New Year, New Makeup Essential Rules

New year. New look. New you.

Staying fresh-faced and fabulous is at the top of our goal list for 2018. You’ve finally gotten your signature look for both day and night down pat. Now it’s time to execute. As much as we all would love to have a Huda-styled dream closet, a deluxe makeup case is the extent of what most of us are working with.

That being said, nothing is more frustrating than digging through your never-ending mess of a storage space and finding broken palettes and filthy brushes; not to mention it’s horrible for your skin. In order to make the everyday application process easier, scaling back the contents of your makeup bag is a must.

Ready, Set, Clean!

Start with your brushes. Avid makeup users will tell you they clean their brushes on the regular; for everyone else, that’s a vital task that may just slip our minds. Clean brushes not only make for better application but also keep your skin healthy and free of bacteria. If your brush(es) are beyond saving, toss them and invest in some new ones! Almost every brand of makeup carries their own brush cleanser. Find the one you like the best and use it every two weeks- or every week if you can remember! That goes for your beauty blenders, too. It’s well worth the cash.

Separate your supplies. Keep your everyday palettes and tools together and your special occasion, out on the town, products apart. If you don’t use it every day, there’s no reason to scrimmage through it all. Minimizing your basics makes getting ready on a daily basis effortless!

Buy a new bag. If your makeup bag is stained and has considerable wear and tear, trade it in for a new one. You don’t have to spend a fortune- and considering you should clean/purchase a new bag every 6 months to a year anyway, it’s better to keep it cheaper. Try something with a cleanable material for weekly upkeep!

Don’t use? Toss it! If you have a lipstick in the bottom of your case that you haven’t used in over a year, let it go along with anything else that may be idling for too long. Makeup has a shelf life (which can usually be found at the bottom as “12”, “24”, etc.), chances are if you forgot you had it, you probably shouldn’t use it.

Set up a mini bag. Going out after work for happy hour? Last minute meeting? You’re going to want to freshen up. Buy a few duplicates of your everyday must-haves and keep them in your purse or at the office. No one wants to lug around a giant makeup bag and run the risk of dropping something or losing it.

Empty your pencil sharpeners. If you have a sharpener with a case to hold the access shavings, don’t forget to empty it. It’s always good to have this handy tool on you, but it’s a total nightmare if it opens inside your bag. Small particles can get caught in other makeup and end up in your eyes or scratch your face.

Scrub your metals. Eyelash curlers, tweezers, scissors- they all need to be sanitized! Use a soft rag and clean with rubbing alcohol. Make sure they are completely dried before using them again to avoid getting any liquids in your eye.

Stay clean. Keep wet wipes and Q-tips in your bag at all time. Not only are they great for removing unwanted smudges from your face make, but they’re great for quick bag cleanups! Wipe around the edges of your compacts, mirrors and brush bases to ensure a germ-free bag.

Stay Healthy. Stay Organized. Stay Beautiful.