Guilty of toting around practically your entire makeup collection in a cluttered makeup pouch that never leaves your side?  Who hasn't been?  A girl never knows when she might need that turquoise eyeliner right?  Wrong!  Now we love to have our favorite go-to color handy in our back pocket too, but there are definite ways to minimize the contents of your makeup bag for a more effective, more beautiful makeup regime.  And here's how.  Read below to learn a few makeup bag techniques that can help you de-clutter and reboot your pretty.

Don't supersize - Go for the travel size!  Mini deodorants, mini wipes, lotions, and pint size lip balms are just as effective and more inexpensive.  After you prep your look and head out the door, take the smaller version of your essential products with you as a better backup. Your favorite pocketbook shoulder will thank you! 

The 1:1 ratio - Think of your makeup bag as precious real estate.  There is only room for so much.  Choose one lip liner for one lipstick, one eyeliner for one mascara, one bronzer for one pressed powder, and so on. With this makeup math, you're more likely to switch out your shades more often, rotating your collection.  Don't you just love when you discover a shade you forgot you had?

Change with the season - It's practically summer, so get rid of the deeper, darker pigments of lip color, eye shadows, and paler foundations. We know it feels good to have a random assortment of makeup color choices on your hands, but you'll never wear that oxblood red lipstick again until October.  Give your fall and winter shades the summer off in your currently spacious makeup draw.

Think inside of the box - It's so tempting to choose the biggest makeup bag we can find. Pockets, endless zippers, and countless compartments are what tempt us to fill every nook and cranny. But leave the big makeup bags for trips, vacations, and events. For your everyday on-the-go beauty needs, opt for a smaller makeup pouch that can fit in the palm of your hand. You won't have to worry about rummaging through products you never use to find the ones you actually need.

Spring clean all year long - And don't forget that makeup has an expiration date. Keep foundations, blush and concealer 6-12 months, lip and nail colors 1 year, eyeliner 18 months, mascara every 3 months, and clean brushes every 2 weeks.  Anything older than its designated shelf life, and it's time to clean house.

How is your makeup bag looking these days?  In need of a tidying up?  Let us know how you manage your beauty bag in the comments section below.