How to Create a Minimalist Makeup Collection
Photo by Alicia Michelle.
My name is Alicia and I’m a makeup shopoholic –
Correction.
My name is Alicia and I almost became a makeup shopoholic.
What saved me?
Minimalism.
What is minimalism?
Minimalism is less about a narrow definition and more about a broad philosophy. As an intentional lifestyle choice, minimalism is the practice of living with less. Less stuff, less debt, and less consumption.
What are minimalism’s benefits?
Like its definition, minimalism’s benefits are broad.
Minimalism can help you:
Reduce debt, save money, and stay mindful about your spending habits
Simplify your life
Achieve greater happiness and personal satisfaction
Focus on accumulating meaningful experiences instead of things
Discover your life purpose
How does minimalism apply to makeup?
When it comes to material luxuries, I find that makeup is particularly insidious.
Because the beauty industry knows exactly how to trigger that little material gremlin that lives within us all, through emotional appeal and covert promises that all your aspirational fantasies can come true.
When applied to makeup, minimalism teaches you to examine the psychological undercurrents, from unmet emotional needs to niggling personal insecurities, that drive your compulsion to shop.
How to Curate a Minimalist Makeup Collection
1. Define what Minimalism Means to You
Minimalism can be bold and colorful. Photo by Alicia Michelle.
Don’t fall for the blank walls and muted monochrome images of minimalism on social media; there are infinite ways to practice minimalism and no wrong way to do so.
Before jumping headlong into aggressively decluttering your collection, think about what minimalism means to you. Jot down your ideas in a notebook and take your approach to minimalism from there.
Minimalism to me is:
A slowly curated makeup collection full of products that spark joy
A cohesive collection that allows me to create multiple looks from combinations of the same products
Researching, sampling, and wear-testing a new product before adding it to my collection (if I decide to do so)
Completely finishing a product before acquiring another in the same category and color
It's a Trap!
Chances are you already have the foundation for minimalism within your existing makeup collection. There’s no need to make new “minimalist purchases” or use “minimalist brands” for the sake adhering to an aesthetic.
For further reading on minimalism’s meaning, Moon Emissary recommends Mari Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
2. Less is More
In a minimalist makeup collection, consider spending more on one high-quality product instead of less for multiple products of lesser quality. For example, I prefer to splurge on mid-range complexion products, as they offer better shade matches and the opportunity to sample before buying.
This might mean having to slowly save money (one should never go into debt for non-essentials), but delayed gratification means you’ll acquire a product that sparks joy every time you use it. Plus, having less products in your collection means less waste and a higher likelihood that you’ll use them up before they expire.
3. Shop Mindfully
An empty powder container and a repurchased larger size. Photo by Alicia Michelle.
Ah, the wonders of capitalism. Sometimes you don’t want to shop, but in order to survive, the system forces you to consume…
When you’re at the mall, the store, or browsing your favorite website, pause before placing an item in your basket and whipping out your credit card.
Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and ask yourself a few questions:
Does this item spark joy?
Do I need this item or is there something else (self-care, nourishing food, a hug) I need instead?
Do I already have this particular shade, finish, or formula in my collection?
Does this item fit into my existing lifestyle or beauty routine?
Shopping mindfully forces you to examine your habits, triggers, and any underlying needs that fuel your makeup gremlin’s desire to buy all the things. For example, by being mindful every time I shopped, I discovered the root of my urge to browse the makeup aisle – the need for a creative outlet.
4. Observe Your Routine
This photo conveys a fantasy. Photo by Jess @ Harper Sunday on Unsplash
The beauty industry talks like it’s your gal pal, but it’s not. The only thing it wants to make friends with is your wallet, and one of the ways it does so is by selling a fantasy.
In my shopaholic days, I was lured into making senseless purchases because I believed a particular item would fix my problems. A new blush would cure my PTSD. A new tinted lip balm would turn my black Aspie ass into a popular, neurotypical white woman who spends her summers in Paris and actually enjoys eating kale.
Shatter the fantasy by observing your lifestyle. Are you a busy young professional who doesn’t have time for contouring? Step away from that new concealer. Are you a backpacker who wouldn’t be caught dead in a nightclub? Nix that blue mascara from your basket.
Being cognizant of your everyday life will keep the beauty industry’s hooks out from your lizard brain and prevent you from making unnecessary purchases.
5. Ask for Help
Sometimes the compulsion to shop is above minimalism’s paygrade. Sometimes we need additional help, and that’s okay.
Admitting you have a problem and seeking help for it is the first step towards recovery; if your compulsion to shop is starting to interfere with your relationships, and emotional and financial health, don’t be afraid to enlist the help of a therapist, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), or find a local support group, such as Debtors Anonymous or Spenders Anonymous.
What’s in my minimalist beauty collection?
1 liquid foundation
1 cream highlighter
1 cream concealer
3 blushes - plum-colored for winter, scarlet for spring, bright orange for summer and autumn
1 powder bronzer
6 matte lipsticks - coral, fuschia, and tangerine for spring and summer, terracotta, plum, and scarlet for autumn and winter
1 tinted lip balm
1 lip gloss
1 clear brow gel
1 mascara
1 loose setting powder
1 setting spray
3 eyeshadow singles and 1 eyeshadow quad
3 accoutrements - body glitter, lip primer, and clear lip balm
While all items in my collection are regularly used, it usually takes me 1-2 years to finish creams and liquids, and 2-3 years to finish powders. Mascara and lip gloss are finished in 3-4 months. I spend between USD 200 to 250 per year on makeup.
What are your motivations behind exploring minimalism?
