1.You're best off buying drugstore products at certain chains with 100% guaranteed return policies — meaning you can return opened beauty products if they're, say, the wrong foundation shade.
2.Or, if you're trying out tester foundation shades at a beauty counter, apply the shade to your neck instead of your arm for the most accurate match.
3.Use a peel-off base coat with glitter nail polish so that the removal process doesn't make you want to stick tiny cocktail forks in your eyes.
4.To get the most liquid use out of your eyeliner pen, remove the felt tip and flip it around.
5.To minimize bacteria growth and keep your makeup brushes alive for longer, you should clean them about once a week. Instead of paying $32 for a makeup brush cleaning mat, use a paper plate and hot glue to get (basically) the same results.
6.Dry your brushes upside down so that moisture doesn't warp their shape or damage the handle. Use a cutting board and rubber bands to dry them in the right position.
7.Instead of relying on YouTube to teach you everything about makeup, sign up for a free class at a Sephora near you.
8.Instead of buying those cute lil' packs of oil blotting sheets, use a toilet seat cover to gently dab your T-zone throughout the day.
9.Get the most out of your beauty products by knowing exactly when you opened them and when they expire.
10.In fact, every product you buy should have the life in months marked on some part of the packaging. Sometimes it's on a box, other times it's on the product itself.
11.Avoid potential bacterial infections — and straight-up ineffective products — by tossing your beauty products when they actually expire.
12.Use eyeliner in different ways to play around with your natural eye shape.
13.If you're trying to find products that will help even out any discoloration on your face, try using color-correcting concealers underneath your usual foundation.
14.Instead of buying new foundations during different seasons, use a foundation mixer — like this $10 option from NYX — to get the perfect shade.
15.Use a Tweexy bottle holder ring while you paint your nails for optimal control without spillage.
16.To help get rid of puffy under-eye bags, store your eye cream in the fridge.
17.Use baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and hot water to get rid of natural and/or polish stains on your nails.
18.For the nights when you're too tired/drunk/lazy to remove your makeup, keep wipes on your bedside table so you have no excuse.
19.Instead of spending loads of cash on new makeup, look for their dupes to test out colors before committing.
20.If you hate the pain but love the effect of having your body hair waxed, use this dope numbing cream on the area you'll be waxing 30 minutes before doing so.
21.Use steel wool (without any soap or detergent) to keep your curling and flat irons clean of gunk.
