Hello Internet!

The time has come!! My 2015 empties round up on the last day of the year! This has been a great year for empties for me. I really learned a lot about what I like, what I don't like, and discovered earlier this year that I no longer enjoy having a large collection of makeup, skincare, and the like. I was inspired by minimalism, decluttering, and tiny house living (which is so cool by the way). I read "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo and it has definitely changed the way I viewed my possessions. I got rid of a lot of clothes and purses this year that did not reflect the style I wanted for myself and am still working on building my my perfect wardrobe. I wouldn't say I'm a minimalist yet but my progress has been nothing but positive this year.

The empties in this post include makeup, hair, skin, perfume, nails, and even some stationary (weird, I know) that I finished this year. I also decided to add up the dollar value of each used product to give myself an idea of how much I really used (wait till you see the number *faints*). At the end of the post I'll attempt a "deep" self-reflection of my progress towards minimalism, what I would have done differently in 2015, and discuss my goals for the future. 

First things first, the empties. I'm like a proud momma on Toddlers in Tiaras. The satisfaction from finishing a product that you spent money on and to be able to say, yes, I used it to its full potential. The joy we get is unparalleled for any beauty "collector" ;). 

**Disclaimer: The products below were not necessarily started in 2015.

Body Care

Body Wash: 10

Bar Soap: 11

Deodorant: 1

Foot care: 1

Hand Cream: 2

Body Lotion/Creams: 6

Body Scrub: 1

Shave: 1

Total Value of Body Care Products: $211

Skin Care

Face Cleanser: 9

Sheet Masks: 8

Face Moisturizer: 4

Nose Strips: 3

Toner: 1

Treatments/Serums: 6

Total Value of Skin Care Products: $229

Hair Care

Shampoo: 2

Conditioner: 2

Hair Mask: 2

Dry Shampoo:2

Total Value of Hair Care Products: $75

Makeup

Concealer: 2

Foundation: 1

Lip Balm: 3

Oil Absorbing Sheets: 1

Powder: 3

Primer: 1

Makeup Samples: 9

Total Value of Makeup Products: $112.5

Fragrance

Full size: 1 (1.7 oz)

Roller/mini: 1

Samples: 1

Total Value of Fragrances: $86

Nail/Nail Care

Nail Polish: 1

Nail Dryer: 1

Total Value of Nail Products: $6

Miscellaneous

Hand Sanitizers: 2 (minis)

Travel sized shampoo/body wash: 4

Pens (Stationary): 6

Total Value of Miscellaneous Products: $5

Grand Total of Empties: $725

By the way, I keep an inventory of all of my empties on an excel spreadsheet and update it monthly. Its the easiest way for me to keep track of every product and be able to sort them categorically (it's the engineer in me). I also have inventoried my makeup in the same way and will make an inventory post in the near future. 

So, how did I do?

I can't believe I went through an entire year without buying any new makeup or skincare or hair care products (snaps for Jenny!!). By not buying any new products, it allowed me to whittle down my vast hoard (I won't even glamorize it with the word collection) over the past year. I still have a little ways to go, but I hope I can get through the rest of my skincare, hair care, and body care by the end of 2016. My ultimate goal is to only have 1 of each and buy a replacement once I've used it up. No more collecting. 

I had quite a large skincare pile, from face washes to treatments, a lot of which were from beauty box subscriptions or Sephora Favorites kits. I am proud to say I actually ran out of face wash until my boyfriend gifted me a new face wash for Christmas. I also succeeded in using up a lot of little sample serums and oils that were collecting dust and taking up precious space. I really enjoy skincare and will probably continue to purchase skincare in the future, but I am excited to try more natural or off brand skincare products in the coming year.

I've barely made a dent in my perfume collection. I wear perfume daily but perhaps I need to focus on specific perfumes to use in 2016. I used to be a "signature scent" type of gal (hello Burberry Original), but then I moved to a city with TJ Maxx and bam. I now own 20 little bottles of expensive scented water. We need to get that sorted next year. I want to get back to owning a maximum of 3 (2 if I can!) perfumes at any given time.

What are some things I could have done without?

In 2015 I subscribed to a couple beauty boxes such as Ipsy and Glossybox so a few of my empties came from those services. While the surprise boxes are quite fun, there were hit and miss products and I'm not convinced it's a great value. But I may try it once more in the future.

Notice I only finished shampoo, conditioner, and dry shampoo as part of my hair empties. I still have tons of hair products from when I thought I would do more with my hair (texturizing sprays, shine sprays, smoothers, volume boosters) but truth be told, all I do is wash and condition. Definitely don't need to be buying hair serums and heat protectors when I hardly ever use hair tools. I'm also considering getting rid of my hair tools (blow dryer and flat iron) in 2016 but I'm having trouble letting go for some reason. 

I virtually spent $211 alone on body lotions and body washes! Not that I don't enjoy them and I can't afford them, but it's really not a necessity for me so I'd rather spend my money on something else and switch to cheaper alternatives. I want to explore multitasking products such as oils that I can use for a multitude of things, and simplify my bathroom routine.  

Reflecting on the fact that I used over 700$ worth of beauty products in 1 year. 

I am very happy that I went through $700 worth of beauty products, but I'm also ashamed of the fact that I spent that and more on these types of things. I could have bought a designer wallet by now! I could drastically cut down that expense in 2016 by using body oils instead of body lotions and bar soap instead of body wash and the most obvious; not buying things I don't need!

The crying shame is that I only used 10 makeup products out of my whole collection and makeup is my largest problem!! I have over 400 makeup items alone (yes I counted them) and I really need to do better next year. I have set a goal for myself to use 60 makeup products, which I will be writing about in a future post (ambitious, I know, but if I don't kick my butt in gear, I won't be able to buy new makeup until I'm 40). 

What are my goals for next year?

This is something I will also elaborate on in a future post, but ideally my plan is to continue my makeup no buy for 2016 and only replace items once I have gone through that product type in my hoard. This will prevent me from stock piling. I also want to explore multitasking products for hair/skin/body to simplify my routine.

I will always love makeup and skincare and trying out new things, but what I don't love is the burden of having so much at one time. I want to live a clutter free life while still enjoying my hobbies. Minimalism is not about living without, but living with just the things you love. And that is so hot right now.

- Jenny