simplified make up minimal Jessica Rose Williams.jpg

I once bought an entire collection of makeup brushes because a girl on YouTube told me they were ‘life changing’.

You know how this story goes don’t you? They weren’t life changing and I hardly ever used them. In fact I was browsing for more makeup brushes within a few weeks of the DPD delivery driver handing them over for me to sign for.

Back then I was a hopeless shopaholic and an easy target when it came to beauty industry marketing, not that I’m completely immune to it now, but I’ve got a firm handle on what is for me and what isn’t. The thing is I’ve never truly enjoyed wearing makeup, I hate the feel of it on my face in particular and I can never wait to get it off.

Hatred aside I still owned drawers, bags, shoeboxes and shelves filled with little pots of all sorts that promised to make me look like the very best version of myself. At a guess I’d say less than 5% of the stuff got used on a regular basis, and most was actually out of date. Makeup goes out of date, did you know that? Read this complete guide to makeup expiration dates for a full brief.

Like with everything else, the answer to this overwhelming mass of stuff that was adding no value to my life or my face, was to take the excess away and to start noticing what I actually used and get back to basics. It took some experimentation but choosing to favour quality over quantity and applying a strict filter of what I allow into my makeup bag has left me with a capsule collection of make up that gets used almost daily – and as it turns out 8 items was all I ever needed. Hello spacious bedroom drawers!

If you emptied my make up bag right now this is what would fall out….

Liquid eyeliner | Concealer | Mascara | Lip balm

Lipstick | Tinted moisturiser | Brow gel | Blush stick

No makeup brushes at all! Turns out I’d much rather use my fingers after reading expert makeup artist Mary Greenwell also swears off makeup brushes. It doesn’t look like much I know but this is all I need and I would never go back to the way I was before. If you’re reading this I’m guessing you’re looking to simplify your own chaotic makeup collection too. These are my top tips for creating a minimal makeup collection based on my own experience of simplifying.

YOU DON’T NEED HALF AS MUCH AS YOU THINK YOU DO

The beauty industry is worth BILLIONS. These billions come from women like us who want to improve our appearance according to beauty industry standards. We’re manipulated constantly and it’s really important to be aware of this so we can make a conscious choice whether we want to buy into it or not. It’s one thing to buy a mascara that promises to give you the lashes you want but it’s another to buy a mascara because it promises to give you the lashes the manufacturer has made you think you want. Notice the difference.

Aim for less but better

A good tinted moisturiser is worth ten flakey foundations. Aiming for a collection of less but better will force you to shift your focus and really think about what you’re buying but more importantly why. When you’re only buying a total of 8 items you find yourself in the market for those dreamy products you’d previously ruled out as too expensive and not for you. I find I appreciate my things more now I own less and they take pride of place. I no longer have space or budget for items that don’t measure up. Set high standards for yourself (always within your budget) and you’ll find by buying one great mascara all those old half empty ones are no longer welcome.

Monitor what you use

It’s easy to look at our mass of makeup and not know where to start, convinced we need and use everything in front of us. To give yourself a reality check, create a tally chart and write down each item you own or categorise things if that feels too overwhelming. Each day you use the item or category put a mark on your tally. Review your tally chart after a month and you’ll see what you’re really using and what you aren’t. You’ll have no choice but to face facts about what isn’t serving you so you can discard it.

Practice self-love

I’m not talking about the bubble bath with scented candles kind of self-love here, I’m talking about seriously working on the relationship you have with yourself; those quirky features that make you who you are and the ones you probably hate the most. For me, it’s my freckles – I’m covered in them. Someone once joked they’d love to do a dot-to-dot on me and I’ve been self conscious about them ever since. Until we learn to love ourselves the way we are we will reach for as much stuff that promises to change us into someone else that we can.

Think multi use

Multi use items should be at the forefront of your mind when you’re aiming for less but better stuff. One of my favourite pieces of makeup is my blush stick. Its selling point is that it can be used for all sorts of things – creme blush, lip colour and eye colour. I only use it for my cheeks but you get the idea. Anything that can do more than one job should score highly because it will take up less space.

Go French

I’ve been obsessed with French women for years and for good reason. Whenever I’m in France I’m observing them and taking mental notes. Not once have I ever seen a French woman plastered in makeup a la Kardashian, yet they always appear effortlessly polished – think Caroline de Maigret. To achieve this natural look they prioritise skin care (a whole other blog post), work with what they already have, embrace their flaws and always aim to look like they aren’t even wearing any makeup. A drawer full of brushes, pots, powders and creams suddenly becomes useless when you’re aiming for the imperfectly perfect. I wholeheartedly think if more of us were encouraged to embrace our flaws and work with what we have instead of trying to change it we’d be a happier bunch of females.

So what’s your story? Got makeup drawers stashed with things you never use like I did? Let me know what your makeup essentials are,