Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Skin Restoration and Laser Institute

How long has it been since you’ve sorted through your make-up bag or make-up drawer or for some of us… maybe an off-site make-up storage unit that your husband knows nothing about…?

Recently, I had a conversation with my oldest daughter who shared with me that in preparation for her upcoming move, she was doing a purge of the things she no longer needed or used. In a very proud voice she said “I just threw away my bag of make-up from high school.” Ummm… high school??! I couldn’t believe she had hung on to that bag for so long. She has moved four times since high school. Surely there was an earlier opportunity, but she said, she “just wasn’t ready to say goodbye” until that day.

So I decided maybe I should check out my own make-up collection.

Now, I as a rule love to purge. Nothing puts me in a state of euphoria faster purging things I don’t need. If I haven’t used something for 6 months – it’s gone! No hoarding here. But I must say…when it comes to make-up, well…I might have found a “few” souveniers from memories past that I was still holding on to as well. In my defense, working at Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Center, I have daily access to lots, and lots and lots of quality, beautifying, stimulating, feel good, hey look at me, pick me up, try me on, take me home make-up. The temptations are endless! 🙁

So this blog is a challenge! Since spring is the perfect time to start fresh, I challenge you to gather up all of your make-up and remove the excessive make-up madness from your life. Now, I recognize that you have both a financial and emotional investment in your cosmetic collection. I’m not asking you to throw everything out – I am not a make-up monster! Remember who is blogging here…I love make-up, and as it turns out… even more than I love purging! Lol.

Just purge the stuff you do not use: the broken stuff, the dirty stuff, the stuff that wasn’t your best color choice, the stuff that smells a little wonky, the stuff that is almost gone, and of course, everything that is past its shelf life; skin health comes first!

This challenge will probably involve a few sentimental trips down memory lane… I came across a green glitter eye shadow trio that my daughter (at about age 7, now 21) was convinced I would look totally amazing in and had to buy during a mother daughter date night. Well, what mom could I say no to that purchase!

I suspect you’re likely holding on to a few mementos of makeup’s past as well. Don’t let them continue to clutter up your make-up collection! Hold on to your memories, not your make-up!

You are on a quest to keep only the pieces that empower you. You know which ones they are! Bobbi Brown once said “I believe all women are pretty without make-up – and all women can be pretty powerful with the right make-up.” For me, on tough days, I know can accomplish anything with a combination of the right pair of power pumps and the perfect shade of lipstick!”

Now I wouldn’t ask you to do something I haven’t already done myself so before writing this blog, I did a little painful purging of my own. This is how I decided which make- up to preserve and which make-up to pitch:

THE HUNT:  I gathered up all of my make-up. ALL OF IT! Wow! What I found is that I have several make up bags broken down into categories and some random make-up stashes as well:

• Everyday make-up bag
  • One for spring – summer make-up shades
  • One for fall – winter make-up shades
• Travel make-up bag
• Work-make-up bag
• Car make-up bag
• Bag of extra make-up that doesn’t fit in my everyday bag.
• And a few scattered touch up pieces I found in my purse, a kitchen drawer, in special occasion hand bags, in the console of my car, my night stand…a drawer in my laundry room (now, I don’t know why I needed Jet Setter red lipstick my laundry room but apparently I feel the need to be prepared for any occasion, even folding socks… lol).

SORT IT ALL OUT:

• Once it gathered it all,  I spread it across my counter where I could see every single piece. I divided them into piles of eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, lip colors, blushes, foundations, concealers, etc…

LET THE PURGING BEGIN:

• First, I tossed everything that was broken, dirty or near empty.
• Then I tossed out anything I had not worn in the last year.

(About here is when the euphoria of purging began to set in & it got a lot easierJ)

• Then I tossed anything that was beyond the shelf life.
• Then I tossed everything I thought I needed at the time of purchase but then found it just wasn’t for me.

RE-ALLOCATE:

• I selected just 5 touch up pieces to put back in my “work place make-up bag (one foundation, one concealer, a blush, a lipstick and a mini eye shadow compact) and
• 4 pieces for my purse (a luster brick, a black eye liner, a lip crayon and a lip gloss. Okay… full disclosure…and two new lip glosses from our new spring color collection for my car console.

THE TEST:

• I put everything else in a box, a big box. I kept the box on my bathroom sink for three days. If I took an item out of the box and applied it, then it earned a spot in my everyday make up bag. After the 72-hour selection period, I placed the items left in the box in my closet for one month. If I was missing something that I really needed, I retrieved it from the box, used it and only then could it gain a place back in my everyday bag. At the end of the month, I purged everything left in the box. Time for a fresh start!

And…All that hard work paid off because now I have space for the fabulous spring colors we just got in!

After a few new spring color purchases, my everyday make-up collection resulted in:

• 1 Luxe liquid foundation
• 1 eyeliner in black and navy blue
• 1 Luxe setting powder
• •1 luster brick
• 1 pressed powder foundation
• 1 concealer
• 2 blush colors
• 1 contour kit
• 1 eye brow kit
• 3 cream stay eye shadow sticks
• 3 lip gloss colors
• 2 lip liner
• 3 lip stick
• 1 eye shadow compact
• 4 lip crayons
• 1 mascara
• 1 hydration mist

Through out your purging process, keep an eye out for that ONE item that holds the most sentimental value, and if it really means that much to you, keep it. Laying in bottom of my make up bag was a keepsake I just couldn’t part with.  It is the lipstick I wore the night I was first kissed by the greatest man I’ll even know. It makes me smile every time I see it, so why keep it in the bottom of my bag? I think instead, I’ll showcase it in a lit display in my home. I hope you find the perfect spot to highlight your special memory too.

Roxanne Grace
Skincare and Laser Specialist
G. D. Castillo, M.D.
COSMETIC PLASTIC SURGERY

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