20 Weird & Wacky Ways to Reuse Old Beauty Products
Before you completely clean out your vanity, get resourceful and repurpose your beauty staples for a slew of other uses. Find out how, here!
#1. Keep Old Makeup Palettes
They're good for storing broken chunks of blushes, powder foundations, bronzers, and eye shadows. Bonus: This trick helps keep your cosmetics area clutter-free.
#2. Use Face Scrub All Over
Ward off dreaded "bacne" by making your face wash double as a body wash, too. The salicylic acid also works to deep clean pores below the neck, not just on your mug.
#3. Get Artsy with Eyeliner
Try salon-style nail art at home by getting creative with your waterproof liquid eyeliner pens. Make designs using the tiny brush heads-just be sure to seal them in with a coat of clear nail polish when you're done.
Read More: 33 Best Makeup Products of All-Time
#4. Recycle Old Shower Scrubbers
That body pouf or sponge you wash with can also be used as an all-around cleaning tool when its shower days are over. The net is great for scrubbing out stubborn surface stains and can be molded to fit into hard-to-reach spots, too.
#5. Fake a Cuticle Treatment
If you don't have any cuticle oil on hand, consider clear lip balm as a ready substitute. Swipe it over nail beds to nourish tender skin and help manicures last longer.
#6. Repurpose Contact Holders
Empty contact lens boxes (the dual-side style that holds your lenses at night) can double as small pans to hold loose beauty goodies like vitamins, lipstick bullets, or false eyelashes.
Read More: 7 Biggest Beauty Sins
#7. Save Too-Dark Bronzer
If the foundation you bought is too dark for your skin, no worries! Blend it with lotion, and slather it on your legs for an instant bronzed sheen.
#8. Finish Off Perfume Bottles
Leave old perfumes with their caps off in the bathroom, and they'll function like air deodorizers. The pretty bottles are decorative touches, too.
#9. Bring Nail Polish to the Kitchen
If you're weeding out old nail lacquers, keep a few on hand to help color-code food containers in the fridge. Use different colors for each day of the week to take the guesswork out of reorganizing shelves.
Read More: 101 Lazy Girl Makeover Tips
#10. Try Blush Elsewhere
That pink color you love on your cheeks works for your lips, too. Dab blush with your finger over pouts already hydrated with lip balm for maximum color.
#11. Save Old Brushes
When your makeup brush heads or bristles are loose, use a pair of needle-nose pliers to crimp the metal base of the handles. This helps the bristles stand stiffer, catch more pigment, and blend more effectively.
#12. Keep Old Mascara Containers
Before you dump your dried-out mascaras, clean off the wands and keep them handy for at-home manis. The tiny bristles are perfect for cleaning under nails.
Read More: 12 Best Dark-Spot Correctors
#13. Revive Ancient Polish
If your fave polish hardens, revive it by mixing a few drops of nail polish remover into the formula. A hint of acetone will make the lacquer liquid again.
#14. Repurpose Roller-Ball Applicators
Clean out roller-ball deodorants and refill the empty cases with olive oil for a makeshift, on-the-go, muscle massager.
#15. Get Crafty with Included Brushes
Save the tiny applicators that come with eye palettes for arts and crafts projects. They can be used to apply glue, glitter, and sequins to small spaces.
Read More: 101 Best Under-$25 Beauty Products
#16. Combine Soap Fragments
When you have the remnants of a bar of soap, use warm water to mold it together with a larger piece. A bigger piece of soap will also work faster for sudsing up larger patches of skin.
#17. Hairspray on Art Projects
Artsy types can use hairspray as fixing spray on their masterpieces. It can prevent chalk and oil pastels from smudging.
#18. Make a Purse
Give a second life to cosmetic bags by embellishing them with ribbons and other adornments and turning them into glitzy clutches.
#19. Create Travel-Sized Goodies
Don't toss out nearly-empty bottles of shampoo, conditioner, or soap. Pour what's left of the product into tiny travel containers for your next trip out of town.
#20.Bake with Toothpaste
Save old toothpaste tubes for your next baking adventure. Cut off the flattened end of each tube, clean it out, and refill with icing to get fancy piping on pastries and other sweet treats.
For more from Real Beauty:
• 101 Sex Tips from Real Women
• 33 Ways to Look Thinner Right Now
• 10 Beauty Looks Guys Find Sexy
• 33 New Ways to Braid Your Hair
Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
