Is there such a thing as too much makeup?

So, who watched Dulcecandys makeup collection video?  I was in awe, so organised and love the drawers, but it did seem quite reminiscent of a shop, nothing on display to enjoy, and I dont know if this is me being OCD but i almost wept at all that MAC all topsy turvy in that drawer, i was itching to tidy it..... why was the MAC drawer so messy?!

I think that sometimes we do have the tendency to not check our makeup and more to the point are reluctant to part with it even if its past its best.  Some of that is because of what it cost, the other is that that product or shade is no longer available - I loved Parisienne pink by Miss Selfridge, yes they used to have a gorgeous makeup line.  I had to accept begrudgingly that when the mould started to grow that it was time to say goodbye, sniff, sniff.  

So, how do we prolong the life of our makeup and know when we should throw it away... 

So how should we store it?

• Keep your makeup in a dry place
• Away from sunlight
• And ensure that all lids, covers, caps etc are on tight

The bathroom or on a windowsill are not ideal locations.

How long to keep it

All beauty products will have a shelf life icon on them, its normally a little pot with the lid of and inside there is a number followed by M.  The M indicates months and the number is how many.  However, there are ways to extend the life of your product, and sometimes you have to wonder if they give some products a short shelf life because they want us to continue to repurchase.

GUIDELINES

• Mascaras - throw out after 3 months use and never share or use other peoples mascaras.  We all have bacteria on our lashes unique to us and every time we use a mascara we are transferring bacteria back into the tube.  You can get all sorts of nasty eye infections from an old mascara so its best to err on the side of caution because none of them are pretty.
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• Foundations - Guidelines state that you should throw these out after 3-6 months, i think you can keep them longer, the signs that a foundation is past its best however, are, separation in the fluid in the bottle, thinning or thickening are also a good indicator.  So is your  foundation suddenly watery, or a lot gloopier? Its time it headed to the bin!  I think you can get a year out of a good foundation though.
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• Lipstick and gloss - Guidelines are a year at maximum 2 years.  An indicator that they are past it are a change in the appearance, drying and for glosses they do start to get a bit stinky!  You can make these last longer if you make sure you dont use lip products on sores or any infections, and if you do sanitise the item afterwards.  Also, ensuring they are closed correctly, using with clean hands and not lying open products down on your desk/dresser will minimise bacteria.  I have lipsticks that are 4 years old, they still perform well, smell fine and are fine. 
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• Powder products - Powder foundation can apparently last up to 2 years, but blushers and eyeshadows are no good after a year.  I strongly disagree with this as I think shadows if kept clean and used with clean hands and stored well can last way beyond that.  They will lose pigment and become crumbly when they are starting to deteriorate so be watchful of that.
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• Eyeliners - liquid liners have the same shelf life as mascaras, at 3 months its time to say goodbye.  Pencil liners are given 12 months but i think you can get longer, again its down to storage and maintenance.  A liner is continually renewing its surface when you sharpen so its one of the cleanest products you have, as soon as it starts to dry up and crumble though its time for the bin, but try sharpening down before you do that you might find you can salvage some of it.
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• Products dont actually start to deteriorate till you open them, so as anxious as you are to look at that new mascara wand or check a swatch of that new foundation... think twice.  Once you open it you really should start using it.  And keep an eye on it, thats not to say that you can keep it indefinitely.

Here are some donts, to extend product life:

1. DONT pump the mascara wand in and out of the tube to get more out - forcing the air into the tube is also taking any bacteria in the air inside the product and causing it to deteriorate faster.
2. DO sharpen liners that you havent used in a while to ensure that bacteria on the surface is removed.  And always keep the lids on them.
3. DO try to limit how much you touch your makeup, and limit how many people touch it.  From now on im swatching with a brush!  The more you touch, the more bacteria, you can limit this by only touching makeup with clean hands.  So when you sit down, wipe your hands with a wipe before you start and keep your surface clean, this takes us to our next point.
4. DO keep your brushes clean, if you arent deep cleaning weekly, then spot clean as much as you can.  Brush fibres are natural havens for beasties the eye cant see, so keep them clean and dont spread those bacteria around your products.
5. DO store your makeup somewhere dry and clean, and make sure that you keep it clean.  Throwing things in a jumble in a drawer can cause lids to come off and is difficult to keep tidy and clean so use little empty boxes to make compartments and easier to keep clean as well as better organised.

Theres a lot of mixed messages out there in internet land about product life, i think that being sensible and honest are the best policies, so that mouldy lippy might be discontinued and expensive but you have to be brutal.  Also, to me, if it looks and smells okay then im okay to use it, whether thats wrong or right it works for me.

Im not an expert though, so please dont hold me to any of this or quote me on it! :  )

But going back to the question, is there such a thing as too much makeup?......................NAH, who am i kidding, did you really expect me to say YES.  I do think I am more sensible now though, I have downscaled what i have and i think before I buy.  

Alec however, would answer this question with a resounding YES!

Live, Love, Laugh

And remember, the name of the blog is UNAPOLOGETIC, im going to be honest with you always, you might not agree but its good to hear every side of the story xx