Is it time for you to say goodbye to some of your favorite makeup? Here’s a guide to know when to hold them and know when it’s time to say, goodbye old makeup.
There is a good chance you used an expired mascara this morning. We, women, tend to hoard makeup. Buying new but never throwing out the old. It is time to stop that! How long do you keep using your mascara? 4 months, 5 months? Did you know the recommended time to use mascara once it is opened is 3 months?
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Don’t keep makeup in your car. The extreme temperatures make your products go bad more quickly plus in the heat, your lipsticks and eyeliners will melt.
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When using a product that comes in a jar or bottle, always use a cosmetic spatula to transfer the product from the bottle instead of your fingers which can pass bacteria to your products.
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Once you open a new product the time starts ticking away for when you need to get rid of that item. Write the date on the product with a sharpie.
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DO NOT share makeup with anyone! If you let a friend use your makeup give it to them for keeps!
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Keep makeup pencil sharpeners clean so you don’t spread bacteria once you sharpen that pencil.
Face Makeup
When To Say Goodbye: Six Months to 1 Year for liquids; Two Years for Powders
Product Shown #1 Clinique #6 Nars #5 MAC #9 Laura Mercier
Eye & Lip Liners
When To Say Goodbye: (Eyeliner, Eye Brow & Lip Liner) Liquid Eye Liner-Three Months, Pencil Eye Liner and Lip Liner-Six to Eight Months
Product Shown #3 Stila
Mascara
When To Say Goodbye: Three Months or Less! **Please follow this one. An eye infection is horrible.
Product Shown #2 Lancome
Eyeshadow
When To Say Goodbye: Cream Eyeshadow-Six Months Powder Eyeshadow-Two Years
Product Shown #7 Urban Decay
Lipstick
When To Say Goodbye: One to Two Years
Product Shown: #4 Yves Saint Laurent
Nail polish
When To Say Goodbye: 2 to 3 Years or when nail polish has separated and the colors are dark and cloudy.
Product Shown: #8 Nails Inc
With all this information, please use common sense when deciding if your “old” makeup is ok to use. If your lipstick doesn’t smell the same as it did when it was brand new anymore, if your nail polish is separating with a funky color or your lipgloss is gunky, it’s time to say goodbye old makeup!
The best part of clearing out the old makeup? You have a reason to buy more!
Tam Warner Minton
Oh. Shit. I have makeup from years ago! Guess I’ll be cleaning out!
Carol Cassara
I clean out periodically but am way too hesitant to trash oldies that I like. Golly gumdrops, I need to be more disciplined!
roz warren
I know where you got that Golly Gumdrops from.
Tammy
Love this stuff. After recently moving to the desert I’m finding that my makeup just doesn’t last very long. The air is so damn dry and the heat measurable. I tried putting it in the frig but found it way to inconvenient. Crazy. Nail polish is something I hang on to but I often will add a little polish remover to thin it out.
roz warren
I don’t wear any make-up ever but I enjoyed this anyway. It’s fun to read advice that you don’t have to worry about following.
Carolann
Oh my gosh. I’m so guilty of keeping my makeup past the recommended time. I keep is all clean by spraying it with alcohol from time time so I use that as an excuse lol. Thanks for reminding me to do a clean up!
Lisa @ Grandma's Briefs
I once heard a horrendous story from a friend about her sister having an eye infection and the doctor telling her to bring in her mascara to the appointment. He cut open the bottle and showed her the absolute ICK inside that was infecting her eyes. Ever since, I mark the bottom of my mascara with the date I open it and throw it out before it hits three months.
Great advice here! Time to check the other makeup in my bag!
Helene Cohen Bludman
Oh boy. I have a lot of throwing out to do.
Rosemond
yes, makeup gets yucky pretty quickly. it’s hard to remember but definitely love the sharpie tip!
Cathy Lawdanski
Knew about the mascara but not the rest. I have some cream eye shadow that needs to go!
Lois Alter Mark
Time to clean out my makeup – and replace some of the junk with your great recommendations here!
Rebecca Forstadt Olkowski
I’m guilty of sticking my fingers in the jar. Good tip. I also like cream eyeshadow and didn’t realize the expiration was only 6 months.
Cara
This is a great guideline! I try to go through my makeup continuously to make sure what I’m using hasn’t expired. 🙂
Trish Delgado
I am so guilty of makeup hoarding. You are right, I buy new makeup and the old makeup isn’t empty so the frugal gal in me holds onto it to continue using. I better stop that because I am sure they are full of yucky stuff.
Logan
Yep, it’s definitely time to buy new mascara! This is so informative and helpful!
candy
Oh Boy do I need to do some make up tossing. Great to know.
The Southern Thing
This is so good to know. I need to go through all my makeup!
Joanna
Great post! I’m pretty good about throwing away old makeup, but I do keep shadows and lipsticks for the max amount!
Darya
Yikes! I have the opposite problem! I seem to always need more make-up–I find a great make-up and I USE IT UP! I am extremely brand loyal and I just go buy more of my faves/dailies. And in all fairness to me, I have spent enough money in boo-boos and failures that just begged to be thrown away! But you gave me some fun things to peek at the next time I am at Sephora, you know, like, tomorrow ; )
xoxo Darya
Alexis
Great post! I definitley take stock of my makeup every couple months to make sure everything is still fresh and useable. Nothing is worse than finding old dried up makeup when you’re running late for work. I had that happen once, and I definitely learned my lesson.
Jenny
Great tips! I try to clean up my makeup collection at least once a year.
xoxo, Jenny
Lindsay
I am awful at throwing away older makeup, especially eye shadows! I have so many from Mac that I know I need to toss but can’t 🙁 maybe it’s finally time!
Chantal
I never throw out old makeup, I am such a hoarder when it comes to my makeup bag. I know it isn’t the quality it used to be but it was so expensive to just throw away.
Chrystie
I have that same Naked palette and LOVE it!