Did you know that you can get free lipstick from MAC? With the Back to Mac program, you can get a free lipstick of your choice for every 6 empty MAC products you bring back to a counter or online.

Which is fantastic because it means I can do my bit for the environment by recycling the old plastic packaging, avoid getting nasty bacteria that grows in makeup overtime on my skin (and therefore avoid potential infections – though I’ve been lucky enough to never catch anything when I’ve used old products!) while also getting rewarded with a new product in return.

If you’re not sure when to get rid of makeup, here’s a handy breakdown of when you should consider binning certain products:

• Mascara/Eyeliners: between 3-6 months, depending who you ask
• Lipsticks/lip glosses/lip liners: after 1-4 years, depending who you ask
• Powders: after 2 years
• Liquid foundation: after 1-2 years, depending who you ask
• Nail polish: after 1 year
• Makeup sponges: after 1 week

And if you’re not sure how old something is, test the product out. Lipsticks and lip glosses tend to change in consistency and scent, while liquid foundations/concealers tend to separate, and products that are old/out of date also don’t tend to work as well as fresh products.

So, having my eye on Candy Yum Yum and Heroine, I raided my makeup bags for empties, expired products and products I hadn’t used in years. (Those lipsticks and glosses shown are nearly 10 years old, and I’ve had the Lip Gelées – which MAC doesn’t even make anymore! – since at least 2006.) Then I took 12 empty and old products and and traded them in for Candy Yum Yum and Heroine. Result!
So now my makeup bags are just a bit cleaner and my lipstick collection is just a bit brighter. A very happy exchange indeed!