How To Downsize Your Makeup Collection

As a former makeup junkie I feel like I can give some helpful tips to those who feel overwhelmed with their makeup collection and desperately try to cull it down but somehow can't succeed and let go of their products. Believe me I've been there.
After I decluttered my makeup collection for the first time I promised myself: no more eyeshadow palettes. Then there was this new hyped up eyeshadow palette with the color scheme I loved (and already owned) and that beautiful packaging.  Consumerism grabbed me and my good intentions flew away.
But I overcame it. And if I did, you can too.
With this post I hope to you give you some guide lines that help prevent you from spending money and feeling guilt for holding onto items.

Know Your Skin
What skintype do you have? I, for example, have oily skin. Creamy face products almost never work and hence are not worth a try. Creamy eyeshadow ends up disastrous because it creases after one hour of weartime. So I will simply avoid most creamy makeup products. If you're on the opposite and rather dry there are probably many powder products you can discard.

Also what skin color do you have?
Do all of your bronzers, blushes, contour shades, foundations, concealers, highlighters go well with your skin tone? Get rid of all that don't.

Know Your Color Palette
If you don't know what colors look good with your features and your outfit (yes, your makeup can clash with the clothes you wear) just try out different looks. Take some pictures and ask the people around you which looks they think flatter you and your personality the most.
After know what colors suit you, take all the others out of your collection.

What area do you like to emphasize?
Do you focus on your eyes, lips, flawless skin, bold eyebrows or a bronzed look? Do you want to glow like a goddess? Know what part of your face you want to stand out. If you normally don't put too much attention to your lips do you need more than one or two bold lip colors?

Project Pans
Put together a makeup capsule collection and make it your goal to hit pan on the products. Take your time with it. You will see how long it actually takes to use up makeup. This will most likely keep you from buying too many products of one category of makeup since you know you will not be able to use up all of them until they expire.
A project pan will also show you even further what products you like to wear and what you will not get bored with easily.

Avoid Trends
Sometimes it's fun to try out a new formular of this or that but honestly some products that cme out are clearly just for marketing and not neccessary or even practical.
Again: remember what colors and formulars work for you. You don't need to constantly switch out everything. The brutal truth is if you wanted to try out a new mascara everyday you could. The makeup industry is a million if not billion dollar business. They know how to tease and seduce us. Don't fall for everything you see.

Decrease The Number Of Beauty Gurus You Follow
NOTHING against beauty gurus und beauty bloggers. At all! I do follow some myself. BUt only my favourite ones. If you follow all the beauty gurus that are out there, they will bombard your feed and dashboard. They will be all you see. Of course you'll want to consume more makeup then. Try to keep the number balanced and don't get too influenced.

Be Comfortable With No Makeup On
You maybe think you can conceal and cover up everything you don't like about your skin and face. But once the makeup is off you're confronted with reality. Now listen: I know how it feels if you have problematic skin you want to cover up. I do not talk abou spot concealing but about completely masking yourself if you get what I mean. If you put on so much makeup looking masquerated you will might think you have two different faces after a while.  If you don't like most of your features you might attempt to change them as well and you can succeed. Makeup is powerful.
If you however love the naturally skin you're in just how it is and take care of it you will not feel the need to cover up your beauty. You will simply enhance it.

You are beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous. You don't need to rely on makeup to be and feel beautiful. You don't need any of it!

Say it. 

Feel it.

Then say it all over again.

I'm beautiful. I don't need makeup. 

Just try it. Be barefaced at least once a week. Look at yourself, study yourself. Find your beauty. Then emphasize it.  Don't change it. Don't mask it. 

If you wear makeup less you will detach yourself from it with time.