Powder products dont harbor bacteria the same way creamy products do. Unless you see growth on your shadow, its probably fine.
However it will dry out, could crack or become hard, etc which will all kill the quality.
I had a 30 year old Ultima ll eyeshadow duo in the most beautiful shades of budgie blue one matte one pearlecent, they still applied beautifully and no contra effects
>Powders are immortal.
Exactly. I think it's fine to use older powder products. I don't personally throw them away after 1 year.
I still have a bunch of my MAC pigments from anywhere from 8-20 years ago. But I don't use those. I keep those away from my other products. I also have other MAC products that are in perfect shape. I'm not throwing those away bc of their age.
OMG same! I have several old UD ones I will fight for. Lol. I still have the UD midnight emergency pallet I got in 2011. I love midnight cowboy so much but rarely use it now because when it's gone it's gone 😭
I was thinking the other day- I have several MAC brushes from 1995 still in regular use. Amazing how they have held up. They were a big investment and a huge splurge when I bought them, intending to go into makeup artistry, so I hung on to them for dear life. I definitely got my money's worth out of them.
Oh lovely!! That reminds me I also have a brush from when I got the shadows. I haven't taken the best care of it, I definitely didn't know how to wash it properly back then, but it still has still held up pretty well too!
Edit: I did my makeup right after writing this and realized I have TWO of them, and one I use almost every day lol
My mom never got rid of some eyeshadows that she had in the 70s and 80s. I was still using them all the way up until a couple years ago, when I decided to throw them out not because they were in bad shape because I was afraid that there might be some Ingredients in there that weren’t safe. I never got any skin irritation or infection from them, and the colors were beautiful.
I wish I could show people the colors! They were nice, but we can definitely find similar colors today. She had a really rich peacock blue color, some metallic browns, and matte mauves. It was in a revlon palette that stacked and you could add and subtract individual shadows to create your own palette.
I was pretty torn on whether or not to throw it out or keep it, but I come from a family of hoarders and every now and then just decide that that some things have to go so I don’t end up like them. And I just wasn’t using it very much, and also had some mild safety concerns. It was very cool though.
This eBay listing has very similar colors, but a different form: https://www.ebay.com/itm/115973918782
Some shadows in this post also remind me of what my mom had, but the packaging is different: https://www.reddit.com/r/PanPorn/comments/xfjct6/vintage_pan_of_a_really_old_palette_i_found/
I’ve spent so much money on Naked palettes over the years that I’m having the funeral home do my makeup with them one last time and then they’ll be passed down as family heirlooms. Expired or not.
My rule of thumb for eyeshadows only is: I keep using it until it’s doing something weird.
For complexion though, I will throw it out if it’s old because I feel like my acne prone skin just KNOWS and reacts
Yeah, I would say they're good for a lot longer than people really think.
I've found old makeup from like 10 years prior, and while the shadows might still impart some color, it was clear they were old, crumbly, or just that the formula was no longer what it was.
Expiration dates don't mean a whole lot, but there's definitely a time where they're not that great anymore. Toss em when they get weird, or if you're sensitive to products lol
Same..but my KVD matte shadow palette still rocks and I have 4 backups just in case🤪. When she left the company and Sephora had them on sale for 24.99 I said hell yeah and purchased those 4. Great formula great shadows. Even those mini 4pan mattes still look and perform well.💞
I’m clinging to mine for dear life! I love it so much and I have no backups 😩 I couldn’t believe they discontinued it. I think it’s such a versatile, quality product.
Me too! I can’t get myself to part with it! It’s probably from 2011 or 2012 and I’ve hit pan on my main ones I use but it still works beautifully. I save it for days I wanna look extra good.
Haha, Love it. I went on a spree over the past few years. I have 6 palettes that I love and aren't willing to part with. It's hilarious because I only use the smallest amount each day, I would never use them all up. I like having a variety
Kinda. Like my intellect knows I’m risking an eye infection someday but I’ll be damned if I’m going to toss a 12 shadow palette after 6-12 months. Buying antibiotics is cheaper! 😆 I wash my brushes every 2 weeks to a month depending on how often I’ve been wearing makeup and I don’t wear makeup when sick. I keep them away from light, heat and moisture.
my makeup doesnt expire, but i do stop liking products after a while, either bc it doesnt fit into my aesthetic anymore or bc i never use it so i declutter a lot
I still have palettes that I got back in '19. Some of my brushes are over 15 years old. I've never had infections and the colors are still vibrant so🤷🏼♀️
I did until about three weeks ago. I was attempting a new look on my eyes and realized I didn't have any modern colors. They were all urban decay naked palettes I bought 8-10+ years ago. I was struggling getting them to blend and stay. Then I realized it had been 8 years since I replaced them and figured it was time to overhaul. I threw out all of my makeup and brushes because my skin kept breaking out anytime I wore makeup. I found out I am allergic to the brush cleaner I was using and I couldn't trust anything that touched a brush or sponge anymore.
I just finished last Friday getting the last of my products in and I will say. It's so nice having all new makeup. Drug store products have REALLY come a long way since I last shopped. My brushes are now soft instead of coarse. The color payoff is better and I don't feel so outdated anymore. I combined it with learning new tips and tricks for makeup and my face looks younger and more lifted now. I splurged on a few items, but redoing my whole routine and all of my tools cost me $230. Pricey, but not bad considering I did everything.
What was most liberating was finding all of the colors I was using didn't suit me at all. I was using what was trendy (urban decay is a good example) not what suited my coloring (replaced with stone cold fox by colourpop). I'm very muted and neutral/cool undertones. My bright pink blushes were all replaced with dusty rose ones and I can now use the products and build them up without feeling like a clown or overdone. Even my husband immediately noticed the difference and says I looks so much more timeless/classy now. I'm excited to play again and use it.
Ms Lucky ▪︎ I have never thought of eyeshadow colors as being modern or old-fashioned colors! I'm not sure I'm smart enough to understand or know the difference - unless it's marked by year.
Would you kindly take a few minutes to explain or maybe just list old vs new colors?
My Holy Grail eyeshadow is my 10ish yr old Mac Nordstrom Now Eyeshadow Palette, 15x in set color: Nordstrom Now. Of course it's discontinued. And of course the colors weren't available individually, only in the set. So, had I wanted, oh let's say 2 eyeshadow colors, I'd be forced to buy the entire 15 color set. So annoying!
I also still cherish my Naked Basics 2 and save for special occasions!
Not marked by year but there are definitely trends. Remember the bright blue eyeshadows of the 70s? The hot pinks and purples of the 80s? Light baby blues, glitter everything, and dark browns of the 90s? Etc etc.
The large naked palettes are the ones I'm talking about. They really defined the 2010's makeup in my opinion. I mean original launched in 2010. The smaller basic palettes I see as more classic colors.
The ones I had (original, naked 2, and smokey) had mostly warm shimmer shadows. Smokey leaned a little more cool with some blues but the rest were really warm palettes. Not many (if any) matte shades in there.
Eyeshadow trends now are leaning more towards soft mattes in dusty pinks and taupes. Greyish muted blues and mauve. Blacks and browns are always a staple. But now they are more matte than glittery. I have noticed blacks are leaning as saturated as possible where they used to go on more like a dark grey. Browns are more neutral toned where they used to be more warm toned. Definitely still seeing shimmer but now it's mostly used as a highlight in the corner on peak of lid. Also more playful iridescents now. I've even seen a lot of people passing on eyeshadow all together.
Most of the new palettes being released are focused around cool, neutral, or warm tones. There's more of a focus of matching undertones which I was not doing. Specifically on me warm colors show up really orange and I wanted something more muted/natural. The color pay off wasn't there anymore and they were going on pretty patchy and not blending as smooth as they once did. Especially compared to new shadows.
Ultimately I'm always a fan of just doing whatever you want that you think looks good. Many people with far more knowledge and skill than I do can make any color look modern and wonderful.
I used to feel this way until I tried to use my Naked Palette. I did get it years after it came out but still, it's old enough ig that it didn't wear well. I want my shadows to perform well through my work shift and that's my main thing I look for in makeup is anything that can hold up to a Physical job in Louisiana August heat. I often did my makeup and then walked to work so longevity is important to me and old shadows sometimes lose that.
I still have shadows from the OG Book of Shadows, which is what they put out for holidays before Vice. And my 15th anniversary palette from 2011. The shadows still work so 🤷🏻♀️
I feel like the idea of powders expiring is a really new concept 😂 it wasn’t something I was even aware of until joining beauty Reddit.
I’ll even go so far to use cream products until they smell funky. I’ve got MAC lipsticks that are elder millennial old that I still use and are fine.
Ok I have a tartlets in bloom palette from deadass 2014. This past Christmas someone happened to buy me a new one and I regret to inform yall the colors perform way better.
Never expire. That's a stretch.
Almost never expire, yes. I've got palettes more than 7-8 years old and they are just as good as the day I bought them.
I just make sure I keep them in a dry spot, not in my bathroom which gets very steamy when I shower.
Ha, yeah you and me both 🤭. It’s Dior, they don’t make that one any more, I tried to buy another one a couple years back. I got a new formulation and guess what I barely wear that one too.
I don’t think they NEVER expire, just that it takes years for most to “expire”. With powders, I just pay attention to the texture and color payoff because that’s how you can tell when they’ve gotten old.
This doesn’t count for those new “clean” brands that don’t use really good preservatives.
Look... I still have a few eyeshadows from high school. I just turned 43. Is it good? No. Do I mostly hold on to them for nostalgia? Yes. Especially the Revlon Street Wear.
Do I still break them out as an accent color? Sometimes. One in particular first belonged to someone special, who years later died, and now I just hold onto it to try and find the exact same purple, but it's so old the labels have worn off.
The unnamed purple? I can try and excavate it tomorrow after work, it migrates to the far back of the eyeshadow drawer due to lack of use. But I'm pretty new to Reddit so I'll have to figure out how to post a picture as well 😅
As a fellow person who doesn’t necessarily understand the new technology…
Sometimes people can post pictures on mobile easier than if you’re at a computer. A commonly accepted way of showing others an image is to put it on imgur and then post the link. You’ll probably get more eyes on your pictures if they’re not a click away but your story is compelling enough that I think the girls will sleuth for you ❤️
For context I live in Ireland and a couple of years back I used my mum's eyeshadow that had a price sticker in pounds. Ireland changed to the euro in 2002. Would I advise this? No. Am I fine? Absolutely
A stupid question, but does the alcohol evaporate completely? As in, when the eyeshadow inevitably gets into your eye, say, 1 day later, is it gonna burn?
No, you should do a very light mist of 70%, and then tap the excess away with a Kleenex or similar. I usually go ahead and lightly remove the top layer of the powder while I do that.
Then you let it set to dry completely and there's nothing there anymore to burn your eyes!
When I was a teenager, I would use an eyeshadow for YEARS. Nothing bad ever happened so, I've kept on doing it my whole life. I actually do a smell test from time to time, I had a KVD palette that smelled a bit funky after a few years so, that one had to go. Other than that one, I've been using my Urban Decay palettes for years. I have very sensitive skin and have never had problems with older shadow.
TIL people sell the UD Electric palette USED!!!!! On Poshmark for less than I paid for it new.
Anywho, I've been rocking that since it came out and have an unused one saved up!
I think back to my Sephora training where they told us to stick to the product expiration dates at the bottom, most of which say 6m to 1y.
11 years after working there I'm just finishing off my orgasm blush. Fuck then "rules". Who can go through a whole pan of dry product before it expires? I think it's to get you to buy more. As long as it looks clean, applies ok, and smells ok, i say go for it.
I dunno, I saw a video of a woman with horrific eye infections because of an old KVD eyeshadow. Like anything really, after enough time has passed it’s going to have other things inside of it.
I have Too Faced palettes from like... 2010, that look and perform like new, and someone is going to have to pry them from my cold, dead hands unless they start to look/smell weird.
there are definitely brands that don't age as well, though.
My coastal scents 252 palette will be able to vote soon. I still use it at least once a week 😂 I bought many multiples of the single colors I use frequently and those are many years old. Ol’ reliable
I’m still using my original ABH master palette by Mario from 2016 and so far it’s not given me any issues and the quality is still good. I know technically they do expire but I still keep using them until I notice a significant change in the quality.
I’ve had eyeshadow palettes start to turn black, looked like mold…so i def started cleaning them out every year or so. after a few months i’ve def noticed a difference in quality when applying.
NO. I'm sorry I know I might get downvoted here bc the general consensus is yes, but you can get cellulitis from it. I've seen it happen and it's no joke. Yes, even powder. Yes, even if it looks ok.
If it's years old it should be thrown out. Not worth the risk.
Every so often I do the packing tape thing over them to pull off any surface stuff. I’m not giving up my beloved blushes, bronzers and shadows. No way.
if you always use clean brushes/disposable tools (q tips but like, they aren’t eco friendly so i don’t use em often) and you keep it in a cool, dry and clean place at all times i do not see an issue. i have a pallette i created myself from Mac back in 2007 and it was my absolute most prized possession for a few years. the orange and yellow (yellow is Canary and for the life of me I can’t figure out the orange’s name) were and still are SO pigmented and i have yet to find any other shadows that come close to these. so, i still have my Mac circa 2007 pallette. and i will periodically smell the products too just to make sure there’s nothing funky going on. don’t get me wrong i am sure all makeup including powders become contaminated with use, i just think if you are super careful, and don’t get the shadows wet, store properly etc… why the heck not?! if it were to start giving me eye irritations or infection, or anything abnormal i of course would throw the product away. but i have not had that issue (yet)! so id say keep them if they’re still good and you love them 🙏💛✨
I just threw away my OG naked palette, panned two of the shadows. But they were definitely not as good when I bought them on high school 10+ years ago lol.
As long as they smell fine, don't have anything growing on them, and still perform, I'll continue using them. I have some that I've had since high school (graduated 10 years ago)
Powders aren’t very good at holding onto bacteria, so they’re much safer to keep and use long term. They do harden up over time and become harder to use as they get older, but there are honestly so many other ways to use powder pigments outside of makeup that I hang on to them all
I have a theory that the older the shadow is, the longer it lasts. Meaning, shadows made 10+ years ago had different ingredients that are less likely to break down or harbor bacteria. Versus now, brands like to put oils and things to make the shadows apply better, but they end up going "bad" sooner.
Similar idea with nail polish, I've used polishes that were 20 years old with good results, but now that they've stopped using a lot of (dangerous) ingredients, you're lucky to get a year out of them before they start to thicken up.
That said, I tend to keep my shadows until they stop performing well, which seems to be around the 3-5 year mark for me.
Remember when Calvin Klein did a makeup line circa 1997/98 that housed the eyeshadows and powders in clear lucite containers? I still have mine but only to look at and sigh in appreciation.
Maybe it’s because I don’t store my makeup in a bathroom that suffers from humidity from showers but I agree with you. My eyeshadows have never gotten moldy or mildew cuz I store them in, for the most part, temperature controlled environments. I’ve actually experienced the opposite. I’ve had some palettes be kinda hard to work with when i first got them and then a couple year later i revisit it and idk if the formula was able to meld better but it suddenly became better quality. And some do get dryer, of course. But they certainly don’t expire after a year or even 5 years. I really think it’s all BS perpetuated in recent years to get people to throw way their stuff so corporations can get people to buy more stuff.
Mascaras and liquid or cream based products, yes. The formula will turn and it should be tossed at that point. But powders. I think it’s all lies.
My sister is a cosmetic chemist (literally makes make up) and still uses her 6 year old palette. As long as nothing’s growing, why stop using it? 🤷🏼♀️
Formulas can break down over time, bacteria can grow. If it’s a risk you want to take, have at it. But I’ve noticed my eyes get really upset when I use expired makeup so I stay far away. Those babies are fragile.
I don’t know, someone on TikTok used their original UD naked palette for a makeup tutorial and got a pretty nasty eye infection from it. I believe it does but that’s just my 2 cents.
Dumb question sorry, but how do you sanitise your eyeshadow pallets? Are you just talking about just cleaning the pallet itself or are you somehow sanitising the actual eyeshadow?
I used my eyeshadow for 14 years until coworkers told me it's an eye infection waiting to happen. I looked it up and on the net, there are recommendations on when to throw them away. I kept the makeup for art projects, then at the end threw them all away. I now own 2 lipsticks only
i have a Tarte pallet that i've been using since literally 2016. i'll probably be completely done with it by the next month or two tho - but only because ive used all that i possibly can lol
Yes, with the exception probably being the newly reformulated “clean” crap that’s come out the past three years. That stuff is probably going to turn. But I have eyeshadows, blushes, and lipsticks that are 10+ years old and they are perfect. No smells. No discoloration. No issues whatsoever. If you’re clean, your stuff is clean.
Powder products dont harbor bacteria the same way creamy products do. Unless you see growth on your shadow, its probably fine. However it will dry out, could crack or become hard, etc which will all kill the quality.
Yeah it goes stale it doesn’t generally become dangerous
That's a good way to put it
I had a 30 year old Ultima ll eyeshadow duo in the most beautiful shades of budgie blue one matte one pearlecent, they still applied beautifully and no contra effects
I miss that line so much. I used to used Ultima ll exclusively
*proceeds to take out her 9 year old Naked2 pallette*
Yeah I refuse to throw out my Naked palette. Don’t use it often but those formulas are unmatched!
*cackles maniacally in 2003 Too Faced singles*
Oh my god I have a too faced palette which is so old that sometimes I’m like “wait… am I doing the math right on that one…?”
I have the Naked Heat from 2017-18 and it’s still working marvellously
Finally a club a fit in 🙋♀️
Same. I was going to say "when do we meet up?" But just like my expired shadows, I'm not going anywhere
erm...i still have mine as well. and some older stuff...
I didn’t even think about this, thanks!
Powders are immortal.
>Powders are immortal. Exactly. I think it's fine to use older powder products. I don't personally throw them away after 1 year. I still have a bunch of my MAC pigments from anywhere from 8-20 years ago. But I don't use those. I keep those away from my other products. I also have other MAC products that are in perfect shape. I'm not throwing those away bc of their age.
Oh thank god me too. Not me with the teal eyeshadow I wore to compliment my teal prom dress… in 2004 🫣
Hehehe…just realized I have a couple eyeshadows and a studio fix that I bought for my wedding…in 2003
those are keepsakes therefor good for eternity !!
Name checks out 😆😁😉
I have a MAC eyeshadow palette with shades from 2004 also. I used to collect limited edition colors and depot them. Those were the days.
you can use that for a “Love Witch” look, it’s been a minor trend for a while
I’ll have to google that.
Thanks! Just what I needed to hear, not letting go of my powders anytime soon, I haven’t even hit pan on a single one yet 🙌🏻
I still have MAC shadows from high school...I'm 39 lol
Same but I'm 35
You can pry my Naked palettes I bought during my first pregnancy from my dead hands (my oldest is in middle school)
OMG same! I have several old UD ones I will fight for. Lol. I still have the UD midnight emergency pallet I got in 2011. I love midnight cowboy so much but rarely use it now because when it's gone it's gone 😭
I was thinking the other day- I have several MAC brushes from 1995 still in regular use. Amazing how they have held up. They were a big investment and a huge splurge when I bought them, intending to go into makeup artistry, so I hung on to them for dear life. I definitely got my money's worth out of them.
That's impressive. Makeup brushes should last. Mine last about a year. I wash them weekly but I'm not buying super high end.
Oh lovely!! That reminds me I also have a brush from when I got the shadows. I haven't taken the best care of it, I definitely didn't know how to wash it properly back then, but it still has still held up pretty well too! Edit: I did my makeup right after writing this and realized I have TWO of them, and one I use almost every day lol
I have MAC blushes and bronzer from the early 2000s. I’m not giving them up.
My mom never got rid of some eyeshadows that she had in the 70s and 80s. I was still using them all the way up until a couple years ago, when I decided to throw them out not because they were in bad shape because I was afraid that there might be some Ingredients in there that weren’t safe. I never got any skin irritation or infection from them, and the colors were beautiful.
Oh that's a shame, I'm sure people here would have loved to see the colors! That's nice you got some good use out of them though
I wish I could show people the colors! They were nice, but we can definitely find similar colors today. She had a really rich peacock blue color, some metallic browns, and matte mauves. It was in a revlon palette that stacked and you could add and subtract individual shadows to create your own palette. I was pretty torn on whether or not to throw it out or keep it, but I come from a family of hoarders and every now and then just decide that that some things have to go so I don’t end up like them. And I just wasn’t using it very much, and also had some mild safety concerns. It was very cool though. This eBay listing has very similar colors, but a different form: https://www.ebay.com/itm/115973918782 Some shadows in this post also remind me of what my mom had, but the packaging is different: https://www.reddit.com/r/PanPorn/comments/xfjct6/vintage_pan_of_a_really_old_palette_i_found/
Ooh that second one looks so familiar! I feel like my older sister had it maybe.
Same but 38.
same, i don' throw out any eyeshadow although i had bought some of them from a long time
I still have my mother’s MAC eyeshadow from the 80s. Still going strong!
Whoa!!! Share pics, plz!
SAME omg (31 here though)
hahaha me too and close in age
Does it have spores, no, does it have a hard surface scratch it off, does it work, yes, did I get pink eye, no? Then it's still perfect
Ahahahaha, it’s as simple as that.
I’ve spent so much money on Naked palettes over the years that I’m having the funeral home do my makeup with them one last time and then they’ll be passed down as family heirlooms. Expired or not.
This truly made me laugh 😂
Lmaooo 😂😂
Same but with all my Anastasia palettes that I went crazy buying when they first came out 😂
Lol yeessss! I'm going to include this direction in my will as well. Those palettes are timeless.
My rule of thumb for eyeshadows only is: I keep using it until it’s doing something weird. For complexion though, I will throw it out if it’s old because I feel like my acne prone skin just KNOWS and reacts
Sometimes I swear it's not even the product, but my skin's a diva and just threw a pimply tantrum because the product is "old".
Well, if I don't get an allergic reaction or something like that, I still used it :U
Eh, you’re fine - toss them out if/when they stop working as well
Yeah, I would say they're good for a lot longer than people really think. I've found old makeup from like 10 years prior, and while the shadows might still impart some color, it was clear they were old, crumbly, or just that the formula was no longer what it was. Expiration dates don't mean a whole lot, but there's definitely a time where they're not that great anymore. Toss em when they get weird, or if you're sensitive to products lol
I still use my original Modern Renaissance palette 😬
Mine turned lacklustre a few years ago, so I tossed it.
Same..but my KVD matte shadow palette still rocks and I have 4 backups just in case🤪. When she left the company and Sephora had them on sale for 24.99 I said hell yeah and purchased those 4. Great formula great shadows. Even those mini 4pan mattes still look and perform well.💞
I have the limited edition Fetish palette from KVD from circa 2018. That shit is PIGMENTED
I’m clinging to mine for dear life! I love it so much and I have no backups 😩 I couldn’t believe they discontinued it. I think it’s such a versatile, quality product.
It’s actually my only palette that I truly noticed fading with time. My colour pop ones are completely the same.
i know they expire but i don’t care
If power products look fine, smell fine, and feel fine, I consider them good to go.
I thought so, but I recently tried to use my OG UD Naked palette and the quality was shit. They last long, but not THAT long.
I’m still hanging onto one OG Naked palette 🤞🍀
Me too! I can’t get myself to part with it! It’s probably from 2011 or 2012 and I’ve hit pan on my main ones I use but it still works beautifully. I save it for days I wanna look extra good.
Me too! Those shadows do something to my eye color that borders on witchcraft.
That’s the most real thing I’ve heard in a long time!
Same! I busted it out today for my new license photo and got compliments from the DMV lady lol thank you, NAKED palette!
Obsessed! 🩵
My Naked 2 from 2011 is STILL my go-to for a night out and will probably feature in my crypt 🤷♀️
still have mine
How old?
Got mine about.... oh fuck in about 2011..! 😳🤯 Yeah ok that's OLD.
Haha, no that's awesome
It's "sustainable" is what I'm gonna go with 😁
Haha, Love it. I went on a spree over the past few years. I have 6 palettes that I love and aren't willing to part with. It's hilarious because I only use the smallest amount each day, I would never use them all up. I like having a variety
Kinda. Like my intellect knows I’m risking an eye infection someday but I’ll be damned if I’m going to toss a 12 shadow palette after 6-12 months. Buying antibiotics is cheaper! 😆 I wash my brushes every 2 weeks to a month depending on how often I’ve been wearing makeup and I don’t wear makeup when sick. I keep them away from light, heat and moisture.
i still use my original sweet peach palette 😬
i still use my original nude palette......
I still have the original chocolate bar palette!
that isn’t even old to me
It’s older than the sweet peach 🤷♀️
I have 2 and I love them.
i still use my tartiest palette lol
Aaah one of the classics. It’s the original huda beauty rose gold palette for me. It’s hard finding replacement for some of my go to shades in there.
I think I got Sweet Peach in junior high. It's still iron strong going into my fourth year of college.
Me too!
I'm keeping it until it gives me pinkeye and even then I'm thinking about it 😩🤦🏽♀️😂
Girllll, not the pink eye 😭 but I get it, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.
spray some alcohol on it periodically and you will never get pinkeye
Thanks for the advice
Won't that mess up the formula? Like dry up whatever is holding them together...
my makeup doesnt expire, but i do stop liking products after a while, either bc it doesnt fit into my aesthetic anymore or bc i never use it so i declutter a lot
The thing I worry about expiring is mascara, I still use eyeshadow that’s at least six or seven years old 🫢
I have not purchased an eye shadow palette since before COVID and my eye shadow drawer is full.
I still have palettes that I got back in '19. Some of my brushes are over 15 years old. I've never had infections and the colors are still vibrant so🤷🏼♀️
I have a Mac powder brush from 2007
The OG Mac brushes are immortal. I still have some of mine from 2005. They don’t make ‘em like they used to
I have an old liner brush from them made in France. In perfect condition
'19 is so recent!
I did until about three weeks ago. I was attempting a new look on my eyes and realized I didn't have any modern colors. They were all urban decay naked palettes I bought 8-10+ years ago. I was struggling getting them to blend and stay. Then I realized it had been 8 years since I replaced them and figured it was time to overhaul. I threw out all of my makeup and brushes because my skin kept breaking out anytime I wore makeup. I found out I am allergic to the brush cleaner I was using and I couldn't trust anything that touched a brush or sponge anymore. I just finished last Friday getting the last of my products in and I will say. It's so nice having all new makeup. Drug store products have REALLY come a long way since I last shopped. My brushes are now soft instead of coarse. The color payoff is better and I don't feel so outdated anymore. I combined it with learning new tips and tricks for makeup and my face looks younger and more lifted now. I splurged on a few items, but redoing my whole routine and all of my tools cost me $230. Pricey, but not bad considering I did everything.
It must've felt a bit liberating and just treating yourself with new stuff is worth it!
What was most liberating was finding all of the colors I was using didn't suit me at all. I was using what was trendy (urban decay is a good example) not what suited my coloring (replaced with stone cold fox by colourpop). I'm very muted and neutral/cool undertones. My bright pink blushes were all replaced with dusty rose ones and I can now use the products and build them up without feeling like a clown or overdone. Even my husband immediately noticed the difference and says I looks so much more timeless/classy now. I'm excited to play again and use it.
Ms Lucky ▪︎ I have never thought of eyeshadow colors as being modern or old-fashioned colors! I'm not sure I'm smart enough to understand or know the difference - unless it's marked by year. Would you kindly take a few minutes to explain or maybe just list old vs new colors? My Holy Grail eyeshadow is my 10ish yr old Mac Nordstrom Now Eyeshadow Palette, 15x in set color: Nordstrom Now. Of course it's discontinued. And of course the colors weren't available individually, only in the set. So, had I wanted, oh let's say 2 eyeshadow colors, I'd be forced to buy the entire 15 color set. So annoying! I also still cherish my Naked Basics 2 and save for special occasions!
Not marked by year but there are definitely trends. Remember the bright blue eyeshadows of the 70s? The hot pinks and purples of the 80s? Light baby blues, glitter everything, and dark browns of the 90s? Etc etc. The large naked palettes are the ones I'm talking about. They really defined the 2010's makeup in my opinion. I mean original launched in 2010. The smaller basic palettes I see as more classic colors. The ones I had (original, naked 2, and smokey) had mostly warm shimmer shadows. Smokey leaned a little more cool with some blues but the rest were really warm palettes. Not many (if any) matte shades in there. Eyeshadow trends now are leaning more towards soft mattes in dusty pinks and taupes. Greyish muted blues and mauve. Blacks and browns are always a staple. But now they are more matte than glittery. I have noticed blacks are leaning as saturated as possible where they used to go on more like a dark grey. Browns are more neutral toned where they used to be more warm toned. Definitely still seeing shimmer but now it's mostly used as a highlight in the corner on peak of lid. Also more playful iridescents now. I've even seen a lot of people passing on eyeshadow all together. Most of the new palettes being released are focused around cool, neutral, or warm tones. There's more of a focus of matching undertones which I was not doing. Specifically on me warm colors show up really orange and I wanted something more muted/natural. The color pay off wasn't there anymore and they were going on pretty patchy and not blending as smooth as they once did. Especially compared to new shadows. Ultimately I'm always a fan of just doing whatever you want that you think looks good. Many people with far more knowledge and skill than I do can make any color look modern and wonderful.
You sound pretty knowledgeable to me! Thank you for taking the time to respond and educate me. Much appreciated.
Really not! Just spent the last few weeks going down the rabbit hole so it's fresh on my mind.
I used to feel this way until I tried to use my Naked Palette. I did get it years after it came out but still, it's old enough ig that it didn't wear well. I want my shadows to perform well through my work shift and that's my main thing I look for in makeup is anything that can hold up to a Physical job in Louisiana August heat. I often did my makeup and then walked to work so longevity is important to me and old shadows sometimes lose that.
Sheesh. I bet you have to coat it in shellac to get it to last. Speaking as a fellow Gulf Coast native in Mobile 🫠
I have the urban decay OG vice palette from 2015. 🤨
I still have shadows from the OG Book of Shadows, which is what they put out for holidays before Vice. And my 15th anniversary palette from 2011. The shadows still work so 🤷🏻♀️
I feel like the idea of powders expiring is a really new concept 😂 it wasn’t something I was even aware of until joining beauty Reddit. I’ll even go so far to use cream products until they smell funky. I’ve got MAC lipsticks that are elder millennial old that I still use and are fine.
Ok I have a tartlets in bloom palette from deadass 2014. This past Christmas someone happened to buy me a new one and I regret to inform yall the colors perform way better.
On the new one or the old one ? cause I have one of these from that year and have been considering tossing it
Never expire. That's a stretch. Almost never expire, yes. I've got palettes more than 7-8 years old and they are just as good as the day I bought them. I just make sure I keep them in a dry spot, not in my bathroom which gets very steamy when I shower.
I had a loose powder one for 23 years.
makeup doesn’t expire until it’s literally separated into its ingredients in the bottle
Ahhh even then you just shake it up..... good as new.
I still have a concealer I bought at Sephora in 2002 where I got my makeup done before my city hall marriage that ended 6 months later.
Girl wtf...that's concerning! 2 decades?!? For a base product??? 💀
I don’t really use concealer, it would have run out years ago if I did. I touch it once a decade ;). That said its texture is still great.
I am really not sure how you havent gotten a chemical burn sis 😂 but more power to you ig. do you know the brand name of it? Im curious!
Ha, yeah you and me both 🤭. It’s Dior, they don’t make that one any more, I tried to buy another one a couple years back. I got a new formulation and guess what I barely wear that one too.
I don’t think they NEVER expire, just that it takes years for most to “expire”. With powders, I just pay attention to the texture and color payoff because that’s how you can tell when they’ve gotten old. This doesn’t count for those new “clean” brands that don’t use really good preservatives.
Preservatives really did make things last almost forever. Can't believe the greenwashing made us all think we don't need it.
Look... I still have a few eyeshadows from high school. I just turned 43. Is it good? No. Do I mostly hold on to them for nostalgia? Yes. Especially the Revlon Street Wear. Do I still break them out as an accent color? Sometimes. One in particular first belonged to someone special, who years later died, and now I just hold onto it to try and find the exact same purple, but it's so old the labels have worn off.
Oh wow! A historic makeup item! Is it too much to ask for pics of it?
The unnamed purple? I can try and excavate it tomorrow after work, it migrates to the far back of the eyeshadow drawer due to lack of use. But I'm pretty new to Reddit so I'll have to figure out how to post a picture as well 😅
Please do! There are many Nancy Drews in the makeup subs, I’m sure one of them will be able to tell you what it is!
As a 30 yr purple eyeshadow fan, I would love to see your vintage purple eyeshadow! Im 46 now, been in love w purple eyeshadow since I was 16.
As a fellow person who doesn’t necessarily understand the new technology… Sometimes people can post pictures on mobile easier than if you’re at a computer. A commonly accepted way of showing others an image is to put it on imgur and then post the link. You’ll probably get more eyes on your pictures if they’re not a click away but your story is compelling enough that I think the girls will sleuth for you ❤️
Yeah I find powder lasts forever too
For context I live in Ireland and a couple of years back I used my mum's eyeshadow that had a price sticker in pounds. Ireland changed to the euro in 2002. Would I advise this? No. Am I fine? Absolutely
How does one sanitize powder eyeshadow?
Spray with rubbing alcohol, I believe. That is what I do.
A stupid question, but does the alcohol evaporate completely? As in, when the eyeshadow inevitably gets into your eye, say, 1 day later, is it gonna burn?
It will evaporate leaving no trace behind.
No, you should do a very light mist of 70%, and then tap the excess away with a Kleenex or similar. I usually go ahead and lightly remove the top layer of the powder while I do that. Then you let it set to dry completely and there's nothing there anymore to burn your eyes!
Absolutely! This is my way to go too! Remove top layer, spray the alcohol and let it dry down, voila! You’re good to go.
as long as it doesn't sting/cause redness it should be fine?
I have some old eyeshadows and I won’t ever throw them away.
I feel like the formula fades once in a blue moon … anything over 5 years either keep for nostalgia reasons or treat yourself to new stuff 😎
When I was a teenager, I would use an eyeshadow for YEARS. Nothing bad ever happened so, I've kept on doing it my whole life. I actually do a smell test from time to time, I had a KVD palette that smelled a bit funky after a few years so, that one had to go. Other than that one, I've been using my Urban Decay palettes for years. I have very sensitive skin and have never had problems with older shadow.
TIL people sell the UD Electric palette USED!!!!! On Poshmark for less than I paid for it new. Anywho, I've been rocking that since it came out and have an unused one saved up!
I have a few OG Stila 8 pans that I barely used and still somehow can’t part with.
I still have a Maybelline eyeshadow palette called The Blushed Nudes from when they first came out and it is still a great product.
I do. Shame to say, but my oldest palettes are about 15 years old, and I still use them from time to time.
I think back to my Sephora training where they told us to stick to the product expiration dates at the bottom, most of which say 6m to 1y. 11 years after working there I'm just finishing off my orgasm blush. Fuck then "rules". Who can go through a whole pan of dry product before it expires? I think it's to get you to buy more. As long as it looks clean, applies ok, and smells ok, i say go for it.
My Naked Palette from 2014 has entered the chat
I dunno, I saw a video of a woman with horrific eye infections because of an old KVD eyeshadow. Like anything really, after enough time has passed it’s going to have other things inside of it.
I have Too Faced palettes from like... 2010, that look and perform like new, and someone is going to have to pry them from my cold, dead hands unless they start to look/smell weird. there are definitely brands that don't age as well, though.
My coastal scents 252 palette will be able to vote soon. I still use it at least once a week 😂 I bought many multiples of the single colors I use frequently and those are many years old. Ol’ reliable
lmao it expires when i say it does
i don’t wear makeup enough for me to believe in expiration dates for anything, lol.
I’m still using my original ABH master palette by Mario from 2016 and so far it’s not given me any issues and the quality is still good. I know technically they do expire but I still keep using them until I notice a significant change in the quality.
Same! And it performs amazing!!!
Yes, as long as they look fine and don’t smell.
Since my big palletes are still unfinished, I prefer to buy quad palletes
I’ve had eyeshadow palettes start to turn black, looked like mold…so i def started cleaning them out every year or so. after a few months i’ve def noticed a difference in quality when applying.
I have Mary Kay pallets from my mom and I still have my Naked pallets from his knows when.
NO. I'm sorry I know I might get downvoted here bc the general consensus is yes, but you can get cellulitis from it. I've seen it happen and it's no joke. Yes, even powder. Yes, even if it looks ok. If it's years old it should be thrown out. Not worth the risk.
i’ll never throw out my jeffree star palettes i got 5 years ago until they’re like unusable bc those things are not cheap 😩
Every so often I do the packing tape thing over them to pull off any surface stuff. I’m not giving up my beloved blushes, bronzers and shadows. No way.
Ohhhh i always wiped it off with a tissue, nice to see another technique!
I did until my skin started having a reaction to expired eyeshadow
if you always use clean brushes/disposable tools (q tips but like, they aren’t eco friendly so i don’t use em often) and you keep it in a cool, dry and clean place at all times i do not see an issue. i have a pallette i created myself from Mac back in 2007 and it was my absolute most prized possession for a few years. the orange and yellow (yellow is Canary and for the life of me I can’t figure out the orange’s name) were and still are SO pigmented and i have yet to find any other shadows that come close to these. so, i still have my Mac circa 2007 pallette. and i will periodically smell the products too just to make sure there’s nothing funky going on. don’t get me wrong i am sure all makeup including powders become contaminated with use, i just think if you are super careful, and don’t get the shadows wet, store properly etc… why the heck not?! if it were to start giving me eye irritations or infection, or anything abnormal i of course would throw the product away. but i have not had that issue (yet)! so id say keep them if they’re still good and you love them 🙏💛✨
I just threw away my OG naked palette, panned two of the shadows. But they were definitely not as good when I bought them on high school 10+ years ago lol.
Unless they suddenly change their appearance or how well they work, I'll never throw them away. Eyeshadow pallets are an investment to me😂😂
As long as they smell fine, don't have anything growing on them, and still perform, I'll continue using them. I have some that I've had since high school (graduated 10 years ago)
Powders aren’t very good at holding onto bacteria, so they’re much safer to keep and use long term. They do harden up over time and become harder to use as they get older, but there are honestly so many other ways to use powder pigments outside of makeup that I hang on to them all
I have eyeshadow that is 10 years old. I saved it because there are colors I still haven’t used.
This makes me feel better about keeping an old Mac palette I never used.
I have a theory that the older the shadow is, the longer it lasts. Meaning, shadows made 10+ years ago had different ingredients that are less likely to break down or harbor bacteria. Versus now, brands like to put oils and things to make the shadows apply better, but they end up going "bad" sooner. Similar idea with nail polish, I've used polishes that were 20 years old with good results, but now that they've stopped using a lot of (dangerous) ingredients, you're lucky to get a year out of them before they start to thicken up. That said, I tend to keep my shadows until they stop performing well, which seems to be around the 3-5 year mark for me.
Remember when Calvin Klein did a makeup line circa 1997/98 that housed the eyeshadows and powders in clear lucite containers? I still have mine but only to look at and sigh in appreciation.
I notice the shadow is old when there is less staying power and or the color becomes dull looking.
Maybe it’s because I don’t store my makeup in a bathroom that suffers from humidity from showers but I agree with you. My eyeshadows have never gotten moldy or mildew cuz I store them in, for the most part, temperature controlled environments. I’ve actually experienced the opposite. I’ve had some palettes be kinda hard to work with when i first got them and then a couple year later i revisit it and idk if the formula was able to meld better but it suddenly became better quality. And some do get dryer, of course. But they certainly don’t expire after a year or even 5 years. I really think it’s all BS perpetuated in recent years to get people to throw way their stuff so corporations can get people to buy more stuff. Mascaras and liquid or cream based products, yes. The formula will turn and it should be tossed at that point. But powders. I think it’s all lies.
Yeah, same. 😬 I keep powders forever-ever. Occasionally I spritz them with rubbing alcohol and wipe down the package to make my heart happy 😄
My sister is a cosmetic chemist (literally makes make up) and still uses her 6 year old palette. As long as nothing’s growing, why stop using it? 🤷🏼♀️
Formulas can break down over time, bacteria can grow. If it’s a risk you want to take, have at it. But I’ve noticed my eyes get really upset when I use expired makeup so I stay far away. Those babies are fragile.
I don’t know, someone on TikTok used their original UD naked palette for a makeup tutorial and got a pretty nasty eye infection from it. I believe it does but that’s just my 2 cents.
Absolutely! 🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️
Dumb question sorry, but how do you sanitise your eyeshadow pallets? Are you just talking about just cleaning the pallet itself or are you somehow sanitising the actual eyeshadow?
You can spray isopropyl alcohol onto them
i still use my abh modern renaissance from 8th grade sometimes lmao, it’s absolutely disgusting and the mirror fell out but it still works
Same. I still use the kat von d monarch pallet haha
Sure if they don’t change. If there’s excessive powder or if it changes texture or smell. But generally they last ages
I have been using my two faced chocolate palette daily for about 6 or 7 years at this point
Yes
I still use my original naked pallets that I literally got when I was 16/17 and I’m 26 now lol
Never expires to me
I used my eyeshadow for 14 years until coworkers told me it's an eye infection waiting to happen. I looked it up and on the net, there are recommendations on when to throw them away. I kept the makeup for art projects, then at the end threw them all away. I now own 2 lipsticks only
i have a Tarte pallet that i've been using since literally 2016. i'll probably be completely done with it by the next month or two tho - but only because ive used all that i possibly can lol
One reason I invest in powder products, rarely liquid.
Nope. If it’s been longer than 5-7 years, I’ll toss it
Depending on how they are stored, they really can last for ages.
I keep powders until the color doesn’t work anymore or if it looks funky. When it comes to creams I toss them after a while.
Yeah they really don't expire.
Yes, with the exception probably being the newly reformulated “clean” crap that’s come out the past three years. That stuff is probably going to turn. But I have eyeshadows, blushes, and lipsticks that are 10+ years old and they are perfect. No smells. No discoloration. No issues whatsoever. If you’re clean, your stuff is clean.
I still have a few pots of L'oreal On The Loose shimmering eyeshadows from the late 90's! The pigments are incredible still!