Decluttering- Tips/tricks/suggestions

[calico]

After a few disappointments in products that I have sitting around, I've been thinking of doing a declutter. I haven't done one in a long time and in the past I've mainly focused on things that were off or dried out, versus tossing things that didn't perform to a certain standard.

Case in point- I used a beautiful MAC liquid lipstick yesterday (Kissable lipstick?) that I've used in the past, but this shit transferred worse than a gloss. I do not remember it doing this before, but  I've used a lot of KVD and other transfer-resistant LL since the last time I wore this product so maybe my expectations have changed? Kills me because the color is GORGEOUS, but I can't trust it to not get all over me.

What are your decluttering rules or guidelines? Any suggestions on how to be productive with this?

[lovelyshoes]

If I'm unsure about keeping a product I move it into a separate bag. If I don't reach for it for a few months the next time I go over my stuff I toss it. Don't forget to recycle MAC items for new products.

[bluelikejazz]

I typically do an initial purge and get rid of the stuff like you said: dried out, so old I shouldn't wear it anymore (decade old blush, etc), and stuff I'm 100% sure I won't wear.

Then the stuff I'm unsure about, I put at the top of my pile to try and use in the next week or two. And force myself to reach for it. If I still don't like it, or push it to the side for something hidden, I know I can toss it guilt free. Sort of a "give it one last chance" in case I think I'll never use it, and then end up loving it again (like I do time and time again with Naked 2)

[Champagne Supernova]

I did something similar to what rvan0905 did; purge while pissed the hell off. It works!

I tossed all samples. I didn't even look through them. I tend to keep things I don't use very much in this bottom drawer so everything in that drawer went to friends who wanted them.

Canceling Sephora Play! helped a lot too. Those stupid tiny samples take up space because I had no interest in using most of the stuff they sent me.

[Pippin]

For my big declutter recently I went through everything by category. I personally need to touch everything and swatch a bunch of stuff to find similar products and I let go of the items I didn't want to reach for. I kept everything decluttered in a box for a week after and I didn't feel the need to go through it for anything. What could be donated I sent off to Project Beauty Share and what couldn't was tossed. I don't miss any of it.

As for the Mac lipstick maybe try applying then blot with a tissue then fill in the color a bit by dabbing a little more on. That might help it not transfer if you really like it.

[pizzanight]

Any samples I don't like, I toss immediately after the first try. If I know I won't use them I pass them along to my friend/sister ASAP, and they know that I expect never to see it again - I don't care if they use it or toss it.

I take a makeup bag to work and I try to rotate things in and out (eyeshadow palates, mascara, primers, etc.). If I find myself skipping over something more than a couple of times I set it aside in a drawer - if I don't reach for it from there I'll toss it too.

[Miss Phryne Fisher]

Lots of great Youtube decluttering videos. A few youtubers did the KonMari thing recently and it definitely helped me toss some stuff.

[ESF]

Here's a tip I shared a few months ago.

pandce.proboards.com/thread/568396/makeup-organization-recommendation

When I set this system up, I dumped all the foils that didn't go in there into a bag to drop off at a women's shelter (that's still sitting in my closet...). Since then, samples either go into my organizer or tossed into my donate bag. I find I am actually using the samples since they've been organized in this way.

[centralsquare]

Have you tried it with a lip primer like UD Ozone?