9 Unique Ways to Get Rid of Makeup You Don’t Want
We, as makeup lovers, are collectors of all things beautiful. But, sometimes our collections turn into hoards. Here are 8 ways to get rid of makeup you dont want.
Getting rid of or decluttering your makeup collection, will mostly fall into one of these categories:
- Donate
- Sell
- Gift
- Trash
If you want to explore brands with sustainable packaging click here.
If you want to know more about how to be more sustainable with your love of makeup click here.
Makeup Products that should be tossed (ie. trashed)
Some products from your makeup collection can’t be donated, sold or gifted. That’s ok, dont be afraid of tossing old and expired makeup.
Those same old products aren’t good for friends and family either.
They can hide nasty bacteria! If you have expired makeup or the packaging is worn or unsecure, throw it out.
When in doubt, use your best beauty judgment.
Auto-Toss Makeup Products:
- Mascara
- Products with an inserted wand applicator (ie. lip glosses, concealers, etc.)
- Used False Lashes
- Eyeliner
- Lip Balm or Lip Care that has to be applied directly to the lips
- Damaged product or packaging
- Any product that requires you to dip your finger into
- If the color of the product has changed
- If the smell of the product has changed (ie. smells off or bad)
*This is not an exhaustive list, nor does it include Beauty and Skincare Products 🙂
See what the FDA has to say about Makeup Expiration here.
When do Makeup Products Expire?
Keeping up with makeup product expiration dates can be hard.
Cant remember how long you’ve had a product?
Take a look at your email. You may be able to tell how long you’ve had a product by checking the shipping information for that product.
How long do makeup products last?
- Liquid Products ~ 1 year
- Cream Products ~ 1 year
- Powder Products ~ 1 to 3 years
- Pencil Products (Eyeliners, Lip Liners, etc) ~ 1 to 2 years
- Lipstick ~ 1 year
- Mascara ~ 6 months
- Products with Sunscreen ~ 1 year
Determine the shelf life of specific makeup products online using tools like CheckCosmetic.net.
9 Unique Ways To Get Rid Of Unwanted Makeup Products
1.Trade or Swap for makeup products you DO want.
If a product isn’t for you, but is still brand new (an unopened), then trade it for something else.
The online makeup community is awesome! There are tons of product swap communities online.
Check out the Reddit community r/bbexchange to connect with other makeup lovers who want to trade products. (use with caution).
My Subscription Addiction also has a community of swappers to connect with as well.
Pros: You get something new!
Cons: You are swapping products with strangers.
Works Best For: New unopened products.
2.Donate your makeup products to those in need.
You CAN donate makeup products. It may take some time and research, but it’s worth it!
Local Charities, Shelters, LGBTQ Centers, and Women’s shelters are all great options for donating unused/unopened makeup products.
Steps to donating makeup products:
- Gather brand new, unopened, unused makeup products.
- Create a small list of local charitable organizations.
- Call each organization and ask what they accept as donations.
- Drop off the products!
Can’t find a local charity to donate to?
Donate makeup products online to Project Beauty Share.
Project Beauty Share “provides personal hygiene, cosmetics and beauty products to non-profit organizations who serve women and families overcoming abuse, addiction, homelessness and poverty to help restore hope and dignity in their lives”.
Although Project Beauty Share does not cover shopping cost, its a great cause!
Can you donate makeup to Goodwill and Salvation Army? No. These donation centers DONT accept makeup, beauty or skincare products.
Pros: You’re helping someone in need, how awesome!
Cons: May take some research, and potential shipping cost.
Works Best For: New unopened products.
3.Sell your makeup products.
If you have new, unopened makeup products then consider selling them!
Marketplaces like Ebay, Poshmark, and Mercari are popular platforms for selling EVERYTHING including makeup.
Even Facebook Marketplace is popular for selling makeup, surprising right?!
Things to keep in mind when selling makeup online:
- You will need to create an account to sell on most marketplaces.
- Most marketplaces take a cut of the profit in the form of a “selling fee”.
- Shipping costs must be covered by you or the buyer.
- Shipping bags/boxes are NOT provided by most marketplaces.
- You will need to package the product as securely as possible.
- The buyer may post a review of their experience, which can influence future selling (this can be good or bad).
- Buying and selling from people you dont know can be a risk on both sides.
Pros: Money!
Cons: You are the packager, shipper, and customer service. Also, selling fees.
Works Best For: New unopened products, or gently used products.
4.Pass on makeup products to friends and family.
If a product didn’t work for you or it’s not your style anymore, pass it along. Friends and family members may be more willing to take opened or lightly used makeup products.
You can even combine this idea with #5! A win-win!
Pros: Everybody like free stuff right?
Cons: None.
Works best for: Gently used products, or whatever you/they are comfortable with.
5.Create your own makeup gift box.
Speaking of friends and family, why not create gift boxes for them using unused makeup products.
This can work for many different occasions: Birthdays, Mother’s day, Christmas, to say Congratulations, Thank you, or just because you are thinking of them.
Bonus: Stuck with a bunch of samples products? Use smaller boxes or gift pouches to create mini gifts!
Create your own makeup gift using:
- A gift box or
- A gift pouch (perfect for samples) or
- An old subscription box covered with wrapping paper
- Tissue Paper (or some other stuffing material)
- Simple notecard (to write a sweet message)
Pros: Gifting feels good.
Cons: None.
Works best for: New unopened products.
6.Re-purpose unwanted beauty products
This works best for beauty products, including skincare, body care, and even hair care products.
If you’ve tried a product, but it doesn’t work for its intended use, try it somewhere else.
Examples of re-purposing beauty products:
- A Facial Moisturizer that is too oily may work well as a hand cream.
- A strong scented body care product may work well for your feet.
- An unwanted shampoo may be gentle enough to clean your makeup brushes.
Hack: Back in the day (circa 2015), makeup lovers used warm colored lipsticks as color correctors and blushes.
That may work for you too! There’s nothing wrong with experimenting, right?
Pros: Making use of what you already have.
Cons: May not be right product for what you need.
Works best for: Opened and used products.
7.Host a Makeup Giveaway (even if you’re not an Influencer)
You don’t have to be an Influencer to host a makeup product giveaway.
A makeup giveaway can be fun for girly game nights, a “work friends” challenge, or within your favorite social media group.
Quick Guide to hosting a giveaway:
- Define what you will be giving away.
- Create a way to “enter” the giveaway.
- Pick a start date and deadline for entries (down to the deadline time ie. ends 12:30pm).
- Be clear on how the winner is picked (and how they will receive the gift).
- Announce the winner.
- Deliver the goods!
Pros: Fun and Exciting!
Cons: You will need to use your organizing skills.
Works best for: New unopened products.
8. Use it up anyway!
If you’re really hardcore, use the product you dont want, then move onto something you love!
There are communities online that are committed to using up their makeup products, usually called “pan projects”.
Hitting “pan” on a makeup product means using the product until you can visibly see the “pan” or dish underneath.
If a product isn’t that great but you don’t absolutely hate it, use it up.
Bonus: Using a product you DON’T like can lead to a more fitting, new product in the future.
Pros: Saves you money.
Cons: You may have FOMO for new products.
Works best for: Products you dont like.
9.Trash the product (and recycle if possible)
Trashing perfectly good products can sometimes feel yucky.
BUT! Don’t be afraid to get rid of products that are holding you back or holding you down from the peace (and organization) you deserve.
When in doubt (or if none of the previous ideas fit for your situation), throw it out and never look back.
After all, we can work on being zero-waste unicorn queens, tomorrow right?
Pros: More space for the stuff you love.
Cons: Creates more waste.
Works best for: New unopened products.
Time to organize your makeup collection
You’ve worked hard on your makeup collection. You have more space and a brand new opportunity to use the products you love.
Keep your makeup collection organized with these storage solutions.
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