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Hi BIC!
A lot of us have talked about our huge lipstick collections, and with the passing of another National Lipstick Day, I took stock of mine. I have about 200 lipsticks and glosses and realized, I only wear about 20 of them! So I'm challenging myself (and whoever else wants to join) to use more of them. I'm going to try to wear a different lipstick every day for the next 100 days.
I get chills when I think about how much $ weโve spent on things that just did not work @WinglessOne
@jozkidUnidentified
@WinglessOneUnidentified
I just want to cry when I look at my declutter box and see how much money is there ๐ฅ
I'm trying to spin it positively and use it as a lesson against future spending on untested items and just buying so much excess in general. Still makes me wanna cry though ๐
@RGbrown @jozkid I plan to keep a photo of my declutter box to remind myself to stick to my โdo I REALLY need thisโ rule. Itโs a painful lesson I shouldโve learned in my 20s or 30s, but here we are.
I wish I could donate all the solid bullets and crayons/pencils (well, the ones that perform decently) after sanitizing them but, understandably, most places wonโt accept them. At least I knock any remaining product out of MAC tubes and bring the empties to a MAC store/counter for... um... a free lipstick... but itโll be a lipstick Iโll wear on a regular basis! Or itโll be a gift for someone else.
Thatโs what bugs me most about my declutter box: all the tangible waste Iโve produced, with very few ways of reusing/donating/upcycling. Iโd rather not just toss all that lipstick in the trash. I might try using some of them as art supplies, along with some eyeshadow palettes I hate but havenโt tossed yet. I need to turn this box of woe into something tangibly positive. ๐
@WinglessOne and @RGbrown I've kind of been wondering...what's the purpose of a declutter box? It seems like just an extra step to save them intending to toss them. I guess if you're looking to give something away, I understand. I feel like a lot of people are having a lot of trouble letting go. It was tough for me when I did but I binned most of it and haven't looked back since.
@sprockettaUnidentified
For me it's a bit of an inability to just throw that much money away outright lol. I also realized I got rid of one thing I maybe shouldn't have, so I like having a buffer zone of "not in my collection but not quite gone yet". And I do hope to find a way to keep at least some of this stuff in circulation instead of a landfill, whether through family/friends or trading or donating...I just have to get around to figuring that out lol.
Trouble letting go though...yup...that's me ๐
@sprocketta Since my lipstick collectionโs quite large, Iโm doing a multi-step purge, section by section. The declutter box helps me a few ways.
1. The more items I see in the box, the more confidently and comfortably I can toss more items into the box. It gets me past the โthis is so overwhelming, I donโt know where to start, Iโll never get this doneโ anxiety stage.
2. The box is a progress report. I need some sense of accomplishment to keep me motivated to do this.
3. I can sift through the box and find common themes, which helps me realize there are certain kinds/types of lipstick I shouldnโt buy anymore. Example: there are lots of coral shades in the box. I didnโt even know I had so many corals! I guess I thought โsomeday Iโll find the right coralโ while buying these, but now Iโm convinced that wonโt happen. ๐ Also, there are lots of ColourPop liquid mattes in the box, which doesnโt really surprise me but confirms that I need to stop giving those mattes a chance.
4. Iโll try to find new homes for some box items, so itโs good to have them all gathered in one place. I donโt like to toss things in the trash without trying to donate/upcycle/recycle them first.
5. The box is a good visual to keep in my mind whenever Iโm about to buy more lipstick. Itโll help me stick to my โdo I REALLY need thisโ rule.
6. Inspiration for other folks: a friend of mine saw my lipstick declutter box and is now inspired to purge her own equally large collection. (Heh, lipstick junkies always seem to find one another.) Seeing other peopleโs declutters can really help motivate you.
Most of this is self-inflicted Jedi mind trickery, but itโs necessary for me. ๐
Well that answered my question really well! @WinglessOneUnidentified It's interesting a declutter box helps you assess so much.
Do you have any teenage neighbors who'd like to have some higher end makeup? @WinglessOne
Maybe if you sanitized what you could and offered, they could share it with their friends. At least they'd probably be a little less squeamish I think, knowing where the stuff came from.
I know what you mean about the waste part, though. I scaled waaaaay back on my purchases, mostly because we need the $ to go elsewhere like the kids and the house. Don't get me wrong, I still made Rouge this year (actually just last week), but I try to really think about what I'm buying now. Most of my $ goes to skincare (that I know I like). Some goes to the pretty colored things, but I'm less frivolous about those purchases. Although I got sucked into the Natasha Denona hype and bought that Camel palette. It's pretty, but I could've done without. I'm only human. ๐
@jozkid I think Iโll start with some of my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cousins. One relative in particular might want some of the SugarPill lipsticks Iโm ditching. And I forgot to check the latest local dress for success and prom dress programs (your teen neighbors suggestion reminded me about this)... sometimes theyโll take solid lipsticks.
Itโs easier (for me) to give away eyeshadow palettes than lipsticks. Pressed powders are easier to sanitize, and many folks are surprisingly less squeamish about taking a gently used/swatched sanitized palette than an equivalent solid lipstick. I still havenโt tried using my Subculture palette: I bought it this month just to see for myself if itโs really so terrible, and I made sure to find someone willing to take it off my hands if I hate it. So hey, you might be able to offload your Camel palette after a quick alcohol spritz & wipedown. ๐ Or if it performs better than similar palettes/single shadows you already own, maybe this is a good time to ditch the others. Iโll likely do the same when my new Viseart palette arrives.
What could we do with the liquid lipsticks that we dont use anymore? @WinglessOne
I think putting the bullet lipsticks in a trade box or donating to teenagers for prom is great. Too bad there is no sanitizing option for liquid lipsticks ๐
@Buootiful Iโm going to try painting with liquid lipsticks. Not sure why Iโve never tried that before, but I will now. ๐
I wish I could donate the doe foot wands to an animal rescue place, like Iโve done with old mascara wands. But lipstick wands arenโt useful that way. I wonder how good those wands are at applying wood stain in narrow or tight spaces... Iโll clean one up and try it this weekend.
Ahh, and then spray a glossy or matte spray finish on top of it so it doesn't slide around? @WinglessOne
Oooh maybe use one of the prettier wands as a lip brush..I might try that. ๐
Could you get away with using them in a trade box @RGbrown
Or maybe donate them to a shelter or something? Just because you don't like a formula doesn't necessarily mean it will bother someone else At least it's better than seeing them in the trash. Trying to be hopeful here ๐
@jozkidUnidentified
That's why I haven't actually tossed them yet...hoping to figure out some sort of plan to get them back in circulation somewhere lol. The liquids are hopeless as I'm sure no one wants them, but I'm hoping to come up with a good home for the rest at some point. ๐
I secretly love finding a product I loathe. It make me feel like a highfalutin lady with gold standards. Get that monster out of your life!
@michelleshops Yep! The declutter process much less painful when I can look at a pile or box full of stuff and say โoh Iโm much too good for all of this. The nerve of these things, thinking theyโre worthy!โ
That sucks. I'm glad it's going into the bin! @WinglessOne
You can get more Pmg's ๐
@Buootiful ๐ My declutter box is up to 41 lipsticks now, and Iโve got a bunch of others in keep-or-declutter limbo, waiting to be worn. Surely thatโs worth a few new lipsticks... thatโs my excuse, anyway!
@WinglessOne omg I feel like I need a death color now. Unconventional colors seems to be really hard to pull off quality wise. They are usually the worst performing in a line.
@alexasteph Yeah, blues are problematic lipstick shades for some brands. But not all brands, thank goodness. MAC is really good at blues. Guerlain really surprised me with their blue. They also released a green this year and Iโve been tempted to try it. The only green in my collection (not counting any of my teals) is one I bought yesterday during my Sephora in-store sale run.
If you reeeeally want a dead color, MAC has a gray matte solid called Deep Rooted that fits the bill. ๐ป I have it and Iโm still kinda surprised I like it on its own. Slap a sparkly or iridescent black or dark purple gloss over it and itโs quite stunning!