Don’t you hate it when you’ve got a bunch of expired or unusable makeup cluttering the back of your drawer or dressing table. You feel a deep sense of regret at the thought of having to throw all those almost-full containers away because you spent more money on them than you should have and used them way less than you should have.
Don’t worry! There’s plenty of ways you can repurpose, revive, or recycle old makeup to turn it into something entirely new and usable. This way, you can also save yourself a bit of money from having to even more expensive makeup which you’ll probably also use only a few times.
Here are a few ways in which you can put your old makeup to use!
1. Glittery Eyeshadow
If you’ve got expired eyeshadow, you can recycle it to create your own nail polish. All you need is some clear nail polish and some old eyeshadow. Just mix as much powder into the clear polish as needed and paint it on! Mix and match the colors to create custom shades too.
The best part about this is that you’ll probably have so many options as most eyeshadow pallets come with a variety of colors.
2. Mascara
Using mascara past it’s expiry date isn’t the best idea. It might form clumps and look untidy, but the worst part is that there could actually be bacteria growing on it. Yuck!
While there’s no saving the old mascara, there are several ways you could use you mascara wand. All you have to do is thoroughly clean it with some dish detergent under warm water), and leave it to dry. Now you’ve got yourself an eyebrow brush! You could also use it to comb out the clumps in your lashes, or loosen up oy=ther makeup products before use.
3. Faded Lipsticks
You know that shade of lipstick you were so excited about getting at the drugstore, but later realized it was severely dull?
Turn that disappointment back into excitement, because you can repurpose it to make a DIY blush. Soft pinks and corals will look amazing on your cheeks as they are, but you could try melting dark reds with a bit of petroleum jelly to dilute the color. The latter of those would also make for a great tinted lip balm.
4. Pencil Liner
Old pencil liners are great things to use even past an expiry date, but sometimes they can become hardened or dull. The good news is there’s a simple way to fix it. Just Use a lighter, matchstick, or even the stovetop to melt the very edge of the pencil for about 15 seconds. Then let it cool for a further fifteen seconds and you’ll have got yourself a dark, intense smudge!
5. False Lashes
You know how false lashes become trash after just one use? You can get the most out of those falsies by treating them right. All you have to do is soak them in a bit of water as soon as you remove them, which will loosen the glue and makeup. Remove the debris with a cotton swab dipped in makeup remover and dry overnight. They’ll be as good as new, and ready for use the next day!
6. Cracked Powder
There’s a simple way to fix your cracked or dried-out powder or bronzer. It only gets that way when it gets dehydrated, so all you have to do is add a bit of moisture back in.
First, mix the powder to break up any clumps and make it smooth, then add enough rubbing alcohol to create a thick paste and combine well. Put it back in the container and leave overnight for the alcohol to dry out. Come morning, you’ll have powder that’s as good as new!
7. Old Lipstick
You know how annoying it is when you get to the bottom a lipstick and you can’t use it anymore? When you’ve collected a couple of them, you should scrape whatever you can off the bottom and melt them together. You can do this either in a large spoon over the fire on your stovetop or in the microwave. Mix to combine, pour into a small container and refrigerate.
Voila! You’ve got yourself a new custom lipstick shade!
8. Tenacious Mascara
If you’re waterproof mascara is so waterproof that it gives you a hard time when you’re trying to remove it, you can use it as a gel eyeliner! Just use a thin brush to dip into the mascara and draw on your waterline. You’ll have a super intense eyeliner that lasts, and comes off easily when you need it to because makueup in general is easier to remove from skin than it is from hair.
9. Last Drops of Perfume
When you get to the bottom of a perfume bottle and the pump doesn’t reach those last few drops, we tend to throw it away all together. But, you can use these meager drops to transform any unscented body lotion into a scented one. As quickly as you can, pour the perfume into the lotion container, shake well, and use!
10. Crafting
Yes, if you’re a DIYer, there’s almost nothing that you cannot find a use for!
The same way, you can use old makeup to create masterpieces for your home as well. You can use old lipsticks, nail polish, etc. melted as paints for your crafts. You can also recycle old makeup containers and use them as boxes to store things like pills, and small jewelry. When you’ve got a creative thumb, the world is your pickle!
