Spring Clean Your Makeup

[Plum Pea Dahl {★}]

It's that time of year when we declutter our house and make everything spic n span!  Well, that should include your makeup bag.  Here are some guidelines on when you should throw away your makeup already!  Excerpted from Health Magazine.

 

Mascara

Average life span:  four to six months. 

Switch out your mascara every four to six months or as soon as it starts smelling funky (think: burning plastic) and depositing more clumps than color.  Take no chances with eye products - germ-ridden formulas can cause infections and sties.

 

Eyeliners

Average life span:  one year

Immediately part ways with your pencil liner if the tip starts oozing an oily substance or forms a white film.  hang on to liquid liners for no more than six months, and dupm them sooner if they thicken or smell like decaying roses.

 

Foundation

Average life span:  one year

Most formulas - liquids, creams, and compacts - can last up to a year if kept out of direct sunlight and away from heaters.  But once your liquid starts to separate, your cream thickens, or your compact color develops a rubbery aroma, it's time to toss it.

 

Concealer

Average life span:  one year

If you use a pan or stick formula, you'll know it's gone bad when it cracks or turns tough and elastic-like.  It's time to thorw out your liquid concealer if it separates, appears oily, and/or smells rancid.

 

Blush and Eye Shadow

Average life span:  one to two years

Expect creams to last one year, powders about two.  If your powder grows a white crust or starts to crumble before that time, chuck it.

 

Lipstick

Average life span:  eight months

Unless it turns gooey, smells rubbery, or no loner applies to your lips, you can safely use lipstick for at least eight months.  Of course, if lipstick comes into contact with a cold sore or another type of infection, kiss it goodbye.

 

Makeup Brushes

Average life span:  a year or longer

Natural-hair brushes - the ones you use for powdered products - can last almost a lifetime, if taken care of.  Waash them once a week with gentle soap and warm water, and then set them on a table to dry with the brush end hanging off the edge.  Synthetic brushes, used for creams, last only about a year and need to be cleaned at least twice a week with an alcohol-based cleaner.  Toss when they start shedding, become rigid, or stop applying color evenly.

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Tell the truth, are you harboring "vintage" makeup in your bag?  Is there a lipstick or mascara that you just can't bear to part with?  I have to admit, I'm holding on to some eyeshadow that prolly should have been thrown away in 2008!  :)  But I'm gonna de-clutter my Caboodle this weekend, I swear!

[Roxy Tart {PL Team / Comm. Mgr}]

First things first, I love the pictures you used with this! Barbie and Nina flowers in one post, awesome!!

I have to say though, I have never really agreed with the time frames they tell you make up will last, I've never had my stuff be so old that it smells, and I keep my powders for YEARS. I did some investigating a few years ago and found a article (that led to many other articles) saying that these "expiration dates" were created by the cosmetic companies. Guess what, they want you to through stuff out, then you have to buy more! I wish I could find that first article, I'm pretty sure one of them was by the Cosmetic Cop herself, Paula Begoun. So keep that in mind when you are doing your spring cleaning. If it looks good, smells good, works well, and you haven't had it since you were a teenager, it's probably ok.

[Naughty Nymphadora]

I'm even more zealous in cleaning out my make-up then the dates above. One too many breakouts or cases of pink eye from make-up gone bad.

[Harlean Carpenter {★}]

So glad the mention of really good brushes lasting a lifetime was included, because I still have a set that I got when I started learning stage makeup back in 1980 ;)

I'm with Roxy on this one, a lot of those time-frames are manufactured simply to get women to buy makeup more often. The only specific sign that a product has gone bad that I have to argue with is pencils showing a white film needing to be thrown away.  If the pencil contains shea or cocoa butter, that white film may be nothing more than blooming due to temperature fluctuations, same as what happens to chocolate.  If you sharpen it and the film goes away, the pencil is usually all right.  If the white film goes all the way through, yes, throw it away.

That being said though, it still is a really good idea to do a Spring cleaning on makeup, thanks for the reminder :)

Roxy Tart {Madam} said:

First things first, I love the pictures you used with this! Barbie and Nina flowers in one post, awesome!!

I have to say though, I have never really agreed with the time frames they tell you make up will last, I've never had my stuff be so old that it smells, and I keep my powders for YEARS. I did some investigating a few years ago and found a article (that led to many other articles) saying that these "expiration dates" were created by the cosmetic companies. Guess what, they want you to through stuff out, then you have to buy more! I wish I could find that first article, I'm pretty sure one of them was by the Cosmetic Cop herself, Paula Begoun. So keep that in mind when you are doing your spring cleaning. If it looks good, smells good, works well, and you haven't had it since you were a teenager, it's probably ok.

[Naughty Nymphadora]

about the only thing I throw away that hasn't been used up is eyeshadow. Mainly because I buy something and USE it, other then some eyeshadows that I buy to go with costumes. I tend towards good basics and use them pretty much daily. However I have had horrible breakouts from older cosmetics, mostly when I was younger and just bought tons of colors of everything and it would sit for years. I'm now a lot more careful, nothing like not wanting to leave the house for a couple of weeks because your face is all broke out. My husband teases me because i'm like that with the fridge too. Better safe then sorry.

 

I miss my good brushes, my kids got to them when they were little and ruined them. I got them when I worked at a fancy clothing store when I could get 40% off on them and now the thought of paying to replace them is scary.

[Dollhouse Kitty {★}]

Fabulous post Cherri!  Love all the comments as well!

[Gidget Jo Lee{★}]

my sister and i cleaned out our makeup cases today cause we were bored.

this is goo info to know

[Betty Maraschino {Madam}]

Naughty Nymphadora said:

about the only thing I throw away that hasn't been used up is eyeshadow. Mainly because I buy something and USE it

I'm the same. If I buy any makeup its because its in my daily routine. My makeup doesn't last long enough to get to go off haha!
The only beauty item i buy for the sake of it is nail varnish. Then again I'm never upset when it goes bad because I never pay more than £1-2 for them.

[Buttercup Clothing]

I was taught in cosmo school to toss pencil liners and cream makeups that were 1 year old. But that powders would last much longer. 

 

and Naughty  I feel your pain in regards to the good brushes. I left mine out and left the house in a hurry and the puppy got em. :(

[Plum Pea Dahl {★}]

You have a good point, Roxy, about the cosmetics companies telling consumers to chuck their stuff and buy more.  Of course, these are only guidelines, not hard and fast rules.  I have no problem tossing mascara after three or four months.  By that time, it starts to get thick and clumpy anyway.  And I would just rather not even take a chance with some kind of irritation or infection.

[emamatic 8.0]

Oh man, I've been hoarding eye shadows, highlighters and lip glosses for ages! Ok know it can be bad but I can't seem to part with some things! 

[Cupcake Terror]

I have never had anything "go bad" on me as I always use the hell out of my makeup. The only thing that I have had to throw away are the pieces that have just a little bit left. Though I do try and save the containers for other make up uses.

 

The expiration date thing has to be a cosmetics corp thing... I don't have the money to spend on make up every single year. The good stuff is expensive and personal experience has dictated that I don't need to throw it out when "they" say I should

 

Good post though.

[Naughty Nymphadora]

i don't really think it is a cosmetic company thing, when I got a stye the first thing the dr asked was the age of my eye makeup. I had just used some old eyeshadow. Any sort of cosmetics, lotions, perfumes CAN go bad. If your lucky your skin isn't sensitive to it others like me get horrible reactions to it (my mom does too, once she used some older perfumed powder all over her body and the rash was nasty) makeup that is made from more natural ingredients will go bad faster, but are better for your skin.

 

But in the long run no one is forcing anyone to get rid of their older makeup these are just guidelines :)