16 Makeup Hacks to Help You Get the Most Out of Your Products

We’re breaking down our favorite makeup hacks!

Get as many uses out of your products as possible!

To anyone who invests their hard-earned dollars in any beauty product, it would be a shame to not get the most out of them. We’re introducing you to simple makeup hacks, whether it’s clever ways to up your beauty game or how to help your favorite makeup last longer.

Some of these makeup hacks have completely saved my routine, and we’re pumped to share them with you. Let us know if you have any helpful hacks we can try, too!

---

Here are 16 makeup hacks to try out:

---

1. Use a toothbrush for your baby hair.

This is one I use on the reg! As someone with naturally curly hair, my flyaways and baby hairs are astronomical. 😵‍💫

The most helpful technique I’ve found is spraying a toothbrush with hair spray and combing them back with it. It lasts all day, and is super precise!

---

2. Get the most out of your powder makeup by mixing it into some lotion when it’s almost gone.

If you’ve only got a small amount of shimmery powder left, mix the remnants into a moisturizer and store it in a reusable container. Then use the lotion on your legs, arms, and shoulders to give your skin a glowy effect. ✨

For colored powders, try mixing the powder with a bit of coconut oil to make a tinted lip balm or a cream blush!

---

3. Know the expiration dates on products to use them before they lose their potency.

As great as is it to increase the longevity of your makeup and skincare, you should always make sure you’re not using expired products.

Check for the symbol with a number next to an “M” to know the shelf life in months of the product. It may not necessarily go bad after that time frame, though it may likely lose its effectiveness.

---

4. Fix broken makeup with alcohol.

So your favorite palette dropped and now the pressed powder is broken — it happens! This makeup hack fix is as simple as adding a few drops of alcohol, mixing the powder, and letting it dry back into its form! No need to worry about tossing away the broken bits of makeup.

You can also transfer the pieces to a small jar and crush them up to use as a loose powder instead.

---

5. Store infrequently used skin care products in the fridge.

There’s a bit of back and forth about what should and shouldn’t be stored in the refrigerator. As a rule of thumb, skincare products you use every day or up to every few days can be stored at room temperature.

Products that aren’t used as frequently can be kept cool in the fridge to preserve their shelf life, which is especially helpful when they’re naturally formulated and have fewer preservatives.

---

6. Try using lipstick as a blush.

You can get a “liquid blush” from a lipstick of your choice. Although I’ve seen people put the lipstick all over blush areas before putting foundation on, simply putting a dash on your cheeks will do the trick.

The deeper the color, the less you have to use. Note that liquid lipsticks definitely won’t blend, so use regular ones! In the picture above, I’m using a Huda Beauty lipstick.

You could also apply liquid blush first followed by the rest of your makeup. That’s right, even before foundation! This way, if you have a powerful liquid blush, such as Rare beauty’s Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, you’ll have a more subtle effect when foundation is layered over top.

---

7. Grab a lip-plumping product for an “at-home lip injection” effect!

Okay, there’s really no way to get at-home lip injections. However, there are so many lip-plumping products that do appear to have that “plumping” effect.

We have an entire post about which lip plumpers we do and don’t recommend to help you get started! As a teaser, the Buxom Full-On Plumping Lip Cream is one of our favorites!

---

8. Get a brow lift by using brow gel.

The brow lift look transforms your face, and it’s super flattering on pretty much everyone. I apply the Strong Hold Clear Brow Gel from Anastasia Beverly Hills (my forever favorite brow product!) and then add a few strokes of Milani’s Weekend Brow Pen in any areas where I don’t have as much hair. I Colour Pop brow gel if you’re looking for an inexpensive option.

Some people use brow wax and refer to a similar routine as “soap brows”, but personally I didn’t like that process. I have dark, thick eyebrows and found actual pieces of wax or “soap” literally in my eyebrows, and the hold wasn’t that impressive. If it works for you, go for it!

---

9. Revive dry mascara with contact solution or eye drops.

If you’ve got a tube of mascara that’s starting to clump or has dried out from a loose top, refresh it by squeezing a few drops of eye contact solution or eye drops into the tube. We recommend this when your mascara dried up faster than expected, otherwise, mascara past its shelf life should be ditched.

To prevent future clumping, don’t pump the wand in and out of the tube — this motion introduces tons of air which speeds up the drying process.

---

10. Use your shimmery eye shadows as a highlight.

If you have any sparkly eyeshadows, try putting a little on your cheekbones and see how well it works as a highlighter! I love also putting some on my cupid’s bow and nose.

My favorite makeup hacks are when you can use one product on multiple areas of the face. As you can see, I’ve hit pan on my favorite shade from this Anastasia Mini Soft Glam Palette because I use it all over! 😄

---

11. Cut your false lashes before applying.

The length of a lash is going to fit differently in everyone’s eyes. The best way to measure the length is to put it on your eye and see how long it is. This will also increase the likely hood of the lashes staying on your eye and not falling off.

I always cut a little off so the lash doesn’t bother or fall into my eye. Make sure you cut the end of the lash strip as opposed to the inner corner of the strip as it will look the most natural when you cut the longer side.

If you’re looking for a lash recommendation, for a drug store brand I love Ardell lashes (pictured above) and Huda lashes for a “luxury” brand.

---

12. Curl your lashes before and after you apply falsies.

Before and after applying false eyelashes, make sure you use an eyelash curler on them. Not only does it merge your real lashes with the fake ones, but it also shapes them to look more realistic and pop. Skipping falsies? Curling your eyelashes at the base of the lash and mid-way will create a stunning curl even when you’re just opting for mascara.

---

13. Buy a pack of mascara brushes for tons of uses!

Having a pack of clean mascara brushes, or spoolies, can be super useful. These tightly wound wand bristles are great for brushing eyebrows, and I’ve even used them to brush and clean my eyelashes after wearing makeup. Plus, you can get a pack of 50 on Amazon for less than $4!

This also works for taming flyaways similar to the toothbrush hack in #1, but I find the size of a toothbrush is more suitable for baby hair than these clean mascara brushes. Another makeup hack is to add some castor oil to these brushes to nourish your brows and lashes.

---

14. Return empty MAC makeup containers for a FREE lipstick.

If you’re a MAC Cosmetics junkie, your loyalty will be rewarded! Once you save up 6 MAC primary packaging containers, you can return them via mail and receive a FREE tube of lipstick, lip gloss, or single eyeshadow of your choice! This incentive is thanks to their Back to MAC program as part of their commitment to the environment.

---

15. Use your powder products after your liquid ones.

If you’re doing a full face of makeup, always put things like liquid concealer, contour, and foundation on first. Your powder products will be applied after. This way, your powder will lock in your liquid products, and you’ll avoid looking cakey.

---

16. Extend your blowout and get healthier-looking hair with a silk pillowcase.

According to this silk bedding blog, silk pillowcases keep your face healthy, help your skin retain moisture, reduce your chemical exposure, are naturally hypoallergenic, reduce split ends, and there are so many more benefits!

Plus, they’re easy to care for since they can be machine washed! Check out these budget-friendly silk pillowcases on Amazon that we love!

---

These are the very best dry shampoos that our team and readers love!