Post Purge: The Carnage

So I think it's time to admit that you have a makeup addiction when your 'to toss' pile becomes larger than most people's collections. I went through my stash and tried to be as ruthless as possible in attempt to declutter and, undoubtedly, make room for new makeup! Yes, there's Armani in there. And Becca. And Chanel. And Julie Hewett. Like I said, I was trying to be ruthless!
What I've learned:

• I should never buy drugstore makeup. Almost every drugstore item I had ended up getting trashed. I'm not sure if it's because I couldn't try the items beforehand and so they weren't quite perfect, or if they just seemed expendable to be because they cost less and I had an easier time letting go. Either way, it's money wasted since the products are headed to the garbage. No more CVS "cheap fixes" trips now matter how much Allure lauds an item or how long the wait is at the pharmacy counter.
• No more buying makeup because it's on sale. When Sephora cleared out Becca I bought a ridiculous amount of product. As in I went to 4 separate Sephoras and could have opened my own Becca counter afterward. Many of the items were tossed long ago, but some remained taking up space, collecting dust because I thought they'd come in useful some rainy day or just couldn't bare to throw them out because they were such a "great deal." Their day has come. Bye bye opalescent liquid with sunscreen. So long gray-green face shimmer! That Armani blush and eye shadow you see? Sale buys. Ditto the Julie Hewett.
  
• Just because the product looks great on an airbrushed model in a magazine or a color is heralded as the "next big thing" does not mean that they are right for me. Sure the fuchsia Chanel lipstick looked great in Elle, but the model was 17 with flawless skin and the shade was airbrushed to be just right. If the credits were even being honest about what product was actually used. And those vampy berry lipsticks I'm getting rid of? NOT for very full lips! My lips entered a room 10 seconds before I did!
  
• No more minerals. I went through a Bare Escentuals phase because their Upper East Side boutique was so tempting! Hundreds of pots of open sparkly color! Free pastries on Sunday! I amassed an embarrassing number of the aforementioned sparkly pots of color, and they sat untouched. I decided to decant them into stackable containers thinking I'd be more inclined to use them if they were more accessible. I wasn't. I didn't. They are beautiful but so messy, especially when I'm trying to get ready for work and haven't had caffeine yet!
• And finally--and I realize this is probably sacrilege--I just don't use Gift with Purchase (GWP) items. I'm sure Estee Lauder just rolled over in her grave. The bag would have 5 more GWP items in it if I hadn't used them for Sephora's Cash for Clunkers today. The Benefit Creaseless Cream and Lipstick were Sephora gifts with purchase. I never would have chosen those shades if I had to pay for them, and haven't opted to wear them since they arrived. Let's not even talk about the products I purchased that I didn't need just to qualify for GWPs filled with products I never use!
  

Have you purged lately? What are you getting rid of? Have you learned anything through the process? Share your epiphanies!