My Current Makeup Collection & Decluttering Tips

I know I do one of these posts approximately every six months, but over the Christmas holidays I streamlined down my beauty stash to the size that it was pre-blogging, way back in 2009. I had one of these multi-drawer boxes from WHSmith and I reckon that I could just about squeeze all my current makeup-related goods into that container if I still had it – that’s how small we’re talking here. Now there’s a couple of reasons for my drastic declutter, but I think the main one is that I really don’t wear makeup that often these days (aside from over the festive period) and when I do I reach for the HG-status stuff that I usually have to cut open because I’m too lazy to make a repurchase. Basically I’ve fallen out of the dizzying heights of obsessive cosmetic collecting and want to own a small(-er) amount of makeup that I actually use. What can I say? Marie Kondo strikes again.

In the video that’s embedded down below I’ve run through the five steps that I went through in order to declutter in the most efficient and effective way. So if you have no plans for the rest of the day, then I highly recommend watching that (extreme cleaning will begin 5, 4, 3…). However for today’s post I thought I’d take you through some of the beauty bits and bobs that made the cut and have made it into my everyday ‘grab and go’ drawers. These ain’t ever going in the ‘giveaway pile‘…

For base I’ve really scaled things back. I had all the fancy extras for whenever I film videos, because lighting does an amazing job of making you look like you have absolutely no makeup on your face at all. Instead they’ve been relegated to my office incase I really need them, but for everyday I’m keeping it simple. I’ve been using the Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturiser in Nude a lot because it just peps up and brightens my skin, even when I don’t bother to use anything else. In case I fancy a bit more coverage I’ve thrown in the CHANEL Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation in B20, because I thought it was about time that I gave the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream a rest (for now).

Concealer-wise there’s no change; just the Glossier Stretch Concealer in Light for ‘no makeup, makeup’ days and then the Estée Lauder Stay in Place Doublewear Concealer in Extra Light for when I need something with a bit more punch. I’ve also added the Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray into my everyday ranks because it’s the longevity-giver for those who hate powder *raises hand*.

I’ve finished off my base offering with the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow because the sun kissed side gives off a nice warm hue that kinda doubles up as a blush (almost) and the highlighter is super subtle which is exactly how I like my glimmer to be served (along with pretty much every other makeup item). Oh and of course the Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Light is in there because I have a big moon face that definitely benefits from a light amount of contouring.

For my eye makeup most days I just brush the Glossier Boy Brow in Brown through my eyebrows and give my eyelashes a good curl with the Surratt Eyelash Curlers – the latter are seriously heavenly and a complete must if you have poker-straight elephant eyelashes like me. But if I fancy a bit of colour on my lids then I’m all about the warm brown mattes – like MAC’s Soba and Saddle Eyeshadows or their Prolongwear Paint Pot in Groundwork. Of course I prime with the miracle that is the NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base. If I can’t be bothered with that but still fancy a bit of definition to the lash line then I paint on a little of the By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Brown Perfection or MAC Modern Twist Kajal Liner in Groundbreaker, and smudge it out with a pencil brush. For mascara I’m currently using the Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara, but as I always say – I’m a mascara hussy and I’m always open to suggestions…

My lip stash has probably seen the biggest change. I gave away a tonne of super drying, liquid lipsticks and resolved myself to the fact that I just like a demi-matte peachy, pink, nude lip. They’ll forever be my fave. The NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bettina embodies all of those things and doesn’t suck the moisture out of my lips. By Terry Baume de Rose is still hanging in there, as is the CHANEL Rouge Coco Lipstick in Adrienne (still not bored of it!) and the Glossier Generation G in Cake which I’m getting worrying close to finishing up. Another new addition is the NARS Lipstick in Barbarella which I think was one of my first ever NARS purchases a long, long time ago. It’s a great true peach, that’s more like a balm and it surprisingly hasn’t gone off… yet. WIN.

Photos by Lauren Shipley

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