Ashamed of my beauty product hoard!

[IPokeBadgers]

I have spent some time this morning trying to sort and tidy my beauty and toiletries cupboard and I am actually feeling very and at the sheer volume of stuff that I have, much of it lovely and expensive and unopened!

I reckon it could take me a couple of years to get through it all!

Buying make up as well as lovely bath and shower stuff seems to have become my go to/default pick me up when I want to impulse buy...... but seeing the hoard has brought me down.

anyone else like this and are there any threads that would encourage me to stop buying stuff and use all the lovely products that I have?

please tell me I am not the only person like this?

I currently own three bottles of nail polish remover. Why???

Frugal, I have 3 bottles of eye make-up remover [at various stages of usage] in my bathroom alone. I know there are other bottles lurking [opened and unopened] in the cupboard stash.

I feel your pain!

I'm still working my way through my hoard, it is very satisfying to use up products. I

I've used up a bottle of nail varnish once!

Chanel Rouge Noir. I bloody loved it. I cannot bring myself to count how many bottles I have currently as I think I might cry at how much they've cost alone.

I haven't finished any products yet BUT have gotten to the stage where I have had to cut open two tubes so I'm hoping I'll be finished them in the next week.

Even cutting open tubes is satisfying though!

I've manage to talk someone else into doing this. Colleague is starting the use up.

So far this week I've used up....nothing. But am slowly getting through a revlon lipstick. And the bb cream.

Am trying to factor "using it up" into all phases of life now too - cooking, clothes etc. Dh thinks I'm nuts.

Paperblank I love Chanel Rouge Noir - I currently have it on my toes - will definitely keep buying it after I use up the current bottle - it's pretty timeless and goes with everything!

Does anyone find that they have certain products that seem to go on and on forever? I've got a grape seed hair serum from The Body Shop that I have honestly had for about 7 years that I am very far from using up. Likewise pretty much all makeup products (I dont think I've ever used up a lipstick or an eye shadow :-S )

What's not helping is adverts for yummy new products. Sigh. Must use up. Must use up. Must use up.

DH loves that I am using stuff up. We are moving, so this project has taken over my life. Using up food (a can of lentils, done, a jar of capers, only to be repurchased when we are in the new address... Soon to tackle the freezer), makeup, creams, even shoes - I am going to wear out and bin a pair of trainers, possibly also a pair of sandals before we leave.
Yes I know I'm nuts but this is a bit like exfoliation - really hard to stop

The great thing about using up is that you start to see stuff in a new light. I found an old Max Factor lipstick, quite like the shade, and it's as good as the expensive high-end stuff I have. The awful thing is to realize how long it will take and how easy it is to undo lots of focused work with just one mindless shopping trip.

Annerose cutting a tube open is major - you are doing so well.
And Ememem you are really my role model...

I am starting to get Korean empties! The third sheet mask in about a week, and lots of single use samples.

Can I join?

It's make up with me, I have at least 40 part used nail polishes, 2 Naked palettes, an Accessorise palette, about 4 MUA palettes, a Benefit one and Body Shop one. 18 eye pencils that I never use, 5 foundations, 2 bb creams, 4 powder blushers, 2 cheek stains, a cream blush, only 2 mascaras and 13 lipsticks, 3 lipstains, a few glosses and a lovely set of 10 Stila glosses in their own stand. Some single eyeshadows, some bits and bobs from free gift sets, powder, bare minerals, trios of eyeshadows and lip glosses, primer, liquid liner, gel liner, 2 eyebrow powder etc etc this is what I remember from downstairs, if I went up there there is more
Space Nk have emailed me to say my Lipstick Queen Hello Sailor is on its way and I will buy Frog Prince when it's back in stock

Oh dear.

Have just finished a queen of shaves shave cream. Woop. I hated that stuff. Really stingy. So have slathered legs in body shop leg cooling gel. Also hate. But must not waste!!

Were trying to move so saving for deposit. If I use up enough I figure I'll save money and work out what works for me.

It's tougher than I thought it'd be. I'm having to really focus on remembering to use products - previously wouldn't have worn much make up but am now full facing to work every day. (Was tempted to just use the lot the other day and drag queen it...! But thought better of it ha ha!)

Next on my hit list - fake tan, a Jo Malone lime basil perfume and about eleventy billion tubs of Carmex.

Holy moly midnight. No more make up buying for you...!

Oh I couldn't find this thread been looking for weeks.

I fell off the wagon a bit without it!

Ive finished up a Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua this week though.

My treat used to be going into Boots or to a cosmetics counter and buy myself "something". I've always loved make up and skin care and I never considered how much I had when buying yet another nail polish/lipstick/moisturiser.

I am loving this thread because not only am I saving money I'm actually enjoying using my products and it's reminding me of old favourites - JJ I might have to revisit Rouge Noir!

I want to buy rouge noir....

(must use up icky old colours first)

(must use up icky old colours first)

I have never used up a nail polish: best i have ever managed is about half way down a bottle. I have a rather large number, but going through a no polish phase at the minute [no wearing AND no buying!]

i used to take nail polishes i didn't love and use them on holiday and leave them there -its not really using them up but at least i was rid of them! Now have a few nieces who have discovered nail polish and i just pass stuff onto them

Once I have used up my current serums and eye creams I may start buying samples - i get bored easily and at least I get to try new products more frequently. Currently working my way through 6 eye creams and thinking to offload them again to friends and family

emem good & bad today :)

Well I have just found out that Frog Prince is back in stock & bought it from Space NK but I told you about that yesterday so it doesn't count as I'm starting from today. Trouble is I bought a Diptique candle as well. But that's that & no more new buys for me for the time being (apart from Avon that's coming in the next couple of weeks with the most gorgeous lipstick).

But I have got a Benefit glamorous nudes palette that I haven't used since buying both the UD Nakeds, so I used the last of a lovely pinky shade this morning & will now throw it out, even though there's still a dark brown in there as I'm not short of dark brown eyeshadow & don't need it. One down! But I'm sad to see it go & I'd use it again if I replaced it.....

Off to sharpen all of my eye liners.

I think part of my problem is that I'm very very pale so for 3 months of the year I use cool toned stuff & my berry lipsticks & pinks & taupes etc. In summer however I use a lovely Too Faced BB cream that makes my skin warm toned so I can wear golds, corals, orange toned reds & warm colours without looking weird. So I basically have make up for 2 different faces & they are not combineable...

& I gave away the UD Naked 3 palette as I didn't like it, so that counts too!

You'll feel so much better being 2 palettes down! I bought the identical cheapie W7 palette instead of the N3, and I'm glad as I'm underwhelmed. Its a lot of pink!

When you sharpen your eye pencils break them down into colour, swatch them all on the back of your hand, and bin any that drag or are patchy. Keep the best one. Nobody needs more than one black pencil eyeliner!

A brown eye liner hit the bin today, all used up - but I still have 2, maybe 3 in stock

I found some more eye creams so they've been repurposed and I'm on my last one, and chucked my last protect and perfect serum yesterday

I've had a sort out and re-stocked the shelves of current products so the overflow drawer doesn't look quite as full now

I have fallen off the wagon and ordered a liz Earle tsv at the weekend though, and I see there's a Molton brown one coming up soon.....

I have an empty! Klippoteket Styling Dust, a Scandi texturizing powder for my fine flyaway hair. The stuff is weightless and tacky. I initially really liked it but soon noticed that it takes away the shine and makes my hair a tangled mess. I've had this around for two or three years Will not repurchase

The dispenser is brilliant though, and compact enough for travel. I'll pry it open, clean it and fill it with my homemade dry shampoo (cornflour + bitter cocoa powder).

Midnight fab progress with the palettes!

I'm finding that choosing a few items that I am really going to use every day makes this project more rewarding. I have at least four small jars of loose powder lying around and as I tend to grab the nearest one when I want to powder down my nose, I am not seeing much progress. Should pick one and hide the others.

Frog Prince and Hello Sailor sound lovely but are totally off limits for me

Another empty (well, gave it away to a friend, but still counts!):

Kiehls Mango Lip Balm: like pretty much all lip balms this was completely useless - basically just a strongly scented, lanolin-based balm (more like a gloss as it was very shiny). The mango smell was strong and reasonably synthetic smelling. This cost over 10 pounds from what I can remember and it was certainly no better than a much cheaper pot of vaseline.

I still haven't found a lip balm that actually helps my lips heal when they're chapped, and I'm convinced that most of these salves/balms actually dry your lips more than they protect them. So yeah, definitely won't repurchase. I now only have a couple more balms to get through, but I am repurposing them (using one on my heels in the summer as an anti-blister balm, and another as a 'top coat' for shine after lipstick...)

Btw to people asking about ways to make themselves use things up - I personally have a little list on my phone of about 10-20 products I'm currently aiming to use up. Every time I use something I add a little tick to the list and then every couple of days I'll look at the list and see if there's anything I'm forgetting to use. It sounds a bit labour-intensive (not to mention sad!) but it's actually very quick and easy to do and forces you to make an effort to use things up.

Ps Frugal I am in exactly the same situation at the moment - somehow my no buy/use things up mantra is expanding into all areas of my life... I seem to hoard all manner of things - inc. different flavours of tea, candles, clothes, stationery, the list is endless... I'm also on a mission to get through all of these things before I move house - basically just want to declutter my life and live a less 'stuff-filled' existence!

JJ i made a spreadsheet to keep track of my products. so you're not sad...

I got rid of all but one lipstick today. Sold the lot on Facebook for a tenner. have kept the most natural looking shade i had. (and will probably find it languishing at bottom of a handbag in about a years time...)

i have begun a strict routine on my skin, and it is actually looking great now.