A Makeup Collection Clear Out: Tips and What's Left

Because I've been working on my living space and downsizing how much stuff I have, I thought I'd go through my makeup collection and really have a thorough clear-out. While I am pretty good about getting rid of things that are clearly too old to use, I hadn't done a strict declutter in a very long time. Makeup, like clothing, is an easy thing to accumulate and lose sight of how much you actually own versus how much you actually use on a regular basis. I ended up clearing out a lot of stuff that I just wasn't using and was very strict with myself when it came to justifying things to keep. Here are some guidelines I followed to make this whole makeup declutter a successful one: 

Check Expiration Dates ~ Checking to see if a product has gone off is the easiest way to start culling through a makeup collection. Especially with lip and cream products its easy to tell when something is past its lifetime. Meg, from Lips So Facto wrote a really helpful blog post a few years back, which goes into detail about expiration dates of makeup and is very useful if you are unsure if a product has gone off or not. While I don't stick strictly to the expiration dates, because I use my makeup on only myself, it can be a helpful tool to get rid of things that are beyond useable. 

Empty Out Your Drawers ~ I always find whenever I am doing a clear out, whether it be for makeup, clothing, or miscellaneous items that it is very helpful to empty out everything you are clearing out from the storage system its in. I cleared out each drawer and put all of the products on my bed so I could sort through them easier. I think its also somewhat of a mental exercise to clear everything out because then its easier to feel like every product is subject to the declutter instead of leaving the things you think you'll use in the drawers without scrutiny.

Compartmentalize Your Products ~ Obviously, not everything I wanted to keep were things I used on a daily basis. In order to work out what I wanted to keep in the strictest way possible I compartmentalized my collection into two categories: daily makeup and special occasion makeup. Once I did this I feel like I could be more rigorous about the products in each category. In terms of daily makeup I used the test of whether I had used the product in the last three months, or if it was out of season if I had used it in the season it was appropriate for. In terms of occasion makeup, it was harder to use the test if I had used it recently. Instead, I made sure it hadn't been bought ages ago. I then went through and made sure each thing was something I would definitely use for a specific occasion I have planned in the relatively near future. 

In terms of what's left from this clear out, I kept all of the products that are in my every day makeup bag. I also kept all of the products in my Muji drawers that I use on a regular basis for daily makeup or that I use for nights out and special occasions. I got rid of a lot of my blushes that I hadn't used in ages because I have almost exclusively been using the Glossier Cloud Paints since they launched. I also did a thorough comb through of my eyeshadows because I had an absolute ton, a lot of which were similar to one another. All of the MAC products I used will be recycled using the Back To MAC program, however I will most likely give some of the free eyeshadows or lipsticks I acquire through Back To MAC to my sister or mom, since I don't want to get rid of a load of makeup and then replenish my collection with products I might not use. After doing all of this decluttering I feel like I have a much more thoughtful and useable selection of products at my disposal. Most importantly, I think that going forward this will make me much more thoughtful in my approach to buying makeup. 

What are your decluttering tips and tricks? 

A Bedroom Refresh

As part and parcel of moving back to San Francisco, I moved back in with my parents into my childhood bedroom. I absolutely love that room. When my parents did a massive renovation on the house about eight years ago, my sister and I got to move into separate rooms and our parents let us pick out most of the details of the design of the room from the bed frame, to the wall color, to the lighting fixture. Because of all of that this room has always felt like mine, rather than a room that my parents designed for me. While I love the major aspects of the room, it felt weird to be 22 and be living in a room that had been reflective of my teenage self. In other words, it was due a refresh. 

I started the whole refresh with my bed, I had my old bed frame since I moved into this room and while it was a nice one, I wanted something a bit more minimalist and modern. I luckily already had an IKEA Malm bed frame from my apartment in college and just decided to swap out my old one for this one. I also replaced the bedding with this duvet cover set from Urban Outfitters, again to go along with the more modern aesthetic. After moving back from college I had my full book collection so I rearranged my bookshelf above my bed to be color coordinated because its just so darn pleasing to look at. 

My bedside table was due a rejig so I bought a new frame and put some of my favorite polaroids in it. I also bought this dreamy Boy Smells candle, which not only looks great but smells incredible, it's making me very much look forward to autumn. I also invested in an Echo Dot, which has replaced my rather outdated and clunky iPod speaker/alarm clock. 

It wouldn't be a bedroom post if it didn't include my cat bailey. I've had this Papasan chair for five years or so and I replaced the throws I have hanging over it just to make that space look a bit more pulled together, but still cozy. Clearly Bailey thinks its a cozy spot. 

One of my favorite corners of my room is where I have my guitar and amp. Not only do I think they add a lot to the room in terms of looks, but I like having them be front and center so I remember to actually pick up my guitar and play it on a regular basis. I also bought this 2018 calendar of 60s rock posters from the Summer of Love exhibit at the deYoung Museum. 

The final and biggest part of this bedroom refresh was replacing my desk. I previously had a huge desk with a giant hutch that took up a huge portion of the wall. While it was a functional desk, it got cluttered really easily and I no longer needed a desk quite as big. I opted for the IKEA MICKE desk, which is super simple but actually can store a lot. I love how much getting a new desk has changed the whole feeling of my room. It also opens up the opportunity to start putting together a gallery wall, which I will definitely write a blog post on once it is finished!

25 Random Facts About Me

In an effort to reintroduce myself to my readers as a part of my revamp of the blog I thought I'd write a post so you all can get to know me on a more personal level. I thought I'd go ahead and share twenty five random facts you probably won't know about me. 

1. I was born and raised in San Francisco. Ok so it's not a total secret, but I am a full-on San Francisco native. I don't know if I'm going to live here forever (because the rent is insane) but this city will always be the best city on Earth in my eyes. 

2. My favorite bands are The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys, The Cure, and the Strokes.

3. I have been to about 30 concerts in my twenty-two years on this planet.

4. I have attended a fair number of those concerts with my dad because he basically has the same taste in music as me. Sometimes it pays to have a dad that likes classic and alternative rock. 

5. Speaking of which, my dad and how he dressed as teenager has massively influenced my style as well. He is where I get my intense love of Levi 501s from. 

6. I studied history in college.

7. I have considered going to graduate school and potentially even getting a P.h.D in history at some point in the future.

8. My go-to drink is a Gin & Tonic. 

9. While I love a good G&T on a night out my preferred Saturday night consists of staying in, watching movies with my boyfriend, and doing a face mask. 

10. I have a Bernese Mountain Dog named Sam who thinks he weighs about 10 lbs when in reality he weighs about 125 lbs.

11. I am a natural redhead.

12. My hair is incredibly curly and used to be such a nightmare to brush when I was little that most attempts my mom made to brush out the knots usually ended in tears. 

13. Rainy days in the autumn and winter are my favorite. 

14. I actually really do not like summer (controversial I know).

15. I have seriously considered moving to the U.K. or to Ireland at some point in my life. 

16. I love doing my makeup every morning, but I hate doing my hair. 

17. My favorite book is Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion.

18. My favorite movie is Breakfast at Tiffany's

19. I have been shooting film photography for five years. 

20. Getting a roll of film back from the developer is one of my favorite feelings. 

21. As much as I love the city, I also love being outdoors and going on hikes. 

22. My nicknames have ranged from Hannah Bob (thanks Dad), Hannah banana (pretty standard), and Hannah Montana (thanks middle school). 

23. I spend an embarrassing amount of time on Instagram (especially Instagram stories) and Pinterest. 

24. I hate running with a passion but will happily swim several miles. 

25. Writing is my greatest passion and the thing that keeps me the most creatively fulfilled.

My Month in Film | July 2017

Overall July has been a pretty amazing month. The month started with a pretty incredible post-graduation trip to Mexico, which was all-in-all the most relaxing vacation I've been on. The rest of the month was pretty exciting too with finishing moving back to San Francisco and getting settled back into city life. I feel like this month flew by and before we know it it's going to be fall.

Walking around downtown with a friend I saw this tiny old building sandwiched between two big buildings, I don't know why it caught my eye so much but I absolutely loved it.

The Castro theatre is one of the best (if not the best) movie theatre in San Francisco. They regularly screen old movies and do sing-a-longs, which people get really involved in. I'm definitely looking forward to going to their screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show around Halloween this year.

Went over to Golden Gate Park with my boyfriend and sister and snapped a shot of Donut World, which is a kind of grimy (but not gross) and super cheap donut shop nestled right in the inner Sunset. It's places like these that remind me that while San Francisco has changed a lot while I've been in college, there are little corners of the city that hopefully will never change.

Went up to the observation deck at the DeYoung Museum after seeing the Summer of Love exhibit. I would definitely recommend seeing the exhibit if you'll be in San Francisco during the summer and it's definitely worth making a trip up to the observation deck afterwards to get some pretty incredible 365 views of the city. 

Wandering around Green Apple Books in the Inner Sunset with my new and beloved leather jacket from Madewell.

Walked down Dolores Street to meet some friends at Dolores Park. I love walking down Dolores during the summer because its one of the few parts of San Francisco where it actually feels like a quintessential California summer with the palm trees and sunshine. 

A gorgeously sunny day at Dolores Park. 

Laying on the grass in Dolores park wearing a very typical "me" outfit: Ray Bans, leather jacket, white tshirt, and Levis. 

I feel like July has been the month of taking walks. Where I went to school there weren't many places to just go and take a nice walk, but now that I'm back in a city where there are tons of great places to take walks I've been taking full advantage of it. This particular walk was out at Land's End on a clear enough day to see the Golden Gate Bridge. 

One of my favorite coffee shops is the Mill, a place where I have been spending a lot of time this month brainstorming content for the blog.

Had a really fun day with one of my best friends wandering around North Beach. All of the juxtaposing architecture is one of my favorite aspects of that neighborhood. 

We also wandered over to Jackson Square, which is right next to North Beach, and is easily one of my favorite neighborhoods. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco and because of it has some really amazing brick buildings that remind me of the West Village in New York. 

All of this foggy weather is making me very excited for Autumn and Winter, especially autumnal clothing.

A Blog Update & Rejig

As of this August I will have been blogging on this site for four years. I started this blog the summer before I left for college, mainly out of boredom since all my friends were on semesters and had left for college a month before I was set to leave. Over those four years this blog has been a space for me discuss whatever I am most interested in at the moment, which has primarily been focused around beauty and makeup. The past few months, as I've been leaving college and moving back to San Francisco, I have realized how much time I want to dedicate to this blog, and now that I am no longer in school I will have more time to do so.

With that said, I have realized that having almost four years of content (albeit sporadic) on this blog has made it feel cluttered and far from focused or streamlined. Overall, the majority of the content on this blog doesn't reflect what I want this space to be anymore. I wrote a post a little over a month ago about how my beauty philosophy has changed, and how I don't get as excited about makeup or beauty nearly as much as I did when I started writing this blog. That's not to say I'm not interested in beauty anymore, its just not my sole interest that I want to discuss on this blog any more. Being in my early twenties and living in San Francisco opens a lot of doors in terms of the type of content I can provide for my readers. I am the most interested in fashion I have been in a few years and have been more and more antsy to share that passion on this space. I also want to show you San Francisco and all of the things I enjoy doing here as a local, which is something I've already started to do with my month in film series. And then there's moving, which I feel like can provide a lot of lifestyle and interiors related content. There will still be beauty content here and there but it will most likely consist of things I'm loving at the moment rather than single product reviews or makeup looks I enjoy wearing. There will be more of a focus on how fashion, lifestyle, interiors, and beauty intertwine with my everyday life, which is inline with the name that I've had for this blog from day one. 

Overall I've come to the conclusion that I need to start fresh on this space so I can really make this feel like my blog again and not like 19 year-old Hannah's blog. I've always valued the advice that you should write a blog that you would want to read, and when I go through my blog archive I don't want to read a lot of the posts I read two or three years ago. That's not to say I hate the old posts on my blog, because I definitely don't. If anything it's more that I don't feel like that content represents where I'm at as a 20-something or what I want this blog to be going forward as I aim to grow it and produce more and higher quality content. I have therefore decided to make the content basically up until the beginning of 2017 private, so I won't be deleting it, it just won't be available to see any more. Who knows, maybe in a few years I'll want that content to be visible again, in which case I will make it view-able to the public again. 

Going along with this whole theme of refreshing this blog I have also moved my blog over from Blogger to Squarespace because I thought it was time for a change in the look of my blog. My blog is still quite minimal looking, but hopefully looks more streamlined and I think is more representative of my personal style at the moment. In the upcoming months I'm going to continue to work on the design of my blog in order to make it the best-looking site it can be (albeit with my limited web design skills). 

I hope that you guys will stick with me through this transition and I am so excited to channel all of my excitement and inspiration towards this blog to make it what I really want it to be both for me and my audience.