With spring on the horizon, there is no better time to spring clean your beauty cabinets, seeing as spring is symbolic of new beginnings and fresh starts. Contrary to popular belief, hoarding—which includes that hoarding of beauty products—won’t bring you happiness, but getting rid of it will. It’s time to make space for new products, and rediscovering the products you forgot you had will most likely save you some serious cash.
From one beauty addict to another, you probably have accumulated a pretty healthy beauty collection. But let’s be honest: getting rid of any prized possession is difficult. Here are some tips on how to spring-clean your beauty stash.
If you haven’t used it, chuck it
Whenever I am doing a massive beauty spring clean (it’s always best to just tackle it all at once), I start with all the products I am not using anymore.
Rule number one: if you haven’t reached for it in the last couple of months, then bin it (trust me, you won’t need it in the future). That should decrease your stash right down.
Check expiration dates
Next, start looking at the expiration dates of your products. If anything is more than a year old, you should probably get rid off it. You don’t want expired products near your face, since many ingredients cause skin to react when they have expired.
Drier products like face powders, blush, and bronzers usually have a longer shelf life, typically around three to five years. Liquid foundations and concealers have a shelf life of one year. Here comes the shocker: mascaras and liquid eyeliners tend to have a short shelf life of six months, as they tend to dry out quickly. All skincare are usually good for around a year, but keep an eye on all-natural products. The expiration dates on natural products tend to vary.
Care for your makeup brushes and sponges
Also, a lot of people (including myself) tend to forget about brushes and sponges. You can keep makeup brushes for a long time if you remember to wash them weekly with a gentle formula or face wash. Sponges, like the beauty blender, don’t usually have a long shelf life. It’s recommended that you wash and dry your sponges after use, and replace them every six months.
Just let it go
I know what you’re thinking: there are just some products that you’d hate to get rid off—like that limited edition MAC collection that you are saving to show your grandchildren. Remember, that’s not what spring-cleaning is about. Try to get rid of all the products that you either don’t need anymore (offer them to your friends or family if they are still good) or you shouldn’t be using anymore because you had them for far too long. If it’s taking up a lot of space and you haven’t used it in months, it’s time to let it go.
Author Bio
Zeynab is a London-based beauty and lifestyle blogger.
She has a ridiculously close relationship with lipstick,
which she blogs about frequently over at The Beauty Load.
You can follow her on Twitter @thebeautyload and on
Instagram @thebeautyloadblog.
Read more Beauty articles on ClicheMag.com
Featured image courtesy of FromStoria on Etsy
