It's that time of year again! While you're going through old clothes and scrubbing floors for a Spring-cleaning, your vanity essentials deserve some much-needed maintenance, too. With event season on the horizon, there is no better time to spring clean your beauty regime than NOW. Here are a few tips to help you get started into organizing and simplifying your beauty routine. Here's to saving time so you can make the most of those amazing summer months to come!
Check expiration dates.
Let's be honest, makeup and beauty products do not last forever. Makeup and skin care products do expire, and if you keep using it, you risk break-outs and bacterial infections. So it's time to throw away that collection that has pile up underneath your bathroom sink. So keep in mind: Mascara should be thrown away after three months, liquid liner and concealer after six months, and lipstick, lip gloss, and foundation after one year. You should also check your moisturizer and sunscreen for an expiration date. If anything is expired, or you’re in doubt, throw it out! Breakouts or weird infections are not worth it. Especially this time of year. You don't want to miss out on the fun or end up with some bad photos plastered over social media
Ditch old hair appliance
You should be wary of the life span of your electrical tools, and aim to replace appliances every two to three years for best results. Clean your hair dryer filter regularly. Doing this will prolong the life of your blow dryer. You can tell when products are ready to go as straightening irons start to lose heat and hair dryer motors lose power. Not only will replacing these items improve your every day styling, it will also save you a ton of time. While your comb should last a lifetime (or until its teeth fall out), brushes should be replaced every two years. Once the bristles split or look worn, it's time for that item to go. Especially boar bristle brushes. Feel free to ask your stylist for recommendations! Remember, most stylists have tried everything under the sun. So getting feedback from them will ensure you chose the right tools for your skill level and hair type and style you are looking for. Also, you get what you pay for. So spending a little extra is totally worth it.
Wash your brushes
Makeup brushes are prime breeding grounds for bacteria. If you use your brushes every day, you should be washing them every week. Of course, we’re all human and this is definitely one of those chores that tends to fall by the wayside. To combat this, make a little brush-washing station by the sink to remind you to do this more often. Stock the area with clean washcloths, a pretty jar to hold brushes, and a special cleansing solution. By doing this, it’s a daily reminder to keep up on this task. To keep brushes sanitary throughout the week, I fill a small spray bottle with purified water, 99% rubbing alcohol, and a drop of coconut oil. After my morning makeup application, I mist all my brushes with this solution.
Clean it up
For the items do keep, its a great idea to sanitize and clean them up as best as possible. Spray all powdered items such as shadows and pressed faced powder with 99% rubbing alcohol. This will clean any bacteria off the surface of the items. As for Lipstick, wipe them with alcohol. Especially any that you haven’t used in the past six months. With lip and eye pencils, sharpening them can remove any bacteria, but I also recommend spraying these as well.
Spruce up your tools
Keep germs at bay and your eyelash curler in tip-top shape by using eye makeup remover and cotton pad to clean mascara buildup. Also, when your rubber pads start to go, be sure to replace them to ensure your curler work it's best. When your tweezers get dull, use a fingernail file or sandpaper to fine-tune the edges. This will resharpen the edges and help you get a better grasp on those pesky hard to get hairs. Nothing is worse than dirty styling tools. The black gunk that builds up on heat styling tools is the result of scorched hair product. Eliminate this nasty grime by wiping the plates with alcohol, baking soda, or acetone while unplugged. Be sure to avoid harsh scrubbing, though, which may scratch the protective finish on your iron.
By completing these simple tasks before the season starts, you will be summer ready! Be sure to contact us at the salon with any questions you may have!