Sort through your Make-up Drawer

This week Angie from The Country Chic Cottage and I are talking about Quick cleaning and organization for the New Year. As someone who loves to craft, it makes sense to delve into cleaning in January, because after the tree, stockings, and other holiday decor come down, cleaning the rest of the house seems to flow in naturally. And since I, like many of you, wear many hats which include crafter, but also mom, wife, chef and chief chauffeur for my family, I prefer that this cleaning happen quickly so I can move on to something else!

Cleaning out the make-up drawer is a much needed chore that, let’s face it, nobody else in the house is ever going to tackle. Here is a quick cheat-sheet to let you know when different types of make-up have passed beyond their freshness window.

Liquid concealer can last up to a year, as long as you are using a clean sponge or applicator each time. If you delve in with your fingers, it is best to toss it after 3 months.

Lip and eye pencils can last several years. Sharpen them before each use to keep germs at bay.

Eyeshadow, and other powders like powdered blush and face powder can last several years as well. Make sure that you are using clean brushes and applicators to extend their life.

Mascara should be tossed after 3 months, or when it starts to go clumpy. Make sure you always have a new tube of mascara around so that you feel fine tossing the old one.

Lipstick can be kept 1-2 years, and will sometimes last longer. If you keep your lipstick refrigerated, it will extend the life of your lipstick.

Any makeup that smells bad or is becoming discolored should be thrown away. And any makeup that has come into contact with illness or infection (like eyeliner or mascara after an eye infection or bout with pink-eye) should be thrown away.

While you’re at it… toss anything you haven’t used in the last year. Chances are if you haven’t used it in 12 months, you’re not going to be using it any time soon… so toss it to make room for something you’ll genuinely enjoy!

Sorting through your makeup with a trash can near by should take you less than 30 minutes… and then you can move on to more crafty fun projects, knowing that you’ve earned a little “me” time!