Hi Internet,

Empties are my guilty pleasure. I love watching empties videos on youtube, empties posts on instagram. My empties are important to me because every item brings me one step closer to my minimalist goals. It also means I haven't wasted my money if I used something up ;)

To get perspective on what you need and areas you can minimize, it's helpful to know your inventory. This can be daunting if you have a lot of something (clothes...I can't even). So I find it helpful to start inventory on small collections and build my way up.

Today's inventory check is on hair products and tools. Very mundane...but as I am a hoarder of beauty products, this is an area that I am in excess. Which is odd since I hardly ever use any hair products. I wash and condition, and that's about it. Occasionally when I don't even wash and condition, I'll use dry shampoo. But that's as far as it goes. I don't even brush my hair. So why do I have so much other stuff? Because I like to buy things.

As of May 25, 2015 this is what I own:

1 Dry Shampoo
4 Hairsprays (albeit minis from beauty subscription boxes, none of which I am currently subscribed to)
1 Heat protectant
2 Volume boosters
4 Texturizers (salt sprays, etc)
3 Shine boosters
1 Detangler
1 Shampoo
3 Conditioners
2 Deep conditioners
4 Treatments (ie products that don't fit in the above categories)
3 Brushes/combs
1 Blowdryer
2 Flat irons (1 is for travel)
1 Curling iron

Bringing my total to 26 hair products and 7 hair tools.

Now, my general philosophy with minimizing my possessions is to use up (not get rid of) my products and to not replenish until I've whittled down to no more than 2 items of any particular product. With that said, although I hardly ever use the hair styling tools I have, I also don't want to get rid of them at this time should there be a need for it in the near future. This is something I intend to evaluate in 6 months to decide if they are worth holding on to.

Looking at the hair products that I have, and realizing how low maintenance I am with my styling routine, I do not need: hairspray, volume boosters, texturizers, detanglers, or special treatments. I admit I don't use shine boosting products often, but I probably should, so those are things I would ideally have in my collection.

I also use the blowdryer, but not on my hair haha. It comes in handy for other things.

So, after identifying my daily routine and what I really use, I've determined what my ideal hair collection would look like:

1 Dry Shampoo
1 Shampoo
1 Conditioner
1 Deep conditioner

but, as a true hoarder who can't completely give up everything for fear she will need it one day, I would also keep the following:

1 Shine booster
1 Hairspray
1 Heat protectant
1 Comb
1 Blowdryer
1 Flat iron (am still skeptical since I don't think I'll ever use it)

bringing my ideal hair collection to 7 products and 3 styling tools.

Theoretically, I can get rid of everything else. But as I'd rather use something than waste it, I will attempt to go through as much as I can until I reach my desired size. Now with all this talk, let's see if I can walk the walk :)

I've always been inspired by minimalists; from people who build their own seasonal capsule wardrobes to people who live in 200 square feet apartments. As much as I like those lifestyles though, I don't think that is something I can attain at the moment. But there are elements of minimalism that I would like to bring to my current life situation, such as decluttering. 

I have had oily skin all my life. And I mean OILY. Makeup didn't last long on my face, nothing stayed on my eyelids. I would look very shiny within an hour of applying makeup. The struggle was real. I became an expert on all things oil control. I tailored my cleansers, moisturizers, and foundations to my oily skin condition. What I wasn't prepared for was a sudden bout of dryness that I experienced this winter. I didn't even see it coming.

So I watched a very unusual movie the other day called Perfume. Set in the 1700s, about a boy born with a very keen sense of smell that led him down a path of murder in search for the perfect fragrance. What fascinated me was the art of perfumery and the effect it has on your senses and emotions. And it made me wonder, what do I like about my perfumes? Is there one that is absolutely perfect for me?

Hi blogosphere,