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This time of year women are frantically cleaning out their closets. The ritual is to get rid of the things we haven't worn from last season and make room for the new items we will buy this year.
When all is said and done, we always forget the one very important clean out - makeup.
Ever wonder how long the products in your makeup box and skin care cabinet are supposed to last? Do you still have your "favorite lipstick" from high school? You will be surprised when you see the actual "life span" of these products. Get ready to throw it away!
Replace every three months even if you have some left. Clumpy, thick mascara is a haven for bacteria and can cause conjunctivitis.
Change with the seasons as bacteria introduced from hands and sponges can multiply. Tip: use a makeup brush which is more sanitary as it can be washed.
If it begins to change color and separates, toss it right away otherwise, replace it in the month of the expiration date on the product or box. If you don't you are exposing your skin to increased sun exposure (if it has an SPF) and skin damage. Same for eye creams. Be extra careful here because this is going around the eye area.
Change every six months even if it is not used up. Lipstick can be a hot bed of germs and never use someone else's lipstick.
Change seasonally. If it starts to separate around the case and cracks toss it right away. Get rid of the applicator and use a blush brush which you can wash regularly. The regular applicator can harbor bacteria. The same goes for eye shadow and powder compacts.
Eye and lip- Sharpen regularly before each use to help prevent germs. Keep the lids on after applying. If the pencil turns color or breaks apart, get rid of it.
Quality brushes can last up to three years if properly cared for. Wash them with brush cleaner or a mild hand soap or shampoo. Flatten out and let air dry. Do not blow dry or microwave (yes, someone actually did that and tried to return the "fried " brush to the cosmetic counter)
Every six months or when it gets thick. Do not thin with polish remover. This dilutes the product and destroys the color. If you have a favorite, refrigerate it and it will last longer.
Usually lasts one to six years but the more air in the bottle, the shorter the life span.If the fragrance begins to develop an acidic smell (like vinegar) the bottle should be discarded.
Georgia Donovan is a fashion stylist and makeup artist who helps women raise their style consciousness and elevate their self-image. For more ideas, tips, and articles, and a complimentary subscription to her newsletter, visit
Georgia Donovan, made her first fashion statement at age six, when she refused to wear a dress with ruffles. Since then, she has been a fashion czarina, whose innate sense of style and fashion has enabled her to step out with style wherever she goes.
Georgia completed a long and rewarding career in corporate America and is now living her passion as a Fashion Stylist & Makeup Artist. Having been promoted to upper management in a fortune 100 company at a time when women were not breaking through the glass ceiling, she now shares her experiences and love of fashion & style to help other women reach their potential, especially the over forty woman.
Sensing that women over forty were being overlooked and ignored, she contacted every woman she knew and asked them that simple question: “After forty, do you feel invisible?”
The responses were overwhelming. Most woman agreed that the TV and print media and fashion world were overlooking the over forty client. Wanting to help change this, Georgia dedicated her work to serving the needs of over forty woman.
Georgia is passionate about helping women achieve their own unique and stylish look, develop a personal fashion sense and realize there is beauty without boundaries.
Formally trained in Classical Literature, she worked in the London Theater as a wardrobe mistress and makeup artist. There, Georgia learned from some of the great names in theatrical history and was privy to valuable tips and professional secrets gleaned from the many celebrated actors she worked with. Today, Georgia is able to incorporate this priceless insider information in her work.
Once called the “Best dressed woman in the telephone company,” she has an innate sense of style and a lifelong love of clothes. Georgia brings her unique sense of fashion, combined with many years of business experience, to her work as The Clothes Doctor. In her own career, her fashion sense and high profile persona complimented her business skills, enabling her to achieve numerous successes. In the business world, first impressions are everything.
Georgia has presented her entertaining and informative programs to such notable companies as Sotheby’s Auction House, PECO Energy, Grandview Hospital, American Dairy Association, as well as numerous colleges and business & community groups.
She appeared as the Fashion Expert on Comcast Television’s Your Morning Show and is the resident business wardrobe and style expert, for the Small Business Advocate, a nationally syndicated radio show broadcast in over 30 cities in the US and live on the Internet.
She is a makeup artist for Chanel and is part of the National Makeup Artist’s Pro Team for Lancome.
Georgia is the author of the audio CD programs for women, Looking Fabulous After 40 and _About Faces- The essentials of makeup and skin care
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