I just did a segment on Fox  Arizona’s Breakfast Show

all about how long makeup products last.

If you google the shelf life of makeup you’ll find all kinds of hysteria

that will make you want to throw everything you own in the trash

and buy all new products.

I think that’s a load of hooey.

Here’s the lowdown, according to me.

* Cosmetic products are loaded with preservatives and last a long long time.

Even organic products contain preservatives and frequently have as much as 50% synthetic preservative in them.(Synthetics last much longer than natural preservatives)

Even if a product has the USDA Organic seal on it, it only has to be 95% organic, so you may still get synthetic chemicals in the mix.

* When reading the ingredients in makeup, the preservatives, most commonly the paraben family,

will appear as, amongst other names, long chemical names that begin with propyl, ethyl, methyl, butyl,etc etc

and frequently end with zoic or zoic acid. Without them your products will have the shelf life of a glass of milk on a kitchen counter.

* The shelf life of your products is largely determined by you, and how you take care of them.

1. Keep them out of direct sunlight

2. Keep them away from heat       

Ideally store them in a drawer or cabinet.

3. Maintain really good hygiene standards. 

Keep products clean

Don’t put fingers into the

Put lids and caps back on them

Sharpen pencils regularly

Clean your makeup brushes regularly

Replace makeup sponges frequently.

* You can generally tell when a product has gone bad.

1. The texture changes. You may see separation in the product, or you may just notice it looks funny.

2. The color changes. Obvious in a lipstick or foundation, but in more transparent products you may see a milkiness or cloudiness or you may see a white lotion has turned a yellow shade. If the color has changed, throw the product out.

3.The smell changes. If the smell has changed at all its a good idea to throw the product out. Preservatives keep products from smelling funny, so if the smell is off then it may mean the preservative has lost its strength.

 * Mascaras tend to need replacing most frequently.

If your mascara is drying out or flaking, its time to replace it. Generally they’re good for around 12 weeks.

Try to buy fewer products and go for good quality, rather than having masses of the cheap stuff.
Cheap products contain the cheaper ingredients (such as the cheaper synthetic preservatives) and in higher concentration. These ingredients are more likely to cause Dermatitis, allergies and irritation.

Wearing a full face of makeup to the beach

just looks plain ridiculous.

However.

Most of us don’t really want to be completely au naturel either.

So here’s the 411 on how to do fab beach makeup:

* wear masses of SPF

before you do anything else, liberally apply a very high facial SPF. 

My personal favorite is Neutrogena Dry Touch SPF 85 with helioplex.

You won’t be greasy, and you’ll get some decent protection from burning.

When you do need to reapply use a powder SPF like ColoreScience

* Avoid foundation.

If you absolutely must have something on your skin, opt for a very light dusting of a crushed mineral makeup.

Regular formulations will melt, sweat and look gooey (and ridiculous).

Keep any concealing to a bare minimum. 

Color correct any under eye action, but use a very light touch.

The harsh glare of the sun will magnify anything you have on 

* Be bronzed

 an all over gel/cream facial bronzer will give you ample color

and have such a refined texture, that you won’t see it on the surface of the skin.

I like L’Oreal Sublime. Equal parts self tanner and bronzer

are dispensed at once, giving you controllable color for face and neck.

Body self tanners tend to break the face out, and leave it with a rougher texture.

* Add a pop of color

my favorite color piece for the summer is Nars Multiple tint.

This is a limited edition product, so you need to get it quickly.

Multiple tint comes in 3 shades:

Beverly Hills (red)

Turks and Caicos (orange)

Cadaques (fuchsia)

These can be used on cheeks, eyes and lips. 

They’re very sheer, build able color

so you can infuse just the right amount of life into your skin, while giving a lovely, bright, summery lip.

They also leave a divine finish to the skin, with a beautiful, healthy glow.

*Waterproof or water resistant mascara

your choice of formulation is really important here.

You don’t want to be building huge, thick, bold lashes when  going to the beach.

Long, sleek, defined lashes are key.

My favorite beach mascara this season is also by Nars

Larger Than Life Lengthening Mascara is water resistant,

and builds sleek beautiful lashes.

If you are going to wear eyeliner, try Makeup Forever’s aqualiners. 

They  become waterproof in around 60 seconds, so you have time to smudge and soften the line first.

*No touch ups.

 lips are always OK to touch up, and powdered SPF too.

But nothing else.

Remember, this is about looking fresh and beautiful,

not looking like a hot, greasy caricature of yourself.

* Big hat, big glasses

while looking fabulous, protect your scalp from melanoma, your skin from supersonic aging

(and all skin cancer’s)

and protect your eyes.   

I adore bronzer.

Its one of the best makeup items ever invented.

Just so happens its also the most abused,

the most wrongly used,

the most downright scary to see.

So, seeing as tis the season for it,

lets go over a little Bronzer 101.

* Get the right color.

Not all bronzers are created equal. You need one specific to your coloring.

Fair skins should look for a pale beige with rosy gold undertones, to add warmth and some light to the complexion.

Olive skins need deep tans with gold undertones, dark skins need more red undertones.

Don’t go darker than you would look with a natural tan.

Keep it transparent – you should be able to see your freckles through the bronzer, otherwise its too opaque.

*Don’t overshimmer

A little shimmer can make the skin look vibrant and alive.

But be careful. Too much shimmer draws attention to the flaws in your skin

and in the heat can make you look greasy/oily/shiny.

If you’re using a bronzer with shimmer, make sure the flecks are very small, and apply it sparingly.

Best used at night rather than out in the sunshine during the day…

*Don’t overdo it

The most common mistake is over applying bronzer.

It should land where the sun would hit you, which is across the broad flat plains of the face.

Forehead, upper cheekbones, bridge of the nose and the chin.

I like to hit the collar bones a little, and work the bronzer into the hairline, and the jawline just a little.

Whatever you do, don’t color the face in with bronzer – it will look like a mask. 

Or like Magda from Something About Mary.

*Don’t confuse bronzer with blusher

There is absolutely nothing fabulous at all about seeing dark brown stripes on someones cheeks.

Blush is for cheeks, bronzer is to give a little warmth and sunkissed color to the skin.

*Choose a formula that works for you

For most of us that means use a pressed powder bronzer, with a large fluffy brush.

Tap the excess off the brush before you start.

Loose powders, gels and creams leave way too much room for error for most of us.

Get super good at applying bronzer before leaving the pressed powder option.     

makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic gets it right with Kim Kardashian everytime