How long do you keep your makeup?

Items like eye shadow.  How long do you keep them?  I have shadows that I have had for years and years and years.  I know there are different opinions on when makeup should be thrown out, but it hurts my heart to look at my beautiful eye shadow palette and decide that I'm throwing it out.  I'm sorry, but that's NOT gonna happen...well anytime soon that is.  I think everything else finishes on it's own.  Mascara, I don't pile up on or collect as I know that's one you have to be very careful with.  So I would have maybe four at a time at most.  Many times, two out of the four would be down to it's last.  Liner for me lasts years (I have a MAC kohl that is only now finishing after purchasing in 2007).  Gloss is something I tend to throw out, nothing else I can think of.  What about you?

Oh I forgot about blush...that's another long laster that I will not throw out.

Anything powder, I keep until it's gone. So blush, e/s, face powder. I see no reason to throw out powder products because in my experience they keep forever. And I don't really see how they can harbor bacteria, given that they are dry environments. I'll also keep liner for as long as it lasts me.

Mascara: I stop using it when it stops working, so maybe 6 months, sometimes more. A lot of the time I'll keep using it even if it's not working as well just because I'm so cheap and I don't want to go out and buy another one! I never have more than 2 mascaras at a time (regular and waterproof).

As for lip products, it's probably bad, but I keep lipstick and lipliner for quite some time. Like, 2+ years...

Anything powder, until it's gone. Same goes for liners.

Liquid and cream products, one year, maybe more for the lipsticks.

Mascara 3 to 4 months tops, i'm too paranoid about conjunctivitis.

I don't pay attention to what the labels say, I keep everything until I use it up or the quality goes bad. I toss things when they smell or when lipstick loses it's slip. I use one mascara about a month so I don't usually have any hanging around.

How do you use up your mascara so quickly? It takes me forever to finish a mascara...in fact, I don't think I ever have finished one before finally throwing it out. It has me wishing mascaras came in half-size bottles so that I wouldn't waste money on excess product.

I toss when it goes bad. I have 7 year old eye shadow and blushes. My foundations take just under a year for me to work thru. But glosses and mascara and sometimes eyeliners get tossed most frequently.

I agree with the girls above who keep their powder products for like, forever. LOL. For me, they never cause any problems no matter how long I have them, unless it's been like, you know, 5 years.

My mascaras usually dry out by themselves or I finish using them before they can rot, so I never get any problems with expired mascaras either.

The only thing I do renew is lip products, especially lip glosses. Once they smell bad, I immediately throw them away because I can't imagine them on my lips and in my guts!

xoxo,

Roxanne

I keep my makeup probably way too long, but if anything starts getting funky (i.e., a bad smell, change in color or consistency, etc.) it's gone PRONTO. I know you're supposed to throw out mascara every few months, but unless it's dried out I tend to keep it around for awhile. I have a hard time using up a whole tube in 3 months anyway!

I keep powders for as long as I still like them or until they are gone.  If liquids start to separate into something unappealing, I throw.  I tend to hang on to mascaras until they get clumpy.  If you don't pump air into it, it will last longer than 3 months.  They do contain preservatives that inhibit bacteria growth.  I don't throw them away just because some marketing department wants me to go out and buy another tube.  Some of my mascaras cost $40-50 so I'm not going to throw them unless I have to. As long as you don't lend your makeup to someone else, you should be able to keep it for as long as you are comfortable in using it.

I keep all powders until they're gone.  I toss lipsticks and lipglosses if they look like they're going weird.  Liners and mascara - I really only wear one of each, and I wind up using them up before they even have a chance to go bad.  My only liner pencil is Revlon Colorstay, and I only own one tube of mascara at a time (BE Flawless Definition).  The liner gets tossed when it runs out, and the mascara - probably after three or four months, it starts to dry up, so I get rid of it.

A good rule of thumb is if it touches a mucous membrane, don't keep it forever! Mucous membrane would be your lips or waterline on your eyes. So mascara, eyeliner, lip products. If you have been sick and using lip balm, gloss or chapstick, wipe off the tip with alcohol or cut off a bit once you are well. Bacteria needs 3 things to flourish: air, water and food. They need all three, not just one. So, your powdered product should stay germ free for a long time. Be aware of how you use the products though and what their ingredients are. Does your mmu or other powders contain oats or grape seed or other "foods"? Do you dip a wet brush in em? If so, then you have provided all 3 necessary components for germs. It's best to get in the habit of using your hand as a palette for wetting or a lid that is left to air dry or some other container. (Dont lick the brush like I caught my daughter doing! Uuuggghhh I could have killed her! ) Be aware that many natural powdered makeups do not contain preservatives, nor are they required or necessary when used properly.

Well, I feel better knowing that we're all pretty much the same way!  I keep products forever too!    I spent a lot of money on makeup and I'm not about to throw it all in the trash unless I have to.

I have eye shadows that are YEARS old, too.  In fact, I have very few eye shadows that I have hit pan on.  So no way!  Going to hold on to those!  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

The only things I toss frequently are mascaras.  If they start to stink I usually finish it quick or toss it.  But on that note, I also don't buy expensive mascara.  Good ol' Lash Blast is just fine with me!

The only thing (other than mascara) that I really worry about is lip glosses.  You put them on your lips, then dip that stick back inside the tube.  Yuck.  lol  But I still hold on to them! 

I use up all the things but sometimes I get fed up when it just doesn't gets over

Talc and stuff yes I keep using it but as I get new things in my cupboard the older things aren't used much and thus it even lasts longer then usual.

I agree I keep the powered items forever. Lip gloss, lipstick I get rid of it the consistency changes or if they smell rancid.

Like everyone else, with powder products like eye shadow or powder blush, I'll keep them until I see a change in appearance, texture or smell, or if they I notice that they aren't applying the same as they used to. Lipstick too: if it still smells, looks and applies like new, I'll keep it. My mom didn't wear makeup very often, and I remember her keeping lipsticks for years and years, I know that because I used to play with them when I was little, and she had the same tubes of lipstick when I was in high school even.

I'm scared to keep tube mascara for any longer than maybe three months. I use cake mascara too, but I'll let that dry out between uses and I keep that for quite a long time too.

Carol

I'm in agreement!  Powders (whether it be eyeshadow or blush) has a shelf life of forever in my household.  Mascara I replace every three months because even if it doesn't dry up, I'm afraid of eye infections (I have sensitive eyes and a contact wearer).