15 Makeup Hacks to Save Product & Money
We’re spilling our favorite makeup hacks!
These simple makeup hacks have seriously saved our everyday routines and extended the life of our makeup – aka our budget. 🤑 We can’t wait to share them – and be sure to share your go-to hacks, too!
Here are 15 makeup hacks you’ll wish you tried sooner:
1. Use a toothbrush to tame flyaways and baby hairs.
A toothbrush alone definitely does the trick, but for a bit more hold throughout the day, consider spraying the toothbrush with hairspray first!
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.
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!
As another option, you can 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. Put it on after foundation and be sure to blend well, or before and layer it over with foundation for a subtle tint.
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.
8. Get a brow lift by using brow gel.
A brow gel is an easy way to lift and transform your face with little effort. Plus, it’s super flattering on pretty much everyone.
See what a difference it makes (left) compared to without (right), and it’s SO easy – just brush up!
Some food for thought… 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 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 dries up faster than expected; otherwise, mascara past its shelf life should be ditched.
HIP TIP: 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.
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 to your eye and see how long it is. This will also increase the likelihood of the lashes staying on your eye and not falling off.
HIP TIP: 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.
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 midway 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 SO useful. These tightly wound wand bristles are great for brushing eyebrows, cleaning your eyelashes after wearing makeup, and taming flyaways, similar to the hack in #1. Plus, you can get a pack of 50 on Amazon for under $4!
14. 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.
15. Extend your blowout and get healthier-looking hair with a silk pillowcase.
Silk pillowcases are known to 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.
These are the very best dry shampoos that our team and readers love!
Thanks excellent tips.
These are great. Thank you
You are very welcome, natie!
OMG thank you. I had to throw out my favorite bronzer because I dropped it and it broke. I wish I knew about the alcohol tip.
Thanks
Holly
You’re SO welcome! Glad these tips were helpful!
Don’t forget about using a Spatty to get every little bit of product out of a bottle
Great tip! Thanks for sharing! 💕
I love the tip to use eyeshadow as highlighter! I don’t regularly use eye shadow so I have a stockpile of it. Now I have another use for it!