Do you keep make up past the recommended date?

minerva_windsong

Yes I do. As long as it looks, smells and works OK then I see nothing wrong with it. The only exception is mascara for similar reasons to Plushroom.

I'm also perfectly happy to do the same with skincare. If it doesn't smell or look bad then in my book it's fine. Case in point: last week I finished off a shower product that had apparently gone off at the beginning of the year, and I'm still alive to tell the tale...

Primrose

As I often don't wear make-up, I've got a couple of lipsticks that must be about 20 years old. They're still perfectly OK and I haven't suffered any health or infection problems when I use them.

charlysez

i too have make i bought especially for my wedding, in 1990..... all working well and as it was all neutrals, still fashionable. i only wear it now for other ppls weddings/christenings etc....

SandC

I rarely chuck stuff away - cheap eyeshadows can harden but that's after a number of years. Mascara never gets to the stage of being past its date as that's my most used item. Lipsticks, as long as they go on the lips okay then they are fine. Actually I'd say that for anything else too - if they glide on okay like they used to then no probs.

Who washes their make up brushes etc. weekly like they say? Ha!

daisybella

The only things I don't keep are Mascara and foundations...and they normally get used before their date anyway.
Lipsticks and lipgloss I'm wary with, but likewise they get used.

Eyeshadow and other powder based things, I'm not fussed as I do clean my brushes on a monthly basis.

joesaunt

I wash my brushes every week!! Saves them getting all cloggy and make up goes on much better with clean brushes. Scary after a week how full of makeup they have become.

Amanita_2

You mean make up has a use by date? Provided it doesn't look "off" then I'll use it and I'm still alive to tell the tale.

**Juice**

I don't bother with dates - as soon as something starts to look, feel or smell weird, it gets binned.

Same if I think I might have used mascara during/before a conjunctivitis outbreak or lippie before/during a coldsore, it's only fit for the bin. I once got two bouts of conjunctivitis from using a mascara so I'm a bit anal about that now.

paula7924

I am SO glad you were brave enough to ask the question! i was expecting you to get shot down in flames so it's such a relief that everyone else seems to do the scratch and sniff test to work out if its ok too.
I have an eyeshadow set i was given when i was 14, 25 years ago. I hardly ever wear make up so if i had to throw it away after 6 mnths or whatever i would only ever get to use it once or twice. as my 25 year old make up is sparkly and back in fashion i won't bothe rbuying new stuff!

i did just throw away an estee lauder mascara that must have been a mere 5 years old as when i opened it up it there was a strange smell which had never been there before.

Hermia

I don't take any notice of the use by dates as I find it's very obvious when make-up goes off. The texture and smell of the product do change a lot. It makes me laugh when I see things like shower gel with 6 months use by dates on the back. I often find toiletries in the back of my cupboards that are years old and they look and smell absolutely identical to a new bottle of the product.