50 things I’ve stopped buying since becoming a minimalist: clothes, beauty, makeup & home

Since becoming a minimalist, a lot has changed – I didn’t just declutter a few items and moved on. Instead, minimalism inspired me to keep asking the question: “How much do I really need?” which helped me become more conscious of the environment and my shopping habits.

So here is a list of everything I’ve let go of since embarking on a minimalist journey – for some, I found better replacements, and some I simply let go 😉

10 HOME & LIFESTYLE PRODUCTS I DON’T BUY ANYMORE

1. Glass and window cleaners: store-bought glass cleaners never impressed me with their effectiveness, which prompted me to experiment and try some new DIY solutions. Once I discovered how effective vinegar is on glass, I knew I’m never buying glass cleaners again – I simply mix 50% white vinegar with 50% water, and I use that for all my glass surfaces, including taps and sinks.
2. Fabric softener: a few years ago, I stopped using a fabric softener because I never understood what it does, and I wanted to wash my laundry without it to see if I would miss it at all. The verdict? I don’t. I prefer using a little bit of vinegar, or I use a gentle disinfectant that is combined with a softener, but besides that, I’m good.
3. Disposable straws: I bought a cute set of reusable straws more than four years ago, and that’s when the disposable straw buying habit ended!
4. Disposable feminine hygiene products: I never enjoyed using and buying and throwing away so many products every time that time of the month came. So I tested out other replacements, like period panties and washable pads, and I fell in love- yes, that’s right, I fell in love with reusable period products! They make my life so much easier, I feel better about my footprint on the environment, and I genuinely prefer wearing materials that breathe and move with my body.
5. Magazines: I haven’t bought a magazine in around eight or nine years. First of all, I find gossip magazines very negative, and I try to stay away from them as much as possible. And secondly, with all the information available online (for free), I also don’t see the need to buy magazines for learning purposes.
6. Different variations of the same products: before decluttering, I had multiple versions of the same product – two night creams, three day creams, five different body lotions, four planners, three wallets, five pairs of tweezers, two lemon squeezers, seven umbrellas… You get the picture. I had to decide what version to use each day, which was unnecessarily draining. But now, I only use one product for one specific purpose, which makes my life so much easier.
7. Notebooks and planners: before simplifying my life I was a huge lover of cute notebooks and planners. I would actually go as far as to say they were a bit of my weak spot – if I saw a really cute stylish planner, I bought it, no questions asked. But you can imagine how quickly a planner and notebook collection can pile up with this kind of approach. That’s why I rethought everything I knew about planners, and I found a customisable one. This way, I have only one planner, and all that I have to do is buy some inserts once in a while – that’s it! No more empty notebooks hiding in my drawers to use ‘one day’.
8. Food I don’t want to eat: before becoming a minimalist I had a bad habit of buying food that I would like to eat in the fantasy version of my life, but not in reality. I used to buy all the healthy food because I convinced myself this is how I’m going to eat from now on. Long story short – it all backfired. I had cabinets filled with all the ‘super-healthy foods’ and then I had no wish to cook because I didn’t really love how the meal turned out. But over time, I discovered foods that I genuinely love eating and they’re also healthy, and I also allowed myself to have some other less healthy options as well. This makes my meals nicely balanced, healthy and enjoyable.
9. Cheap trendy pieces: when I was a teenager, I often said: “I would rather have ten cheap bags than one expensive one”. Oh, but the times have changed, and it would be fair to say that I would rather keep one of excellent quality instead of a few that are poor quality. When we need less, we can afford to spend a little more on something to make sure it will last us for years (both style-wise and quality-wise), instead of buying trendy items that we’ll stop using after one season.
10. Items that are unpractical: before minimalism, when I saw something beautiful, I had to have it – even if it was uncomfortable or unpractical. Of course, I then decluttered all of those items, but despite that, I still bought an uncomfortable thing here and there. So I made a promise to myself, which I don’t break even when I’m tempted – and that is never to buy anything that it’s too tight, itchy, uncomfortable, unpractical etc. It’s a great rule to implement!

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12 BEAUTY PRODUCTS I STOPPED BUYING

• Spot treatments: before I embarked on a minimalist journey, I was a huge buyer of spot treatment products! My favourite product was a tea tree roll-on that I used daily – I even took it with me when I was travelling. But after I realised that I could do something to avoid spots altogether, I didn’t need to buy these products anymore. If you’re wondering what I did, let me reveal my two secrets: I stopped touching my face throughout the day with dirty hands (simple, yet very effective!), and then if a spot showed up anyways, I simply let it be; I didn’t squeeze it, or pop it, nothing! These two tricks helped me improve my skin tremendously, so maybe you can try them out as well.
• Anti-cellulite (or fat-loss) creams: we all know what the deal is – they never ever work and are gimmicky products designed to make us think we can actually ‘fix this problem’ in a week or two when in reality, we’ll only see a difference once we make some changes in our lifestyle (sleeping better, eating healthier, drinking enough water, reducing stress etc.), and even than we’ll never get completely rid of it. That’s why I accepted my cellulite, and I don’t fight with my body anymore 😉
• Foot creams: do we need an extra cream just for our feet? My answer is no. I simply use my body lotions and oils, and I apply them to my feet as well. Problem solved!
• Lip scrubs: another gimmicky product if you ask me because we can gently exfoliate lips with a damp cotton towel or by lightly brushing our lips with a toothbrush.
• Shaving cream: because I wax my legs and armpits most of the time, and I’m not all that hairy, shaving cream doesn’t have a spot in my beauty routine. If I do shave my legs when I’m in a hurry, I just use shower gel, which works great.
• Makeup remover wipes: they’re not environmentally friendly, they’re expensive, and I never loved how tingly my skin felt after using them. That’s why I use reusable microfibre makeup towels with some oil and water instead.
• Makeup remover: I used to buy fancy (and expensive) makeup removers that I never enjoyed all that much. That’s why I started experimenting and playing around with 100% natural oils like jojoba or almond oil to break down my makeup. That worked like a charm – my eyes were not stinging anymore, and my makeup completely dissolved. I’ve been using natural oil as a makeup remover for over four years now, and I genuinely enjoy it.
• Cotton rounds: I never thought that something this common would be on my list, but once I discovered washable, reusable cotton rounds, I never looked back. That was around five years ago, and I still love them as much as the first day. Plus, you can make your own cotton rounds if you want, just check some tutorials on YouTube.
• Cotton buds: I replaced my regular cotton buds with reusable ones, and now I’m completely free from buying them in the future. The only exception when I buy disposable bamboo cotton buds is for medical reasons.
• Body self-tanner: I used it a lot while I was living in the UK because I never got the tan that I wanted, but now that I’m back home, I don’t need to use it anymore – it’s much warmer where I live, and I get a natural tan every summer.
• Sheet masks: for me, they never really did anything. I prefer a typical mask that you apply directly to your face. Plus, I’m not too fond of the feeling of a sheet mask on my face – I’m like a zombie walking around a house, hoping the mask doesn’t slide or fall off anywhere. 
• Body scrub: I used to buy one body scrub per month before realising how wasteful and expensive this ‘body scrub habit’ is. I loved the idea of pampering myself and having a special product just for exfoliating, but in all honesty, exfoliating gloves or mitts do a much much better job than any scrub I tested out.

18 CLOTHING ITEMS & ACCESSORIES I STOPPED WEARING AND BUYING

• Leather jackets: even though I love the look on others, I never felt that leather jackets work well with my particular style. I owned six different jackets in the past, but I never wore or bought one since decluttering them four years ago.
• Bomber jackets: this jacket is – again – something I enjoy on others, but on my body, the shape of a bomber jacket doesn’t do much; it makes me look boxy and like the jacket is wearing me, not the other way around.
• Playsuits & jumpsuits: even though I adore this look, I always disliked how inconvenient it is when you have to go to the loo and take the entire thing off – It’s just so unpractical! Plus, I don’t find jumpsuits or playsuits versatile. That’s why I decluttered all of them, and when I want to achieve the same look, I just go for an all-black outfit with my high-waisted shorts or pants.
• Maxi skirts: I started wearing maxi skirts only after moving to the UK because – again – the summers were not as hot. But since coming home, I decluttered my last two maxi skirts, and to be honest, I don’t miss them at all.
• Classic winter hat with a pom: two main reasons I don’t wear or buy them anymore; first, they keep riding up when I wear them, and second, I’m not too fond of the look of them. I prefer a stylish wool hat or a pair of cute earmuffs.
• Vests and gilets: I owned denim vests, faux fur gilets, sporty vests etc. I had quite a good selection, but to be honest, I never loved how I look in them. I felt boxy in them, and I just didn’t enjoy them all that much.
• High heels: I used to love high heels. Love. Love. Love. I wore them all the time, and they were my go-to item when I wanted to feel put together and beautiful. But since I started to pay more attention to how I feel throughout my days, I realised that discomfort took away a lot of joy in daily activities. So now I’m at the point where I don’t buy anything higher than 6cm. I still have two higher pairs from before, but besides that, I live a low heel life. 🙂
• Rain boots: my snow boots, Ugg boots and over-the-knee leather boots give me all the protection (and versatility) that I need when it’s raining outside. That’s why I decluttered my rain boots two years ago, and I don’t miss them at all.
• Pyjamas: after only one night of sleeping without pyjamas (blame it on a heatwave), I realised I prefer sleeping in my bottoms, which prompted me to declutter all of my sleeping tees and pyjamas. That helped me simplify my closet, my future shopping trips, and the best part – there is much less laundry to do!
• V-neck and U-neck cuts: when I was decluttering my clothes and analysing them at the same time, I realised that I don’t enjoy these two cuts on my body type. I don’t find them flattering on me, and I prefer crew neck, boat neck, turtleneck or off-shoulder designs.
• Christmas jumpers: I had only one that I got as a gift, but I never loved wearing it, so I decluttered it a year ago, and now I don’t miss it at all.
• Green coloured clothing: again, when I was doing my decluttering and analysing process for my closet, I realised I don’t enjoy green for my style.
• Yellow coloured clothing: even though I truly enjoy the colour yellow, I just always found it a bit unflattering on me – it washed me out a little bit, and I just didn’t get the pop of colour that I wanted with it. That’s why I prefer pinks, reds and corals for my brighter shades.
• Plaid shirts: I used to own a few in the past, but I mostly wore them tied around my waist because I never loved the vibe that they gave me. My style is a bit more elegant, sporty, and classic, and plaid shirts didn’t give me the desired effect.
• Chokers: I tried this trend a few years back when it was trending, and I never loved how chokers looked on me – I feel that you either have to be very cool or young to rock them, and they didn’t fit in with my aesthetic.
• Statement necklaces: I used to wear statement necklaces all the time, and I had quite an extensive collection of them in my jewellery drawer. But since simplifying my life, I realised I want to have a lot of versatility, and statement necklaces were lacking in that area. So now I just layer my necklaces whenever I want to achieve a statement look and that works great.
• Rings: except for my wedding ring, I don’t wear rings anymore. I decluttered all of my rings three years ago and gave them to my friend, who enjoys wearing them. 

My 2023 updated list of 10 things I stopped wearing:

10 MAKEUP PRODUCTS I STOPPED BUYING

• Lip glosses: I bought my first lip gloss when I was a teenager because everyone around me seemed to love it. But I never enjoyed the consistency because I just don’t like sticky lip products: lip gloss, hair down, and windy day – not the situation I want to be in. So when I started decluttering, I decided to declutter all of my lip glosses, and I never bought or used one since then (and that was around four years ago).
• Liquid lipsticks: for a while, I was a big fan of them – they seemed hassle-free, and they stayed on my lips for a really long time. But the more I wore it, the more I realised I don’t want to put on lipstick and have it on an entire day. I also noticed that when I ate something, the inner part of the lipstick disappeared while the outer part was still intact. That looked very weird, and when I tried to remove the remaining part, I had little luck because it would not budge! That’s the straw that broke the camel’s back, and now I haven’t bought a liquid lipstick in years.
• Face primers: as I’m going through this, you’ll see that some purchases were inspired by YouTube makeup gurus. I used to watch a lot of them in the past, and when you see many different people raving about so many different products, you kind of get sucked into it as well. So a face primer is a prime example of that – pun intended ;). I bought it because I believed it would extend my wear and make my foundation better, but I quickly realised that it was not the case. I purchased five face primers before calling it quits, and since then, I don’t have any plans to repurchase them anymore.
• Setting sprays: beauty gurus inspired this purchase as well, and as with face primers, I didn’t see a difference in my skin. The makeup didn’t last any longer, and the overall look was no different. So after I tested a few best-selling sprays out there, I decided to stop buying them altogether, and I’m pleased I did that.
• Colour correctors: if you watched many makeup tutorials on YouTube, you might remember a trend when everyone was colour-correcting. Now I realise it was just a trend, but back then, I thought it was an essential step to getting your makeup looking great. While colour correcting can be great for specific problems (orange for deep undereye circles, green for redness, etc.), most people don’t need them. That’s why I stopped buying colour-correcting palettes, and I’m doing fine without them.
• Contouring products: when contouring just started to become a thing, I decided to give it a go. For a few months, I contoured my cheekbones, my jaw and even my nose, but after some time, I started disliking the idea of using makeup to reconstruct my face shape – I want makeup to enhance my features, not change them. That’s why I stopped using contouring products, and now I only use bronzer to warm up my face slightly.
• Cream blushes: I first bought them years ago because I heard they create a very natural and subtle look, but I honestly didn’t see a big difference compared to powder blushes after putting them on my face. And then, after I had them in my makeup drawer for a few months, I realised that they completely dried out! That’s something that completely turned me off from cream blushes, and now I simply don’t buy them anymore.
• Cream eyeshadows: I tried cream eyeshadows because I heard you can wear them without an eyeshadow primer, and they stay on all day long. What a dream, right? Wrong. They behaved pretty much the same way as powder eyeshadows do, which meant I still had to use an eye primer – and not only that, I often had to set them with powder eyeshadows to prevent creasing. Needless to say, I’m not a fan of cream eyeshadows, and that’s why I don’t buy them anymore.
• Eyelash curler: I had an eyelash curler in my makeup bag when I was younger, and it’s one of the first makeup items that I bought because I didn’t use a lot of makeup in my teenage years. But when my makeup skills improved, I realised I don’t need them anymore. I don’t have super straight eyelashes, so there is no need for me to curl them – also, I never liked the feeling of putting the curler so close to my eyeballs, haha. 
• Makeup tested on animals: when I started simplifying my life, I also started thinking about where all of the products that I’m buying are coming from, and I made a conscious decision to start buying products that are a bit more natural, eco-friendly and not tested on animals. After doing some research, I found so many amazing makeup cruelty-free brands that I didn’t have a reason to buy makeup tested on animals anymore. I made this decision around five years ago, and I’m super happy about it.

It’s fun to look back to see how much we’ve changed and how little we need in comparison to before.

What are some of the things that you let go of on your decluttering journey? Let me know in the comments down below 🙂

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