Grab that waterproof mascara. Iron your finest black dress. Cue the funeral march. It’s time to say goodbye to our faces.
…okay, now that the dramatic mourning is out of the way, we’re ready to tackle our makeup supply and clean it out. It’s best to do this when you’re doing a thorough bathroom cleaning or when you notice your makeup area getting unorganized and dirty. Your schedule is up to you, but cleaning out your makeup is a must for maintaining healthy skin. Before getting ride of any single product, it’s important to ask yourself these questions:
“If I get rid of this product, will I have to replace it?”
And…
“If I replace this product, will my bank account weep mascara-less tears?”
With these questions in mind, we can begin!
1. Check the quantity
There is a difference between being frugal and being extra. It is okay to admit that a product has run its course. Makeup is replaceable. The time you spend trying to get that last milliliter of liquid liner out of the bottle is not. If it’s empty, it’s empty. Time for your first official burial of the day.
2. Look for duplicates
It’s possible you may have picked up an extra bottle of concealer along the way, or you have one too many bronzers. Set the one that you don’t use as often aside for now. Don’t lose it. We’ll come back to it later.
3. Check for damage
Broken bottle dispenser? Crushed powder? Again, set it aside for now. At the moment, all it’s doing is making a mess.
4. Assess the quality
If you have a light powder that’s turned brown from dipping your contouring brush in it, it’s probably time to let it go. Don’t dig a grave quite yet, we’re gonna set that one aside.
You stick your hand in the drawer. You pull out an unfamiliar object. You hold it up only inches from your face. “When was the last time I used this?” If you find yourself asking this question, add it to the pile.
5. Check your expiration dates
It’s now time for the elimination round. We’re going to head back to that pile we’ve set aside. The first deciding factor should be the expiration dates. Yes, makeup does expire. Ultimately all of your products, besides the empty ones, should have ended up back here. The first step to eliminating the remaining products is getting rid of the expired ones. Next, you’ll want to go through the checklist above once again. Look for duplicates, check for damage, assess the quality and think about the last time you used the product.
6. Clean your space
Give wherever you store your makeup a good spray with disinfectant and a thorough wipedown. Also, consider investing in a makeup brush cleaning pad and brush shampoo. You should do a full washing of all your brushes about once a month. It’s a good idea to get a spray cleanser for daily or weekly use. A clean space makes a happy face.
Now, when people compliment how great your makeup looks, you can respond with “You should see my makeup drawer.”