The goal of any routine that we consciously adhere to and choose to keep in our lives is to simplify the rest of our lives and free up energy to focus on those events, activities, people and projects that need our mind’s full attention, functioning at its optimum level.

As was shared in episode #110 , our daily energy levels are finite, as is our time, and knowing we are tending well to our beauty routine, similar to our health and wardrobe, is to put the cards in our favor to feel our most confident as we go about our daily lives.

Now it may sound frivilous to worry about our beauty routine; after all, there are more pressing issues that need our attention, but that is exactly the point. There ARE more pressing issues not only in our individual lives, but in the world, and when we expend energy unnecessarily on fretting about moisturizing our skin, not running out of our daily make-up products, waxing our brows, etc., etc., we waste small amounts of energy and time that adds up to an abundance that could be better used elsewhere.

So what to do? Create a Beauty Capsule Shopping routine and forget about it.

1.The first step in compiling a beauty capsule shopping routine is to understand what you truly need.

In past posts I have shared the products I use and love, but it took time to discover what worked best with my skin and what were quality products that delivered the results I desired and worth investing in. Some upgrades and adjustments will be made moving forward based on what my skin needs and the environment I find myself, but at this point in my life, I eventually discovered the items I truly did need, and the items that magazines, beauty sites and beauty editors were convinced I should use, but for my needs, they simply exhausted my budget and complicated my routine unnecessarily.

Items to consider for a simple beauty routine:

• Skincare
  • Facial cleanser
  • Facial moisturizer
  • Eye cream
  • Facial masques
  • Sunscreen
  • Lip balm
• Body
  • Body moisturizer
  • Razors
  • Body wash/cream/etc.
  • Bubble bath – we cannot neglect our self-care – 🙂
  • Deodorant
  • Perfume
• Make-up
  • primer
  • concealer
  • tinted moisturizer or foundation
  • eye make-up (liner, shadow, brow shadows, etc.)
  • blush
  • lip (gloss, stick, liner, etc.)
  • cotton balls
  • Q-tips
• Hair
  • shampoo
  • conditioner
  • masques
  • dry shampoo
  • hair style prepping products
• Nails
  • polishes
  • remover
  • pumice stone

2. Create automated replenishing purchases where possible

Last year I wrote a post focused on the 12 Areas in Our Everydays that Can Be Automated: Our beauty products are one such area. Currently, I have a couple of my make-up items (concealer, mascara and tinted moisturizer) on automation, as well as my moisturizer and micellar water for facial cleansing.

With a busy life, the four weeks, two months, six months, flies by before we know it, and we find ourselves staring at an empty moisturizing cream jar, our skin aching to be hydrated and going to bed or going to work feeling as though our face is tight (and not in a good way). Or worse, an empty bottle of [place your must-have beauty/skincare/body item here] in the middle of your extended vacation or out-of-town work conference.

Maybe it is just me, but as my life became fuller and my priorities shifted to more exhilarating and fulfilling aspects of life – chasing my dreams and exploring my curiosities instead of stressing about whether my make-up choices were on trend, for one – I relied upon what I had until it was gone, and then I kicked myself for not planning ahead.

If certain items cannot be automated, take a moment, similar to your car’s regular oil change, to schedule a reminder in your phone or in your planner however-many-weeks-out you will need to place the order in time for the item to arrive before your current bottle/item runs out.

3. Determine the frequency in which you will need to repurchase each necessary beauty item (skincare, body, hair, nails and makeup)

While this too may take some time, as it did me for my moisturizer automation, you can always adjust the duration a product will have to last before your budget and your skin/body/hair/etc. can wait no longer before it needs to be refilled.

4. Buy in larger quantities to save money

While the pricetag may initially not be what you want to pay if you are considering a few more ounces, examine the cost per ounce, and then examine how long you would have to extend the use of the item to make it a budget-saving purchase.

Case-in-point, I recently discovered that I would be saving money buying two ounces of my facial moisturizer, so long as I extended it to last three months instead of the one ounce which typically would last for six to seven weeks.

5. Save money where and when you can

During certain times of the year, our must-have products will go on sale. This is a worthwhile time to buy multiples of what you typically buy one at a time.

6. Rack up the regular sleep hours

Sticking to a regular sleep routine and finding 7-9 hours of sleep each night is the most inexpensive and habitual way to maximize not only your beauty regimen, but your mind and fitness regimen, thus your overall well-being as well. When all of these aspects of our lives are working at their optimal level, our daily lives are elevated as our interactions are more intentional and positive, our ideas and problem-solving skills are swift and rational, and our emotions are kept in check and not reactionary.

The goal of establishing a beauty capsule shopping routine is to free your mind of unnecessary clutter so that it can focus on elevating your life. When your mind is free, opportunities can be seen more clearly, decisions can be made with more confidence and ideas begin to introduce themselves and we have time to entertain them as potential creative pursuits.

Simplify as much as can be simplified and no more Albert Einstein advised, and in my experience, this is an arena of my life in which, while I understand the power and influence looking my best has on my life, I also recognize that it can be simplified. And in so doing, I can focus on living the life I love to its absolute fullest.

~SIMILAR POSTS/EPISODES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

~Why Not . . . Look and Feel Radiant?

~8 Ways to Create Glowing Skin, episode #13

~8 of My Favorite Skincare Products

~Why Not . . . Frenchify Your Beauty Routine? (Add Micellar Water)