Beauty Countdown

All products have a shelf life-even makeup. This cheat sheet tells you when it's time to toss yours.

Tip: To keep your beauty products from being contaminated by bacteria, always use spotlessly clean brushes, sponges, or swabs.

Makeup type	Toss it
Foundation	12 months
Concealer	9 to 12 months
Mascara	3 months (Note: If you've used the mascara while you have a cold, dispose of the product immediately as germs come through your tear ducts and get deposited on lashes.)
Lipstick	2 years
Lip- or eyeliner pencil	2 years (Sharpen them before each application to remove possible bacteria, and to get a better line when applying.)
Powder eye shadow	2 years
Cream eye shadow	12 months
Face powder	2 years

If the colour changes or the product smells wrong, toss it in the trash, no matter how long it's supposed to last.

To read more makeup tips from professional makeup artist Candace Corey, see her article "All washed up! Keeping your beauty products clean" in the May issue of alive.

Source: alive Web Exclusive, May 2007