Photography: Katheleen Kamphausen
It’s somehow always the case that as soon as you think your makeup collection is complete, you have to buy more of a product that’s run out or replace products that are no longer up to par. While you may not ever be done replenishing your beauty supply, you can get more out of your products. Here are 17 helpful ways to make your makeup and beauty products last you as long as possible, and save you a few bucks along the way.
Before throwing away “empty” products that come in plastic tubes, cut them open and scrape out what’s left. Use an empty jar with a large opening to store the remaining product; it will be easier to scoop out your product when you’re ready to use it.
Revive pressed powder with a strip of packaging tape. The oils from your skin harden the powder, so when that happens, press packaging tape against the compact powder to remove the hardened film on top. Your pressed powder will look just like new.
Clean off residue on your eye shadow palette with rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball. Pour rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and then spritz the shades that look muddied. This not only makes the shades their true hue again, it also disinfects the shadows.
Fix a crushed eye shadow (or any other pressed powder) with rubbing alcohol. Pour the rubbing alcohol into the product until the crumbles become a paste. Then, press them back together with the back of a spoon or your clean finger. Once the alcohol evaporates, your product will be solid again and ready for use.
Revive slightly dried mascara, gel liner, or cream shadow with saline solution.The recommended length of time to keep a mascara and gel eyeliner before tossing is three months; cream shadows are about a year. But if they get a little clumpy before their expiration dates, squirt a few drops of saline solution into their formulas to refresh them.
Clean makeup and glue residue off of false lashes with a spoolie brush and rubbing alcohol. Gently run the spoolie through the falsies to pull the old glue away without ruining the shape of them. This way you don’t have to buy new ones.
Soak your mascara in a cup of warm water when you’re running low to loosen the product along the sides of the tube. Just remember to toss it if it’s past its prime (aka the three-month mark).
If you’re almost out of your favorite lip gloss, pop off the rubber ring on the neck of the tube to collect more product from the inside. This ring-shaped piece around the opening of some glosses acts as a squeegee to wipe off excess product as you pull out the wand. But when you’re running low, pop this bit off with your fingernail so you can gather as much product as possible.
Fix a broken lipstick by melting it back together with a lighter. Hold the flame close enough to melt the broken edges of the stick (the bottom of the top piece and the top of the bottom piece) without burning them, press the pieces together, and smooth the seam with your finger before it dries.
Mix a crumbled eye shadow with petroleum jelly to make your own lip color. If you don’t want to waste an entire eye shadow but think the shade would work better for a lip color, crumble it up and mix it with petroleum jelly for your own custom lip shade. Store it in a small tester container.
Same goes for making your own nail polish shade out of an eye shadow. Pour a bit of the pigment into a clear topcoat, shake it up, and paint away. For a sheer polish, use only a little pigment and for a more opaque polish, use more.
Store your nail polishes, lipsticks, and perfumes in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life. Heat and light can alter the formulas of your products and change their color, scent, and texture. Dark, cool environments are best for your polishes, lipsticks, and fragrances.
If the top of your nail polish won’t open, dip only the handle in a cup of warm water to loosen it. Make sure not to put the whole thing in the warm water, however, since warm temperatures can alter the color and consistency of your nail polishes.
Get more use out of little fragrance testers by pouring a few drops into unscented lotion to make your own fragrance lotion.
Makeup brushes are expensive, so make sure to wash and condition them with baby shampoo (or dish detergent) and olive oil regularly. Run the bristles under the faucet and gently lather the ends with olive oil followed by shampoo. Rinse thoroughly and lay them flat to dry.
