Let Kourtney Kardashian’s expired makeup horror story be a lesson to us all

At HelloGiggles, we think a lot about buying makeup, but probably not as much as we should about getting rid of it. Getting rid of makeup? Ya, it’s a thing, because makeup contains ingredients in it that expire over time. So Kourtney Kardashian partnered with the editor of the blog Beauty Banter, Sarah Howard, to help the world figure out when it’s time to give some of our beloved products the boot.

In a video available for subscribers at Kourtney’s website, the duo sorted through her lipsticks and lip glosses, and stumbled across some surprising finds. “There’s mold on this!” Sarah cried at one point, holding up a lipstick that Kourtney says she bought before her son Mason was born — so, around eight years.

Sarah recommended keeping lipsticks in your collection for about two years before they start to go bad, and lip glosses for even shorter. (We’ve got more tips about when and why to toss your not-so-fresh makeup here!)

These expiration dates aren’t insider information: Sarah points out that the number inside that little symbol of an open lid found on most products is an indicator of the number of months that product can be used after opening. “We got rid of so much makeup that I’ve had for years, and it felt so good,” Kourtney wrote in a blog post after the clear-out.

Not only can you get rid of lipstick you don’t (and can’t!) wear anymore, but you make room for, you guessed it, more lipstick. Or, in the case of the Kardashians, lip kits, because if you have the hookup to makeup queen Kylie herself, you better well use it!

Filed Under