A new season means new trends, tips and colors.  Before adding to your makeup or skin care this season, check out these tips to simplify your cosmetic collection:

Let it go.  When editing your shades, be honest.  Does this still look good on me?  Do I love it?  Have I 
worn it in the past year?  Does it fit my current style?  If not, say goodbye.  When you evaluate your 
cosmetic palette, each shade should make you feel fabulous.  If it’s time for an update, get the opinion 
of a makeup professional.  Foundation should be checked yearly and seasonal updates are a fun pick-

Brush up.  Wash your brushes monthly with an antibacterial soap.  Simply foam some soap in your palm and run the brushes under water with the bristles facing the drain.  Squeeze to remove excess water and lay them flat to dry so that the bristles remain strong.  To freshen them daily, have a brush cleaner handy in your makeup area with a towel.  Simply give a squirt and a swirl after your shades and they will be fresh for the next day.  Brush cleaner is also a quick way to clean foundation off your hands.  For fun, store brushes in a small, colorful flower pot to help them fan and dry.

Think green.  Use magnetic compacts with refillable cartridges to keep everything in one place instead of random color palettes all over your vanity.  Plus, you’ll know that your carbon footprint is smaller with less plastic in landfills.  

Grow and go.  If you add something to your makeup stash, what will you clear out to make room for 
that new purchase?  If you ask that question, you’ll avoid costly impulse purchases and shade mistakes 
that end up in the “cosmetic graveyard.”  Plus, you can ask for samples if you’d like to test a shade for a 
bit before committing.

Expiration Essentials.  Stored at room temperature, most creams without an expiration date are good 
for three years.  Mascara should be safely replaced every three months because of bacterial near the 
eye.  When you get a new mascara, put the expiration date on the label with a sharpie.   Powders are 
safe indefinitely.  Finally, be on the lookout for expirations on acne products, sunscreens and anti-aging 
products with retinol.  You want to be sure that they are fresh for the maximum benefit.

Buried in Treasures:  Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding (Second Edition)
by: David F Tolin, Randy O. Frost, Gail Steketee
Platform: Kindle

This book is written as a self-help manual for folks struggling with hoarding tendencies, their families, and their collaborative team.  Right from the beginning of the book, I was impressed with the author's stance on this topic.  They are sensitive to the use of the term "hoarders, " and are very respectful to their readers.  

Much of the content in the book is research based and not simply observations from the authors.  Several self-assessments are available to the readers to gauge your situation including safety and ADL (Activities of Daily Living).  It is so important to understand the conditions that you are living in.  Remember, if a person struggles with extreme chronic disorganization, it happened progressively and they may not see it like an outsider.  Using these assessments will give them a better understanding.  The authors also use self-assessments to walk you through some of your beliefs and self talk.  Then they give readers strategies for beating hoarding.  Knowing what thoughts are preventing you from making the progress you desire is a very powerful tool.  The focus moves then to mindfulness of your surroundings and visualization, followed by a contract with yourself.  

This book requires work.  It is not a read and then put in to action activity.  The book asks you many, many questions and really gets readers engaged in the process.  I feel pretty strongly that this book can help people overcome their hoarding tendencies.  The book would be a great compliment to working with a therapist on CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.)  I highly suggest this book.

Randy Frost collaborated with Lee Schuer to compile a Facilitator Guide to walk through Buried in Treasures as a Workshop.  I would love to see this take off locally.  I know there is a need for this type of support for my clients.  The format of the workshop is intended to be peer lead, so I am not going to facilitate.  I would be happy to work with a facilitator to get the group started though.  Please let me know if you are interested in working on this project!