When does your makeup expire? And know when to toss it!

Did you know that makeup has its own shelf life?
Yes, just like food, makeup can go bad, but luckily, makeup has a much longer shelf life than yummy treats!
Here are some expiration dates on some beauty products....

Mascara 

3 months

Unlike all other makeup products, mascara has the shortest shelf life.  As one smart makeup guru, along these lines, once said, 'You shouldn't have to buy an expensive mascara, since mascaras have such a short shelf life, instead go for the drugstore mascara, they are much easier to stock up on!  Save your money for things like foundation, lipstick, or blush, items that last much longer.'

Lip Gloss & Lip Stick

1 to 2 years (generally 2 for lipstick)

This is the time to buy en expensive product, one that will last a long time.  The general rule for lipgloss is 1 to 2 years, but some say 3; but if it smells bad, don't hesitate!  Throw it out!!  (TIP: some say if you store your favorite lip product in the refrigerator, it can last even longer.)

Eye Shadow Powder

2 years

Most of the time, my fingers don't even go near eye shadow, I leave all that work to the brush, thus the long shelf life!  Splurge on popular eyeshadow items such as the Naked Palette, it comes with many different colors, and lasts a long time!

Cream Eye Shadow

12-18 months

Cream eye shadow is another matter than powder eye shadow.  Using your fingers in cream eye shadow, shortens the shelf life, so don't keep it for a long time.  General rule: lasts for about a year and a half.  Looking for a inexpensive, yet great cream eye shadow?  Try the Maybelline Color Tattoo, my favorite color being 'Barely Branded'.

Eyeliner

3 months

Eye liner is one of those products you want to be careful of.  Eyeliner has a short shelf life partially because the application itself requires it to touch your waterline/tightline, which can transfer bacteria on old liners.  Keep your eyeliner for about 3 months to help keep your eyes safe from getting 'sick'.

Powder Blush

2 years

Blush is one of my favorite things to wear for makeup products, so when it comes to blush, since it has a long shelf life period, I splurge on a few knowing that I'll have them for a long time to come.  My favorite?  MAC's Well Dressed, it's a very light gorgeous doll pink color.

Cream Blush

6 months

Keep cream blush for only 6 months.  The cream products, since they have more moisture in the product than powder, be careful with them; it can be more practical to spend your money on a powder blush.

Foundation

Varies for fondation type

The shelf life for foundation can vary.  For oil-free, its generally 12 months, and for cream foundation, its 18.

Concealer

12-18 months

If your someone who loves concealer, and wears it everyday, then jump for joy, because concealer has quite a long shelf life, which can come in handy if you ever find that 'holy grail' concealer product.

Though I have yet to get seriously into this habit, it can really help by labeling your products when you open and first use them, so next time you look at the expiration date, you can know if its time to throw it in the garbage, and go and buy another.

Good Luck!

xoxo

-Meg

Review: Bite Cosmetics High Pigment Pencils

Bite Cosmetics Lip Shine Pencils

$28.00

Overall: 4 out of 5 Stars

A few weeks ago, as I was shopping through the isles of Sephora, I came across a new line that I hadn't seen before: Bite Cosmetics.  After trying out their High Pigment Pencils, I bought two of them, a red shade, 'Pomegranate', and a pink shade, 'Velvet'.  I was impressed at the way they applied, they seemed very creamy, which is something that I love in a lipstick-like product.
I love these products; they are very creamy, and have no shine to them whatsoever, so they are both very matte colors, and I love how pigmented they are.   Since I feel like they can crease, I blend them out with my finger, and apply a light shade of gloss over them.
One of the drawbacks of the product, and one that really set me off any future purchases from the brand, is the smell and taste - these lip shine pencils don't smell the best.  They contain a hint of plastic, crayon smell.  For the price of $26, I feel like they could be better, compared to something like a MAC Lipstick, which smell amazing, don't taste bad, and are about two dollars less then these Bite Cosmetics.  I do enjoy using these Bite Cosmetics Lip Shine Products, but I feel like, for the amount (2.50g), and price, I probably be heading towards the MAC counter before I buy another one of these.

xoxo
-M

Bubbles in the Nail Polish - Avoid them!!

A few days ago, after doing my nails - and might I say, they looked flawless, until a few minutes after I let them dry, I noticed there were these little bubbles that started to show.  Having never had this happen before, I turned to the internet to investigate, hoping that some beauty blogs might have the answer.

I don't know about you, but I rarely have the time, money, or patience to have someone do my own nails.  I have only ever had a professional nail artist do my nails once in the past, but I prefer, and enjoy, doing my own nails, probably because I change my mind 5 minutes after painting them one color, and then decide to paint them another.

For those pesky bubbles showing up on your nails, here are a few tips that I picked up during my research:

1.  Do not shake your nail polish before using it.  Shaking your nail polish creates bubbles in itself, and using your nail polish directly after shaking it, can help create these bubbles.  If you must shake your nail polish, shake, then let it sit for about half an hour, to give the polish time to let the bubbles go away.  'Rolling' the nail polish, and not shaking, can also help keep air out of your polish.

2.  Make sure you do a good job on cleaning your nails before painting them, getting rid of any unwanted dirt, moisture, or any oils that can help create these bubbles.  Also make sure your nails are quite dry before you paint them.

3.  To help keep these bubbles away, as well as a unpleasant yellow to your nails, use a base coat.

4.  When using your color polish, try to not brush repeatedly, lift the brush as little as possible, and try doing long strokes instead of short strokes.  One trick that I've learned is that I tend to not put enough polish on my brush, which can also give the end of my nail that weird 'oops, not enough' polish look.  If you have too much, you can also go over your polish again, after getting some of the brush.

5.  After applying the first coat, it can really help to let it dry completely.

TIP: when in a rush, one good tip that I use quite often, is letting my nails sit in cold water for about a minute.  The cold water can help the polish dry faster.  Also, when I do my nails, I tend to do them at night, when all the chores are done, and I sit, relax, do my nails, sit and read a book, or watch a show., allowing them quite a bit of time to dry.

Good luck!

xoxo
-M