How long to keep perfume and cosmetics for?

[BlueClearSkies]

This morning I sprayed some Jo Malone French Lime Blossom. It did not smell right, I think I have had it about 18 months. I then noticed that some perfume I had for Christmas had a note saying use within 12 months of the first spray.

I do not have lots of perfumes, I get through a bottle of my favourite Tom Ford every six months, but there are a couple which I have had for a year or so.

Do others have a clear out after a certain time? Should I get rid of perfumes and cosmetics that are over 12 months?

Perfumes will go off faster if they are kept in the light, or somewhere warm. What tends to happen is the top notes evaporate off, so the perfume starts to smell different.

However, there are many vintage bottles out there which are many years old and still worn/loved. Like fine wine, if a perfume is kept properly you can keep it going for years.

It is also possible for you to become "anosmic" to certain scents - your nose just stops picking up the scent. I used to wear L'Eau D'Issy by Issy Miyake, until I realised one day I couldn't smell anything apart from a sharp ammonia whiff. DH could still smell it perfectly.

Cosmetics are a different matter - after a while they can become contaminated by bacteria, therefore bad to use. Chief offenders are wet things like mascara and foundation, whereas pencils and lipsticks tend to last longer because the surface is always being refreshed.

My jo malone lasts me about 2 years. I've never notices it go "off" but it's on a shelf in my wardrobe so maybe as Cointreau says it's not exposed to light all the time.

Make up I only have my daily staples (Foundation, concealer, bronzer, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick) so they tend to get replaced throughout the year.

I will move my perfumes from the bathroom and put them in a box in my cupboard.

Though I think I will have a clear out of any old eye makeup.

I keep my make up for as long as it smells or feels right, I had a Mac lipstick for years and then I went to wear it and it tasted wrong so I binned it. Powders last for years and foundations are ok but you will notice when they go off as the separate or cause spots, I've never had a perfume go off. My biggest tip is to not keep things in the bathroom, the humidity will kill off your make up very quickly. I usually buy mini mascaras as they run out before they go off, I ditch mascaras when they stop making the pop when you remove the wand.