Make-up bag makeover
make-up bag,skincare,make-up
Make-up bag clear-out
By Yanar Alkayat
How often do you clear out old make-up? Once a year? Twice a year? Never? Crushed, caked and crumbled beauty products secretly harbour nasty bacteria doing more harm than good.
So think about an \'autumn clean-out\' - chuck out those health hazards in your beauty booty - before stocking up on this season\'s new trends
Mascara
eyebrow pencil,mascara,make-up
Susan Posnick Mascara and Brow Gel
Mascara is bacteria heaven, especially the bottom of the tube, which is the wettest and darkest part. The more you pump the mascara wand, the more nasties enter from the surrounding air.
If your mascara is more than three or four months old, it\'s time to let it go! Susan Posnick\'s mini mascara and brow gel is designed for a maximum 10 weeks\' use to avoid that germ-filled, dried-out state - clever
Susan Posnick ColorForever, £21, stockists: 020 8997 8541
Lipstick
lipstick,make-up,brushes
Lipstick hazards
Lipsticks last a long time, but not forever! Their oil content eventually goes off, so dig out those lipsticks from the \'80\'s and throw them out. Applying lipstick with a brush also reduces bacteria exchange - as long as you clean the brush regularly
Fragrance
fragrance,perfume,tocca
Tocca Cleopatra
Heat and light are fragrance enemies, so avoid placing perfumes near a sunny window or a radiator. Top notes are usually the first to go off, then middle, followed by bottom - so dark, musky perfumes will last the longest, whereas citrus fragrances will be the first to decay
Tocca Cleopatra, £48, stockist: Liberty 020 7734 1234
Moisturiser
skincare,Clinique,natural skincare
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturiser
Fingers are the biggest carrier of germs and bacteria, so always wash hands before applying creams. Pump dispensers are better than pots in the hygiene stakes.
Natural ingredients, plant extracts and essential oils in creams can be quick to go off, so check expiry dates and throw out anything that\'s suffered a change in colour or smell
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturiser, £15, available nationwide
Foundation
foundation,foundation sponge,make-up,brushes
Lancome Teint Idole
There\'s plenty of bacteria exchange with foundations - from fingers to face and back into bottles - so tubes or pump dispensers are best.
Grimy foundation sponges at the bottom of make-up bags are a skincare disaster, so wash fortnightly to avoid dirty build-up.
Oil-free foundations dry out more quickly, so avoid keeping them for more than 12 months and if the ingredients start to separate, throw it away!
Lancôme Teint Idole SPF10, £25.50, stockists: Lancome counters nationwide
Brushes
make-up remover,make-up,brushes
Laura Mercier Brush Cleanser
Make-up brushes collect dust, bacteria and oils, which are then transferred back onto your skin - not nice! Banish bacteria by cleaning gently with shampoo and water or brush cleaner, ideally about once a fortnight - simply pour onto a tissue or spray on bristles and wipe clean - easy!
Laura Mercier Brush Cleanser, stockists: 0870 837 7377
Make-up bag makeover - pencils
eyeliner,eye pencil,eyebrow pencil
MAC sharpener
Pencils are the least germ-harbouring items in your make-up bag (hoorah!), but still need to be thrown away if they have dried out.
The best way of removing bacteria from pencils is by sharpening them, so keep them pin-point sharp
MAC sharpener, from £2, stockists: MAC nationwide
Bathroom
skincare,make-up
Healthy teeth
Did you know bathroom germs can rise around six to eight feet in the air after flushing the toilet?
This makes the shelf above the toilet an unattractive place to keep beauty products and toothbrushes, especially when wet toothbrushes attract more germs than dry ones*
*research from Domestos
