I get it, you love your Chanel lipstick, but if you lost the cap months ago, the tube needs to go, too -- especially if said lipstick has been floating around in your bag collecting debris. Cosmetic chemists and dermatologists will tell you it's laden with bacteria, but it's also just gross. Lipstick should never look like it's been rolled in chopped nuts.
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Full-coverage foundations
One of the most ubiquitous Fashion Week beauty trends for spring was pretty, perfect skin -- but not fake-perfect. So forget about using a full-coverage foundation to get the look. Instead, try a tinted moisturizer or BB cream, and finish if off with a dusting of loose powder like Laura Mercier Mineral Powder, $36.
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Hair extensions
If you have extensions rolling around in the bottom of your hair product drawer, mangled and sticky, it's time to throw them out. And unless you're a Victoria's Secret model, you probably won't need them anyway: Hair trends for 2013 are shorter and more manageable. "I'm so excited that super-long hair is finally going away," says celebrity stylist Janine Jarmon. "Modern cuts are short to mid-length, and texture is more natural."
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Nail stickers
Nail stickers are one of my favorite modern inventions -- give me Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips, $8.99, over a bottle of actual polish any day. But there's one major problem: They dry out. If you've ever tried to apply old or open strips, then you know they just won't stick. Take a moment to clean out your stash -- and make a mental note to only buy them as you need them.
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Dull tweezers
One of my biggest beauty annoyances is struggling to tweeze a stray eyebrow hair with dull tweezers. After three failed attempts I'm about ready to throw the tweezers across the room in a fit of rage -- and I'm not being hyperbolic. That's why I highly recommend investing in Tweezerman Tweezers, $22. They sharpen your tweezers for free. (Seriously!) The only cost is shipping them to the sharpening facility (they'll cover the return shipping), and then it's like you have a brand new pair.
You've recovered from the holidays, and you've made your resolutions. And if you're holding on to concealers with cracked caps, leaking foundations, slimy shine serums, and expired sunscreens, it's time to make another vow for 2013: Overhaul your beauty product stash stat. (And not to worry, it's actually going to be a lot more fun than you think.)
In fact, there are few rainy-day activities that I find more gratifying than dumping my bins of beauty products out onto my living room floor and reorganizing them. I start by dividing them into categories (skin, makeup, hair, etc.), and then I make piles, separating what's new, what's not so new, and what definitely needs to be thrown away.
Getting rid of gunky old products is therapeutic -- and there's no better time than the beginning of a new year to take on the task. Not to mention that spring -- and all of the fun beauty trends that come with it -- is right around the corner, so you'll need to make room for more loot.
Here's my short list of what to toss -- from the unhygienic to the uncool.
