More counter space please!

I’ve written quite a few posts about decluttering my closet and how I got rid of the things I wasn’t keeping (mostly consignment/donation). It felt great. Now I’m tackling another pile of clutter – makeup and other beauty/health products. Yesterday, while cleaning my bathroom I discovered that I have a huge counter. I mean HUGE! I didn’t realized this before because it was covered in bottles, boxes, brushes, hair dryer, curler, straightener and various other things. Not only that, I have cabinets, drawers, desk, night table, any available surface has stuff on them.

It’s craziness. I have one drawer specifically holding all the little bottles of hotel shampoos, conditioners, and moisturizers. I hoard these because I use them when I swim or when I go on short trips. I have styling products I barely use, yet I still find myself buying more. Same with moisturizer, lip balm, blush, eye shadow, mascara, etc.

This is what I am tackling next. My three step plan for more counter space.

Step 1, clean house. I’m going through all the stuff and throwing away anything expired, not been used for awhile, or not going to be used.

Step 2, systematically use up all that I have. I think this has been part of the problem. For example, I have many different moisturizers scatter all over, which I will use off and on. This means I hardly ever finish any one of them. From now on I will pick one of everything that I use and use it until it is all gone. One sun screen, one mascara, one shampoo, one moisturizer etc.

Step 3, stop shopping. I won’t stop buying all together. I will just scrutinise what I buy more closely. It’s been one of my financial problems that I’d wander in the stores, see some new product, buy it to try, and have it lie around collecting dust after the new and shininess of a new toy wares off. I am going make a rule to ask myself two questions before buying anything. Do I have something at home that already does the same thing or something similar? Am I really going to use it? Think of all the things you’ve bought and thrown away barely used? Is this one of them or fall into a similar category?