My Cosmetic De-cluttering Quest is going extremely poorly

If the title of this post doesn't emphasize this fact enough, allow me to reiterate: my Cosmetic De-cluttering Quest is going really extremely poorly right now.

How poorly you ask? I have acquired MORE cosmetics in the intervening months as opposed to getting rid of them. Ugh! *head down*

And yet, while my impulse spending of cosmetics during the first three months is partially responsible for this increase in inventory, to be quite frank, a little nervous mindset of mine that is often both a positive trait in the right situations, but a total nightmare in others, probably ought to take the brunt of the blame.

And it's that I hate letting things go to waste. From food to books to clothing to cosmetics, I want to get full use of anything I buy.

On one hand, it's great because I make the most of my purchases and therefore ecologically speaking, I don't let things end up in landfills when in some respects, it really shouldn't. But on the other hand, when you spend recklessly and impulsively on things you later don't want or don't need and then find yourself unable to to get rid of it because you don't want to just "let it go to waste," well you have the makings of a potential hoarder later in life.

And while I am forcing myself to use what I have regularly in an honest attempt to "use this stuff up before allowing myself to buy something new," the reality of the situation as far as various cosmetics go is that even with regular usage of this or that, it is really really hard and it takes a really really long time for anyone to use up any one cosmetic product in full. 

For instance, if you were to apply the same tube of lipstick three times a day every day it can reasonably take you three months to use it up in full. Three months. For one tube of lipstick applied three times a day, which I don't do. Once maybe and more frequently when it's lip balm, but lipstick?

It makes me stare at my lipstick collection with the wide, frightened eyes of a terrified child knowing that each of them likely has a three month life on it... provided I wear them every bloody day!

And that's just my lipstick collection. World, have you seen my nail polish collection?

I could spend a full year painting my nails every single day and still maybe only use up maybe five to ten of my 50+ bottles of nail polish at best. That's hardly a dent, not to mention the chemicals used in polish and then to strip your nails is more likely to kill them and therefore is not a plan anyone should act upon.

I'm not about to give up however. Because it is working wonders to curb the worst of my impulse spending on this front and forcing me to take a sound look at the things I do and don't use on a regular basis really. I did manage to use one bottle of lotion up as a result, while I also actually lost a lip balm due to regular use that more or less meant I misplaced it and it disappeared into the ether.

(Actually, that I'm down to just one lip balm upsets me more than I'm willing to admit, but as I have yet to demonstrate that I actually need two of them, I'm not really allowing myself to replace it either)

It is still making me anxious in the "how am I going to use all this stuff up in time" front. Maybe perhaps solidify that routine I've been considering... but again, all good things in its own time I guess.