There’s nothing wrong with loving makeup, however, when your obsession with makeup items go overboard, you’ll find yourself swimming in products for days. Sometimes it’s good to do a little spring cleaning for your makeup bag in order to update your items and toss out what doesn’t belong. Luckily this task doesn’t take long to do and you’ll feel much better afterwards.

So first things first: take your makeup bag or container and empty everything out. If you keep your makeup simple, this won’t be a problem but if you’re a collector of makeup items, you may have your work cut out for you. Once you’ve gotten everything out in front of you, start organizing your makeup by type. Separate your makeup into little groups: mascara, lipstick, glosses, brushes/sponges, eye shadows, foundation, concealer, powder, blush, eye liner, and nail polish (for those of you who just need to have your fingers and toes ready at a moment’s notice). Start with one group at a time and look at each item you have. If it looks really old, it probably is so throw it away. For example, if your favorite bottle of nail polish is starting to clump and look like anything but nail polish, toss it and make a note to buy a fresh bottle.

Remember, makeup items have expiration dates so it would be in your skin’s best interest to only use fresh makeup. Additionally, applying makeup that is old tends to lack the same flawless finish compared to using new, fresh items. So don’t ruin your makeup look just to save a couple of bucks.

When it comes to foundation, the type you use will determine its shelf life. Water-based foundations tend to last up to one year, while oil-based foundations can last up to 18 months. Powders can last for two years. Your concealer is good for up to one year. The expiration date for lipstick varies. Many agree that a good range for the shelf life of lipstick is between one to two years, while some say that lipstick can last for up to four years. However, the best way to find out if you should keep your lipstick in your makeup bag is to note if it smells bad. Once it starts smelling funny, toss it for good. Mascara is the makeup item that has the shortest shelf life. You should update your mascara after about four months. Eye liners can last for up to three years and as long as you keep it in good shape by sharpening it regularly, you’ll be able to use it for a long time. Eye shadows also have a fairly long shelf life of three years. Makeup brushes can last for a few years as long as you wash them every 2-3 months and keep them properly stored. Sponges should only be used once and thrown away afterwards.

Another way to decrease the amount of makeup you carry in your makeup bag is to toss out the colors and items you know you rarely wear. What’s the point of having an old makeup item staring you in the face each time you open your makeup bag when it isn’t going to add to your beauty routine?

Once you get over the loss of your beloved makeup items, you’ll find that your new and improved makeup bag will be lighter, more organized and will allow you to get together your makeup palette a lot quicker.

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