Toiletry Trauma

I love beauty products and toiletries - I am a girl, after all! But I'm not an overly girly girl. Yes, I like pink - but in moderation and only certain shades of pink. I'm more of a hot pink than baby pink kinda gal. When it comes to make-up, I tend to be quite lazy and use it sparingly, saving it for special occasions when I can be arsed to put it on.

But put me in any Boots store and I can guarantee that I can spend a fortune in there. I just love buying various lotions and potions that promise various things from younger looking skin to getting rid of blemishes, and now that I am approaching the big 3-0, anti-ageing creams and anti-wrinkle lotions.

I think this stems from my teenage years when I was really concerned about my appearance and skin... well, who isn't when they are 14 and have a huge zit on their nose? I remember trying all sorts of creams and skincare routines, and spending most of my pocket money on it too! I had a bit of a penchant for posh brands found in department stores, such as Clarins and Clinique. I'd hang around the beauty counters where the sales assistants would pounce on you and give you a free demo of their products along with handfuls of free samples for you to take home and try, and then sucker you into buying their products as when you bought 2 items you were given a free gift, usually consisting of a hideous make-up bag and some creams that weren't even suitable for you.

I actually still have a few of these promotional gifts lurking around, a compact mirror from Clarins that I thought looked really cool and expensive but I never use and some day-glo orange cosmetics case that I use to keep mini toiletries for travelling in.

I have to say, thank goodness, that now I am older and wiser I know my skin type and what products suit my skin, and I rarely impulse buy now. But tonight I was struck by exactly how many toiletries and things I have in my room... ALOT!! I could probably open a small shop and sell all the things I have here. Perhaps it's the Chinese in me that looks out for bargains and bulk buy things I know I'll use... but now they're all languishing in my room and there is only a limited amount of creams and lotions that I can use in a day.

So, I have made a solemn vow to use everything in my room before buying new products. Obviously if I run out of something I can buy that product, but nothing that I already have - even if it is a BOGOF deal! Special offers always come and go so I'm not missing out if I let an offer pass by.

At the moment I have 2 face creams and I think 3 different bottles of body moisturiser on the go. Not to mention 3 tubes of hand cream, 4 lipbalms, 2 facial oils... the list goes on! I am going to use up open products first and then use all the new stuff that I have in my cupboard and on my toiletries shelf.

I don't know how long this will take me, but I'm hoping that this exercise will save me a bit of money, clear up some valuable space in my room, and by the end of it I'll stick with the brands that I really like, rather than chopping and changing. Hopefully my skin will thank me for it too :-)