It’s Time for Spring Cleaning

At the first sign of spring, I always get the urge to do some spring cleaning around the house. Winter clothes and accessories go into storage, and warm weather clothes are unpacked and hung up. I also go through my makeup drawer to make sure it’s in top shape. If it’s been a while since you’ve gone through your makeup, now’s a great time to start. Here’s how:

1. Makeup makeover. Take the time to examine the contents of your makeup bag, drawer, or cabinet. Throw out anything that is in a broken container or missing a cap. You can always pour liquid foundation into a fresh bottle. You can scoop out creams and lipsticks and transfer them to small containers or palettes. You can put pencils without caps can be put into plastic zip-top bags. Toss those broken powder blushes and pressed powder compacts.

2. Makeup expiration dates. Not all cosmetics come with the expiration date in plain view. Here are the guidelines you need to keep your makeup current in any season:
Toss mascara after 6 months, and eye cream as well.
The 12-to-18-month rule: Toss lipsticks and lip and eye pencils.
The two-year rule: Toss these products after 24 months
Liquid and cream foundation
Concealer
Powder
Eye shadow
Powder blush
Cream blush
Moisturizer
Sunscreen
Face cream

3. Makeup brushes will last many years if you care for them properly. They should be stored either in a neat brush roll with individual slots for each brush, or upright in a pencil cup. To clean your brushes, put a drop of brush cleaner or very gentle soap in your hand, wet the brush and swirl the bristles around on your palm. Rinse until all of the soap residue is gone. You don’t want to immerse the brush head in water, because the hair is glued to the base, and will come apart. Squeeze out excess moisture with a clean towel, reshape the brush head and let it dry with the bristles hanging off the edge of a counter so they return to their perfect shape. Resting a brush on a towel while drying may cause it to become mildewed. Clean your brushes every one to two months for best results.

4. You want high-quality sponges, which you can wash over and over until they need to be thrown away. Or, you can buy disposable synthetic sponge wedges at the drugstore—they work well and are inexpensive. The disposables can be washed and reused just a few times before you discard them.

5. Tweezers need love, too. When tweezers get dull—a natural result of repeated use—they’re not as effective at grabbing and removing tiny hairs. Did you know you can take tweezers to a knife shop for sharpening? Some of the better brands, such as Tweezerman, include a lifetime guarantee with free sharpening.

6. Finally, be sure to check your eyelash curler. The rubber pads that line the inside of the curler protect your lashes. So watch those pads closely, and when they start to wear out or break apart, they must be replaced. Many eyelash curlers come with a replacement pad, so keep a set on hand.

Now that you know how to spring clean your makeup and beauty tools, it’s a good idea to do a quick check on a regular basis. Don’t wait for a certain day, week or month or even a specific season. “Spring cleaning” is symbolic of the need to pause and examine our environment and belongings before we put our best face forward to the world.