I have spent my time in lockdown completely decluttering my makeup of everything that’s not zero waste and items that I don’t reach for or use anymore. I have also gone through the rest of my items and donated or sold anything that doesn’t spark joy (Marie Kondo style). I have quite a bit of makeup in my vanity that is just going to waste and I’d rather sell, donate to charity or giveaway to friends and family if they want anything.

I bought quite a bit of makeup to review on my blog but I’ve just never ended up using most of it. I want to keep using up the products I already have that aren’t zero waste until it’s all gone and then buy something in it’s place that is zero waste.

DECLUTTERING MY MAKEUP FOR A MORE MINIMAL AND ZERO WASTE LIFE // HERE’S HOW YOU CAN DO IT

You might be asking yourself, but how do I do it? Hopefully this post will help you and give you some ideas.

Start by asking yourself these 6 questions…

HOW OFTEN DO I USE IT?

IS IT OLD/OUT OF DATE?

DOES IT BRING ME HAPPINESS?

IS IT THE SHADE FOR ME?

DID IT WORK FOR ME?

AM I KEEPING IT FOR THE SAKE OF IT?

READ MORE: How To Clean Your Makeup From Bacteria & Makeup Expiration Dates

I went through every single drawer in my IKEA ALEX 9 Drawer unit and pulled out everything in each drawer, separating things I don’t use, didn’t work for me, was out of date and wasn’t the shade for me and put them to one side to giveaway, donate, sell or pass on to friends and family.

I was able to get rid of probably 50% of the stuff I didn’t touch anymore and left the rest to finish using and continue using until it’s finished. Once I’ve finished using everything I will replace it with a more zero waste alternative as a 1 in 1 out policy.

I have been able to empty as least 3 of my drawers and combine the different sections into another. For example I had a drawer for lips and a drawer for face/base and I’ve been able to combine the two into the same drawer.

Some products were a lot harder to pass on than others, especially my Urban Decay Naked palettes which I love, but I realistically don’t reach for them as much as I should to warrant keeping them. I loved my little collection and will miss them dearly.

My makeup collection is currently cut down onto 2 short floating shelves with storage baskets on, and makeup fitting into 2 of those baskets with a small makeup bag with a few backup products that I need to use up. I like having a minimal makeup collection as I find it a lot easier to keep track of what I’m using and what I’m not. I’m not really that experimental when it comes to makeup, so having an excessive amount, wasn’t doing it for me. I had a small collection compared to beauty YouTubers but I still have a fair bit of product in my collection.

My staple skincare routine is down to 8 products which I keep either in my bedroom or the bathroom and that’s all I have to worry about. The skincare products I use are Cleanser, Toner, Moisturiser, Eye Treatment, Spot Serum, SPF, Exfoliator and Mask – all are from my favourite skincare brand Liz Earle. My skin type is Oily/Combination with acne and rosacea/sensitivity thrown in so I have to be really careful with my products and I love how much the Liz Earle products have cleared up my skin and made it so much better.

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9 ZERO WASTE BRANDS TO CHECK OUT // MAKEUP AND BODY CARE

Foamie

Foamie are a great German company which launched in 2018. They are known for their shampoo, conditioner and body bars that are zero plastic and zero waste. Perfect for trying out to reduce your waste and be more sustainable. They also have great carry cases for your bars so store and for travelling. Their bars come in several scents for different hair and skin types.

WeArePaperPlane

I randomly found WeArePaperPlane on Etsy when searching for body wash bars. They are a UK based company which is great for me and they have so many quirky gift ideas for loved ones and some awesome creative body care products like their Bath Noodles which come in 3 Asian themed scents and look like a tub of takeaway noodles. You rub them on your wet skin when in the shower or bath to wash and smell delicious. This is a great zero waste gift. They also have lots of eco friendly wash bars for men and women and also eco friendly candles as well.

READ MORE: Are Our Beauty Products Toxic?

ZAO Makeup

ZAO Makeup is fast becoming a favourite of mine in terms of refillable makeup. It’s such a great idea and I’m glad this brand is UK based as it makes it easier for me to get a hold of makeup that is refillable and not miles and miles away.

I am currently trying their brow powder, primer and powder foundation. I’m also looking to try their concealer and liquid foundation as I need a stronger coverage than a powder foundation, as my skin is so complicated.

Grüum

Grüum are a new find for me when I was searching for good shampoo and conditioner bars. They are a British company inspired by Swedish living. They create skincare, haircare and shaving solutions and products for both men and women which are kind to you, your skin and the planet with one price for both genders (so no tax on female products)

You can try one of their shampoo bars for FREE, just paying for delivery and I also paid for one of their metal tins to keep the shampoo bar/future shampoo bars in.

LUSH

A much loved brand when it comes to zero waste, everyone loves Lush’s shampoo and conditioner bars and other bar based products because they are so easy to use and are perfect for beginners when it comes to switching to a more zero waste lifestyle. I love taking bar products with me whilst travelling because they don’t add to your liquid allowance which is perfect if you are only taking hand luggage. Lush have so many scents and options available for all hair and skin types so you are bound to find something for you.

READ MORE: Clean Your Makeup Using The Pro Hygiene Collection Cleaning Kit

Conscious Skincare

I found Conscious Skincare on Etsy and I’m so excited to try out some of their products when I’ve used up my existing skincare products. They all come in metal or glass containers and you can get them refilled when you’ve used up the product. You can even buy their skincare products in pre-made sets for whichever skincare problem you are looking to solve, as well as buying the products separately.

Flawless Beauty Store

Another awesome store I found on Etsy that I can’t wait to try out. They sell some awesome products including sheet masks, insect repell gel and clay facial cleanser.

Stitch & Spool

Hair elastics/ties without plastic? Yes please! You don’t realise how many hair ties are actually made without plastic in them to keep them together. These hair ties are made using natural rubber and organic cotton.

Protean London

Protean London on Etsy have so many cool items on their store but the ones I love are the scrap material scrunchies that they make. So they use scrap material that they have and turn them into pretty patterned hair scrunchies.

I will be updating this post with new and awesome brands that I find. So keep your eyes peeled! 😉

All photos are taken with a Canon EOS 60D camera and with the Canon EF 50mm lens f/1.8.

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