“Crying is for plain women. Pretty women go shopping.” 
― Oscar Wilde

The beauty community (blogs, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) sometimes collaborates on panning challenges where participants select items to use up in a designated period. While not a beauty blogger in the slightest, I caught wind of the latest of these online and decided to unofficially participate as a way to make me use items in my beauty arsenal–mostly for the weird and wonderful pleasure of adding them to my empties pile. And so, behold my assembled victims for the next 3.5 months:

Some of these are easy wins, but I want to motivate myself to finish them up to be able to move on to products I like more. I’ve opened up the tubs so you can see how much of the skincare items I have left to use, and that tube of No7 cleanser is at least half empty already. Both the Lush Sleepy lotion and Kiehl’s Facial Cream are about 75% done each and are gorgeous products in their own right and part of the reason I want to use them up is for the pleasure of probably repurchasing them again.

Sunscreen is a tricky item because almost all of them are inelegant and hard to use with makeup, or leave a highly noticeable white cast. My favorite sunscreen is still by Thank You Farmer (which I first profiled a year ago) and which I still highly, highly recommend. Even Jeff tries to swipe it when I bug him about wearing sunscreen. This Etude House sunscreen is at least 80% used up, but it’s not my favorite SPF product because unless my skin is very well hydrated and I’m able to spend some time on my makeup, it looks chalky and plaster-y on my face. In other words, while very effective as SPF, it’s not the easiest to use product. However, for weekends spent mostly at home, working out, or just general running errands when I’m out in the sun, it’s perfectly serviceable. The best way I’ve found to use it is as a touch up product or at the end of the day when I try to walk home from work (which takes at least an hour and in the summer is in direct sunlight). This tutorial and the corresponding items like a DIY cushion compact are brilliant for this.

A couple more skincare in profile, products from The Ordinary which I’d also like to use up: the Caffeine Solution for eyes and their Rosehip Oil. I’m not sure about the effectiveness of the first, but that’s because I’ve not really used it consistently enough to give a good review, hence it’s inclusion in this project. The second is included to get better use out of my oil products in general, which I love and which are effective, but I am often too lazy to use properly, in terms of working it into my skin and layering with other products to avoid mess and maximize results.

Make up is a lot more fun to use up but is so difficult to do. There is almost nothing more satisfying to me than a completely empty lipstick tube because it happens so rarely–not because I don’t wear lipstick (as you all know very well), but because I have so bloody much of it.

To that end, I’ve been ambitious and picked three well loved lip products to try and finish up entirely in the next three or so months. You can see below how much of each I have left to go. I’ve also decided to try and use up, or at least use a significant chunk of, my Glossier concealer which is already pretty well loved. I’ve picked one of my many perfume samples to use up, this one is a heavy rose scent which isn’t my favorite, but if you can’t wear floral scents through the height of summer, then what is the point? Ditto for my Body Shop bronzer which has seen service in the wars, if its appearance is anything to go by. I’d like to at least hit pan on this product by Halloween if I can–I think committing to use it up entirely isn’t remotely feasible. Whenever I see women use up powders or bronzers in a matter of months I always want to shake them and demand how it’s physically possible.

I love this foundation (originally recommended by X) but I’ve owned it for a couple of years now and need to use it up before it goes off. A badly shot close up for your delectation:

Ultimately makeup is a perishable good, which is the point of these kinds of self challenges. I genuinely don’t understand people who hoard it past the point of expiration; it’s a waste of resources and prevents you from getting enjoyment out of a product you probably paid good money for. Part of my challenge in not buying makeup this year (which I’ve already transgressed like the weak willed creature I am) is about remembering that owning things is futile if you don’t use them.

Over the years I’ve bought items that I’ve loved but have been frightened to use (what if I damage/ruin it?!) or have tried stupidly to conserve (what if I run out?!). This is useless. Both options are pretty well inevitable so you may as well love what you own and learn to be more selective about what you spend your money on.