It’s the new year, which means new EVERYTHING! New resolutions, new fitness program, new hair (possibly!), and new makeup to enhance that natural beauty of yours! Women sometimes forget that it is so important to rummage through your makeup bags to clean away not only the grime and loose sparkles all over the place-my ultimate problem (!), but to toss the yucky, old makeup out that you no longer wear.

Here are some steps to cleaning out your makeup bags:

Dump ‘em. I don’t know about you, but I must own over 30 makeup pouches. I like to use them in rotation when I have different occasions, such as vacations, being on the go, etc. I like to sit on my floor with an old towel laid out, a box of baby wipes, and a garbage bag close by and I literally just dump ‘em! Each bag is overflowing with makeup I forgot I even had. You will be able to see everything you own and toss what you haven’t used in a while. Don’t get so attached, girlfriend! You can always buy something new and more updated.

Deep clean the bags. Once you have everything sorted out with what you want to keep, keep those items off to one side of the towel. Now for the dirty, fun part. Reach for a baby wipe and get in the pouches! Your makeup bags should be lined with either a nylon or plastic fabric that can be easily cleaned. If it is a terry cloth fabric, it either needs to be washed in the washing machine or tossed, depending on it’s condition. Wipe as good as you can inside and out (if the material is okay to do so) and let them dry, I like baby wipes because they hypoallergenic, dry super fast, are easy to toss, and they leave an amazing powder fresh scent behind.

Swipe makeup clean. Take the baby wipes and clean around each individual piece of makeup. Sometimes this takes me over an hour because I want to cleanse them as much as possible. Open your lipsticks and wipe around the tubes, wipe down mirrors in compacts. Don’t be shy and make sure to get every last bit of mess.

I always get such a sense of satisfaction when cleaning. This DIY project will leave you feeling cleansed, productive, and most important, put your best face forward.

Photo Credit: Lily Pebbles