my decluttering process + makeup declutter video

Ah, decluttering. It may be essential but it is rarely an enjoyable process. I am someone who has always been very attached to things. If there is a dress hanging in my closet, I can remember the day I bought it, where I wore it, and how I felt the first time I put it on. If there is an eyeshadow palette, my heart races thinking back to all of the beautiful makeup looks it helped create. My mind creates memories and emotional attachments to material items. As you can guess, that makes decluttering an extremely difficult process. In short...I hate it! That being said, it is an important thing to do. Every now and then, it is a good idea to take a look around and see what isn't working, what is worn out, and what isn't getting used. Over the last little while, decluttering has been happening a lot in my home.

During some extended time off work (thanks to the quarantine) I made the conscious decision to maximize my productivity. Right from the get-go, I had a to do list on hand. One of the tasks on that to do list was to declutter my closets and my makeup. These were projects that I had been putting off for ages. Partly because I hadn't had the time to devote to them and partly because I didn't want to do it. (Like I said, emotional attachments to things!) So I took a slow and steady approach. This helped me feel a little more in control of the situation. For example, one afternoon was spent going through all of my pants. I tried on every single pair. Which ones weren't comfortable? Which styles were dated? Which ones had I just not been reaching for? Then I created the piles: keep, maybe, and donate. I found once I had finished, only a handful of pairs came out of the maybe pile. Decluttering one area of a time made the task feel less overwhelming. It also allowed me to try things on and make logical decisions (about how worn something was or whether it was comfortable) rather than emotional decisions (like what concert I wore it to or the day I brought it home from the mall).

It went on like this until my closets and dresser drawers had been decluttered. In the end, there were six garbage bags full of clothes to donate. Was there more I could've decluttered? Absolutely. However, I have decided to look at this as a process. A little declutter here, a little declutter there and eventually, I will have things right as they should be. In addition to going through my wardrobe, I also spent some time working on my makeup collection. As I mentioned, this is a stage by stage process so I focused mainly on blushes and lipsticks this time around. Though it was difficult, I ended up throwing away a lot of what I would call, emotional makeup products. (Products that were expired and I was not using - but I was holding onto for one emotional reason or another! Does anybody else have items like that hanging around or is it just me?) It felt good. Though the process was difficult, it felt wonderful to clear things out and focus on what I have and am actively using.

This process has really made me more thoughtful about the things that I am purchasing. Do I need it? Will I use it? Lately, I find myself pausing before doing any sort of shopping. I want to make sure whatever I am bringing into my space will be loved and put to good use. If you are curious to see what kind of beauty products were decluttered recently...I filmed a little goodbye of sorts. There is a declutter video on my YouTube channel that goes a little bit more in depth about why each product was leaving my collection and my life.



Decluttering isn't always easy. Trust me, I know! But it doesn't have to be a task that gets put off indefinitely either. My advice? Don't be too hard on yourself. Just do what you an and take it a little bit at a time. Once you remove the pressure to make massive decluttering decisions all at once, it is so much easier to make decisions and to move forward logically. Simply declutter here and there until you feel good about what remains.

Have you done any decluttering lately? Do you have any tips to share?