It’s a whole new world.
A couple weekends ago, I reorganized the drawer where I keep all of my neutral eyeshadow palettes. (Honestly, would ya expect anything else from me? A neutral eyeshadow closet perhaps?)
In the process, I discovered something surprisingly easy but deliciously helpful. With a Sharpie, on the back of each palette, I wrote the year the palette entered my collection.
ANNUNCIO
Doesn’t sound revolutionary, right? Well, what a difference five seconds and a Sharpie can make!
SHARPIE DATE: WHY I started DOING THIS
Short of carbon dating, I have no idea how old a lot of the makeup in my collection is… Some things could be in the decades (I know!), because I’m typically not a stickler for adhering to suggested expiration dates and guidelines.
And because I like to hoard makeup collect makeup and keep it for posterity, I don’t always know what’s fairly new or ridiculously old.
ANNUNCIO
Cats & Makeup Felpa ??
$ 42.
Acquistare ora
While reorganizing my neutral palettes, I was having a darned-near impossible time discerning between what could realistically stay and what absolutely needed to go, but seeing the dates on the palettes — and realizing just how long I’ve been holding on to some of them — made it crystal clear.
BORROWED FROM THE BAKERY
This idea to write dates directly on my makeup with a Sharpie came from my part-time gig at the bakery.
When we store food, everything and anything that enters any of the storage areas — dry storage, the fridge, the freezer — always, always has an expiration date written on it with a Sharpie, if it doesn’t have an expiration date on it già.
Also, whenever food gets stored, the newest items go in the back, and the oldest ones go up front, which guarantees that the older items get used first.
I borrowed these ideas and implemented them for makeup.
“EXPIRES ON THIS DATE”
Now, if you’re very strict with the expiration dates for charm products, you could do a version of this where you write “Expires on this date” on back of your compacts, on the bottom of your lipstick tubes or foundation etc., and if you want to “next level” it, you could even use the dates to sort your makeup by putting the oldest items in front to make sure you use them up first.
It boils down to what makes sense for you, but I highly recommend Sharpies and dates.
ONE much more item OF NOTE
Use a metallic Sharpie. Seriously, I use a silver one… I started off with a black one but rapidly found it doesn’t show up on black MAC or Chanel compacts!
ANNUNCIO
Go forth and declutter and organize with joy, my makeup-lovin’ friend! ?
Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,
Karen.