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?

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.

Glad to know I'm not the only one em... Spreadsheet sounds fantastic! Also congrats that your skin is looking good - I definitely think sticking to a basic routine is the best thing you can do.. My skin always looks worse for wear when I mess about with it and try lots of new things.

I am planning on using up as much as I can before the summer and then doing a massive eBay session and trying to sell anything that's still unopened/unused... Sadly I haven't got any teenage cousins or family friends to give away my various unwanted makeup bits and bobs - it would've been my absolute dream when I was 14 to receive a big bundle of beauty products!

JJ try Clinique Superbalm. Not the coloured ones but the one in the green tube.

Not encouraging you to buy but you could always ask a consultant if you can try it next time you're near a counter.

Jjwhite yes we are on the same page - yup, a list on my phone too

I have a thing for lip balms, and a couple genuinely help. I have tiny jars of Badger Balm (iHerb and Whole Foods, olive and castor oil and beeswax base), a natural beeswax stick (Swedish, Munkens) and The Reve de Miele jar from Nuxe (a spatula is needed for that one, it is tricky to apply but tastes like toffee). If I put on any of these at night, they really help and I never travel without one of these. Eucerin Aquaphor the thick clear jelly also helps but I prefer beeswax based products to vaseline based ones, somehow they don't do the rebound dryness. I do not like a horrible coconut product from The Body Shop and the classic Rosebud salve, and Burt's Bees lip balms are a bit meh (have been wearing them a lot because want to get rid of them).

Have hidden my face powders, currently working on finishing a big jar of Lily Lolo (just 1/2 tsp left), and want to get rid of a jar of Revlon Colorstay so mixing it with sunscreen - the result is a really nice BB cream.

Used a Missha aloe sheet mask last night, felt really good!

jj I have the same hoarding tendencies! I love all sorts of tea but never get round to using them all as I have favourites I stick to, and love stationary but have luckily have less opportunity to buy any now..

I've been de cluttering everything in my house it's become an obsession! Been going through every wardrobe and cupboard and flinging stuff into a box - at least my eBay account is healthy and I pretty much know what's in all my cupboards

No empties to report yet but am almost finished with 2 masks elemis moisturising and elemis papaya - 1 more facial and they'll be used up. I def notice my skin is softer after using these but don't think they're worth repurchasing

A tea hoarder here too - but there will be an empty today! Minimalist blogs are really good and inspiring - Into Mind is my longtime favorite. I have definite maximalist tendencies but enjoy a sparse, minimalist living environment much more. Marie Kondo is a bit nuts but her approach works too.

Another [very basic] empty: Simple Kind to skin eye make-up remover. perfectly good product, although not up to anything too heavy duty, good for taking off light eye-makeup on a daily basis.

I think I have already repurchsed it , but am not looking too deep into the stash. There are already two other eyemakeup removers [Boots & Body Shop) in the bathroom as well as a LE hot cloth cleanser, a l'oreal skin perfection cleansing oil and a superdrug Vit E micellar water....will try to get through some of these before bringing anything else out of the cupboard.

Thought I was very good at the weekend not buying the Liz Early TSV on QVC....was seriously tempted but thad to remind myself I have lots of lovely untouched Elemis cleansers in the stash, as well as the bog standard day to day products that need using up.

It's funny, like mowglik, for me this also seems to be spilling over into decluttering/critically evaluating lots of other things in the house. I hope I can keep it up, I really do want a simpler more streamlined home and life, but the buying/spending bug does not wish to be silenced and raises its little head frequently!

Another empty here, travel size elemis gentle rose exfoliator, nice, and as it says, very gentle but no need to repurchase as I have a full and a travel size of liz Earle facial exfoliator to be used up next

Paperblank thanks for the suggestion... I will give it a try next time I'm at a Clinique counter... I know other people who rave about it so it definitely comes highly recommended!

FrugalFashionista I really like the Nuxe lip balm too - and like you, I apply it before bed and it keeps my lips from drying out. Tbh it's probably the only balm I currently use and like. Will check out the Badger Balms too (I think my Mum uses them). About to check out the minimalist websites you recommend...

Mowglik decluttering is just the best feeling isn't it! I'm slowly making my way through pretty much everything I own. The only thing that hasn't received this treatment so far is all my paper work... Somehow playing around with pretty potions and bottles in the bathroom is a lot more fun than sorting through mammoth piles of paper!

Four new empties: while I was working, DC dumped some of my hotel shampoos and moisturizers into their bath. Of course they picked the nice figgy Italian spa hotel products that I actually like, not some horrific Hilton stuff. Anyway, they are helping, in their own special way

lip balm - blistex - gone! took great delight in finishing the last splurge from the tub and chucking the empty at work today!

Hi, I haven't posted for ages but I have some empties to report:

• Neutrogena Water Gel night cream. This was lovely and I will repurchase one day when the hoard is reduced

• Neutrogena Water Gel SPF15 day cream. Even lovelier than the night cream. Seemed to be a bit silicone-y so excellent under makeup.

• L'Oreal eye makeup remover. Ok, not life-changing

• Almay eye makeup remover pads. Hideous! Drenched in mineral oil and made my eyelids red and irritated. Binned.

• Clinique chubby stick Two Ton Tomato. This was a little size from a gift pack, but still counts.

• Bobbi Brown Moisturiser sample. Lovely but very pricey. Will probably never buy this.

• Bobbi Brown Eye Cream sample. Gorgeous, I could be tempted to buy this one day.

And most exciting, I finished an eyeshadow! Bobbi Brown Bone, which I've used almost every day for years! BB eyeshadows are expensive but I think they are worth it for the basic colours. I already have a replacement for this one.

I have a wee dish on my dresser where I put the almost-empty makeup items. I'm almost finished a L'Oreal BB creme (that last little squirt has lasted for weeks!), Benefit Fake-up concealer (creases like a mo-fo) and another Clinique Chubby stick.

I have a wee plastic tub with my 85% empty things to encourage me to use them every day. I'm really making progess. With lipglosses I mark the beginning level with permanent marker and its very encouraging to see the level drop!

I hit pan on a third eyeshadow on my Naked 2 palette today! For reference, when this thread started it was basically untouched.

As you can hopefully see, there are some shades like the browns and the greys that I haven't bothered with yet. I want to pan the lighter shades and that orange and the gold this summer, then the browns and the greys will be perfect for Autumn. Its a marathon not a sprint!

Just in case its not clear, its the 1st and 3rd shades, and then that one 3rd from the right!

I also find its spreading over to other areas, so its funny others say that too.

This morning I threw out a pair of shiny silver French Sole ballet shoes which I adored. But they were undeniably uncomfortable. I've basically been forcing my poor feet into them for years cos they were expensive and gorgeous. Well no more. Out they go!

Very impressive Annarose! Hoping to get there too, I've been using a bronze quad nearly every day this month and am really pleased with the progress so far.

I binned a gimmicky Guerlain pearl primer today. It was a deluxe sample, fascinating because somehow the pearls could squeeze themselves out via the pump and become a light silicon primer that worked well with mineral foundation. But it is dried up now, a few pearls are still trapped inside but nothing comes out except something that looks like spit and pills my sunscreen. I'm not big on primers so not going to replace this.

Bath bomb (gift) used plus sample of Tuscan leather. No new purchases.

almost caved today and walked past Mac counter at lunchtime. the ladies almost got me....

I nearly succumbed and bought beauty box online, then thought why?

There were a couple of really appealing things but then I thought use up your stuff first woman and stop wasting money and cluttering, stay strong

As soon as I'm done with my stuff I'm getting a consultation at mac. Or bobbi brown. Or Laura mercier. And am replacing everything I had with nice neutral everyday basics. But lovely ones.

An empty to report - a bottle of perfume. It was Eternity Moment. I really liked it and will repurchase in time. In the meantime, I have about three other bottles of perfume in the cupboard.

Another empty from me: a Crabtree & Evelyn Tarocco Orange hand therapy handcream. This was a gift and i have to say, I really liked this: lovely fragrance, nicely moisturising, just had to be careful i didnt use too much in one go or it wouldnt absorb properly - sort of pilled a bit.

I really like C&E handcreams: i think the brand is a little bit old-fashioned but some of the handcreams are excellent. I have several in various states of usage dotted about the house/car/office.

A few empties for me: balance youth 334 hyaluronic serum - have another one already ready to go. I wasn't sure about this but stopped using this for a while and realised that this was plumping my skin up nicely so am now using this on my face as well as neck and chest.
Finished a Molton brown rockrose and pine hand wash - I wouldn't repurchase my other Molton brown hand washes but I love the smell of this one so will repurchase in the future
Emma hardie shower gel - really thick and creamy, felt very moisturising but I wouldn't repurchase due to the cost. I liked the scrubby two sided cloth it came with though and will continue to use that
Philip B Russian Amber shampoo - very £££ for a shampoo, I've been using loads of samples I've been getting in the post but now they've finished I've taken the plunge and bought a full size. I love the scent but more than that it's the only shampoo I've tried that really gives me soft fluffy volumised non greasy hair. Don't need conditioner after this

Have also offloaded a Loreal eye make up remover to my sis as I now use micellar water. More empties to report in a few days! My bathroom is now full of things I love and enjoy using, thanks to using up and repurposing less loved items

I have a few empties:

MAC Opulash - ginormous unwieldy brush which led to far too many gloopy mistakes. End result nothing special - would not repurchase.

Lancome Hypnose Drama: odd arrowhead shaped brush which had a definate knack to it. However, end result was quite impressive. Would recommend.

Caudalie Divine Oil: I use this as a facial oil a couple of times a week though its officially multipurpose. I'm so obsessed with the smell that not only do I have a backup in the cupboard but also have the fragrance too. This took 2 years to use up so good value.

Maybelline Fit Me foundation stick: "foundation" my arse, this is a glorified concealer. And one without great coverage that accentuates pores and dryness. Loaded with silicones. Couldn't wait to finish it!

I have a few other products in my little plastic tub that are on their last legs. I replaced the empty products with a couple of other things I want to get through in order to keep it rolling forward. Its incredibly satisfying to be reducing my stash!

Oh no sorry it wasn't Hypnose Drama, it was Hypnose STAR. I always get them mixed up.