AtHomeWithLorraineKelly2016 - 166

What's in your

MAKE-UP BAG?
...THE USUAL ESSENTIALS - MASCARA, LIPSTICK, EYELINER - BUT
THERE'S ALSO SOME UNINVITED GUESTS - HARMFUL BACTERIA,
AND OUT-OF-DATE COSMETICS ARE WHERE THEY LIKE TO HIDE

MASCARA

One in ﬁve British women* think
mascara is the most important item
in their make-up bag. They also often
share it with friends on a night out
and change it once in a blue moon or
when it's run out. However, even if it's
not looking clumpy, it should still be
replaced every four to six months. And
if it's drying out, never add water to it.
A mascara tube and applicator can
be teeming with bacteria, which can
lead to severe eye infections, such as
conjunctivitis. Every time you pump
mascara to get more product on the
brush, it's drying out inside, creating a
dry, dark breeding ground for germs.
Putting that mascara onto your wand
and onto your eyelash, then back and
forth again, passes germs from your
eye to the tube, where they'll continue
to live and breed.
To try to limit the amount of
bacteria, swirl the brush inside instead
of pumping it up and down.
166 | AUGUST 2016

LIPSTICK

It's easy to keep your lipstick
collection for years, and it's not
unusual to have several knocking
around at the bottom of your makeup bag. However, they should really
be thrown out after 18 months. To
prolong their life, scrape oﬀ a thin
layer to remove any residue or germs
- use a cotton bud or slice the top
oﬀ with a kitchen knife.
'A great tip is to pop them in the
freezer overnight to kill bacteria,'
recommends Ariane. However, if it
looks a funny colour and has started
to smell odd, throw it away.

EYELINER

Pencils are the easiest to clean.
When sharpened, the top layer with
any bacteria is instantly removed;
you can also spray it with sanitising
mist for an extra clean.
As with mascara, bacteria
ﬂourishes in liquid eyeliner as the
brush is constantly carrying germs
from the eye and back into the
bottle, so replace every three months.
To avoid getting an eye infection,
don't use eyeliner on your waterline
as this can block the oil glands that
protect your cornea.

FOUNDATION

Even though this has a fairly long
shelf-life of about 12 months, you
should change it after six, because
ﬁngers, sponges and make-up
brushes spread bacteria.

If your foundation becomes thick,
lumpy or separated, it's past its
expiration date and should be thrown
away. To extend its life, use a clean
brush or sponge every time you apply
it and store it in a cool place. And try
to stick to just one foundation that
serves all your needs.

POWDERS AND
EYESHADOWS

Face powder lasts longer than most
cosmetics and can be kept for up
to two years. However, to minimise
contamination, keep your brush clean
and the lid ﬁrmly shut.
Powder eyeshadows work in the
same way, unless you wet them or the
brush when applying - in which case,
dispose after six months. As eyeshadows
near their expiry date they don't
perform as well as when new - they
get packed down, making it harder
to pick up pigment with your brush.
Take the weight out of your
cosmetics bag by ditching the pots
and choosing a palette. Opt for a
colour theme and stick to it - browns
with a slight shimmer tend to
complement older women.

CONCEALER

Because concealer contains oils and
hydrating agents, if it dries out or
changes texture and becomes cakey,
bin it. Ironically, it'll just make
those breakouts you're trying to
conceal even worse. Don't keep
it longer than 18 months.

WORDS: ABI HARMAN, IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES,
FOR STOCKISTS: SEE PG 279, * WWW.MAKEUPBRUSHES.CO.UK

L

ike food and drink, make-up
has an expiry date. Keeping
products for longer than
their shelf life can cause skin
irritation and break-outs,
but it can also do far worse, including
acne, as well as urinary infections.
'This is why it's important to clean
out your make-up bag regularly to
avoid bacteria build up on products
that could essentially be making you
ill - and you don't even know it!' says
celebrity make-up artist Ariane Poole.
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