1. Repair broken eyeshadows with a few drops of rubbing alcohol.
2. Use a similar trick to repair broken blush or face powders.
This tutorial uses a slightly different technique.
3. Keep powders from breaking in the first place by cushioning then with a cotton pad or cotton ball.
4. Use a penny to get every last bit out of your mineral makeup.
5. Reattach a broken lipstick using a lighter.
6. When you get to the end of your favorite tube, de-pot the rest into a small container.
7. Just when you think a tube of product is empty, cut it open and save what's inside.
8. Dunk your mascara in a glass of warm water to loosen up all of the product.
9. If your mascara needs some ~serious~ thinning out, put in a couple drops of saline solution.
10. Make a dried-out gel liner smooth again by adding eye drops.
11. Bring a dried out MAC paint pot back to life with some basic stirring.
12. Use eyeshadow primer before using eyeshadow.
13. Use cheap bar soap to clean your makeup sponge.
14. To prevent your pencil from crumbling when you try to sharpen it, stick it in the freezer for a few minutes.
15. Bring a dried out eyeliner pen back to life by running it under cold water for a few seconds.
16. Un-stick a stubborn nail polish lid by soaking it upside down in hot water.
17. Revive your clumpy nail polish with a tiny bit of nail polish thinner.
You can get thinner for about $4 — much less expensive than a new bottle of O.P.I. or Essie, and it will extend the life of many, many bottles of polish. Learn more about how it works and how to use it here.
18. When your perfume bottle is almost empty, add the last few drops to a bottle of body lotion.
BUT DON'T FORGET: Toss your products when they expire, even if you could make it "last longer."
