Hello Friends and Costume Addicts,
On Sunday I performed at Setareh’s Hafla Grande and opened my “big” makeup kit to find an amazing assortment of truly old and icky stuff. My little “face case” that I carry in my dance kit has just the essentials, up to date and fresh products that can transform me from plain to performable in minutes.
However – that monster makeup box that lurks on one end of my costume dresser had some seriously scary products in there. Since I had packed up my mini face case, I had virtually abandoned the myriad products that were languishing in my big box. Time for a clean-out!
Makeup gets old, it goes bad and it spoils. There is a life cycle of makeup that starts with it being unpackaged and used until the ideal end date. Unlike the science experiments in the back of the fridge that look foul and smell worse, makeup looses its freshness without notice. Bad makeup can cause blemishes, skin infections, pink eye and worse! So how do you know when it’s safe and when you should toss it?
Makeup should be disposed of based on age, and the general rule of thumb is:
Up To Three Months – Liquids that touch the eye such as liquid eyeliner and mascara
Up To Six Months – Sticks that touch the eye, such as eyeliner pens and pencils.
Up to Two Years – Moist Cosmetics for the rest of your face – foundation, lipstick, cream rouge etc.
Up to Three Years – Dry Products like powder eyeshadow and blush as well as mineral makeup.
Three Years and Beyond – It’s too old to use safely. If you love the packaging – clean it out and clean it up. Save the package as a keepsake in a treasure box or refill with newer products. Never be tempted to try on old makeup out of nostalgia.
Of course, if a product smells funky, has separated, is of unknown life-span, or is just out of style – give it a toss. There’s no use keeping outdated products that take up space or that you inadvertently use past its prime.
So – here is a hot tip I got from the ULTA website. Label your makeup when you open it. Good idea. My solution – Use a dab of nail polish! One dab for each “quarter” of the year, a different color for each year. So – if this year is “orange crush” then I would put four dots of that nail polish in an inconspicuous place on my new product. Middle of next year when I find that item, I will know it was opened in the fourth quarter of the year. Visit this page for more ULTA tips on makeup longevity. For inspirations new ways to apply makeup check out the instructional videos on the Sephora website.
Streamlining my makeup to just the essentials has netted me a savings in both time and money!
Now – off to rescue and clean some makeup brushes, toss some old makeup – monster box – here I come!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
www.davina.us • www.ibexa.com • www.costumersnotes.com
