My makeup addiction began as an innocent curiosity to expand past my favorite tried and true products. Overwhelmed by the insane number of options of things to try, I turned to Ipsy to pick out new products for me. Jump to two years of having makeup sent to me monthly later and I’m practically drowning in products that I haven’t touched or have only swatched. Whether it’s a shade that isn’t flattering on me, a face mask not meant for my skin type, or a product that I already have too much of, I have so much unused makeup that’s taking up too much space in my bathroom. I felt too guilty having paid for a product to throw it away, so I researched how to get rid of my unused makeup free of guilt. As it turns out, there are a variety of places that will accept your unused makeup for a good cause! So if you have Christmas gifts that have been sitting untouched or you’ve started your spring cleaning early, keep these names in mind.
Cosmetics for a Cause
The aim of this Florida-based charity is to ‘help women in distressed life situations improve their self-esteem and as a result, become empowered and successful’. Cosmetics for a Cause donates to women in a variety of stressful life situations, including but not limited to domestic assault survivors and those living in safe houses, women recovering from cancer, and women searching for employment. They have a strict policy of only being able to accept products that are completely unused, so even if you only swatched that single eyeshadow pan once, you won’t be able to donate it here. If you want to donate your unused make to Cosmetics for a Cause, ship it to this address: 275 SUSSEX CIRCLE, SUITE “C” JUPITER, FL 33458
Project Beauty Share
Expanding from solely makeup products, Project Beauty Share accepts donated personal hygiene and other beauty products as well. This charity is based in Washington and distributes the donated goods to non-profits that focus on aiding women through times of homelessness, poverty, addiction, and abuse. Some of the acceptable items to donate (among others) are perfumes/body sprays, clean or new makeup brushes, clean makeup bags, and facial cleansers, moisturizers, and body lotions that are in a pump or tube container and at least half full. The only used makeup that is acceptable to be donated is barely used pressed eyeshadows, pressed blush/bronzer/highlighter, liquid foundations in a pump or tube container, and eye/lip liner that can be sharpened. if you want to learn more about what you can donate, visit their website here, and if you want to donate to Project Beauty Share, ship your new and gently used products here: Project Beauty Share, 2718 E. Sprague Spokane, WA 99202
Local Women’s Shelters
If you’re looking to make a more immediate impact close to home, I suggest checking with your local women’s shelter to make donations. Some examples are South Valley Services, YWCA Women in Jeopardy, Peace House, and Center for Women and Children in Crisis. You can donate new products directly to the shelter, or if you’re looking to have a bit more fun with it, you can create ‘beauty bags’ full of products to be given to the women in need, which happens to be a great idea for a girl’s night with your friends. It’s a great idea to look at the ‘urgent needs’ and ‘wish list’ section of each shelter’s webpage and include some items from there as well. I recommend reaching out to the shelter to verify what items are acceptable to donate, and if you’re going to be making individual bags, to make them aware of your upcoming donation.
There’s so much good that can come from donating unwanted beauty products. For women in crisis, it can mean so much to receive something that can help boost self-esteem and isn’t necessarily something that’s frequently donated and available. So get a little karmic bonus in your life, clean out your makeup vanities, bathrooms, and pick up some goods at the store to donate to women in need. You’ll be making someone else’s life brighter while doing yourself a favor at the same time.