It’s unfortunate, but our favorite products don’t last forever. I’ve heard myriad experts lecture on the potential damage caused by not throwing away your products once they pass their shelf life, and I’m all for avoiding nasty infections and bacteria, so why is it so difficult for me to toss my expired beauty loot?
My main problem is this: I can never remember when I actually opened a product, making it hard to tell when it’s time to toss it. I always find a way to convince myself, especially with shades I really love, that no, really, it’s not that old. And since I’m not a list-making obsessive that keeps detailed notes on the purchase date of every lipstick I own, it’s pretty easy to delude myself.
That’s why I’m hoping Cargo’s new lippies will help me conquer my products-past-their-prime issue. The Classic Lip Glosses with Timestrip Technology, available later this month, are housed in plastic tubes that come with special indicator strips. Pop one into the top when you first open the gloss and it'll count down the time you have until your new gloss expires. The indicator color that shows the elapsed time is bright red and clearly visible, so it’s hard to ignore. So hopefully, these will put an end to my ongoing product purchase amnesia.
--MEGAN MCINTYRE
