My beauty cabinet was complete chaos. So I got an expert to declutter it.

Hi, my name is Kelly and I have a LOT of beauty clutter lurking in my apartment. 

You can’t go anywhere without finding something. Open the fridge and you’ll find an array of face mists or cold creams that haven’t been touched for a good few months. Open the cutlery drawer and a mini hand cream will probably be lurking in there with its forky friends. 

Even my husband Luke’s undie drawer sometimes finds itself the host of some back-up products. 

Suffice to say, I’m a beauty junkie and getting sent things to trial as part of my job sure does exacerbate the situation, much to my delight and my husband’s dismay. I also happen to be ever so slightly addicted to online shopping on beauty websites, but that’s a problem for another day. 

The funny thing is, even though it’s part of ‘my job’, I’m actually not alone when it comes to having a hell of a lot of beauty clutter. According to a recent survey by beauty brand Palmer’s, 43 per cent of women buy beauty products because they ‘look pretty’, which couldn’t ring more true, given my penchant towards anything shiny, sparkly or bougie looking (I was 100 per cent a magpie in a former life). But 72 per cent of women don’t even know what their product bloody well does, and a huge 83 per cent just want products to do what they dang well say they’ll do. Because really, there’s nothing more annoying than seeing a lovely and promising ad for a new product, going out and splashing your hard-earned cash on it, only for it to basically be a glorified dollar-store product with nicer packaging and lovelier smells. 

Recently, I had the pleasure of inviting Anita Birges into my home. She’s a professional declutter person and organising lass (I’m sure her CV has something far more eloquent on it), like the type you see in movies. There’s a reason she’s been dubbed the ‘Declutter Queen’.

Kelly and Anita, before. Image: Supplied.

 Anita, who runs a professional organising and property styling business called Mise En Place in Sydney, basically came in and made me really rethink the way I store my beauty products and better yet, helped me get rid of some that I’ve really only kept for their pretty bottles (like I said, magpie), leaving only hard-working, effective formulas that actually work.

"It’s almost like those things inside are calling out for help because it’s like cluttered chaos and we need to install a sense of calm in there," Anita said, gazing at my beautiful mess of a cabinet. 

Watch the video to see how she worked her magic: 

Anita’s decluttering technique sounds simple at first, but gosh it was hard:

1. Get EVERYTHING out of the cupboard. 

2. Divide into three sections: 

Rubbish – check the expiry dates on everything, you’ll be surprised how much is not useable. 

Keep – Ask yourself ‘Do you need it, use it, want it?’ 

Donate – What can be given to a charity, such as Share The Dignity for women in crisis? 

Kelly and Anita, after. Image: Supplied.

Another tip spoke to my soul: find the formula that works for you. Anita is associated with Palmer’s, so she left a bunch of their most popular beauty products for me to try as she knew I was keen on finding formulas that actually just did what they say they would. 

I was super keen on giving them a red-hot go, as they’re formulated with gorgeous natural ingredients and are a super trusted brand – the OG Cocoa Butter moisturiser was one of the first I ever owned as a wee teen. 

I tried the lot of them and have narrowed it down to my fave products from the range and anyone who knows what I love from my weekly You Beauty recommendations, won’t be at all surprised…

Some of Kelly's favourites. Image: Supplied.

 

Original Cocoa Butter Formula 

What they say: 

The original and iconic Cocoa Butter Formula. It’s a multipurpose multitasker that is a must-have in your beauty collection. 

What I say: 

An actual game-changer for all my self-tan lovers out there. Not the intended purpose (go look here at all the other uses it has), but my WORD it coats and protects my dry areas like nothing else; reducing that crusty feral tan build up us dry-skinned folk get on unfortunate areas like our knees. 

Coconut Oil Body Oil 

What they say: 

A light, quickly absorbed oil that restores skins natural oil balance and gives an overall healthy glow. Nourishes deeply yet absorbs quickly, without leaving a greasy residue. The metered-pump bottle makes it easy to apply and perfect for travel. 

What I say: 

As Justin Bieber would say, sweet Jesus of YUMMY. This body oil is the stuff of coconut dreams and even just using it a few times per week has seen my skin look smoother and feeling more hydrated. Plus… the smell, I mean guys I just can’t, I want to DRINK it. 

Coconut Oil Deep Conditioning Protein Pack

What they say: 

An intensive moisturising treatment to strengthen and repair dry, damaged hair. With natural Coconut Oil, Tahitian Monoi Oil, Vitamin E, Keratin Protein, Silk Proteins and Coconut Milk. 

What I say: 

This product both smells and feels like a holiday for your hair. Loaded with all the good stuff promised on the packaging, I like to leave one of these bad boys in while I sleep so I wake up with SUPER nourished hair. 

So there you have it, I found formulas that actually work within the Palmer’s range and myself and my decluttered beauty cupboard couldn’t be happier. Or smoother. Or more hydrated. Or more coconutty. 

I recommend doing the same thing, ladies and gents, as it’s not just my cupboard that feels better, my mind does too (and ohmygod that sounds woo-woo but I don’t care). Namaste.