When Things Get Funky: Expiration Dates

Do you ever look in the bottom of your makeup bag/handbag/medicine cabinet and think how did all this stuff get here? Well today was that day for me. As a beauty blogger, I'm often making makeup purchases here and there... which adds up to a huge amount of products not getting the love they deserve. First off, cosmetics have an expiry date, so if you haven't been getting use out of a product, it's best to pass it off to someone else who will hopefully get use of it before it goes bad. And if you happen to be using the same mascara for 2 years... it's time to chuck it out and get a new one. Here's a little guideline of knowing when it's time to throw out cosmetics:

Mascara- It's good for 3 months. After that, throw it away! It's wet and spends time up close and personal with the eyeballs. It's the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and could result in some nasty irritation/infections if used for too long. I've been sticking to this rule for the past year. If at any time your mascara starts to smell funky, definitely chuck it out.

Cream Blush/Eyeshadow- Can last 12-18 months. I've recently started using my older cream products in an attempt to use them up before they go bad. Any product that you put your fingers in on a daily business will be quick to fill up with yucky bacteria. Make sure to wash your hands before placing your fingers into a cream products or use a clean brush with each use. I'll be giving away my Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pale Pink and Clinique Chubby Eye Tint in Whopping Willow as they have not met the expiration date but could get some loving from someone else.

Liquid Liner- Up to 6 months. Luckily most liquid liners dry up in that amount of time, which will force you to purchase another. For this reason, I would recommend using drugstore liners which are more affordable to repurchase.

Liquid Concealer/ Foundation- These can last up to one year. Exposing your foundation to air can make it oxidize and change color so make sure to screw the cap on tightly after each use. Pumps on foundations are a great way to prevent this and also fix the problem of sticking dirty fingers into the foundation bottle each day. To keep concealers in check, I recommend having one or two at a time so you can use them up completely within 12 months.

Lipstick- Up to one year. I find this rule hard to follow as it takes me a while to use up a lipstick entirely. Recently I've tried to use up some of my lipsticks that are more than halfway gone. Lipsticks that I've only used once or twice I tend to pass on to someone else who may get some more use out of them.

Lipgloss- Can last from 18-24 months, which I think is pretty good considering it's a gloopy product used on the mouth. I try to limit the amount of lip glosses I buy, knowing that I will never use them all up before they go bad.

Powders (Eyeshadow, Blush, Pressed/Loose Powder)- Can last up to 2 years. Something to consider if you own enough eyeshadow to last 4 lifetimes.

Pencil Eyeliners- Can last up to 2 years. I think that sharpening them is a good way to keep them clean. Again, I try to have one pencil in each color rather than owning 5 black eyeliners.

Do you follow makeup expiration guidelines? I try my best to stick with it but there are some products that I just can't let go of. Pictured above are the products that didn't make the cut in my collection that will be finding new owners very soon. If you have products that don't get much love and are within the expiration dates, I encourage you to pass them on to friends and family!

Thanks for reading!