It Has a New Smell
You should also get suspicious when your products start to smell different. Skin care serums and creams, lip glosses and mascaras are likely to "sour" in this way after they're expired.
"If you notice that your mascara starts to have a weird smell or a change in smell, toss it immediately," warns Natasha Moor, celebrity makeup artist and founder of her own cosmetics line. "Mascara is the cosmetics product that I recommend that you change most frequently to protect the health of your eyes. When you use it for too long, the brush can hold bacteria and dirt from your skin and potentially lead to an eye infection."
She suggests always washing your hands or using sanitizer before applying and reapplying your makeup throughout the day. This helps prevent it from becoming contaminated. And Moor's ideal "keep" time for mascara is a month, tops.
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The Consistency Is Different
Both liquids and powders are apt to change in consistency, though they do so in different ways. Liquids and creams tend to separate or become thicker/thinner. Powder products often get harder, drier and have less color payoff.
"When you see your powder products drying out, it's time to replace," says Moor. "Signs of that are that you can't pick up as much pigment on your brush or sponge and the application is not as smooth as it was previously."
If the product is relatively new and it has a hard "shell" or "coating" on top, this doesn't necessarily mean it's bad adds Patinkin.
"In the case of powder products like blush, bronzer and shadow, when you see a hard, speckled appearance on the surface and it's hard to get any color payoff, it means that oils from makeup brushes have transferred to your product," she explains. "In this case it's an easy fix. Simply use a dull knife to scrape the hardened bits away."
If the product seems super flaky or dry after doing this or has clearly dropped in quality, then move on.
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Makeup Brushes Have Lost Their Shape
We know, makeup brushes are an investment. Higher quality brushes typically last longer, but sometimes they do meet their end.
"When your makeup brush bristles won't go back to their original shape after cleaning, they shed all over your face or when they feel scratchy on the skin, it's time for new ones," Patinkin advises. "And sponges that get little pock marks in them or don't ever look clean after washing should be tossed and replaced."
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The Expiration Date Has Come and Gone
This may be obvious, but if your product's expiration date is past, then toss your product. Some products, usually those made with clean/green ingredients or less powerful preservatives, will note the exact date. Many others have a little jar symbol with a number next to it that indicates how many months it'll last once opened.
When in doubt, refer to the visual warning signs we outlined in the previous slides. Worst case? You have a great reason to buy something new for yourself!
Image via Imaxtree
