Confessions of a Beauty Addict Part I: Breaking Free from the Clutter

I have a confession to make, my name is V. Richelle and I’m addicted to beauty products. Skincare, cleansers, palettes, highlighters, lipsticks, you name it. I’m a sucker for slick claims and cute packaging. I cannot tell you the countless amount of money I’ve spent over the years purchasing products I fully intended to use, but that that didn’t quite work out and ended up lodged in the back of my bathroom cabinet never to be seen or heard from again. There were products I was too lazy to use, the ones that didn’t quite fit my needs, or wants. There were products that didn’t agree with my skin and those that just didn’t have the staying power to secure a position in my arsenal of all-star products.

Admitting I Have a Problem

For years I was trapped in the cycle of purchase and discard. I found myself holding on to products that I knew I’d never use because I couldn’t bear to throw my hard earned money in the garbage. As a result I found myself surrounded by useless clutter. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew this had to end.  They say that with age comes wisdom. So in taking a step back and carefully examining my situation, I realized something about myself that I guess deep down I already knew. I am a creature of habit. I like what I like and when I find a product that works for me I remain loyal to it. This kind of made all that money wasted trying new products all the more painful, as it became clear that most of them never even stood a chance. But armed with this new found knowledge about myself, I knew I’d be better able to navigate the beauty aisles and resist the urge to buy products that I’d probably never really use anyway.

Taking Action

The first step I took in becoming a reformed beauty addict was to perform a complete overhaul of my oversized stash. I emptied my cabinet and vanity of every single product.  Quickly, without giving myself time to consider how much I’d spent on a product or how badly I wanted it to work when I brought it home, I made a split second decision about each item. Keep it or let it go. Some of the let go items I shared with family members and the rest I tossed in the garbage.

When I was finished purging my cabinet was a lot less cluttered and I felt a lot lighter. It was a good feeling. As I surveyed my stash each product was one that I truly loved and enjoyed. They all brought me pleasure and enhanced my life in some way. Gone were the products that made me feel ashamed about the money I wasted. I knew that this new feeling was one that I wanted to hold on to. So I vowed from then on to be smarter about my beauty purchases. I’m pleased to say that I have maintained this new approach to beauty products all 2018.

Now What?

This is not to say that I don’t ever try new products or that I don’t have a few pieces of makeup in my collection that I keep just because they are pretty. But I’m am much more methodical about what I purchase.  There are a few things that I’ve done with intention over the last year that have helped me keep myself on track. Come back Monday for part two of this post in which I’ll share my hacks for maintaining a carefully curated stash. In the meantime, stay beautiful!

V. Richelle

When Confessions of a Beauty Addict Part II: Maintaining the Stash, goes live read it here.