Silva: You should replace your mascara every other month or when it starts to get dry. Every time you take the wand out of your mascara tube, you’re introducing air into the product, which dries it out. There’s also all of this information that mascara can give you eye infections, but this only happens when you share it with someone else. So if somebody else uses it, get rid of it.

SM: Do the same rules apply for eye shadows and liners?

Silva: The same applies to eye liners in terms of sharing and dryness. With eye shadows it’s different because it’s not necessarily a wet product that is going to break down. Nevertheless, introducing outside bacteria isn’t a good idea and you must always use clean applicators. I’m sure everybody has experienced eye shadow that suddenly becomes hard, greasy and you can’t get any color out of it because it has this waxy seal over it. That’s because dirty applicators and fingers have changed its texture.
    
SM: What about lipsticks and glosses that we apply directly? Can we just wait until those run out? 

Silva: Yes. I use my products until they’re done unless they start smelling or when the result that you’re supposed to get from the product changes.

SM: Do drug store brands last longer or shorter than department store brands?

Silva: Something in our industry is happening and that is the technological advancement of all makeup. Many times the drug store brands are just as good as the department store brands and a lot of times, you get more product.