How To Refresh Your Makeup Collection

Last updated on : June 27 2021

Start By Looking Over the Whole Collection

The first step is to gather all of your makeup.

Gather up everything; the backups you keep under the sink, the travel size mascaras for trips, even the products that you keep in your purse.

Remember that sample size red lipstick you keep in your travel bag for emergencies? Put that in the growing pile too.

Gathering up everything will help you figure out what you use the most and the stuff that you haven't used at all.

Once you can see everything, you can start making piles for things to keep, donate to a friend or things you should throw away. Make a pile for broken items, but still usable like a cracked blush or anything with a damaged case.

Assessing your whole collection is a great way to find products you never use, like that glittery liquid eyeliner so that you can come up with ideas for new makeup looks when you’re feeling creative.

Get Rid of Expired Makeup

This step can be hard if you can’t remember when you purchased a product.

An excellent hack is to write the date of when you opened it on the bottom. While you’re sorting everything, you can grab a sharpie and start marking the month and year.

That way, next time, this process will be much easier.

If you’re unsure of when you bought some of your products, look at the overall appearance. Has the color, texture, or even the smell changed? It doesn't need to smell like perfume, but if it doesn't smell fresh, then it’s time to get rid of that product. 

Discarding old product is especially important for products that are used closest to your eyes because they’re sensitive. The thinner skin around your eyes makes it more susceptible to irritation and aging.

Items like mascara, eye creams, eyeliner, and eye shadow will have a much shorter shelf life than other products used on your face like setting powder.

Here’s a quick rundown of expiration dates for different products:

• Your foundation should only be used for six months to a year after opening. Some foundations can start separating if they’re expired as well. Keep germs out of the bottle by dripping some onto the back of your hand. You’ll have better control over your foundation coverage too.
• Your lip products, like lipstick, lip liner, and gloss, have a shelf life of 1 year too. Of course, a lot of beauty gurus keep using them long after that. Keep an eye on the texture, if the gloss is getting tacky like glue then you need to toss it. Keep your lippies in a cool, dry place so they’ll last longer.
• Your mascara, liquid eyeliner, and eye shadows all need to be replaced every 3 to 6 months.
• Blushes can last up to 2 years. 
• Three to five years is the average shelf life for most perfumes and fragrances. Check these to ensure you smell seductive on your next date. 

Reorganize

To reorganize, start by grouping your beauty products by how often you use them.

Storing your daily beauty essentials in easy to reach places will make your day brighter right from the beginning.

Create a space on your vanity or in the bathroom with all of your daily basics. This way, you never have to go looking for them.

By choosing a basket or acrylic organizers, your skincare and everyday beauty routine will be simple to complete. No more skipping your nightly vitamin C serum or digging for your mascara in your purse while you’re getting ready for work. You’ll never have to skip your skincare routine because of time.

The rest of your beauty collection can be stored by product so that you can easily find any blush or lipstick you need.

Using clear storage containers that double as displays is both practical and pretty. You can store all of your shades of lipstick without shoving everything under your bed or in a closet, being unable to use them.

By prioritizing storage and presentation, you’ll be able to use every shade of blush or lip gloss you own.

How you wish to organize will depend on the color scheme and decor of your room. You can find organizers, drawers, and even trays to go on top of your vanity, which is perfect for storing and displaying perfume bottles.

Save Anything with Broken Packaging

After many trips in your purse and then vacations, you may have noticed that your blush or eye shadow has cracked and you’re tempted to throw it out.

Well, now, you don’t have to. If any of your keeper products are just a little worse for wear, then you can save them and give them a new home.

By relocating your damaged products into new packaging, you can save a little extra cash. Any item with glass packaging isn’t worth saving. If it’s smashed or fell, the glass could have mixed into the product, so it’s unusable. Your skin will thank you.

For cracked powders, like blushes, eye shadows, or highlighters, the fix is pretty simple. If you dropped an eye shadow palette, then assess the damage and try to brush away any excess powder that fell out of the product pans. If there is only one significant crack, then you can gently push down the remaining eye shadow until there is no crack.

If you want to get more crafty, then you can relocate to a new container. You will need to chop up the powder into fine dust then add rubbing alcohol. Place the newly mixed product back into the container you choose and let dry.

Your blush or highlighter will be like new.

Buy the New Products You’ve Been Eyeing.

After assessing your collection and getting rid of everything expired, you can purchase anything that you’ve been eyeing.

Go to your favorite beauty store and get that new eye shadow palette you’ve been thinking about all this time. This one has the right mix of unique shades for the summer and neutrals to use year-round.

Also, during the summer months, it’s essential to wear sunscreen on your body and your face. Finding a great moisturizer with SPF is a great idea even if you’re wearing makeup.

Wearing sunscreen daily, even when it’s cloudy, will prevent sun damage and aging skin. Keep an eye out for one that’s hydrating and lightweight- perfect for under your makeup.

Clean Your Tools

If you use makeup every day or have tools for applying your in-depth skincare routine, then you need to clean them.

If you’re using your finger, no judgment, but wash your hands before applying eye shadow or a face mask.

Your brushes and beauty sponges can buildup with makeup, dead skin cells, and even oils from your face. By cleaning them, you can prevent breakouts and irritation while applying your makeup.

For brushes used for eye shadow and lipstick application, it may be essential to clean them more often. If you love to try new shades and create gorgeous looks with different colors, then you will need to clean your brushes regularly.

Washing your makeup sponge and brushes will help with a flawless application and blending for airbrushed skin and an evening smokey eye look.

Read More - Best Eyeshadows to Match Your Eye Color

Tips On How To Clean Effectively

Although there is a wide variety of soaps specifically created for beauty blenders and premium makeup brushes, there is an option that’s probably in your home right now.

You can use dish soap formulated for sensitive skin to clean your beauty tools.

Here are the instructions for easy cleaning:

fill a cup with some warm water along with a few drops of soap.

Swirl the brush in the soapy water to remove the product and oil buildup.

Rinse the bristles in clean water until it is clear.

Your foundation brush or beauty blender will likely be very muddy the first time so it may be necessary to swirl and rinse several times.

Pat the bristles until with a towel and lay flat to dry.

To preserve your tools, don’t leave your brushes to dry standing up. Lay them flat to prevent water from leaking into the base of the bristles, which could damage them.

Now the question is, how often should you clean your beauty tools? Once or twice a month is a perfect timeframe.

On this schedule, your brushes will be clean so that you can flawlessly apply concealer and highlighter without worrying about breakouts.

Summary

With some care and forethought, it's easy to refresh your makeup collection. Collect everything in one place, check for broken and expired pieces, clean or replace as necessary.

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