5 Signs you need to Spring Clean your Makeup Bag

With less than 4 days to go until “close contact services”, clothes shopping and al fresco dining we are excited to be finally meeting our 2021 brides for their much anticipated bridal makeup and hair trials. 

We’ve Spring cleaned our premises as well as every single makeup product and brush owned making sure it’s been sanitised as well as still in date to avoid our clients getting skin rashes/breakouts/eye infections and styes!
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If your boatrace hasn’t seen a cosmetic product since the first lockdown then your makeup bag might be calling out for a spring clean, that includes the bag itself! 
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Once emptied, pop it in the wash to get rid of all bacteria or hand wash with fairy liquid and sanitise with antibacterial wipes and spray. If it’s still looking a bit worse for wear then it’s time to hit the shops for a new one!

1. Liquid Foundations and Liquid Highlighters  - Bin after 12 - 18 months
Firstly how does it smell? Not all foundations have a fragrance but if yours is starting to smell a bit rank, chances are it is! Has the formula separated or the colour changed? Oils tend to rise to the top of foundation after time and with continued use, pores can clog and potentially acne can form.  You might find foundation won’t blend like it used to or can oxidise and start to look the wrong shade once applied. 
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2. Powder Blushers, Foundations and bronzers - Bin after 36 months 
Good news powder formulas tend to last the longest. In fact it’s one of the hardest products to determine whether it’s still in date or not. If you discover a hard film or a funny looking shine on the surface or the texture looks cracked you’ll probably find it’s not performing as well as it once did with the pigment being less noticeable once applied. 

We use a lot of loose powders in our kit which can easily be decanted. 
If using a compact we use a quick drying sanitising spray between in between clients.

3. Brushes  - Bin as soon as the bristles fall out!
These should feel soft and look fluffy. If some of the bristles are stuck together a good rinse over the sink with a shampoo or washing up liquid should do the trick, laid flat to dry naturally. If the bristles are sparse or feel spiky when you touch them on your skin then it’s time to ditch and replace!

We wash and sanitise our brushes after each wedding or prom.  A new set of brushes is always used for each client. So if you have 6 people in your wedding party, we will use up to 6 clean brushes on each and every person so that’s up to 36 brushes a wedding! Each client has their own labelled pot of brushes so if touch ups are needed later on we know which brushes are theirs for the morning. 


4. Lipsticks and Lipglosses - Bin after 18 - 24 months
Good news most lippies contain preservatives so it’s harder to grow bacteria. However, if you discover a coldsore you should always scrape a very thin top layer off the top of the lipstick before you use it next.


You’ll never see us use lipstick from the bullet.  We always use a spatula to scrape off the top layer and apply with a lipstick brush followed by a quick spritz of sanitiser before the next client. 
For lipgloss we always use a disposable applicator and there’s no double dipping either!


5. Mascara - Bin after 3 - 6 months 
Mascara has one of the shortest shelf lives unfortunately. You can easily tell once maraca has gone off as it won’t smell right anymore.  Mascara contains water, any cosmetic product containing water can breed bacteria. Bacteria near your eye can equal a nasty stye. 

We use a new disposable mascara wand for each time we dip - and that means we go through a a shed load of mascara wands (as well as mascara!) each wedding season.

So there you have it! If you need to refresh your makeup bag we can offer 1 to 1 advice and help you to restock your makeup bag with the fabulous Mii Cosmetics from Gerrard International.

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Contact Us for makeup advice