Happy Spring, gals! We are kicking off the season the right way by tackling some much-needed Spring cleaning. What better place to start than your makeup bag? It’s time to dig deep and throw away that glitter liquid eyeliner from that Halloween costume three years ago (you know the one) and restock your bag with some fresh supplies. I’ve put together a handy infographic for you to reference while you clean!
Mascara: I know, I know. It seems a bit ridiculous to feel like you’re constantly throwing away and repurchasing tubes and tubes of mascara. But trust me – three months is more than enough time for some nasty bacteria to grow and wreak havoc on your precious peepers.
Eyeliner: Again, with a product that touches your eyes, you need to be diligent in keeping it fresh and sanitary. With pencil eyeliners you can be a little more lax, because it frequently gets sharpened and may be used less than your everyday mascara.
Foundation: As soon as your liquid foundation separates into viscous layers that can’t be shaken out, it’s time to chuck it. Most liquid and cream foundations have a shelf life of about one year.
Lipstick + Lipgloss: Lipgloss usually starts to get pretty funky and separate out after about a year. Lipstick lasts longer than lipgloss and you can comfortably use a tube for about a year and a half. However, as soon as your lipstick starts to smell funny or change consistency, you should get rid of it.
Nail polish: You know you have bottles in your nail polish collection from middle school. And unless you are still currently in middle school, throw them away. If nail polish is kept properly stored in a cool, dry place it can easily last two years. Once it starts getting thick or changing colors, though, you should toss it.
Blush + Powder: Kept dry, blush and powder compacts are extremely shelf stable and will easily last 2 years. It’s hard to tell when they’ve expired, so a good rule of thumb is to ditch your old compacts after a couple of years. Chances are you will have gone through most of it in that time anyway.
Perfume: A great fragrance will last you many years, so it’s a good investment. Fragrances that contain citrus are less shelf stable due to the acidity of the oils. Eau de parfum has a longer shelf life than Eau de toilette due to the higher concentration of fragrance. You’ll know when the color clouds and darkens and the scent changes that it’s time to throw away.
What are some of your Spring cleaning tips?
XO, J
I remember the day I bought my old makeup bag at Sephora. I was thinking that since it was clear plastic that it would help keep me organized and I’d easily be able to find things in it. HA! As you can see from the sad, heaping mess below, that was hardly the case. When I finally cleaned it out, I found good, expensive, barely used products in the bottom that hadn’t seen the light of day in months. What? I desperately needed a new system. I did some research online and found what turned out to be the best makeup organization of my life! Check out the before and after pictures below.
The solution (yet again) came from Ye Olde Container Store. I bought the Large Acrylic Makeup Organizer. It is large enough to hold my entire makeup collection (yup, it holds a lot more than it looks!) and still manages to look sleek on my dresser. I’m so happy to be able to see ALL of my makeup at once without having to dig through a messy bag. The saying “out of sight, out of mind” applies here, especially to me. I’m rediscovering old favorites that had gotten buried beneath the clutter of my old makeup bag.
What are some of your organization tips?
XO, J
P.S. How to organize your bathroom.
I’m not perfect. I’ll even reluctantly admit that I’m somewhat messy and disorganized. But what’s a girl to do with too many products, tools, and accessories and not enough space? When you’re sharing a bathroom with someone else, however, I guess it’s pretty bad etiquette to leave it looking like this. I even debated not including the before shot, but I had to convince myself that this is what every girl’s bathroom sink looks like (right… right??). So here we go, an unedited photo of my extremely cluttered bathroom sink:
The biggest problem for me was that I had nowhere to put my hair styling tools while they were cooling down, so I would just leave them on the sink to cool. This is a pretty common problem for girls, no? I found a genius solution, though….
The Container Store is where it’s at, gals. I picked up a four-tier acrylic organizer to store my hair elastics, bobby pins, jewelry, lip balm, and any other loose odds-and-ends that were taking over my countertop. My cotton balls were still in the giant plastic bag from the store, so I also grabbed a glass apothecary jar to display and make them easily accessible. The best organizer I bought, though, was the Style Station Organizer, which I mounted under the sink on the cabinet door. This organizer can hold a hairdryer, flat iron, and curling iron – even when they’ve just been used and are still hot! No more “leaving it to cool off on the counter” business. I also used a woven basket (not pictured) to store the rest of my hair brushes, combs, and products. The whole process was so easy I finished it in one evening. So, no more excuses, gals! It’s time to get organized!
XO, J
P.S. How to organize your makeup.
If you gals are anything like me, your closet space is pretty limited (hello apartment living!). Trying to cram all of your clothing into a tiny closet can lead to your clothes getting wrinkled, lost, and forgotten about. These five tips will help you maximize your closet space and make getting dressed in the morning a little easier!
1. Invest in Huggable Hangers: These thin, lightweight hangers are a space-saving dream. They’re covered in a soft velvet that prevents those little slinky numbers from slipping, too. By using coordinated hangers, your closet becomes instantly more organized looking. It may sound kind of silly to replace all of your hangers, but it makes a huge difference. Trust.
2. Organize by color: Organizing your closet by color will transform it. Before I did this, I felt like I was constantly digging through the same clothes and wearing the same three things. When I reorganized by color I was suddenly able to make new outfits that I had never thought of before. Organizing by color is a way to find new appreciation in the clothing that you currently own but hardly wear. Your closet will look extremely organized and even beautiful.
3. Store long dresses and skirts on the sides: This one is pretty basic but it makes sense. By storing the floor-length garments (maxi dresses, gowns) off to the sides and shorter garments in the middle (tops, short skirts) you are able to see your shoes (or anything else you store on the bottom of your closet) unobstructed!
4. Take inventory: Sort through what you already own and figure out what you’re missing. Do you own three black sweaters? Are you missing a pretty floral skirt? By purging the excess and filling the gaps, you can build a more well-rounded and complete wardrobe.
5. Eliminate excess: Be honest with yourself – if you haven’t worn a piece of clothing in over a year (with the exception of really fancy dresses), it’s time to get rid of it. Maybe it doesn’t fit right, has a stain, or is torn. A year is plenty of time to wear a piece of clothing; if you haven’t worn it, don’t hold onto it.
XO, J
