What's in your bag, and more importantly, how long has it been there?

Spring is here and now’s the perfect time to root through your makeup bag to determine what
to keep and what to toss. The following chart is an excerpt from "What's a Disorganized Person to Do? 317 Ideas, tips, projects, and lists to unclutter your home and streamline your life" by Stacey Platt.

Once exposed to air, cosmetics start to lose effectiveness and the ability to combat bacteria. The chart below offers a general guideline, but celebrated makeup artist Pati Dubroff notes that some products (with the exception of mascara) can last longer than indicated if stored in a cool place away from sunlight. Lipsticks, foundations, and other cream-based formulas are more subject to spoilage than powders. She advises discarding a product if there is a change in smell or it has been exposed to heat.

*Pressed powder spoils faster if stored with puffs, which tend to accumulate oil. If kept separately from puffs and sponges, these powders can last up to three years.

PRODUCT	SHELF LIFE
liquid & cream foundation	6-12 months
concealer	8-12 months
pressed powder*	1 year
eye shadow	1 year
blush	1 year
mascara	3 months
lipstick & lip gloss	2 years
eye & lip pencils	2 years
facial cleanser	1 year
facial toner	1 year
facial moisturizer	1 year

And, I must add a few of my own notes:

You can lengthen the shelf life of products by using brushes hygienically (ie: washing with mild soap or even shampoo once a week). The eyes are hyper-sensitive to infection, so if you have had a cold or eye infection, you should toss mascaras and liquid eyeliners; they have applicators that are rather difficult to clean and can be like petri dishes for infection. The same certainly goes for wand-style lip-glosses. Pot-style glosses should always be applied with a brush; avoid using fingers to keep from introducing bacteria. I do often recommend applying certain other products with fingers, but always wash hands first of course.