Makeup is expensive and anyone who’s even briefly glanced at the display case in MAC knows this. Nothing sucks more than investing your money into a product, only for life to happen and prevent you from enjoying it to its full potential. You deserve nice things. As a struggling makeup hoarder myself, I’ve gathered 5 handy tips to either save your forsaken products from being thrown away or repurpose products you have!
- Eyeliner Pen
The most frustrating thing about using those eyeliner koki’s are when they start to dry up far too soon. When you’re in the middle of creating a razor-sharp wing and it decides to fail you and leave a dull, barely visible streak across your eyelid. A few ways to help revive your liner is giving it a good shake whilst holding the bottom of the liner, the tip facing down. If that fails, try pulling the tip out of the pen and turning it around. Most eyeliner pens have a double-sided ink sponge, so the other side will have an identical tip. Good as new!
2. Broken powders/eyeshadows
I’m extremely clumsy. As such, every time I drop my makeup bag or accidentally knock a pallet off my table I say a little prayer before I pick it up in hopes that it isn’t broken. It’s Schrödinger’s compact, the product is both broken and not broken until you check – but alas, the pigmented dust that graces the floor already tells me the answer is the one that I don’t want to hear. Worry not, repressing your powders are a thing. All you need is some rubbing alcohol – which you might have in your first aid kit at home. It’s easier than it sounds. Click here for a YouTube tutorial by AlexandersGirlyTalk.
3. Fan brushes
Fan brushes are generally used to apply highlighter while denser fan brushes can be used for powder contouring. If you’re in a pinch and your fan brush has gone amiss, or if you’re just looking to experiment with new tools, you can create a make-shift fan brush out of a regular powder brush and two hair slides. Just slide the hair slides onto the brush from the sides, flattening the bristles and making the brush thinner.
4. Baby Shampoo as brush cleaner
When I first started dabbling in makeup, I was told that it was important to invest in good brushes, which are generally quite easy to find – but weirdly enough I found it difficult to find a good brush cleaner that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Cleaning your brushes are important for application and hygiene. An easily accessible and cheap alternative for brush cleaner is Baby Shampoo. Just wet your brushes with warm water, add a few drops of baby shampoo into the palm of your hand and swirl them around until they lather. Rinse them off and leave them to dry upside-down on some paper towels.
5. Reviving Mascara
The general lifespan of Mascara ranges from 3-6 months (depending on the brand), so nothing sucks more is when it starts getting dry and clumpy a few weeks in. One way to fix this is putting a few drops of saline solution into your mascara tube. It’ll improve the consistency and make sure you get your money’s worth out of this short-lived product.
I hope this helps any aspiring beauty enthusiasts out there! May your winged liner be sharp and your highlight always be blinding.