August is a good month to schedule a good clear-out of your make-up bag, and a time to clear out before the Autumn/Winter collections are launched! Make-up bag cleanliness is part of the maintenance routine we should incorporate into our daily lives, because it can be a breeding ground of dirt and germs.

Starting with the basics, take all of your make-up out of your bag and lay it on a table.
Look immediately to what is old, broken or in cracked packaging and just bin it!

Now turn over all your remaining products and look for the “open-jar” symbol. In 2005, the EU brought in recommendations that this open-jar should be placed on all beauty products to indicate their use-by date before they begin to spoil.

In this open-jar you will see a number, usually 6,12, 18 or 24 followed by the letter M, which indicates how many months the product can safely be used. This is especially important for make-up items like mascara and anything that comes into contact with the eyes, and skincare of course! And when shopping, it doesn’t make sense to buy large sizes if the product spoils before you get to finish it, just buy the amount you need.

Next on the list are your tools of the trade, the brushes, tweezers and lash curler. Brushes must be kept clean not only for health reasons but also because a build-up of old colour will alter any new shade being applied.

Once a week or depending on how often you use them, give your brushes a bath in tepid water and baby shampoo. Soak for a few minutes and rinse under a running tap until the water runs clean. Squeeze excess wetness from the bristles with some tissue or kitchen towel and leave on a flat surface to dry. Never splay the bristles in an attempt to hurry up this process you will ruin the shape of the brush head and it will be of no further use to you.

With your other tools, take a medicated or baby wipe and clean, removing any old mascara or skin cell build-up. Lastly if your make-up bag is fabric run through a washing machine cycle, if plastic take a medicated cloth and clean it out thoroughly before placing all your make-up back inside.

Note- it is not good to share make-up for health reasons, but with the swine flu imminent, don’t share lipsticks, glosses, or make-up of any kind.

LAURA’S TOP TIPS FOR AUGUST-
PAMPER TIME!

For 99 euro in the months of August & September treat yourself and a few friends to the “Time With the Girls Lunch Pamper Package” in Carter Beauty Group in Blackrock or Dun Laoghaire! Begin pampering with an Aromatherapy Facial, which a scalp massage, a mango & papaya back scrub, plus a lime & coconut back massage, and retire to nearby Tonic Cafe Bar for some lunch and a few laughs. Call 01 2103624/28088800 or check out www.carterbeauty.com for more information.

THIS MONTH LOYALTY REWARDS YOU……..

At Toni & Guy/Metro Medi Spa, Clarendon St, you can make great savings on your hair and beauty treatment needs between now and Christmas. Simply ring up to make an appointment with either company and when you hand over your details a 20% discount loyalty card will be immediately issued in your name. Call Metro Medi Spa on 01 6714403, and Toni & Guy on 01 6714401.

In Unicarepharmacy this month when you buy 4 Rimmel products you will receive a loyalty card and your 5th product for free, check out individual stores for terms & conditions. Also between the 17th-23rd of August Unicare pharmacy are offering Vani-T self tan for just 17.78 euro, that’s a whopping saving of 11.99 euro of the regular price of 29.77 euro.

Tags: beauty tips, health tips, Laura Bermingham, shopping tips

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 at 11:27 am and is filed under Beauty treatments, Health and Beauty. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.