Spring clean your make-up collection

So spring has well and truly arrived and I don't know about you but I have that 'spring clean' itch that makes me want to sort things out and get rid of all of the clutter in my house. The easiest thing I thought I'd start with is my make-up collection, which is a ridiculous size, especially when I only wear mascara and eyeshadow on a daily basis and even then I use the same palette again and again! I thought I'd share a couple of my top tips for helping to de-clutter your make-up collection or make-up bag, hope they help!



Wash your brushes
Probably one of the most obvious things to do when spring cleaning. I definitely don't wash my brushes often enough so they're in desperate need of a good clean. Not too long ago I picked up the Lottie London Soap Star Solid Brush Cleanser, which makes washing brushes a quick and super simple process so I'd definitely recommend picking this up or something similar. Alternatively, you can use baby shampoo to wash your brushes or simply some warm water and lots of scrubbing power!

Get rid of out-of-date products
The thought of how long some of my make-up products have been sitting in my make-up bags or pots for is quite disturbing. 'They' say that mascaras shouldn't be used after three months so if you have any that are older than this then definitely chuck them in the bin. It's so important to keep on top of your mascara use as they can attract nasty bacteria and lead to eye infections so if they're a bit dry or smell a bit funky then it's definitely time to get rid!

Lipsticks and foundations can last a little longer than mascaras, from six months to a year roughly. Liquid-based make-up is the most important one to keep your eye on as it can seperate and grow bacteria a lot easier than non liquids. My rule is if it doesn't look right then it's better to be safe than sorry and say bye bye!

I recently went through my collection and a couple of the liquid-based products that I've had for a LONG time had separated and had an alcoholic/chemical smell to them (gross!) so they went in the bin!



Invest in make-up bags or make-up storage
In my bedroom I keep all my make-up on a shelving unit. It gets really dusty so I have invested in lots of make-up bags to keep things nice and clean and reduce dust. It's also a good idea to invest in some make-up brush pots so your brushes are easily accessible and maybe some clear plastic storage so you can still see which products you have and choose which ones you want to use but you can keep them organised and tidy. Nothing annoys me more than seeing products rolling around all over the place!

Donate any doubles
I don't know about you but I have so many doubles of the same nail polish shade and so many eyeshadow palettes that contain nude/brown shades that I've lost count. It's time to sort through them all, decide which ones you absolutely do need to keep and maybe donate any doubles to family or friends.



Reduce your numbers
If you're anything like me then you'll have a huge collection so it's always a good idea to regularly reduce the number of products you have. If you haven't used anything in three months or more then get rid - chuck it out or donate it to family or friends, it's up to you. Think about creating a capsule collection so a range of very basic shades, products for creating the perfect smoky eye and ones that you keep for special occasions or for best, such as that gorgeous Chanel eyeshadow!

Have you got any make-up collection spring cleaning tips? Leave them in the comments!