Suppose we all had free rein on our acquisitional habits. It would be havoc, chaos! Can you imagine the pack-ratting, the hoarding? Every purse would be bursting with nearly identical pink-brown lipsticks, every sink shuddering under the weight of $100 face creams, every makeup drawer saturated with an assemblage of brightly packaged, but utterly useless products. Oh wait, is that you? [frowns disapprovingly] You really should control yourself, you know.
Let me get something straight here. Minimalism does NOT necessarily equal frugality. If anything, expensive products have more justification in a minimalist's stash than a maximalist's. After all, when you only own one fragrance, surely you can afford to be extravagant, it's not like you're buying a horde of them. Some of us aren't comfortable with, well, only ten lipsticks, much less just one. That's ok too. Minimalism, after all, is subjective. The idea is to pare down your collection so you don't have any wanton products with no use. You know better than I of what you need.
Suppose I had a frivolous stash. Being of a minimalist nature, it might not be overly impressive, perhaps. Nonetheless, if I bought everything that appealed to me, it'd be overwhelming. Furthermore, I doubt that I'd be satisfied. With so many products, it would be extremely difficult to make sure that every shade is perfect beyond imagining. If I unleashed all restrictions on my eyeshadow consumption; it would be boundless, I have no doubt of it. I'd buy out Sonia Kashuk, MAC, Nars, Smashbox, Paula Dorf, Versace, Cargo, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Stila, and Urban Decay. I'm fairly serious, you know.
So what's the trick? How does one know that say, a pure, snowy white eyeshadow, dusted with gold shimmer, is truly unnecessary? Where exactly do you draw the line? It helps to put the idea into a set of rules.
The entire stash consists of holy grails. Don't settle for less than perfection. This, of course, begs the next question. What is perfection? The answer is two-pronged.
The shade must be very complex, very unique. Otherwise, why waste the effort of smooshing your hoard into an organized thing of beauty? Each product is must be worth the effort. It's the least you can ask. In addition, the greater the complexity of a shade, the better suited it is to the task. That is, replacing countless others.
Perfection, in addition to complexity, must be versatile. Opt for products with finely-milled pigment particles, because it will then blend more easily and go on more smoothly. Blendability is key. Also, it should mix well with other colors in your stash. And despite the shade's complexity, you should feel comfortable wearing it everday, with anything. Versatility is key, and it means ease of use, ease of wear, and ability to work well with others. Social skills, if you will. ^_^
Lastly, try not to buy anything that's like something you already have. After all, the whole point to "versatility" and "complexity" is that you won't *need* those extras. No single shade should tread on the "territories" of the others.
It sounds terribly complicated, I know. But imagine if your stash was suddenly very sparse. You were stranded on a desert island, and you're only allowed a limited quantity. The point of these rules is to get as much use out of them asyou possibly can. That sounds like a strategy for saving money, and it is, but in this case, it's space you're trying to save.
So what kind of summation have I come to, after all of this long-windedness? Well, to be frank, none. The size of one's stash is an entirely personal thing. Who's to say what your holy grails might be? If you're paring down, you have to do it very thoughtfully. Throw away, no looking back, all the junk that's truly worthless. Put the things that are good enough, but are not up for repurchase, in close reach. Tread softly, for it is not an easy thing to do. But persevere, it takes time and patience.
I've yet to reach the end of this myself. That, I imagine, is what makes it fun. Tuesday, February 18, 2003 ยป0 comments
