Are you a minimalist? Minimalism seems to be the in thing to do nowadays. There are many resources to help you remove unwanted and unneeded items from your house and life. There are numerous articles about how to reduce clothing items you may not often wear or no longer fit. Having a personal color analysis helps pare down your closet even further by knowing what to keep and what to toss based on your seasonal colors, keeping only those garments that suit you best.

But what about cosmetics? Most of us have cosmetics we rarely wear or don’t use at all but just can’t seem to toss them. Once we have a PCA, it makes it easier; but you still may have more items than you want or need.

Can you simplify? YES. What are the benefits of reducing your cosmetic inventory?

• Less money spent; and when you do spend, it will be on your best colors.
• Less drawer, cosmetic bag, or purse space.
• Easier to pack for traveling – less space and worry about having the right colors with you.
• Less confusion as to what colors to wear with which outfits.

Eye Shadow

The key in choosing eye shadow colors is to keep them neutral: off-whites, beiges, grays, and browns. Neutral shadow colors will accent the eye, never fight with it.

In order to go with everything in your palette, all you need are three neutral eye shadows: a light highlight, a medium contour, and dark accent. Choose colors that are on, or harmonize with, your color fan. Because every person’s coloring is unique and each of us have color preferences within our season, use the shades that you feel suit you best.

Blush and Lipstick/Lip Gloss

Use the reds, plums, corals, terra cottas, maroons, or burgundies in your color fan to help choose your blush and lip colors, keeping in mind some seasons have these colors on other strips than the two or three red strips in the center of the fan. Again, three colors are all that are needed: three blushes and three lip colors. For best results, keep each color very different from the other two, especially lip colors.

 Neutral Seasons: Neutral seasons have some heat movement within their palette. Choose a color from each of the warmer, neutral, and cooler reds.

True Seasons: Even though true seasons don’t have as much heat movement as neutral seasons within their palette, there are still colors that seem to be a tad warmer or cooler. Keep them very different.

That’s it!

To remember how many of each item you need, just think 3-3-3. Three eye shadows, three blushes, and three lip colors. Only 9 items to go with everything in your seasonal palette that gives you the benefits of minimal expense, minimal storage, easy travel, and less guesswork.

In the next couple of weeks, I will be posting examples of color combinations for each season to help with ideas.