So we went to the States in 2013, the AUD was holding up strong and everything was cheap including make-up and I wasn’t considering minimalism back then.

Oh and I am a GWP junkie. At least I was. A Gift With Purchase offer would have me hovering over a David Jones counter, pronto.

Consequently, in a small cupboard in my bathroom, I confronted a shameful fact today:

1. I have 23 lipsticks
2. I have over 50 containers (small/medium/large) of various moisturisers, creams, body lotions, shampoos and conditioners, facemasks, exfoliates, toner, makeup remover AND THEY ARE MY SPARE ONES.

It’s funny – simple living and paring back to the essentials is a process and not a project. Six months ago, I would have been proud of myself that I had organised them into neat little zip lock bags into their little categories.

Now, six months on, I am looking at them in horror. So much consumption. No end in sight in terms of getting to the bottom of the storage bin and just having one of everything, like a real minimalist.

Possibly, if I was hard core, I would think about donating them just to clear my clutter immediately. But I’m not hard core. I know I will use these products at some point in the very near future. So I have set myself an empties challenge. The challenge is:

No more makeup or moisturisers until all of the little bottles are used. I am going to set up a little bucket in my wardrobe to put the empties in, to remind myself of the challenge, and I will post on progress.

Here is some shameful before evidence:

What is your shameful hoarding secret? (PS I’m sure I will continue to horrify myself as my expectations are reset with this simple living process).