We live at a time when it is so easy to try new products. With a few clicks on Amazon, you can have an entire department store’s worth of makeup, a pharmacy full of skincare, and a whole lot of things that will take a lifetime to use completely. It’s hard to not want new items, especially when they’re being advertised and pitched to us wherever we go online. And as a society we love to buy in bulk, we believe bigger is better, and we always want more.
But today I want to share my product philosophy: use it up!
I used to be someone who “cherished” beauty products or unique items. I’d often think: I can only use this on a special occasion, or I should probably save this, so I don’t run out. But in today’s crazed consumerism crisis, which is a plight on our planet and our psyche, you should be doing the opposite. You owe it to your wallet, the environment, and your peace of mind to buy less and use what you’ve got. Step away from the counter at Sephora and take a look at what hidden treasures are in your own makeup kit!
Like most habits, buying new products is a hard thing to crack, but it is possible. You just have to try it, and when you do, you’ll be transformed. I used to love getting new things – little packages, fresh clothes with sunny dispositions, and shimmer lipsticks that make me feel my most beautiful. And I still do. But now I am addicted to running out of products. I get a tingle when I see the bottom of a lip balm tub. My eyes widen as my favorite blush becomes less and less. And I love the sensation of knowing I got that very last drop out of my face wash. Once my product is fully gone, I’m then free to go out and try something new.
Here are some of the positives to this ideology. First, I’m rewarding myself for using something. So when I run out of face masks, for example, I give myself time to try samples but also to shop around. Not only does this slow down the compulsion to keep consuming, it gives me an incentive to completely use up my other products. Second, it gets rid of waste. I used to have so many beauty items that I never used, broke me out, or things I was just meh on. Now I really make sure I only have what I need and that I only change one part of my routine at a time. When you introduce too many new products you are bound to either breakout, dry out, or end up an oily blob. And third, you save so much money. Not only are you not giving away unused items, but you’re just buying a lot less. And your budget will thank you!
Of course, this doesn’t only apply to makeup or skincare. I enjoy using other things up until they’re toast – like the pencil in the photo above! I kept using that gorgeous, Blackwing pencil on my daily crosswords until I literally couldn’t hold it anymore. Seeing this pencil reach its nub made me feel fully committed to something, and I was awed by how often I was working on the crossword puzzle.
It. Is. Satisfying.
Ultimately, though, using things up is about one thing: waste. It isn’t cool to be wasteful. What is cool, however, is follow through. Which I think is what an empty bottle means to me.
Do you enjoy using things up? Does it give you as much satisfaction as it does me? Share your thoughts with my readers in the comments below! And yes, these are the products I really use, so if you’d like to purchase or know more, check out the links below (I only recommend the best!).
Products: Kiehl’s Body Wash, Olay Complete Daily Moisturizer, Kiehl’s Skin Brightening Exfoliator, Herbivore Coco Rose Balm, Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Oil, Kristin Ess Shampoo & Conditioner, Blistex Chapstick, Blackwing Pencil
