Spring Cleaning: Beauty Cabinet Makeover!

A few weeks ago, I did something *long* overdue: I cleaned out my beauty cabinets!

I try to keep our house streamlined and organized, but with the influx of beauty and hair products I receive every month, it's almost impossible to keep my beauty cabinet organized. It's funny -- I have SO many products, but my day-to-day routine pretty much fits into a small makeup bag. Basically, it's just Simple Skincare Protecting Light Moisturizer in the morning, and Simple Skincare Foaming Cleanser at night, along with makeup wipes in a pinch and spot treatments if I have a break out.

And yet, somehow, I wind up with drawers and shelves full of beauty products, which get so disorganized that I have no idea what they are or how long I've had them! So, every once in a while, I do a huge cabinet cleanout and start fresh.

This was my rule: If I got it after September Fashion Week in 2013 (seven months ago), it could stay. You can actually hang onto many products for much longer than that, but I wanted to toss a LOT of products, so I set my timeline a little shorter.

And then, I organized! I had all these old dividers from years ago, that were originally meant to be stacking shelves. Instead, I used them to line my drawers, creating mini compartments for everything I needed. Hairbrushes, lipsticks, eyeshadows, skincare supplies -- everything in its place, clean and de-cluttered.

I created a little cheat sheet list below, in case you're wondering how soon to toss your old beauty products! And scroll down for my before and after pictures -- I debated whether to post them because the "before" shots are really messy and gross, but I figure honesty is the best policy! Everything looks beautiful now that it's done.

Less than One Year

Anti-aging and acne treatments: Three months to a year, as long as there are no changes in color.

Bath oil: One year.

Nail polish: One year.

Mascara and liquid eyeliner: Two to three months.

Two to Three Years

Body lotion: Two to three years.

Shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel: About three years.

Lipstick and lip gloss: Two to three years.

Foundation: Two years.

Deodorant: Two years (the package probably has an expiration date).

Three Years or More:

Eye and lip pencils: Three to five years.

Perfume: Technically two years, but truthfully, I keep mine around much longer than that.

Hair styling products: Three to five years.

So there you have it! Who's up for some spring cleaning this weekend?