Hello you beautiful people. Today were are broaching a difficult topic – when to toss your makeup. Yes, that turquoise eye shadow that you wore that one night because it matched that one outfit and man did you look hot FIVE YEARS AGO probably needs to go. The good news is, I am here for you. Hopefully, my story will give you the courage you need to get real with your makeup inventory.
As I was preparing to write a post on a different topic, I began to carefully examine the contents of my makeup stash and realized some of this stuff was old. Like, many years old. Which got me to thinking about whether it was time to do an end-of-summer cleaning of sorts. Similar to how I felt about medicine, I was under the impression that “expiration” dates on makeup were a ploy by the industry to get us to BUY MOAR.
However, unlike medicine, what you need to consider with makeup is…germs! Icky, sticky, nasty germs. Makeup is used around germ carrying areas like your eyes, nose, and mouth, and its application involves your hands (as opposed to your feet), so the prospect for contamination is high. Regular cleaning of your brushes and not reusing applicators like sponges (do people still use those?) and puffs helps reduce the chances but let’s be real, how often do you remember to do that? Here’s the quick and easy guide:
- Concealer – 12 months.
- Foundation – a water-based foundation will last up to 12 months, oil-based will last up to 18 months.
- Powder/blush – 2 years.
- Eye liner – pencil, up to 3 years (does it ever last that long?); pot/gel – 6 months (if you live in a warmer climate where it dries out, try adding a little Vaseline to it).
- Eyeshadow – up to 3 years.
- Mascara – throw out after 4 months. PRO TIP: If you don’t want your mascara to expire faster than its fresh date, don’t pump the wand in and out – you’re exposing the product to air which dries it out.
- Lip liner – 3 years (you must hate the color and therefore, just go buy more).
- Lipstick – 1-2 years PRO TIP: if it smells rancid, throw it out. It’s spoiled and not in the good way.
- Nail Polish – 12 months, depending on the quality.
- Wash your brushes with a mild soap every 2-3 months to help keep them fresh.
*With respect to eye makeup and applicators/brushes – if you used it around a time when your eyes may have been infected, GAME OVER. Throw everything out and start again*.
There you have it. Before you go, please join me in saying goodbye to the following nearly full 5+ year old containers of:
- i.d. Bare Minerals Powder Foundation in medium tan and dark (the color I wear depends on the season)
- MAC Bronzing Powder in Golden
- MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Lovecrush (not only is it old, but I dare say I shall never have the look of a Robert Palmer girl, again)
- MAC Powder Blush in Honour Frost (why did I have this anyway? It’s the exact same color as my skintone. Did I want to look like I bathed in glitter? Wait a minute. Yes, I did because that was the trend then).
Now for the toughest part – the eye shadows. I love looking at those little pots of bright, vibrant, shimmery colors. Alas, as I will explain in my next post, many of these had to go for more than just age. Those walking the plank:
- Lancome Colour Focus in Sandy Sage and Montage
- MAC Star Violet Deluxe Pearl
- a nearly unused MAC Endless Love Matte
- MAC Antiqued Deluxe Pearl
- MAC Beauty Marked Frost
- two others I couldn’t identify (that’s how old they were).
The only good news is that MAC has a recycling program that allows you to get a free lipstick color of your choice when you bring in six old containers.** I now have two free lipsticks coming to me. I’m sure you’ll get a chance to hear about them in the future.
If I can do it, you can too.
**I once had a professional discount at MAC, hence all that product!