health & Beauty

What’s in your makeup bag?

By Charlene Louis

MAY 2008

When was the last time you checked what was in your makeup bag? Still have that favorite (now clumpy) mascara from 3 years ago? Has that dated baby blue eye shadow lost its luster? Maybe it’s time to do a little spring cleaning of your bag! Makeup in general has a very short lifespan and even though they do not have “expiration” dates, they can make you sick once they have spoiled! Here is a quick rule of thumb for keeping you makeup in ship shape!

- Mascara is not meant to be kept until it clumps! It should be replaced every 3 months or if it has dried out. Quick tip: If you don’t want your mascara to expire faster than its fresh date, don’t pump the wand in and out -- you’re only exposing the product to drying air!

- Water-based products have a shelf life of about 12 months…oil-based can last about 18 months.

- Powders and eye shadows can last up to two years…but with the speed of fashion trends, it will mostly likely be out of date before that!

- Liners and pencils. As long as they are sharpened regularly, it’s easy to have those last 3+ years!

- Lipsticks, now that’s a tricky one. Many experts say that they can last 1-2 years…some say up to 4. But they all agree on the fact that if it begins to smell rancid, its time to throw it out! Quick tip: Try storing it in the fridge (only if oil based). It will tend to last a bit longer!