Label your makeup!

Happy Monday, Beauties!

If you wear makeup, one of the best tips I can give you is to put a little label on each item with the expiration date. This will help you keep track of what's in your collection, make sure everything is being used up, and will help you know when to toss out expired items. No makeup product, regardless of the price tag, is worth a trip to the eye doctor because you used a product past it's prime and developed an infection. ;) 

Some makeup comes with a tiny box and a number beside it on the packaging; this tells you to use it within that amount of time before it expires. (Example: 6M = once opened, you need to use your product within 6 months, then replace it.) Not all products have that information because in the US, we don't have national standards for cosmetics. If you're not certain when your item expires, you can use a website like  www.Cosmetic.net to enter the brand name, and the lot code on the product. While they don't have every brand on their website, they do have a large variety, so hopefully it will be helpful. (The lot code can be tiny, and often branded into the product itself, or on the label.) That website can tell you when the product was made (what batch it was in, the year, etc) and when it expires for many products. Just as a good rule of thumb, many products, even ones you haven't opened yet, have a shelf life of about 3 years before the chemicals begin to destabilize, which can make the products less effective. This means if you have products that have say in you're collection unopened/unused for several years, it may still be bad because it's reached its shelf life. Natural/organic cosmetics expire more quickly because of the ingredients they use in them. This is why it's important to label everything as soon as you purchase it, and know when your products need to be replaced.

I hope this little tip helps you enjoy your makeup more safely! 

(I used a label maker to put little date labels on each of my items so I'll know when they expire. The picture I've included is just an example of a few ways you can adhere to the labels to your products. If you do not have a label maker, you could also use a fine tipped sharpie and place a piece of tape over it to prevent smudging. I also recommend apps like BeautyCache for photographing each item, listing the price, brand, shade, and dates so you know what's in your collection that way as well. If your on a beauty low/no-buy, that app is an excellent way to keep you on track! 

My Scarf Collection and Organization!

My goal for this week is to begin Spring cleaning a bit early. My first order of business will be tackling the chaos that has become my closet...one organization project at a time! I don't know about the rest of you, but I always feel more peace in my life when my surroundings are clean and organized. When there is disorganization around me, it definitely affects my mood, so I prefer to try and keep things as tidy as possible. My closet could definitely use a redo right now, so I'm putting my focus on that this week during my spare time. I'll try and take pictures as I go to hopefully give you all some inexpensive organization ideas! 

Tonight, I tackled my scarf collection and organized it. I LOVE how it turned out! Over the weekend, I spent some time with my aunt, and she told me about a scarf organization idea that she saw on Pinterest. (She knew it'd be perfect for me since I'm a total scarf junkie!). Tonight after dinner, Nick and I went to Target for a bit and I found the perfect tool for organizing my scarf collection. (It was in the shower organization area with all of the shower caddies and organizers). It took me all of five minutes to assemble it, and then I went to work placing all of my scarves on it. I may change up the order I put them in at some point so the colors are a bit more organized, but for now I really love how it turned out, and that my closet is a little less cluttered! (Before, I had them on two circular tie organizers, but the metal picked tiny holes in my scarves, and it just wasn't holding them well to the point that they would fall off easily. My new organization solves that issue!)  

Here are a few pictures of how it turned out: 

(This is the organizer that I decided to go with. It's a towel holder intended for shower doors or standard interior doors. It was a cinch to put together, and I couldn't be happier with it! Like I mentioned above, I found it at Target in the shower organization section. It was on clearance for $17. Since it's so sturdy, I think it will be a nice long-term investment in how I organize my closet.

The laughable directions that were included with the organizer. 

(No worries, it was super easy to figure out and assemble. I was done in around 5 minutes!)

The finished product!

(My favorite thing about this is that every single one is visible and won't get overlooked. I also like that they are allowed to drape easily over the bars, and aren't tucked away somewhere collecting wrinkles. The more visible they are, the more they will be used...and now I don't have to worry over wear and tear from the way I'm storing them, unlike my last storage solution for them.)

If you're a scarf lover like I am, I hope this post inspired you to organize your collection and take good care of it! I don't tend to purchase a lot in the way of clothes or shoes, but I do love a nice accessory to make the staples in my wardrobe pop...that's why I adore scarves so much! If you're not an avid scarf collector, this particular organization idea can be used for so many different things! Necklaces, purses, belts, ties...the possibilities are endless! If you're into tech-related things, you could use this to store your extension cords, chargers, and cables so they don't tangle. (You can even add plastic or silver shower curtain rings onto the bars, and use it for more organization if you prefer that!) 

Do you have a great organization idea or tip? Feel free to leave a kind comment below and share!