The green sparkly eyeshadow I wore to the Take That concert – the first time they were in the charts. The liquid eyeliner that I bought to complete my Cher outfit for a fancy dress party – ten years ago. My make-up bag contains quite a few products that probably should have been consigned to history (and the bin) years ago.This is definitely not doing my health any good, according to the Daily Mail, in an article that claimed using out-of-date make-up could expose skin to a whole cocktail of deadly chemicals.It’s also seriously hindering my every-second-counts morning routine, as it takes me several precious minutes to rummage among the half-empty foundation bottles for the cosmetics I really want to wear.
Sticking with the same old shades can’t be doing my look any favours, either. Time for a much-needed de-clutter to freshen up my make-up bag and my face. But what should go? What should I keep? And what are the new make-up trends I should be buying?
Things to throw away
Taking the advice of women’s lifestyle site SoFeminine I open everything up and give it a good sniff, because if something smells, it means bacteria have found their way in. Hmm, that Cher-inspired liquid eyeliner has a definite whiff to it. Nasty eye infections are never ‘bang on trend’ whatever the season, so that’s the first thing to go.
Next under scrutiny were my mascaras – four in all, of differing ages. No nasty niffs, so I try them all out. One was OK, one was so dried up I could barely get the wand out and the other two gave my lashes more lumps than my last disastrous attempt at gravy. Not the glamorous look I was going for, so they too were destined for the bin bag.
I ditched a couple of manky concealers and some fluff-ridden lipglosses, but my make-up bag was still full to bursting. So it was back to SoFeminine who suggest that the next things you get rid of are all the items you bought that were ‘on trend’ at the time, but simply don’t suit you. For me this includes orange lipstick (on trend now, but make me look washed out), pale frosted lipgloss (what was I thinking?) and a deep pink blusher (great if your name’s Aunt Sally).
Things to keep
Sadly, I’m not rich enough to just chuck it all and start again. I keep a few old favourites – the berry-coloured lipgloss that makes me feel great and a shimmery highlighter that’s good for adding instant glamour.
My cracked pressed powder compact is also saved from the cull when I realise I can crush it and use it as a loose powder to be applied with a large brush.
Right at the bottom I even pull out some metallic-looking silver and gold eyeshadow, a top make-up trend for 2012 according to Style Bible.com.
Top make up trends
Now I’ve completed my make-up bag detox, it looks decidedly roomy in there. Time to fill it with some new trends I’ll actually want to wear. But what should I be shelling out on?
According to the Daily Mail, top trends to go for this year include sheer foundations, warm pink blushers and cat-like eyes. Shame I had to ditch that Cher eyeliner after all!
If it’s time to bring your make-up bag up-to-date, one way to help you spread the initial cost could be by credit card, especially if you’ve got a card that offers a 0% period on purchases or offers rewards as you spend. It’s important to bear in mind though that if you don’t clear the balance outside the introductory period, you will be charged interest.
So, those are the secrets of my make-up bag – what do you have lurking in the bottom of yours?!
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Sainsbury’s bank
