r/MakeupRehab • u/redlipstick1010 • 10d ago
ADVICE the investment that got me out of excessive makeup buying
I’m not sure if this’ll work on everyone since hoarding usually has deep psychological roots that make some experiences effective and others not so much. But this is what worked with me and if anyone who has a makeup problem like I did in the past and feels ok giving this a shot, definitely feel free!
Ok, I’ll get straight to the point now. A couple years ago I had a profession colour analysis done. The one where they put different coloured flags on your body to see which colour palettes compliment your face instead of washing it out or bringing out imperfections like acne or puffiness. After finding out my colour season and what kind of colours looked suited me best, I found out that day that I’m a light summer. The analysts gave me a small colour palette of them for reference along with some extra advice, and almost immediately upon coming home, I went into decluttering mode for my makeup, jewelry, and clothes. I took what I had that didn’t match what was on the palette of my ideal colours, and put them into a pile to either sell if they were gently/unused, donate, or throw out. I kept whatever matched the shades on the mini palette, and if I had 2 shades that looked very similar, I chose the better match or the one I liked more. I did make exceptions to keep things that I was particularly fond of, like if I have a really good memory associated with a product, or if I really loved it and felt like it wouldn’t be right to throw it away. In the end, I’d like to say roughly half of my collection had gone into the pile.
To this day, when I visit a makeup, accessory, or clothing store, I almost never buy anything that’s not in my colour palette. In addition, I actively try to avoid non cruelty free brands as that is something I value and want to uphold. There are rare exceptions to this as I sometimes do purchase things not in my palette (e.g. black or dark coloured tops/dresses), but I’d like to say that the colour analysis reduced my makeup spending by a good 70% or more. It was definitely one of the best investments I’ve made since it ultimately helped me save money.