A touchy subject that’s not often talked about in the beauty community….

MAKEUP/SKINCARE EXPIRATION DATES

One of the reasons I don’t carry around 20 different eyeshadow palettes and a huge suitcase of every “holy grail”/TikTok viral product in every shade imaginable is because all that stuff EXPIRES and quite quickly at that!

Most products expire within a 6 month to 36 month window…all you have to do is look at the back/bottom of the product packaging to see the little container shown in the pic above and in it will be a number with an “M”. This is my RMS Beauty concealer…it expires 12 months from the time I initially opened it. ALL makeup and skincare products have this little symbol on the container or box it comes in. Using expired makeup and skincare products on your skin can contribute to breakouts and other unwanted issues. Liquid products, especially, will start building up bacteria once it’s exposed to oxygen.

So, if you’re wondering why that same bottle of foundation from 5 years ago isn’t working like it used to…this is probably why. I am very adamant about going through my professional kit and my own personal products and throwing out expired things. My clients’ overall experience with me is my FIRST priority and a big part of that is making sure I use quality, fresh products on their face along with following the appropriate sanitation practices! In the beauty community I feel like artists have become lax in these areas…prioritizing how “booked and busy” they are over their clients’ experience and following sanitation practices and cleanliness. The truth is, makeup is EXPENSIVE and the diversity of products and shades artists have to have on hand and continue to restock is exactly why getting your makeup done professionally isn’t cheap! It hurts my heart to have to throw out one of my favorite products that I could still get a lot of use out of, but I care MORE about keeping my clients’ skin healthy and operating in integrity!

I will never forget when I worked a wedding strictly as the hair artist of the day and overheard the hired makeup artist (in her mid 20’s) actually tell her client that she was using her own personal eyeshadow palette on the client that SHE HAD OWNED SINCE SHE WAS 16!!! Not only THAT, but she was using her mouth (instead of a fan) to blow on the eyelash glue to help speed up its drying time before placing the contaminated lash on her client’s eye. I would also guess since it was her own personal eyeshadow palette, she didn’t bother to sanitize it from years of use before packing her kit to work the wedding. Three words…BE CAREFUL Y’ALL. From what the bride told me, this artist was very inexpensive to hire and she did not do a preview with her prior to the wedding.

This is exactly why “cheaper” isn’t always better. You LITERALLY get what you pay for when it comes to not only quality, but EXPERIENCE. I know every artist has to start somewhere…I started with makeup for prom, boudoir, family photo sessions, etc. That was a foundational time for me to learn what all went into offering makeup services professionally. Weddings should be strictly for experienced and seasoned artists ONLY. Until an artist has built that foundational experience, I would be extremely cautious about hiring them for a day as important as your wedding day.

One of the first questions you should ask an artist you are inquiring with is how long have they been in the BRIDAL industry and how many weddings they have worked (and NOT just assisting the main artist). If the answer is less than a year or two and they’ve only worked in the single digits with the number of weddings, I would seek out a more seasoned, established artist. Trust, that when you book with me you’re booking someone that’s not just “about the money”…I care about the health of my clients and providing a premium, professional experience.