Let’s talk about makeup! Unlike skincare, we tend to keep it around longer…rolling around in the bottom of our purse and saving our favorites for special occasions.
However, thanks to Spring Cleaning, we can tackle our makeup haul and trim down what needs to go before we replenish our haul (or get more skincare!)
Here are some guidelines for clearing out your beauty products!
Mascara
I like the sample/travel sized mascaras. They are simply easier to hold and nice to keep in my purse. Buy two – one for home and one for your handbag. Eyeko Black Magic is one of my favorites. It does it all – volumizing, lengthening, and drying quickly!
Makeup Primer
Fun fact: Matte makeup primers tend to last longer than the others. Either way, toss the sprays or primers in a tube after 12 months. Keep this stuff around too long and you can say hello to breakouts or infections due to bacteria.
Foundations, Blushes, and Concealers
For powders, (foundations, blushes, and pressed powders) throw away after 18 months. If this stuff gets too old and contaminated, bacteria can seep deeply through the skin and into your blood causing toxic shock or flesh-eating disease. Not kidding.
Eyeliners
The popular liquid liners today have the same lifespan as mascara – 3 months. To be honest, eyebrow and eyeliner pencils you can probably take to your grave as long as you clean the tips with alcohol before each use. Just buy a cute little container for alcohol and keep it next to cotton balls or Q-tips so you won’t forget.
Mold alert! Throw away immediately if you see the tip looking grayish, dull, or white. Remember these beauty items are used close to that water line on the eye rim. Get that eye dirty and you can say hello to a yucky stye when you wake up the next morning!
Eyeshadow
Powder shadows last 2 to 3 years. If you see crumbling, that’s the sign they’re drying out and it’s time to toss (the colors won’t stay on well anyway). Investing in good quality shadows that are heavily pigmented is your best bet.
Liquid shadows have the same life expectancy as liquid foundation – 12 months. Again, with eyes you don’t want to mess around…eye infections are hard to get rid of and unsightly (no pun intended).
Lip Color
After you drag that trash bag of expired products out to the garage, be joyous knowing that guilt free shopping for new luxuries is in your online future. Take heed to buy good quality products, like the ones referenced above. Streamline your choices and focus on quality, not quantity!
