How to declutter your beauty collection

Empty the drawer, the bathroom cabinet, the bag and the travel kit onto one surface. Seeing it all at once is what shows you the five nude lipsticks and the three half-used moisturizers.

Face, eyes, lips, skincare, haircare, body, fragrance, tools. Within each group, put the products you used in the last month on one side.

Look for the expiry date and the open-jar symbol (6M, 12M, 24M: months after opening). Throw away anything past its date, anything that smells or looks different, and anything that touched an eye infection or broken skin. Liquid eye products and mascara are the ones to replace most often.

Keep: what you reach for every week and still love. Use up: opened products that are fine but not favorites (put them in front so they get used). Rehome: sealed, in-date products you won't use. Toss: expired, changed or damaged products.

Rehoming is where most of the value is. Sealed products can be given to friends, donated where sealed toiletries are accepted, or swapped on SwapMyBeauty for products you'll actually use. In New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, perfume you barely used (clear bottle, 70%+ left) and cleaned brushes and tools can go to the Second Love Club.

Store products upright, away from heat and steam (a bedroom drawer is often better than a bathroom shelf), with the oldest in front. Clear organizers or labeled boxes make it easy to see what you already own before you buy more.

Try a one-in, one-out rule, finish a product before opening the next one of the same type, and do a quick check every season. Keep a short wish list on your phone: it stops impulse buys and helps the people who give you gifts.