springcleaning for Beauty Lovers

5 Ways To Cleanup Your Beauty Routine

After living in the polar vortex and experiencing the very harsh blizzards this winter, I am more than ready to enjoy spring. I know most likely you are too! Spring is a great time to freshen up not only our homes and wardrobe, but also our beauty routines. To make your warmer springtime even more productive and colorful, I am going to show you five ways to upgrade and clean up your beauty routine and make your getting-ready routine more effective.

Switch from cold weather to warm weather products

Stow those products you have been using for the cold weather away and opt for lighter, water-based formulas. If you are worried that you are wasting your favorite winter skincare cream or oil, try using it at night on your hands or body when it will get absorbed well overnight and leave them softer.

Cleanup makeup tools

Do you remember the last time you washed your makeup tools properly? By makeup tools I mean brushes, sponges, puffs, eyelash curlers, etc. Deep clean your makeup brushes and sponges with this following method:

DZ Mix two parts of antibacterial dish soap to one part of extra-virgin olive oil.

DZ Wet the brush in lukewarm water.

DZ Use the mixture on the damp brush and massage the bristles with your fingers gently. Continue until the soapy residue is free of makeup, dirt and oil.

DZ Rinse it under lukewarm water until no soap runs from the bristles.

Follow this method to wash the sponges and puffs too.

A dirty makeup tool harbors germs which can cause nasty infections like pink eye and staph. So it’s better to be safe than sorry. Don’t forget to wipe down your eye lash curler, sharpener, storage containers and makeup bag with a bit of rubbing alcohol.

Toss out expired products

We often forget to check the expiration date of skincare products. Out of date products can result in skin troubles and bad reactions. If a product is expired, no matter how costly it is, it should be tossed out. Most products will have a Period After Opening (POA) symbol on them. The POA identifies the useful lifetime of a cosmetic product after its package has been opened for the first time, provided by manufacturers and based on individual stability testing.

Quick tip: Use a sharpie and mark your opening date on your container. In this way you will know when to discard the product.

Disinfect used products

Your makeup products, i.e. palettes, lipsticks, liners, need to be sanitized too. Just take a spray bottle, fill it with rubbing alcohol, spritz it moderately on the powder/ palette directly and let it air-dry.

For liquid products, you can’t actually sanitize the whole product but you can clean the cap and mouth area of the bottle by dipping a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and wiping the nozzle and cap.

Reevaluate your storage options and tidy up

After discarding and cleaning, you need proper storage solutions for your products. You can get affordable containers and bags for this purpose. To make your beauty routine quicker, store the products by categories, usage and types. For example, I keep my most used products separated in a makeup bag. It contains a mascara, brow pencil, liner, concealer, powder foundation and a lip pencil. In this way even if I am late to get ready, I can take the bag with me and use it later.

So, now you see how easy these were!

Use the spring-cleaning urge to get rid of the winter blues today and update your beauty routine.

01 GENTLE PASTELS

A gentle palette makes for the perfect transition from winter to spring.

Mainstream Boutique

2603 Kirsten Ln S, #103, Fargo 701-356-6684 : mainstreamboutique.com

02 LOST IN FARGO

Long sleeved crew neck sweatshirt printed by local artist Nels Hunstad. Available in your choice of heathered burgandy or green. White ink printed on 50% Polyester/46% Cotton/4% Rayon sweatshirt.

The Store at Plains Art Museum 704 1st Ave N, Fargo : plainsart.org

03 BLACK & WHITE

Enamel chargers, buffalo checked pillow, table runner and napkins with black vase. Burlap Rustic Chic Boutique 3401 S University Dr, Fargo : 701-566-8176

04 BOLD STATEMENT

Stand out in this striped knit skirt from IVKO and Zzan Jewelry necklace handmade in Israel.

Talula : 701-532-1134

Directly south of Costco at I-94 and Veterans Boulevard

05 DESIGNER HANDBAGS

Authentic, pre-owned designer handbags right in your neighborhood. Olive Street

Directly south of Costco at I-94 and Veterans Boulevard

701-639-6990 : shopolivestreet.com

06 ART GLASS GARDEN

BOUQUET by Teleflora Dalbol Flowers

1450 25th St S, Fargo 701-235-5864 : dalbolflowers.com

07 SPRING STYLES

Sandals, tops, and accessories for spring and summer. Where fashion meets affordability.

PrimRose Boutique

616 Main Ave, Fargo : 701-541-2386 facebook.com/primroseboutiquefashion

Instagram: @primrose_boutique