It’s the first month of the year and that means it’s time for all those New Year’s resolutions. One of my resolutions for 2015 is to get better control over my makeup collection. I have so many things that I either don’t use or that have expired that I really need to get rid of. I’m going to share with you not only about makeup expiration, and what can happen if you use makeup past that expiration, but ways that you can avoid just wasting all that money.

Makeup Expiration

Mascara

Mascara is not only the most finicky when it comes to expiration dates but it also the most dangerous if you go past that date. Mascara should only be kept for 2 – 3 months, you’ll know the right toss date when it starts to get clumpy or starts to smell different. As soon as you notice either of these toss that mascara because not only can it cause irritation but it can also cause pink eye!

Foundation

How long you can keep foundation around for depends completely on the brand. It usually ranges from about 6 months to a year though. For foundation you can tell when you need to get rid of it when it starts to separate and the color becomes a bit off. You can help your foundation to get to that 6 month or one year mark by not storing it in humid or hot places. That being said, if you reach that one year mark and neither of these things have happened you still need to throw it away as a liquid foundation can be a perfect spot for bacteria to breed.

Lipstick

Lipsticks are probably one of the least finicky of makeup products. They not only last the longest overall but you can usually get more kick out of them if you care for them correctly. To know when to throw away your lipstick look for streakiness that wasn’t there before or a weird scent. One way to make that two year mark is to make sure NOT to use your lipstick when you’re sick as that can keep dangerous germs around. If you must use your lipstick when you’re stick keep some disposable makeup wands around and sanitize your lipstick before and after you use it with the wands.

Nail Polish

Nail polish is another one that it depends on the brand and the ingredients. What you’re looking for when it comes to your nail polish is a change of texture and extreme separation. You’re going to naturally get some separation from nonuse, however, that should go away with a few shakes of the bottle, when it doesn’t it’s time to throw away that polish.

Tips to Avoid Wasting Money

The first thing to note is to NEVER share mascara with another person. If you try a mascara once and find that you don’t like it, unless you use a disposable mascara wand the first time, there’s not much that you can do about it. However, with all the other makeup that I mentioned above there are things you can do.

• Donate any lightly used and sanitized items to a local women’s shelter (contact your local one for their specific rules and regulations.
• Give your foundation and nail products that don’t go with your skin tone to a friend or family member who may like them.
• If you’re unable to swatch a product in the store make sure to ask about their return policy before purchasing. A lot of times stores will allow you to return an item that you used once and realized it wasn’t a match for the correct color match.

Hopefully this will help you keep your makeup collection contained and avoid any breakouts and irritation that may occur from using expired makeup.