Five to ditch and ten to keep

We’re moving house soon. This necessitates a certain amount of auditing that needs to be done prior to packing everything up and getting out.

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I’ve moved often enough to know that if I don’t do a systematic sweep of each room in the house before I start to pack that I will become deeply embroiled in sentimental activities that involve dwelling on each and every item I find. This means I often end up taking things with us that we don’t really want or need.

This week, it’s the bathroom’s turn. Such a boring and thankless task requires a certain amount of discipline, so in order to get though it, I visualize how nice it will be to have a clean and neat space when I’m done, as well as a smug sense of satisfaction akin to gloating.

Below, I list the top 10 things you should keep in your make up bag/bathroom – either as survivors of the cull or as items to be added after the big clean up as a reward to yourself for being so virtuous. First of all though, let’s get through removing the top 5 things that you should ditch:

1. Any mascara that is clumpy – if you have to separate your lashes after application it’s time to bin that wand. Annoyingly, most mascaras only last about three months. We all keep them for longer than that, but any more than five and you’re going to be dicing with an eye infection

2. Lotions and creams past their use by date (that little picture of a jar with a number on the back of all your creams and cosmetics is there to tell you how long they will last after opening. So, the jar with the number six in it will last six months). This is especially true for liquid foundations

3. Eye drops – they are only safe to use for two weeks after you open them!

4. Nail polish with dried residue, even after shaking the bottle. It’s a myth that adding remover makes it last longer – it doesn’t

5. Any lipsticks or eye shadows you haven’t worn in over a year – I try to apply the same to my clothes with varying success

Top 10 to keep (and buy!)

1. Eye drops for clear eyes – I know I said you can only keep these for two weeks and it’s true. You can now get them from the chemist in single applications though so it means no waste. Excellent for making your eyes white and shiny (especially after a late night)

2. Slant-edged tweezers – you never know when you’ll need these babies

3. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream – a miracle cream for itchy and irritated skin; can also be used to smooth eyebrows for a groomed look, as a lip balm/gloss and on cheekbones to add a little shine. A cult product and no wonder

4. Yves Saint Laurent Radiant Touch highlighter pen. Lasts forever and is great for removing dark circles under the eyes and highlighting brows. Just make sure you don’t leave it anywhere too hot as the perfume smell can go bad (but it doesn’t affect the product itself)

5. Make up blotting paper. Bear with me – great if you get a shiny forehead like I do, as well as nose – doesn’t take your makeup with it, just the grease. Mac do some excellent ones that can fit into your handbag

6. Hand santiser – so many reasons to have this in your bag!

7. Natural bristle hairbrush

8. Hair serum. Newly blow dried hair and misty British drizzle are not good friends

9. Toner – I only started using toner about six months ago after I had an ‘extraction’ facial – yes, it’s as hideous as it sounds – I had lots of unseen blemishes and clogged skin, simply, I’m told, because I didn’t use a toner after cleansing to close my pores. I have really noticed the difference

10. Magnifying mirror with light. USE WITH EXTREME CARE. This is both a blessing and a curse – if you must pick, then set yourself a time limit or emerge from the bathroom an hour later with spots that should never have been realized

Let me know if there are any other products you just simply can’t live without – it’s good to share!

Flickster. x

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