Master Cleanse

So this weekend I undertook my first organizational project of 2011. Yes, I'm a bit late, I've been busy lazy. But there is no time like the present, so I set out to tackle a project-- the elusive cosmetic purge. I generally enjoy a good winnowing, yet when it comes to makeup, I want to keep everything. I mean, you really never know when you're going to want to paint your nails yellow. I do know, however, that makeup has a shelf life (three months for mascara and anything applied directly to the eye and about a year for everything else) and some of my products had definitely seen better days.

BEFORE

Out went the old (dried out nail polish, crumbly eyeshadows), the duplicates (I can't remember why I thought I needed 4 bottles of topcoat), the samples of products I'll never use (a flowery fragrance from Givenchy, for example, though I always relish in racking up my 100 Beauty Insider points to earn them), and the hideous (green eyeliner anyone). Up went a new shelf that was not nearly as simple to install as the salesperson assured me. Though in her defense, the directions called for a power drill and I elected to use manpower, more specifically, my own power. But once it was up, I arranged my newly streamlined makeup by usage-- everyday stuff separate from special occasion looks. I also left out my favorite red nail polishes and Deborah Lippman topcoat as a reminder to reapply daily to extend my manicure (this will never happen, but its a nice thought). Brushes were cleaned and given a temporary homestay in a coffee mug, though I plan to invest in something less breakable very soon. After photo coming soon.