughter who may get better use out of them. 

2026 Declutter Count (as of 3.29.2026) = 8 (7 makeup products, 1 skincare, of which 2 were unopen)

[ather]

@itsfi  Great job decluttering!!!! It’s nice you are able to pass these on to someone who will use them!!! My friend has an older daughter and says she uses so many pimple patches a day so I’m sure the granddaughter will adore this!! 

[itsfi]

It's just time for these to go; they've been in my stash well beyond their period after opening (PAO) date. The Pat McGrath FetishEyes mascara is okay - it does lengthen but it smudges easily (not uncommon with my oily eyelids). Tower 28 Beauty Mini MakeWaves Lengthening + Volumizing Mascara Jet is one of the few non-waterproof, non-tubing mascaras that wear well on my lashes. I have other unopen mini tubes from gifts with purchases but this one is being decluttered because it's well past the 6 months PAO.

[itsfi]

These work well but are being tossed because they're past their expiration dates. 

[itsfi]

A quick declutter of a few things. All but the innisfree set and OGX conditioner are extras I have that I don't foresee myself getting around to anytime soon and all have been gifted to friends and family or donated to a women's shelter. 

Thanks for inspiring an impromptu declutter @keana1. btw, I've tried to send you a couple of PMs but it looks like your PMs were turned off (the platform was updated/reconfigured sometime last year so that the default is to have PMs off unless we opt-in to have them on). Here's a link to a good post on how to do just that - How to turn on Private Messaging 

[keana1]

Hi @itsfi ! I’m so brain dead right now…you know why…. Thanks for tagging me, I did ( just a few minutes ago ) turn on the private settings but I checked my email and haven’t received anything ( your PMs ). Maybe I won’t receive anything since the PMs were sent before I turned on the private settings… I don’t really know? At least I was able to sign in so that’s a good sign. I miss you and the BIC , can’t wait to settle in and have time to post. 🥰❤️🥰

[keana1]

Thank you @itsfi @and @Samtian !

( I can’t sign in using the Sephora website so I had to use the app… ) Ugh so frustrating…😤

[itsfi]

@keana1, that’s great you were able to do it through the app; that hasn’t always been the case. As for signing in through the Sephora website, you might have better luck if you try to do so through a private window?

[keana1]

Hi @itsfi ! Signing in was a breeze this time ( I’m using my new IPhone ) I hope that it continues as well in the future ( fingers crossed ).

[itsfi]

You have a lot on your plate @keana1! Just sent you a quick PM to see if it's going through - it seems like it is. So great to see you on BIC; miss you too! 

[Samtian]

@keana1 Hope things get better for you soon!

[makeitup305]

Huge declutter of my collection. I've been feeling overwhelmed for a while and really wanted to pare down what I own. 

I started with cheek products.

foundations and concealers beforeFace products beforeFace products after- the bottom products are in my "purgatory box" and the black bin is getting passed on or tossedCheek product drawer (powder) afterCheek product drawer (cream) after. Not pictured, the fwee pot blush drawerConcealer drawer after

*I forgot to take a picture of the foundations and the primers but most of them I kept. I also kept all my cushion foundations, which are pretty new so I didn't take pictures.

I'm good with mascara, eyebrow products, and liners. I don't overbuy those nearly as much. Eyeshadow palettes on the other hand... There are still palettes missing from the pictures that I didn't bother taking out because I knew I wasn't going to declutter them. Same with my singles in palettes.
Small palettes beforeEyeshadow singles beforeLarge palettes beforesingles decluttersingles drawer aftersmall palette after

large palettes afterlarge palettes afterlarge palettes after

the palettes I decluttered. The ND might just go in a drawer for now since I like playing with them and making new color stories.

"purgatory" productsdeclutter pile, which I will probably revise for expired items as well as what I might regret getting rid of

[CorgiMommy]

Nicely done!  @makeitup305 

[makeitup305]

thanks @CorgiMommy !

[Sunnysmom]

You are sooo inspiring @makeitup305, you must feel amazing! I’ve been working on mine for awhile too as I get too easily overwhelmed with projects like this plus the guilt. 😢 Thank you for your beautiful example! 😘🤗

[makeitup305]

@Sunnysmom I usually declutter as I go through products in my collection, but lately I've been feeling overwhelmed by it. I will sometimes just do a type of product (blushes, foundations, etc.) but went all in this last time. I set some stuff aside to use this week and some of it has gone back into my main collection, while some I've decided to declutter. Sometimes my declutter is just setting it aside in a box and just removing it from my main collection. Products that might not be working now will sometimes be mroe suited to me later or my style will change. Having it visually pared down just helps me enjoy it more.

[Sunnysmom]

Makes so much sense @makeitup305 . I have to do it by category too. I tend to have some containers or drawers of the less than desirables. Lol. Then it’s time to decide to give away/toss. I get bogged down in swatching them again so sometimes they end up back in the stash!! Ugh. 🙃😭

[makeitup305]

@Sunnysmom I think the size of the collection doesn't matter as long as it brings you joy. You already bought it and spent the money so no use feeling bad about it. Only get rid of it if it makes you happier to not have it. Having a swatch party is so fun. It happens to me, too.

[Sunnysmom]

Good advice @makeitup305 ! 😘

[makeitup305]

Did some light decluttering. I’m not necessarily throwing all of these away but maybe passing on if possible.

Unfortunately, the Dedcool perfumes have gone off. They smell kind of weird so they’re getting tossed I like both the Rose Inc, Tarte, and Sephora Collection bronzers but I don’t prefer them and have plenty more. The scent Parfums de Marly Delina is just not for me and is getting passed on. The same with the Caudalie hand cream. The Fwee compact is fairly new but idk if I got a defective compact or what but the inside flap near seemed to close all the way and therefore  the foundation dried out.

I’m so sad about these Addiction Tokyo palettes. I won this collection on an IG giveaway but these two palettes just don’t suit me at all. The color stories are not for me. They’re great quality so I’m hoping I will find them a new home since they’re relatively new.

I’m not passing these on but I’m just removing them from my collection. I love ND and move shades around in her palettes all the time. These two palettes are currently housing most of the warm ND shades, which I’m not using often.