When you buy makeup and other beauty products, you want to make sure you get the most bang for your buck. It’s so expensive, you don’t want to waste a single drop. I’ve put together my top 10 hacks to get the most out of your makeup and beauty products.
Before I jump into it, make sure you know when you should throw out your makeup. Each product is different and while we want to get our money’s worth out of everything that we buy, you don’t want to hang on to something after it has expired. Expired makeup and beauty products can have bacteria and other nasty things you don’t want on your face.
You can always find other ways to save money on makeup.
Hacks to Get the Most out of your Makeup
Revive Mascara with Saline Solution
If you have mascara that has dried out before it’s expiration date, you can get rid of the clumps and bring it back to life with a few drops of saline solution. Just add 2-3 drops of saline solution or eye drops to your mascara and pump the wand until it is no longer dry. You can add more drops as needed.
Get the Last Drop
I hate it when there is still makeup or lotion at the bottom of the jar that won’t come out. Don’t throw it away!! Use a small spatula, like The Spatty, to scrap out the last little bit that’s stuck in your container. This is great for foundation, lip gloss, lotions, and anything else that is hard to get to.
Use a Mini Fridge
If you have skincare products that you don’t use regularly, you can help expand the shelf life of the product buy storing it in the fridge. This is especially important if it is a more natural product with less preservatives. You can store it in your regular fridge or you can get a cute mini fridge that is perfect for your vanity.
Reuse your Mascara Wand
I think we all have a favorite mascara wand that works wonders on our lashes. Just because the mascara bottle is empty doesn’t mean you have to throw away the wand. Keep it and use it with another type of mascara that you have been wanting to try. Most mascara wands will fit different types of mascara bottles.
Wash your Makeup Brushes
Cleaner bristles will result in better makeup application. You don’t want to be introducing nasty bacteria into your makeup because your brushes aren’t clean. This can make your beauty products go bad so much quicker. I love using this DIY makeup brush cleaner to keep my brushes clean for less out of pocket.
More Money Saving Makeup Hacks
Return Empty Containers for Free Makeup
Don’t throw away those empty containers! When you return a certain amount of empty containers of a particular beauty brand, you can score free products! If you are a MAC cosmetics user, their Back 2 MAC program offers a free lipstick in exchange for 6 makeup containers.
Other brands like Origins, Lush, and bareMinerals offer similar programs where you can get a free sample, product, or rewards points. This can help your wallet and the planet!
Use Rubbing Alcohol to Fix Broken Palettes
We have all dropped an eyeshadow or blush palette in our lives. Don’t worry, just grab some rubbing alcohol. Simply add a few drops to the broken makeup and mix. Smooth it back out with your fingers and let it dry. Good as new! Works great for eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, really any powdered makeup products.
Another Use for Broken Eyeshadow
If you have a little bit of broken eyeshadow and don’t feel like putting it back together, you can always make a DIY lip gloss. Crush the eye shadow into a powder, then mix with petroleum jelly to make any color lip gloss you like. This works great with blush, too!
Fix Broken Lipstick
Don’t fret over broken lipstick again. You can fix it! Melt the ends with a lighter and then stick it back together and smooth out. Pop it in the fridge to set and it should be good as new.
Get Great Curl without Expensive Mascara
If your lashes need a little more curl, it may not be your mascara. Use a hair dryer to heat your eyelash curler. Let it cool off a little and then use as normal and apply your mascara. This should give you more curl that lasts longer.
For more tips and tricks, these are my favorite frugal beauty hacks every girl should know. I hope these hacks to get the most out of your makeup work great for you and save you some money!
