Oldies Are Sometimes Not Goodies

cargo lip glosses.jpg It’s unfortunate, but our favorite products don’t last forever. I’ve heard myriad experts lecture on the potential damage caused by not throwing away your products once they pass their shelf life, and I’m all for avoiding nasty infections and bacteria, so why is it so difficult for me to toss my expired beauty loot?

My main problem is this: I can never remember when I actually opened a product, making it hard to tell when it’s time to toss it. I always find a way to convince myself, especially with shades I really love, that no, really, it’s not that old. And since I’m not a list-making obsessive that keeps detailed notes on the purchase date of every lipstick I own, it’s pretty easy to delude myself.

That’s why I’m hoping Cargo’s new lippies will help me conquer my products-past-their-prime issue. The Classic Lip Glosses with Timestrip Technology, available later this month, are housed in plastic tubes that come with special indicator strips. Pop one into the top when you first open the gloss and it’ll count down the time you have until your new gloss expires. The indicator color that shows the elapsed time is bright red and clearly visible, so it’s hard to ignore. So hopefully, these will put an end to my ongoing product purchase amnesia.

—MEGAN MCINTYRE

posted by guest

Feb 04, 2009 3:22PM

Hell no, I stick with my glosses until the bitter end. I'm not throwing out half-full lip gloss because some strip tells me its "expired"

posted by astralgirl02

Feb 04, 2009 3:51PM

Agreed... feel like this is a marketing tool, or just a means to charge more. FAIL.

posted by AmandaMichele

Feb 04, 2009 4:07PM

I would like to have this on mascara! I never throw out lipglosses, but old mascara or eyeliner grosses me out.

posted by sparksflyy

agreed. lame.

Feb 04, 2009 4:35PM

I'm pretty sure I have eyeshadow that is 10 years old... and I still use it. It's probably bad but I can't bring myself to throw it out until it's gone. Plus that stuff is really expensive. I would never even think about throwing out lip gloss.... I totally agree about the mascara/liquid eyeliner though.

Feb 04, 2009 5:17PM

Guest #5, I have like 4-6 year old make up that I used today actually!!! I guess I'm one of those people who learn the hard way because I'm not tossing ANYTHING out until I can SEE something crawling in it or its gone.. Makeup is too expensive to replace it every three months..

But this topic has always made me wonder how many makeup artists actually follow this rule?

Feb 04, 2009 5:50PM

I rely on a sniff test -- if it smells wrong, it's time to go.

Can't lipsticks be sanitized with rubbing alcohol?

Feb 04, 2009 6:48PM

I can sorta understand where they are coming from, b/c every time you dip the wand back in after use, it carries bacteria into the tube (or pot). Lipgloss and mascara are items I am willing to replace often. However blush, powder and eyeshadow I will use every last bit of.

posted by disneyrollergirl

Feb 04, 2009 7:13PM

I don't believe in this either. Has a whiff of 'made up by the beauty industry about it'. I still have a tube of brown metallic eyeshadow by Calvin Klein from when Diane Kendal did it (2000? 2003?) It's still going strong thank-you-very-much.

Good point from Guest 6 re make-up artists. I also want to know if make-up artists use the same mascara on different people!

www.disneyrollergirl.blogspot.com

posted by vicki

Feb 04, 2009 8:54PM

A good tip I learned from a sprecktra.net member is store all the lipglosses you are not really using in the refrigerator.

Feb 04, 2009 10:46PM

Definitely a marketing ploy. Can't believe people are going to fall for this - Can you imagine the marketing flack at Cargo?

"We've found a product that makes women buy into the 3 month makeup myth even more. And they'll pay EXTRA for it - we're geniuses!!"

If we fall for this then we for surely deserve being played for a fool.

posted by ccollins

Feb 05, 2009 12:12AM

tacky.

Feb 05, 2009 1:56AM

I replace things like liquid foundation, concealer, and things like that, but eyeshadow, pressed powders, and lipgloss get used until they're gone, as I've never noticed any negative effects from older products. It is easy to get into a vicious cycle of breaking out, applying concealer to cover the breakout, and reinfecting the area with the concealer. An easy way to avoid this is to never "double-dip" whatever you're using to apply concealer. My favorite is a q-tip.

I also am bad about replacing mascara. I'd say I only do so about once a year... but then again, I only wear mascara once or twice a month. I love how it looks, but I can't _stand_ the stuff. "Oh, my eye itches... crap, raccoon eye for the rest of the day, no matter what I do." And I find it hard to remove, even the non-waterproof stuff. The insidious blackish goo seems impervious to makeup remover, soap, lotion, water... you name it. It lurks. Evilly.

posted by rockferry

Feb 05, 2009 2:21AM

Seriously, this is such a marketing ploy. Except for mascara (which I still use for up to a year), I keep my makeup forever, and I have never noticed problems.

Also, #13, not that I'm telling you to change something so personal as your concealer, but one of the reasons that Make-Up For Ever Full Cover concealer is great is that it comes in a tube, so you never have to worry about double-dipping. :)

Feb 05, 2009 12:03PM

marketing ploy

Feb 06, 2009 12:47AM

Why do all the beauty posts on this site feel like an advertorial? how about comparing similar products or telling us about beauty events? why must it always be 'this product is so great and you all should totally buy it'?