8 money-saving ways to make your beauty products last longer
These expert tips and tricks will help you cut costs and make the most of your favourite cosmetics.
As any beauty lover knows, curating a decent make-up and skincare collection doesn’t come cheap. From Fenty foundation to Murad moisturiser, high quality products are worth investing in, so you want to get the most out of your purchases, right?
That’s why it’s wise to follow a few steps to keep your beauty buys in good condition and ensure none of your precious potions or powders go to waste.
Here, beauty experts offer their advice to help you get more for your money…
1. Don’t waste a drop
“I’m always cutting open tubes of moisturiser and foundation instead of squeezing the last bits out, to reach every corner and ensure not a drop is wasted,” says Natasha Pilbrow, COO of on-demand beauty booking platform LeSalon.
“If you don’t need much coverage when it comes to your base make-up, mix a small amount of foundation or tinted moisturiser with your everyday moisturiser to make both products last longer.”
You can also get tools called tube squeezers that, as the name suggests, help squeeze more out of your cosmetics tubes, or you could even make your own using ice lolly sticks and elastic bands.
2. Store products properly
“Where you keep your beauty stash can have a significant impact on how long they last and perform,” says Elisabeth Rilatt, beauty expert at Escentual.com. “For example, if you store your fragrances in direct sunlight, their scent can change, and if you keep your make-up in the bathroom, the steam of the shower could cause your powders to go mouldy.
“A cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight is what we recommend for all your products.”
3. Look after your brushes
“Washing your make-up brushes regularly will extend their lifespan and also help improve their performance,” Rilatt continues. “When cleaning, however, you mustn’t get water in the handle; this can lead to the wood rotting and the glue breaking down – avoid this by laying your brushes flat to air dry.
“My favourite brush cleaning duo is the Real Techniques Cleansing Palette and BareMinerals Well Cared For Brush Conditioning Shampoo.”
4. Save a cracked compact
If you’ve ever suffered the horror of accidentally dropping or crushing a make-up compact or palette, you’ll know how devastating it is to lose all that precious pigment – but there is a way to fix it.
“Firstly, gather as much of the remaining product as you can and place it back in the compact,” advises Isa Lavahun, digital brand manager at beauty discovery website Cosmetify.
“Next, wind some cling film or clear wrap around the palette to keep it in place and, with your fingers, smash up the pieces until it resembles smooth powder.
“Once you’ve done this, unwrap the powder and fill an empty spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and spray until the powder appears saturated (if you are fixing just one shade in a palette, be sure to cover the other shades before spraying).
“When the product resembles a peanut butter texture, mould it back into the compact and leave to dry. Finally, clean up the edges of your compact or palette with a cotton swab and voila! You’re done.”
5. Revive an eyeshadow
Do you ever find that after a while of using an eyeshadow it goes weirdly shiny and loses its powder consistency?
“If your eyeshadow isn’t making your eyes ‘pop’ like it used to and you’re finding yourself having to use more and more product, the likely culprit here is that a hard film has formed over the top,” says Lavahun. “To fix this, start by tearing off a piece of sticky tape and placing it firmly on top of the product, slowly tearing it away, removing a layer of gleaming film.
“When the tape is pulling off no more oil, your favourite powder is ready to use again.”
6. Rejuvenate a clumpy mascara
“There’s nothing more frustrating than dried out or clumpy mascara making your eyelashes look messy and clogged,” Lavahun continues.
“To prolong the life of your favourite mascara, place it in a mug of hot water for three minutes to loosen up the clumps.
“You may also want to add two or three drops of olive oil or contact solution into your mascara tube and shake it.”
7. Improve your lash longevity
A fresh pair of false lashes can really enhance your eyes, but if you look after your falsies, you don’t need to ditch them after one wear.
“When the lash band starts to look gunky, you can gently peel away the lash glue from the band which will help it attach to your lash line again, as well as giving a smooth finish,” says Sara Sordillo, make-up artist at Eylure.
“If your false lashes are covered in mascara, use a lint free wipe and micellar water to gently wipe off the mascara. If it is a heavy coating of mascara, using some gentle face wash, lather it up in your hands and gently using your index finger and thumb to massage the hairs.”
8. Prolong your polish
Do you always end up with bottles of gloopy, unusable nail varnish hanging around years after you bought them? First of all, try buying a smaller bottle, like Mavala’s mini nail polishes, so you’re more likely to use up the whole bottle before it dries out.
If you do have a polish that’s starting to thicken, Mavala also has a Nail Polish Thinner. Add a few drops to your polish, shake well and it’ll be good as new.
