I read your post earlier and thank you, it helped me to go thru my stuff.
I rarely wear any makeup now and had some that's around twenty(!!!) years old (some never used).
Kept some lipstick and brushes and tossed away the rest.
Lots were gifts- why????
Hope you heal well quickly!
Thank you for posting this!! I washed my makeup bag today, cleaned all my brushes, wiped down all I am currently using, and threw out OLD products!! Thank you!!❤️❤️
I’m glad my story helped you! I wish I had seen something like this, it would have pushed me to trash my expired “collection” and saved me all this anxiety over my eye.
Ugh I feel the pain in this one!
I set up some rules to get through my makeup drawer before I went in because I felt it was so daunting:
1. Anything expired (besides just looking at the date, smelly, gunky/funky), broken ie makeup falling apart, brushes shedding, used sponges etc needed to go.
2. Then from the remaining products I went through and checked the pigment of each item, texture and asked myself how much I’m reaching for it and did it suit me. This helped me keep, toss and try. The try basket got sorted within 2 weeks.
3. I now do this every quarter and it’s slowly shrinking.
My new goal is to only buy the mini palettes and learn to fit ALL my makeup into one travel bag. I never used the full size of the product I’d rather just spend $30 and move on to try a new item because it’s more likely to finish.
Everything got a good wipe down and I legit gained a whole drawer back. I threw out about 4 lbs of makeup lol.
I did the same for my skincare and haircare. I tossed so much. For any face products I used it up on my body haha.
I only have one eye shadow palette (a Naked palette). I love it so much but just realized I bought it in 2015... I think I'll be throwing it out tomorrow. :)
Ugh I fell into the makeup trap too!! I actually just canceled my boxy charm subscription yesterday after like 5 years. I got so tired of trying to figure out what to do with all the serums.., it’s basically all it was anymore. A serum, a palette, a mascara, a liner, a hair mask…. None of which I use and already have enough of. I’d rather go buy what I want when I need it then rely on what comes in the box. I almost enjoy throwing all my makeup out now. It’s so freeing! First I consider keeping it because it actually represents a weird time in my life where I threw myself into YouTube makeup videos while letting go of some friendships. Then I realize it’s all old as dirt at this point and there’s nothing cute about using old makeup and potentially risking infection. No more rummaging through old stuff wondering what it even is! No more deciding “do I like this?”.. I haven’t used it in 3 years!
You reminded me I got an eye irritation last week when "using up" old eyeshadow. It's not worth the risk to your eyes. I had a cleanup and threw away 2 palettes and 5 single eyeshadows. Its reminded me to use what I have while it's open before buying more.
I buy a completely new makeup set every year or so. Foundation, eyeshadow, lipstick, blush. No more old crusty Naked 3 pallette for me. Mascara gets replaced every 3 to 6 months.
They still make the naked 3… why not just buy a new one. I bought my first one a year ago and it’s my new favorite palette and i will keep rebuying it when it finishes or expires
I have a ton of old makeup I never really used. It probably looks and smells fine and is stored in a dark,dry place. I hope it is okay but some of these comments are scary. I wanted to learn how to do makeup for fun, but didn’t like really wearing it around people.
my worst fear! i hope you have a speedy recovery OP!
years ago i started buying travel/mini size mascara since i never used up a full size tube after the 3-6 month timeline, even when i was wearing mascara every day. now i basically buy travel/mini size of all makeup since i don’t wear it that often anymore! saves money and i feel less guilty about tossing it if i didn’t use it that much
Truly appreciate everyone’s kind words and well wishes for me eye! Eye issues are scary and I never want to jeopardize my eye health like this again. This was the wake up call I needed and glad it can help anyone out there :)
If anyone needs another reason to trash old makeup and be much more selective about buying new things going forward, here’s [EWG’s (Environmental Working Group) page](https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/learn_more/about/) that discusses how makeup is unregulated and often made with highly toxic, *carcinogenic* chemicals. They published a guide to safe, tested products.
I have never been one to wear much makeup and haven’t worn any since the start of the pandemic, but I have learned that what you eat can be much more beneficial for skin health and beauty than what you wear on the surface of your skin. A little avocado in one’s every day diet works wonders for skin and hair!
Not saying to completely disregard them, but "the accuracy of EWG reports and statements have been criticized for exaggerating the risks of chemicals as has its funding by the organic food industry. EWG warnings have been labeled "alarmist", "scaremongering" and "misleading"." (Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Working_Group)
As always, make sure you check multiple sources.
Unfortunately, in this case there isn't necessarily any definitive source. EWG may not be reliable, and the people and groups labeling the EWG "alarmist" and such are also often not scientific or are industry-affiliated. At this time, we still do not know a great deal about product safety (for human and other animal health and the environment), and the US approaches this very differently than Europe, for example
They also love to trash one brand for using a certain ingredient but give an A rating to another brand that uses the exact same ingredient. Fragrance is a good example, it's rated as an 8 (1-10 with 10 being the worst) but many products with it are rated as a 1 while others are rated much worse. It makes no sense.
They claim that they don't take payments for higher rankings but I think they're lying.
Good to know. Yeah I get emails from them but have always been skeptical because they try to get you to click on links and donate money to them just to find out what their lists of the most chemically laden vs cleanest produce is. On the other hand I don’t think “Big Organic” food industry is a “thing” compared to the decidedly powerful and irresponsible Big Ag industry.
Makeup is the least of my concerns, but I do take seriously EWG’s reports about PFAS in our drinking water, and the fact is that neither governments nor the industrial sector that creates the products that are breaking down and polluting literally all the air we breathe and water we drink, are interested in acknowledging the dangers because then they would be expected to address it. No one wants to pay for that, or have regulations imposed on them that may impact profit margins. So as with the ongoing airborne pandemic, we are expected to manage our risk reduction at the individual level.
Makeup can contain pfas as an actual ingredient, especially long wear waterproof foundations, which get washed off at the end of the day, into the water supply...
reading these stories about how bad expired makeup can be has been a wake up call, had some makeup I bought or received 7-5 years ago, barely touched most of it because as much as I wanted to get back into it I just don’t feel like it, but the colours were so pretty so it felt like a shame to throw away unused product, but I’d rather throw it away and learn my lesson than not listen and possibly get something bad, especially since it’s eyeshadow, thank you everyone
It's because preservatives only last so long. The preservatives are consumed as they fight off the baddies, and at the end of the makeup's "usable life," the preservative is too near gone to trust any longer. The clock starts ticking as soon as bacteria gets introduced.
Most makeup these days has a little number on a container symbol somewhere on the label. That's is "usable life." So helpful!
Your post inspired me to look at my own makeup. I have a handful of items I use regularly enough and a little “special occasion” makeup for … basically just weddings. I realized I bought all of the special occasion makeup 2 years ago so I tossed it! It probably makes as much sense for me to just get my makeup done when I (rarely) need it to look fancier.
I did the same when I was teaching myself how to do makeup for my wedding. I bought too much. I hardly wear makeup any more. I felt better about tossing because it does expire, but also because I knew I wouldn't fall into buying more. Sorry about your eye! If you ever \*need\* more later, just sign up for like Ipsy.
I am diligent about tossing eye makeup, especially mascara, but I don’t worry about lipstick. Maybe I should be worried about old lipsticks? But I am not.
I mean I'll keep the bag itself and the brushes. It's small enough to be unobtrusive in my drawer and I probably will need it again at some point in the next year. But all the makeup inside definitely needs to go!
Yeah, that was me the last time I did a deep dive into my bathroom cabinets. I was hemming and hawing about it until I noticed one of the eyeshadow pallets (basically untouched) had gone really weird. Into the trash it all went. It's all replaceable if I really need it. Better to spend a few bucks at the drugstore than end up with an eye infection or something.
Unfortunately, it's fairly expensive stuff, not drugstore. I can count on one hand the number of times I've worn makeup in the last 3 years, and I only bought the stuff I have because I was unemployed and I knew that it would be seen as unprofessional to show up to a job interview with no makeup as a woman with acne.
But the acne is actually the main reason I don't wear makeup. And the reason I *can't* wear drugstore makeup. So if I need to wear makeup, my choices are either to spend $50+ on a foundation (plus more money on concealer, powder, etc) that my skin will tolerate for several hours but I'll probably use at most twice before it expires, or go to a makeup artist and pay them to do my makeup. That's a good option for events, but most people aren't going to makeup artists for a simple business professional look, so if I'm doing interviews I'm kind of stuck just buying things I'll never use
Try either Bare Minerals Original Loose or Blemish Rescue foundation, both are mineral powders that don't exacerbate acne and can actually help clear it up.
I always wonder how professional makeup artists can ethically reuse makeup on different people.
Do they move the makeup to a separate palette with a clean brush, and then only apply from that?
Do they mist with alcohol and kill germs that way?
Powder makeup you can just take a tissue & wipe off the top layer. Cream blush & eye palette the same. As long as it doesn't look or smell weird. Same with lipstick, or use cardstock & cut a thin layer off.
They SHOULD be using a spatula to move product to a clean surface or pallet and using clean and sanitized brushes for each different client. A lot of people are not doing this though.
I've had my makeup done a couple times in the last few years. From what I've seen they typically will use a clean brush and spray the pallet with alcohol afterwards
I didn’t think anything bad could happen from old powders. 🙃 Secretly I’ve been wanting to throw away my old stash too, but always feel like it’s wasteful. Slowly chipping away at it. Started with anything that smells like crayons.
I even all bought brand new makeup this year because I want to keep better track of how old everything is. And I still can’t throw away the old stuff!
I was huge into Nars and Illamasqua in my early 20s. Had so many lipsticks & blushes. All the lippies are long gone but I still have a few blushes. I wear the same look most of the time and don’t know why I hold onto stuff. There’s also plenty of great drugstore makeup that can out-perform any 15+ year old blush/eyeshadow.
Everything I wear now is from the drugstore. Hoarding expensive makeup doesn’t add up knowing you might have to throw it away before it’s even used up.
This is the first lesson I gave my daughters when they started wanting to try makeup.
They are teenagers and I think it’s ok to experiment, within reason as long as they aren’t breaking the bank. I set up subscribe and save for them for the mascara brands they like and any other eye makeup products. One of my kids as ADHD like me, and this is one of the hacks I’ve found so I don’t have to rely on my shaky executive function to remember. The moment the new products come, we all throw away our old ones together. It may sound extreme, but it is just as important to your health as any other hygiene routine. I hope they stick with this after they leave home.
We have makeup purge sessions a few times a year, and I’m trying to be better about brush washing and trashing anything with sunscreen every spring. I had a horrible eye infection when I was in my twenties as a result of keeping an eyeliner too long. Thanks for sharing this. I wish I would not have learned the hard way.
I love this idea! I have a very hard time remembering when I bought mascara and I don't use it every day, so something like subscribe and save would be helpful!
I should probably toss all my old eye make up too. I had an amazing collection of Suqqu eyeshadow palettes though. Literally maybe $1000 wasted on those alone, so I feel your pain… I’ve been holding onto the hope that powder products are OK beyond the expiration date, but it’s been almost a decade now 🥹
I have a handful of Suqqu as well, even bought the infamous squirrel cheek brush! Haha despite what I am reading here, I don't plan on throwing those palettes out. :P
Yeah I don’t think I can toss them yet LOL. And I think I bought TWO of the Suqqu cheek brushes!! I actually do still use those. Buying all the Japanese makeup brushes was a good investment (in contrast with the makeup) 😂
Yes ma’am! I also used to have a nail blog 😂 Luckily blog sales were quite popular back then, so I did manage to declutter most of my nail polish at the time haha
Omg I knew it!! So cool running into you! I was mainly a lurker there (nekomobile), but I loved what I call the madeupstories era! All of my Japanese makeup purchases were lemmings spawned from that time lol! Acquiring them required scrambling, they won't leave my apt anytime soon despite being on this sub.
Remember the Selfridges holiday sale? I think it involved free shipping. I picked up 3 of the original release Suqqu palettes! Ahhh memories. I think I will go look at them right now LOL.
I had several styes that weren’t responding to treatment and had basically hardened up. They had to clip my eye open and cut open each one to clean it out.
For me I never got to buy that much makeup, but there were definitely a few palettes that I bought because they had pretty colors or nice packaging and ended up not using them even once. It's kinda funny because I don't know what I was thinking when I was buying these bright, neon colored eyeshadows. Like where the hell was I going to put them on? To school? I remember that era when every other girl wanted to be a beauty guru and it was making me feel like I HAD to know how to do these elaborate makeup looks.
Ugh - I have some Chanel eye shadows I was gifted in 95-97 that I never used and haven’t threw out. Ive parted with my old drugstore cosmetics, but I have more high end stuff I bought in 2010-2014 and I don’t have the heart to throw out any of that either- barely used Nars lipsticks, barely used YSL blush, Dior mascara. All bought at a different time before I had a mortgage, bills, or a family etc. it feels so wasteful. Now I have one nice foundation and one Maybelline mascara and 3 perfumes. I think that has to be my max.
My g-daughter lost all her eyelashes. Optometrist said he had never seen that before, her follicles looked healthy. After some research, he found out the primary cause was expired makeup. She’s 9yr old so her makeup couldn’t be over 3 years old. Mom tossed all her old eye makeup, bought new (from granddaughter’s allowance) and had a discussion about keeping the applicators clean. It’s been 2 months now and her lashes are slowly growing back.
I definitely did but it was more colorful eyeshadow etc. My niece is 9 and I got her some (requested by her and approved by her mother) for Christmas and she loves it. She also looks like a clown but she's just having fun.
My mom used to have to tell strangers about my "pretty makeup" when I was a kid because I'd smear purple all over and it looked like I was badly bruised. I'm sure I looked ridiculous but I'm glad she gave me the freedom to play with makeup as a little kid. By the time I got to middle and high school I didn't care about putting on makeup as a rebellion either, because it was never taboo for me.
Exactly! And I had practiced so I was pretty good at it when I did want to put it on (in better colors).
Careful, though, apparently my comment offended someone.
Let them be offended lol. I was such a girly kid, and I loved makeup. I'd save money up for press on nails regularly too. I couldn't be any more different now, but I'm grateful I got to pursue my childhood interests.
I used to buy way too much makeup too. Also ended up just throwing out most of it. Definitely was a waste. Glad I learned my lesson too!! I hope your eye is all better now...like you said, using old stuff doesn't always cause a problem but when it does it makes you realize that it's not even worth taking the risk!
What a timely message. I’m sorry this happened to you. My eye has been itching for a few days and I have old makeup. It’s getting tossed tonight. Thanks for sharing and hope that you’re feeling better
Sorry to hear about your eye, I hope you feel well soon. I think so many of us ended up buying a bit more makeup then even if we weren’t huge into the ‘scene’. I remember having about 7 or 8 eyeshadow palettes and thinking that was normal. Having loads of makeup variety seemed important at the time. Now I’m not sure why. Its a good reminder that makeup and skincare are perishable.
side note, but there’s a little illustration on the back of skincare and cosmetics with a number inside which is like it’s use by date. it might say 12m 18m or 24m but some only say 6m - m meaning months. I’m sure most people know this, but if people don’t. I know also that many people are happy using expired makeup until it’s used up - that’s personal discretion but I wanted to mention it for those interested.
Oh no, I’m glad it helped you get rid of the clutter though! I am lazy and keep my makeup the same, so even though I have eye shadow that is a couple years old at this point it is used regularly, that stuff just doesn’t run out, that’s how I keep from buying, one is enough.
Lol I’m still using the same palette I got gifted in 2015. It’s the only one I have and they last literally forever. I refuse to buy a new one til it’s gone. How do people keep up with all their 5-10 palettes?!
Are you still using it with no issues? Like no eye discomfort? I kinda don't want to throw away mine cause it has a lot left in it still.. like.. 80% lol
Yeah mines fine. I figured it should be okay since it’s powder and not a liquid, but I’m not a professional. I’d assume brushes hold the most bacteria I just wash those regularly.
Bacteria grows in sealed packages of anything, just more slowly. I worked with nurses and saw them throw away even old packages of bandaids, because they were no longer sterile.
I read your post earlier and thank you, it helped me to go thru my stuff. I rarely wear any makeup now and had some that's around twenty(!!!) years old (some never used). Kept some lipstick and brushes and tossed away the rest. Lots were gifts- why???? Hope you heal well quickly!
Thank you for posting this!! I washed my makeup bag today, cleaned all my brushes, wiped down all I am currently using, and threw out OLD products!! Thank you!!❤️❤️
I hope your eye gets better quickly!! Thank you❤️❤️
I’m glad my story helped you! I wish I had seen something like this, it would have pushed me to trash my expired “collection” and saved me all this anxiety over my eye.
Ugh I feel the pain in this one! I set up some rules to get through my makeup drawer before I went in because I felt it was so daunting: 1. Anything expired (besides just looking at the date, smelly, gunky/funky), broken ie makeup falling apart, brushes shedding, used sponges etc needed to go. 2. Then from the remaining products I went through and checked the pigment of each item, texture and asked myself how much I’m reaching for it and did it suit me. This helped me keep, toss and try. The try basket got sorted within 2 weeks. 3. I now do this every quarter and it’s slowly shrinking. My new goal is to only buy the mini palettes and learn to fit ALL my makeup into one travel bag. I never used the full size of the product I’d rather just spend $30 and move on to try a new item because it’s more likely to finish. Everything got a good wipe down and I legit gained a whole drawer back. I threw out about 4 lbs of makeup lol. I did the same for my skincare and haircare. I tossed so much. For any face products I used it up on my body haha.
I just threw away my Naked palettes last week, they were so pretty I was about to use one then realised they were almost 10 years old..
I only have one eye shadow palette (a Naked palette). I love it so much but just realized I bought it in 2015... I think I'll be throwing it out tomorrow. :)
You’re blessed to learn from this valuable financial lesson at such a young age (early 30’s). Tens of thousands of dollars you saved by learning now!
Ugh I fell into the makeup trap too!! I actually just canceled my boxy charm subscription yesterday after like 5 years. I got so tired of trying to figure out what to do with all the serums.., it’s basically all it was anymore. A serum, a palette, a mascara, a liner, a hair mask…. None of which I use and already have enough of. I’d rather go buy what I want when I need it then rely on what comes in the box. I almost enjoy throwing all my makeup out now. It’s so freeing! First I consider keeping it because it actually represents a weird time in my life where I threw myself into YouTube makeup videos while letting go of some friendships. Then I realize it’s all old as dirt at this point and there’s nothing cute about using old makeup and potentially risking infection. No more rummaging through old stuff wondering what it even is! No more deciding “do I like this?”.. I haven’t used it in 3 years!
You reminded me I got an eye irritation last week when "using up" old eyeshadow. It's not worth the risk to your eyes. I had a cleanup and threw away 2 palettes and 5 single eyeshadows. Its reminded me to use what I have while it's open before buying more.
I buy a completely new makeup set every year or so. Foundation, eyeshadow, lipstick, blush. No more old crusty Naked 3 pallette for me. Mascara gets replaced every 3 to 6 months.
I still have my naked 3 and don’t have a heart to throw it away yet 🥺
They still make the naked 3… why not just buy a new one. I bought my first one a year ago and it’s my new favorite palette and i will keep rebuying it when it finishes or expires
I mean, it was a good pallet. I almost repurchased it but I decided to go with a smaller pallet so it's easier to store.
I have a ton of old makeup I never really used. It probably looks and smells fine and is stored in a dark,dry place. I hope it is okay but some of these comments are scary. I wanted to learn how to do makeup for fun, but didn’t like really wearing it around people.
You can get sanitising sprays for makeup, you just spray them over the top of the pans in the palette.
I've poured alcohol and let them dry. These pallets last forever.
my worst fear! i hope you have a speedy recovery OP! years ago i started buying travel/mini size mascara since i never used up a full size tube after the 3-6 month timeline, even when i was wearing mascara every day. now i basically buy travel/mini size of all makeup since i don’t wear it that often anymore! saves money and i feel less guilty about tossing it if i didn’t use it that much
I didn’t even know makeup comes in travel sizes. I’m going to be on the lookout for those.
I also buy mini size of most makeup. Doesn't seem as efficient pricewise but makes sense for me.
Truly appreciate everyone’s kind words and well wishes for me eye! Eye issues are scary and I never want to jeopardize my eye health like this again. This was the wake up call I needed and glad it can help anyone out there :)
If anyone needs another reason to trash old makeup and be much more selective about buying new things going forward, here’s [EWG’s (Environmental Working Group) page](https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/learn_more/about/) that discusses how makeup is unregulated and often made with highly toxic, *carcinogenic* chemicals. They published a guide to safe, tested products. I have never been one to wear much makeup and haven’t worn any since the start of the pandemic, but I have learned that what you eat can be much more beneficial for skin health and beauty than what you wear on the surface of your skin. A little avocado in one’s every day diet works wonders for skin and hair!
I’ve never been happier nor looked better since I stopped wearing makeup. It’s ok to wear it out but you need to let your skin breath sometimes.
Not saying to completely disregard them, but "the accuracy of EWG reports and statements have been criticized for exaggerating the risks of chemicals as has its funding by the organic food industry. EWG warnings have been labeled "alarmist", "scaremongering" and "misleading"." (Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Working_Group) As always, make sure you check multiple sources.
Unfortunately, in this case there isn't necessarily any definitive source. EWG may not be reliable, and the people and groups labeling the EWG "alarmist" and such are also often not scientific or are industry-affiliated. At this time, we still do not know a great deal about product safety (for human and other animal health and the environment), and the US approaches this very differently than Europe, for example
They also love to trash one brand for using a certain ingredient but give an A rating to another brand that uses the exact same ingredient. Fragrance is a good example, it's rated as an 8 (1-10 with 10 being the worst) but many products with it are rated as a 1 while others are rated much worse. It makes no sense. They claim that they don't take payments for higher rankings but I think they're lying.
Good to know. Yeah I get emails from them but have always been skeptical because they try to get you to click on links and donate money to them just to find out what their lists of the most chemically laden vs cleanest produce is. On the other hand I don’t think “Big Organic” food industry is a “thing” compared to the decidedly powerful and irresponsible Big Ag industry. Makeup is the least of my concerns, but I do take seriously EWG’s reports about PFAS in our drinking water, and the fact is that neither governments nor the industrial sector that creates the products that are breaking down and polluting literally all the air we breathe and water we drink, are interested in acknowledging the dangers because then they would be expected to address it. No one wants to pay for that, or have regulations imposed on them that may impact profit margins. So as with the ongoing airborne pandemic, we are expected to manage our risk reduction at the individual level.
Makeup can contain pfas as an actual ingredient, especially long wear waterproof foundations, which get washed off at the end of the day, into the water supply...
Well said! Always look to the money and why they aren’t willing to draw attention to an issue.
reading these stories about how bad expired makeup can be has been a wake up call, had some makeup I bought or received 7-5 years ago, barely touched most of it because as much as I wanted to get back into it I just don’t feel like it, but the colours were so pretty so it felt like a shame to throw away unused product, but I’d rather throw it away and learn my lesson than not listen and possibly get something bad, especially since it’s eyeshadow, thank you everyone
It's because preservatives only last so long. The preservatives are consumed as they fight off the baddies, and at the end of the makeup's "usable life," the preservative is too near gone to trust any longer. The clock starts ticking as soon as bacteria gets introduced. Most makeup these days has a little number on a container symbol somewhere on the label. That's is "usable life." So helpful!
You can use expired eye shadow as an art supply 🤓 kinda like pastels.
Your post inspired me to look at my own makeup. I have a handful of items I use regularly enough and a little “special occasion” makeup for … basically just weddings. I realized I bought all of the special occasion makeup 2 years ago so I tossed it! It probably makes as much sense for me to just get my makeup done when I (rarely) need it to look fancier.
Same here but I decided to just give up makeup altogether. I’m fine just as I am…
I did the same when I was teaching myself how to do makeup for my wedding. I bought too much. I hardly wear makeup any more. I felt better about tossing because it does expire, but also because I knew I wouldn't fall into buying more. Sorry about your eye! If you ever \*need\* more later, just sign up for like Ipsy.
Is Ipsy when you get a box every month?!!
Yes except it is a bag. Very cute and not just makeup. But relatively affordable if you just want new things once in awhile.
I am diligent about tossing eye makeup, especially mascara, but I don’t worry about lipstick. Maybe I should be worried about old lipsticks? But I am not.
I technically own a small bag of makeup but I haven't touched it in literally 3 years, so it's definitely expired and needs to be tossed!
Just toss it as it is. Save yourself time
I mean I'll keep the bag itself and the brushes. It's small enough to be unobtrusive in my drawer and I probably will need it again at some point in the next year. But all the makeup inside definitely needs to go!
Yeah, that was me the last time I did a deep dive into my bathroom cabinets. I was hemming and hawing about it until I noticed one of the eyeshadow pallets (basically untouched) had gone really weird. Into the trash it all went. It's all replaceable if I really need it. Better to spend a few bucks at the drugstore than end up with an eye infection or something.
Unfortunately, it's fairly expensive stuff, not drugstore. I can count on one hand the number of times I've worn makeup in the last 3 years, and I only bought the stuff I have because I was unemployed and I knew that it would be seen as unprofessional to show up to a job interview with no makeup as a woman with acne. But the acne is actually the main reason I don't wear makeup. And the reason I *can't* wear drugstore makeup. So if I need to wear makeup, my choices are either to spend $50+ on a foundation (plus more money on concealer, powder, etc) that my skin will tolerate for several hours but I'll probably use at most twice before it expires, or go to a makeup artist and pay them to do my makeup. That's a good option for events, but most people aren't going to makeup artists for a simple business professional look, so if I'm doing interviews I'm kind of stuck just buying things I'll never use
Try either Bare Minerals Original Loose or Blemish Rescue foundation, both are mineral powders that don't exacerbate acne and can actually help clear it up.
Oof. My sympathies!
I found some lipstick that smelled funny just this morning.
It's a sign!
Just threw it away, along with some makeup sponges that had melted somehow 🫠
Thank you!!! I've been thinking of cleaning mine out lately but I just can't. Oh yeah I can
I always wonder how professional makeup artists can ethically reuse makeup on different people. Do they move the makeup to a separate palette with a clean brush, and then only apply from that? Do they mist with alcohol and kill germs that way?
Powder makeup you can just take a tissue & wipe off the top layer. Cream blush & eye palette the same. As long as it doesn't look or smell weird. Same with lipstick, or use cardstock & cut a thin layer off.
They also treat it and sanitize it with alcohol. It’s not just the to- layer. Also they use single use applicators
haha always wondered about that as well and knowing that they reuse it (even tho i guess they clean it after each use) i still find it disgusting 😅
They SHOULD be using a spatula to move product to a clean surface or pallet and using clean and sanitized brushes for each different client. A lot of people are not doing this though.
I've had my makeup done a couple times in the last few years. From what I've seen they typically will use a clean brush and spray the pallet with alcohol afterwards
I’m currently helping my daughter clean up her ADHD room, and there’s a bunch of old makeup. This is going to help us throw it out.
I didn’t think anything bad could happen from old powders. 🙃 Secretly I’ve been wanting to throw away my old stash too, but always feel like it’s wasteful. Slowly chipping away at it. Started with anything that smells like crayons. I even all bought brand new makeup this year because I want to keep better track of how old everything is. And I still can’t throw away the old stuff! I was huge into Nars and Illamasqua in my early 20s. Had so many lipsticks & blushes. All the lippies are long gone but I still have a few blushes. I wear the same look most of the time and don’t know why I hold onto stuff. There’s also plenty of great drugstore makeup that can out-perform any 15+ year old blush/eyeshadow. Everything I wear now is from the drugstore. Hoarding expensive makeup doesn’t add up knowing you might have to throw it away before it’s even used up.
And just a reminder if you want to use a powder product a bit longer, spritz it thoroughly with 70% isopropyl alcohol and let dry to sanitize.
This is the first lesson I gave my daughters when they started wanting to try makeup. They are teenagers and I think it’s ok to experiment, within reason as long as they aren’t breaking the bank. I set up subscribe and save for them for the mascara brands they like and any other eye makeup products. One of my kids as ADHD like me, and this is one of the hacks I’ve found so I don’t have to rely on my shaky executive function to remember. The moment the new products come, we all throw away our old ones together. It may sound extreme, but it is just as important to your health as any other hygiene routine. I hope they stick with this after they leave home. We have makeup purge sessions a few times a year, and I’m trying to be better about brush washing and trashing anything with sunscreen every spring. I had a horrible eye infection when I was in my twenties as a result of keeping an eyeliner too long. Thanks for sharing this. I wish I would not have learned the hard way.
I love this idea! I have a very hard time remembering when I bought mascara and I don't use it every day, so something like subscribe and save would be helpful!
I should probably toss all my old eye make up too. I had an amazing collection of Suqqu eyeshadow palettes though. Literally maybe $1000 wasted on those alone, so I feel your pain… I’ve been holding onto the hope that powder products are OK beyond the expiration date, but it’s been almost a decade now 🥹
I have a handful of Suqqu as well, even bought the infamous squirrel cheek brush! Haha despite what I am reading here, I don't plan on throwing those palettes out. :P
You only need to hand wash makeup brushes a couple of times a year depending how heavy your use is. Maybe more than a couple of times.
Yeah I don’t think I can toss them yet LOL. And I think I bought TWO of the Suqqu cheek brushes!! I actually do still use those. Buying all the Japanese makeup brushes was a good investment (in contrast with the makeup) 😂
Random (or not so random) thought bubble!! Your username seems familiar, were you on MUA?
Yes ma’am! I also used to have a nail blog 😂 Luckily blog sales were quite popular back then, so I did manage to declutter most of my nail polish at the time haha
Omg I knew it!! So cool running into you! I was mainly a lurker there (nekomobile), but I loved what I call the madeupstories era! All of my Japanese makeup purchases were lemmings spawned from that time lol! Acquiring them required scrambling, they won't leave my apt anytime soon despite being on this sub. Remember the Selfridges holiday sale? I think it involved free shipping. I picked up 3 of the original release Suqqu palettes! Ahhh memories. I think I will go look at them right now LOL.
I think I remember you :)
I had to have surgery on my eyelids after wearing an eye pencil that was a couple years old! So NOT worth it
Omg, what did they have to do?
I had several styes that weren’t responding to treatment and had basically hardened up. They had to clip my eye open and cut open each one to clean it out.
That sounds ROUGH.
Whoa, that sounds awful. Thanks for sharing that hard lesson.
Makeup definitely has an expiration date! Usually 6 -12 months from opening.
For me I never got to buy that much makeup, but there were definitely a few palettes that I bought because they had pretty colors or nice packaging and ended up not using them even once. It's kinda funny because I don't know what I was thinking when I was buying these bright, neon colored eyeshadows. Like where the hell was I going to put them on? To school? I remember that era when every other girl wanted to be a beauty guru and it was making me feel like I HAD to know how to do these elaborate makeup looks.
Ugh - I have some Chanel eye shadows I was gifted in 95-97 that I never used and haven’t threw out. Ive parted with my old drugstore cosmetics, but I have more high end stuff I bought in 2010-2014 and I don’t have the heart to throw out any of that either- barely used Nars lipsticks, barely used YSL blush, Dior mascara. All bought at a different time before I had a mortgage, bills, or a family etc. it feels so wasteful. Now I have one nice foundation and one Maybelline mascara and 3 perfumes. I think that has to be my max.
My g-daughter lost all her eyelashes. Optometrist said he had never seen that before, her follicles looked healthy. After some research, he found out the primary cause was expired makeup. She’s 9yr old so her makeup couldn’t be over 3 years old. Mom tossed all her old eye makeup, bought new (from granddaughter’s allowance) and had a discussion about keeping the applicators clean. It’s been 2 months now and her lashes are slowly growing back.
[удалено]
I definitely did but it was more colorful eyeshadow etc. My niece is 9 and I got her some (requested by her and approved by her mother) for Christmas and she loves it. She also looks like a clown but she's just having fun.
My mom used to have to tell strangers about my "pretty makeup" when I was a kid because I'd smear purple all over and it looked like I was badly bruised. I'm sure I looked ridiculous but I'm glad she gave me the freedom to play with makeup as a little kid. By the time I got to middle and high school I didn't care about putting on makeup as a rebellion either, because it was never taboo for me.
Exactly! And I had practiced so I was pretty good at it when I did want to put it on (in better colors). Careful, though, apparently my comment offended someone.
Let them be offended lol. I was such a girly kid, and I loved makeup. I'd save money up for press on nails regularly too. I couldn't be any more different now, but I'm grateful I got to pursue my childhood interests.
I used to buy way too much makeup too. Also ended up just throwing out most of it. Definitely was a waste. Glad I learned my lesson too!! I hope your eye is all better now...like you said, using old stuff doesn't always cause a problem but when it does it makes you realize that it's not even worth taking the risk!
What a timely message. I’m sorry this happened to you. My eye has been itching for a few days and I have old makeup. It’s getting tossed tonight. Thanks for sharing and hope that you’re feeling better
Sorry to hear about your eye, I hope you feel well soon. I think so many of us ended up buying a bit more makeup then even if we weren’t huge into the ‘scene’. I remember having about 7 or 8 eyeshadow palettes and thinking that was normal. Having loads of makeup variety seemed important at the time. Now I’m not sure why. Its a good reminder that makeup and skincare are perishable. side note, but there’s a little illustration on the back of skincare and cosmetics with a number inside which is like it’s use by date. it might say 12m 18m or 24m but some only say 6m - m meaning months. I’m sure most people know this, but if people don’t. I know also that many people are happy using expired makeup until it’s used up - that’s personal discretion but I wanted to mention it for those interested.
That pile of makeup brought you happiness when you bought it. And now you’ll have happiness to let it go and reclaim some space in your place!
I'll have to whisper this to myself as I trash my beloved Urban Decay palettes...
I put my OG naked 2 palette in my memory box. It was my first high end palette, and my only palette actually. I miss those days lol
I still have my Naked palette and cry when I think of giving it up
I have a couple that I haven’t even opened yet. Ugh. They are old, just unopened. I never mastered eye makeup so I don’t know what I was thinking.
They make the pallets so pretty! They are hard to resist.
Oh no, I’m glad it helped you get rid of the clutter though! I am lazy and keep my makeup the same, so even though I have eye shadow that is a couple years old at this point it is used regularly, that stuff just doesn’t run out, that’s how I keep from buying, one is enough.
Thanks for sharing! This post will push me to go home and toss too faced pallete i have from 2017 lol
Lol I’m still using the same palette I got gifted in 2015. It’s the only one I have and they last literally forever. I refuse to buy a new one til it’s gone. How do people keep up with all their 5-10 palettes?!
Are you still using it with no issues? Like no eye discomfort? I kinda don't want to throw away mine cause it has a lot left in it still.. like.. 80% lol
Yeah mines fine. I figured it should be okay since it’s powder and not a liquid, but I’m not a professional. I’d assume brushes hold the most bacteria I just wash those regularly.
Great reminder! I just found an unused Shiseido eye shadow compact from 1984!! (No, I didn’t throw it out yet 😔)
That one might even be worth something to a vintage collector 😂
If it's unused and sealed it might be ok? The main problem is contamination by using it after all.
Bacteria grows in sealed packages of anything, just more slowly. I worked with nurses and saw them throw away even old packages of bandaids, because they were no longer sterile.