When to Change Your Make-Up . . . .
Posted by Amy Chan on
. . . It won’t last forever you know.
Admit it, every lady has a supply of makeup she’s keeping for a special occasion or that “just in case” moment, that she used once (four or five years ago at 1970’s party) and might want to use again in the future . . . you never know when the look will be mainstream again.
The problem is that make-up and other beauty products do not last forever, they all have a shelf life and should be replaced periodically to make sure that they won’t cause a nasty rash, itch or infection.
I’ve put together a string of “when it’s time to change your make-up” estimates but estimates is the key word here – although some experts say that using mascara which is past its sell by date can make you blind I’ve never yet come across anyone who has . . . or who knows of anyone else who has been blinded by their aging mascara.
Concealers – have a shelf life of around 12 months, but if you’re anything like me your concealer won’t get the chance to last half of that time.
Face Powder – will last for a couple of years although if you don’t keep your sponges nice and clean it will go hard much sooner than that and quickly become impossible to use.
Cleansers – whether you prefer to use cream cleansers or gel cleansers the shelf life is the same – about one year.
Eye Liner Pencils – can last for 3 years so that’s good news. Keep your pencils nicely sharpened and set the color with a touch of eye shadow powder so that it will last the whole day – crikey I’ve slipped into something completely different. Back to the shelf life . . .
Eyeshadows – will also last for around 3 years so you really can hold on to that dodgy glittery blue eye shadow from the “Back to the 1970’s” party, at least for a while.
Sponges – should be washed every week and still replaced every month. Using an old, dirty sponge is much worse than using make-up which is just a little past its “best before date”.
Foundation – there are two basic types of foundation, one is water based which will last up to a year and one is oil based which will last longer, maybe a year and a half. Many people have difficulty in finding the right foundation for their skin which is naturally darker in summer and lighter in the winter – so buy two! Oil based foundations need to be shaken before use to mix in the oils.
Lipstick – will apparently last anywhere between a year and four although I reckon my old Aunt Mary used the same lipstick for around 40 years – twice a year at Christmas and Easter. Lipstick will last longer if it is stored in the fridge and if it does start to smell rancid throw it away and treat yourself to a new one.
Mascara – is the major culprit with the shortest shelf life and should be replaced around every four months, forget what I said earlier about not going blind . . . is it really worth the risk?