Products I've Used Up: Spring Cleaning Edition, 2015

Hi, friends! My laptop charger came in the mail yesterday, so I was finally able to finish this post. We're doing things a little bit differently for this month's Empties post, Unlike other Empties posts, where I give you mini reviews on products that I've completely used up, these are the products that really should have been thrown out a long time ago. In other words, it's a special spring cleaning edition! Products that are expired, unusable, or sucked from the start--they're all here in the Products I've "Used Up" Spring Cleaning Edition!

PRODUCTS THAT ARE TOO OLD

I don't exactly follow the rules when it comes to throwing out makeup. I don't mark my calendar and then, after the xx months is up, toss something. Plus, different sources say different things, so how would I know what's really correct? Well, luckily, I don't follow them anyway. I think those are just general guidelines, and to follow them blindly is just plain wasteful.

BARE MINERALS Original SPF Foundation in Medium ($28 for 2g) 

This is old. That's an understatement. It's very old.

In either 8th or 9th grade (!), my mother bought me my first set of makeup. She bought me bareMinerals because that's what she used at the time (nice, huh?). I am now in my senior year of college. That, to me, is just too many years. The product inside doesn't look particularly different, but this formula contains cornstarch, which is a breeding ground for bacteria, so the fact that it's been somewhere around 8 years is concerning. (bareMinerals has since reformulated this, so it no longer contains cornstarch). 

Also, was I ever a medium? I'm always the lightest shade in the line, or second-lightest if it has a particularly large shade range. 

Anyway, my skin can get pretty dry, so I always found it to be visible on my skin, even with all the "buffing." I was never a huge fan of this, but it's possible I was not applying it correctly. 

BARE MINERALS Feather Light Mineral Veil  ($21)

One hint that should tell you how long I've had this: this product isn't even called this anymore. 

I got this in my "first big girl makeup collection" which means it's way too old. It contains little sparkles in it, which is both good at bad. It looked really nice when I used to perform on stage, since the lights really made my face glow, but in real life I found I just looked subtly like a disco ball. It's now labeled "Illuminating Mineral Veil," which I think alludes to what the product actually does. It also contains mica, which explains the shimmery particles. 

LIP SMACKERS Squeezy Lip Smacker in Strawberry Limeade 

1. I don't even know how long I've had this.
2. I'm never going to use this. 
3. I don't even really like the smell of it. 
4. I know Lip Smackers has closed down its factory recently, but makeup expires and I don't really find it to be a good hobby for collecting. You might as well have a hobby for collecting food. It'll all go in the garbage someday. 

PRODUCTS THAT HAVE DRIED UP

You know the ones. You were excited to get them, and you were totally going to use them all the time, but then you sadly open the jar one day to realize they've dried up. You keep them in your stash for the hopes that one day they'll magically be usable again, but you have to face the facts. It's time.

MICA BEAUTY Gel Eyeliner ($35)

I got this in an Ipsy bag even before I started this blog--that's more than two years ago! I'm not surprised this dried up. I didn't use it too much, anyway. I'm more of a fan of pencils. 

 Also, if you're curious, it totally wasn't worth the $35. Just go to the drugstore. I hear the Maybelline one has a cult following. 

OFRA  Fixline Eyeliner Gel in Black ($17)

I showed this in my May 2014 Wantable Makeup Box post, which will forever be known as the day I became a coal miner.

It's not technically dried up and unusable yet, but since it was so wet when I first opened it, it might actually be usable now. But the cap still doesn't screw on. And I still just am not a fan. I'm going to stop lying to myself and toss it because I am never going to use this.

BE A BOMBSHELL Eyeliner in Onyx ($14)

Another eyeliner! Yes, this one dried up, too. I actually have a full review of it from when it was usable. It's also another product that I got in an Ipsy bag before I started this blog, which should hint to you how long I've had this.

I liked the control I had with this, but I found the market tip to be a bit poiny and painful. Applying it from the side of the tip, like a stamper, was just weird for me. But it was super black! If you're curious about marker tips, you could check this out, but I think I would prefer a felt tip.

YABY Concealer ($4.85 for 3.5g)

Another Ipsy bag product! This one I actually got after the start of College Beauty Buff, from my May 2013 Ipsy Bag.

I really like this concealer, and it's an exact match for my skin tone. It's just gotten dry and flaky, and isn't as creamy as it used to be. Luckily I have another one. They're really cheap, but the shipping from Canada to the U.S. is insane, so I just prefer to swap with people when I can. 

This palette is also kind of messy, so I'll clean this up, too.

PRODUCTS YOU NEVER REALLY LIKED FROM THE START

You know what I'm talking about. Products you tried to like, but didn't. You kept them around in hopes of one day finding a way to use them. Or maybe you just wished that they would change. Well, let me tell you something: products will never change, they are set in their ways. You have to accept them as they are or let them go. Let's get these products out of here!

PACIFICA Alight Multi-Mineral BB Cream ($16 for 1oz)

I received this in an August 2013 Ipsy Bag. It smelled "off" like I had received something that was expired. I thought maybe it was just me, but then I could smell it on my face all day, and just knew something was up. (Contrarily, if that's just the way the product is formulated, I'm not a fan).

This is actually one product I threw out immediately. I suppose I could have contacted Ipsy for a new one, but that was the month I cancelled my subscription, so I figured I'd just let it go.

MIRABELLA Face and Eye Primer ($29 for .45oz)

This was my first-ever eyeshadow primer, yet another from an Ipsy bag before the start of this blog. 

The product is a clear gel, which is weird, since the other primers  I've tried match my skin tone. Oddly enough, this did make eyeshadow appear a bit more vibrant in arm swatches, but I can't say anything about the staying power, since my eyeshadow typically doesn't crease much anyway. I wouldn't recommend buying this, especially since there are so many other primers that work better for cheaper. 

At some point, I think it got a bit too warm in my room, but the gel became more liquid-y, and it was gross. Needless to say, it's gone now.

PRODUCTS THAT ARE EMPTY ANYWAY

My mother has a habit of hanging on to empty tubes of hand cream. I don't know why. If it's empty, or if you've been saying you're going to depot that last tiny bit of product and you just haven't, just throw it out. It's only taking up space.

Pro Tip: Can't get the last bit out of a squeeze tube (of lotion, etc)? Cut off the top (the opposite side of where the screw-on cap is) and voila! You'll often find cream sticking to the edges, especially around the inside where the cap is. I do this for all of my hand/body lotions and creams that come in tubes. There's usually an extra 1-2 uses in hiding there at least. For face products, I only use whatever I can get out the tube the first time around, and then I chuck it, because it's been in contact with my hands and the air and the thought of germs just freaks me out, to be honest.

CHAPSTICK in Classic Cherry ($1 for .15oz)

I got this before Katy Perry made it cool, which does not make me feel hipster--just old. It takes me forever to go through a tube of lip balm, which is funny, since I use them all the time and try to only devote my attention to a few at a time. This does its job, but I have others that I think are more hydrating, and the "cherry" part isn't all that exciting, anyway.

This tube won't screw up any more, so I've just been stuck looking at the tiny remains of product helplessly. I keep saying I'll scrape it out into a spare contact lens case or something, but I haven't so I honestly just need to toss it and get it out of my life.

BENEFIT COSMETICS Posiebalm ($18 for 3g)

I received this in my July 2014 Birchbox, and I liked it so much that I quickly used up what was usable. It has since been sitting in my makeup collection, with too short of a nub to apply from the tube. Out of curiosity, I poked a hole down there to see how far the product went, and the entire narrow part of the tube (the top half) contains product! How am I supposed to get down there?? This one I actually want to depot, because there's no way I'm going to throw out that much of a product that I enjoy (and hasn't expired yet). Benefit, why did you do this?

CLEAN AND SANITIZE

After getting rid of the stuff you no longer use, it's time to clean up what we have left! Here's what I like to do to keep my makeup clean and sanitized:

BEAUTY SO CLEAN Cosmetic Sanitizer Mist ($16 for 4oz)

Since I'm a bit of a germ-a-phobe (and I have acne-prone skin), I like to keep my makeup as germ-free as possible. I don't share my makeup with anyone, I always wash my hands, and I clean my brushes regularly (about once a week). Beauty So Clean is used by makeup artists and everyday makeup wearers, and their formula is really unique. Unlike other alternatives, this spray has sanitizing ingredients and emollients in it so it won't dry out your makeup (like products with alcohol will do). In other words, this will sanitize makeup without changing the formula!

For powder products, bacteria doesn't really grow below the surface, so I just spray once onto a powder compact (blush, bronzer, etc), voila, it's sanitized! Don't over-spray the product and think it will work better, because it will not. It also doesn't take any time to be effective. I just wait ten seconds, and then the makeup is good to go. I also use this regularly on my foundation brush, since I don't clean it after every single time I use it, I like to think that it helps keep things a little less germ-y. A bottle lasts forever, and I'm a fan.

THE BRUSH GUARD Cleaning Kit ($20)

I purchased this kit from the Birchbox shop, and I think it's a really good value. You get a container of brush shampoo (I usually use baby shampoo, but this works too), a cleaning cup, five brush guards, a towel, and a drying cup. The cleaning cup has texture on the bottom to help get any gunk that's stuck in your brush (I especially like this for brushes I've used with cream products, like foundation). You can wrap a brush guard around the bristles of your brush while it's drying to help it maintain its shape. This is basically the only reason my Sigma E40 is still usable, and doesn't have bristles splayed out all over the place. Let me know if you'd like to see a full review of this!

Z-PALETTE Small Pink Palette

In order for me to remember to use the little eyeshadow samples I get in subscription boxes, I like to depot them and put the pans in a little Z-Palette. As you can see, mine is kind of a mess, since I take it back and forth to school with me, and there's still room for the eyeshadow pans to move around in there. I'll just take a tissue and wipe up the surface so it looks a lot cleaner. And then that'll be it!

I hope you've enjoyed this peek into my spring cleaning process. I didn't mention every single product I removed from my collection, because if I did I'm sure you'd all be bored to tears (And realize how much of a pack rat I am!). Every time I throw something away, I feel like it's such a waste. But, why keep it around if you're not going to use it anyway? If I have something that I know I won't use, or I know someone else will get more use out of it than I will (ex. my mother goes through hand creams like they're water), I'll share. Because products expire, and I think we forget that sometimes in this crazy beauty community that we love.

Are you de-stashing this season?

Let's be friends! 

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Disclaimer: Nothing to disclose. I did not invent spring, or trash.