We all have that layer at the bottom of our makeup bags, that beauty graveyard of makeup that never quite sees the light of day but stays in your bag nonetheless. We couldn’t possibly throw out that bright blue lip gloss from Halloween 2012, and we all have that ‘it’s finished but it’s not quite finished’ eyeliner in there – JUST in case.
To find out exactly what’s hiding in the average woman’s beauty graveyard, we conducted research on which products most often find their way to the bottom of the makeup bag:
In 5th and 4th place is the Eyeliner and Eyeshadow
17% of women said they have eyeliners and eyeshadows in their cosmetic collections that will never grace their lids again. Is this because there are always colours in a palette that just don’t suit us? Or is it that once we get a new palette we tend to forget about the other one (or four)?
In at 3rd place - Makeup Brushes
The next offender on the list is make-up brushes, with 18% of women having old brushes in their makeup kit. You know; that brush with half of its bristles missing, with those that are left are stained a permanent mix of colours for lack of cleaning over the years? And yet, though we may invest a shiny new one, we are kind of used to that unique blend, so it stays firmly put in the bottom of our makeup bags - you never know when the colour ‘sparkly dirt’ could come into fashion.
Coming 2nd – Bronzer
At 19%, bronzer finds itself amongst the makeup products most regularly left unused. Has bronzer past it - upstaged by an influx of ‘contour’ products? Nevertheless, we’ll hold on to our collection of bronzers anyway, just in case they make a comeback.
In 1st Place – Blusher
And finally, the most common resident found in a ‘beauty graveyard’ is the blusher, with a whopping 20% (that’s 1 in 5) of women having this beauty product lying around, unfinished. Blushing because you know this is you? Thought so.
Nearly a third (31%) of women admit to purchasing up to four beauty products every month- that’s one every single week! But should we be shopping smarter to avoid just adding to our already overflowing beauty graveyards?
We spoke to expert makeup artist Jennifer Lo, who has revealed her top 5 ‘failsafe’ beauty products that promise to help reduce the number of products that end up in the unused pile. From the multifunctional to the tried and tested, you’ll be sure to want to use every. last. drop.
This is a must for your makeup bag and can be used in a multitude of ways; slide it on just under cheekbones for a blush, along the jawline for a glowing contour or apply onto the eye lids for a subtle eyeshadow. With no need to go digging around for a brush, these creamy sticks will last you a good while; just give it a wipe with a tissue to clean the top of the stick to help it to stay fresher for longer..
Night cream is a MUST for everyone. Whilst you zzzz your body is renewing your skin cells to blast away any wrinkles. This luxury product can double up as a day cream too - just use sparingly and apply using a cotton bud or spatula to extract from the jar, helping the cream to stay fresh. You’ll notice a real difference in your skin using this one, so keep it at the front of your bathroom cabinet.
3. JASON C-EFFECTS SUPER C TONER
I love a spray toner, use after cleansing to prep skin with juicy nutrients; this one can double up as a makeup refresher too by spraying lightly over the face - no need for cotton pads. Being a spritz toner, it lasts a lot longer and is more hygienic
4. HIGH DEFINITION BEAUTY EYE AND BROW PALETTE
No fear here of this product drying out or going off. A shadow palette is something that can stand the test of time - just make sure you look after it properly and these shadows will be your long-time friend, helping to make your eyes and brows beautifully defined.
