I was cleaning out my bathroom this morning and came across an old eyeshadow palette from high school. I rarely used this palette and apart from its low pigmented shades, the fact that it was from Claire's explains a lot. I knew it was too old to be used, so I made use of it by drawing an eye and sprinkled pigment on it.
And that got me wondering, when do you throw out makeup?
A lot of cosmetics do contain expiry dates, but there are plenty of brands that don't.
So here are the general rules:
Foundations
Powders
Eye shadows
Blushes
Moisturizes
Good for: 12 - 18 months
Lipsticks
Good for: 12 months
Eyeliners
Mascaras
Good for: 3 months
Makeup that has deteriorated often goes pale or changes consistency - possibly pooling oil - and can even start to smell.