Does Your Makeup Have Bugs?! 🪳Why Your Beauty Bag Might Need a Reset
- chandra redding
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Okay, before anybody starts itching — I am not saying there are tiny bugs throwing a party inside your makeup bag. 😂
But when I started looking into how long we are actually supposed to keep some of this makeup, I had a moment. Because I know I am not the only woman who has opened a drawer, found a lipstick, and thought, Good Lord, when did I buy this? And mascara? Apparently that little tube we keep pumping a wand in and out of every morning does not have the unlimited life span some of us have been giving it.
So while I was putting together my CVS Beauty Reset for the Epic Beauty Sale, I realized this was actually the perfect time to do more than shop. It was time to go through the makeup bag, clean the brushes, throw away some things that have been hanging around entirely too long, and maybe try a few products my girlfriends keep telling me about.
First Question: When Did You Last Wash Your Makeup Brushes?
Be honest.
Not when did you intend to wash them — when did soap and water actually touch those brushes? 😂 Our brushes touch our faces over and over again, picking up makeup, oil, dead skin, and whatever else is hanging around. Then we dip them right back into our products and use them again.
And yes, that means bacteria can build up too, especially on brushes we use with liquid and cream products. That can contribute to clogged pores, irritation, and breakouts. That alone was enough to make me go, Okay, Chan. Go wash your brushes.
For brushes I use with foundation and concealer, I try to think weekly. Eye brushes deserve regular attention too because, hello, they are going around your eyes. And here is something else I learned the hard way years ago: don’t soak the whole brush. Wash the bristles, rinse them well, gently squeeze out the excess water, reshape them, and lay them flat to dry. You don’t want water running down into the handle and loosening everything holding your brush together.
We are cleaning the brush — not drowning it. 😂
Now Let’s Talk About That Mascara
This is the one that got me. About three months is the general rule I use now for mascara.
Three. Months.
Meanwhile, some of us have mascara in the drawer that has survived relationships, hairstyle changes, and possibly an entire presidential administration. 😂
Mascara gets extra attention because you are constantly taking the wand near your eye, putting it back into the tube, and repeating that process over and over. And if the mascara is drying out, smells strange, irritates your eyes, or has clearly been hanging around since who knows when, that is not your cue to revive it. That is your cue to let it go.
Your eyeballs deserve better..
What About the Rest of the Makeup?
Thank goodness everything does not have to be thrown away every three months, because we would all be broke. Different products last different amounts of time, and I also pay attention to how something looks, smells, and feels.
As a general guide, I think of liquid foundation and concealer as products I want to replace more often than powders. Powder blushes, eyeshadows, and face powders tend to last longer when they are kept clean and dry. Lip products and eyeliners also need a regular look-over, especially anything being used around your eyes or mouth.
But sometimes you don’t need a chart. If the texture has changed, it smells funny, it has separated in some suspicious way, it suddenly irritates your skin, or you honestly cannot remember when you bought it, girl, let it go.
We do not need a forensic investigation into the manufacture date of a $9 lip gloss.😂
My CVS Beauty Reset
Since CVS is having its Epic Beauty Sale, the timing was perfect for me to go through what I already have and figure out what actually needs replacing. I am looking at the makeup I use all the time, a few beauty staples, and some newer products I am curious about.
And y’all already know how I operate. I am not telling you something is life-changing just because it is on sale or because everybody on the internet is talking about it. I want to know: Does it work? Is it worth the money? Would I use it? Would I buy it again? Would I tell one of my girlfriends to spend her money on it?
That is the Chan’s Room test.
You can browse my CVS Beauty Reset here:
Shop My CVS Beauty Reset: https://cvscreator.sjv.io/MRFBeauty
As a CVS Creator, I may earn a commission when you shop through my links. #CVSPartner #CVSEpicBeautySale
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