6 Beauty Fixes for Products You Didn't Like
What to Do With Beauty Products That Didn’t Work Out
As the old saying goes, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” the same is true about beauty products. There are many reasons why we don’t return products that don’t work out for us–poor return policies, guilt about returns, past return dates, etc. Besides giving products to friends/family or just letting them sit idle, here are a few ways to turn those lemons into beauty lemonade!
Got a moisturizer that broke you out? Your face is often far more sensitive than other parts of your body, so one of the best ways to make use of an acne-causin’ facial moisturizer is to use it on your body. Try using anti-aging products on your hands, which can always benefit from anti-aging ingredients often found in facial moisturizers. (Side benefits are often that facial moisturizers are fast-absorbing, non-sticky, etc. — all things you’d want in a good hand cream!)
Love glitter, but can’t figure out how to use it? Add some to your favorite hair gel/sculpting cream. Mix some in your hand, and then spread through your hair for a fun, glitzy hair-do. Try adding some to your favorite nail polish or make your own glitter polish.
Too much mineral makeup? If you have too much mineral makeup–like loose eye shadows–think about creating your own lip colors and nail polishes. Most mineral makeup is really just loose pigment, so you can combine it with a clear lip emollient (like vaseline or clear gloss), mix it up, and color up your lips.
Lipstick too pigmented, too dark, or too much? Tone any lipstick down by just applying it lighter (or blotting), but you can also combine with any lipgloss to alter the color.
Foundation that’s too thick or just a little too dark? Turn it into a tinted moisturizer! With the summer coming up, tinted moisturizers are a must-have for easy summer skin. In the palm of your hand, add a pea-sized amount of your favorite moisturizer to a few drops of your foundation, mix with a brush or sponge, and then apply it to your face. If you want, you can just use your hands to apply (like you would a normal face cream).
Mascara too clumpy, flakey, or just not what you want? Try using the brush from a mascara you do like to see if that helps the formula stay on/work better. If it’s just not happening, try using it as liquid liner.
What do you do when a beauty product doesn’t work out?
Thanks, those are some nice tips!
I got the HelloKitty Tippy blush but it was too much on my cheeks so I use it as eyeshadow 🙂
me too!!!!!
tippy looks nice in the pan but on my face
omg not nice
but it looks lovely on my eyelids
Smart thinking, Yulia!
Hey, what a cool idea! Just when I think of either ‘donating’ it to my sisters… these are a really good way to use it in other ways that don’t necessarily use it for its primary purpose; I do have too many loose eye shadows, too time consuming in the morning before work! Thankyou so much for this 🙂
No problem, Kimberley! I always try to figure out other ways to use products before I give ’em away!
Shampoos that didn’t work so well on hair, make excellent hand soaps or body washes!
Or bubble bath!
lol i do that too
Great thinking, Toma! I do that too 😀
great tips thanks now I have a use for some of the lipsticks that r2 dark cheers xx
No problem, Binnie!
Great tips!
Thanks!
Done the mascara thing for liner… I also find that if a mascara is too clumpy, it’s good to wipe the brush down and use the product left on the brush. It thins it down, so it ends up easier to apply.
That’s also a great tip, Wilcoa! It can definitely help 🙂
great tips!!!
Thanks, Sanny! Hope they help!
I do the same thing with moisturizers that break me out. I use it for a hand cream or body cream when I travel as most face moisturizers come in little bottles are much easier to bring around.
Also when I find powder foundation that isn’t my color, I use it as a concealer on my lips first before adding gloss on top. I find that in this way it makes the lip color nice and milky, especially if I have a gloss that isn’t pigmented at all, mixing it with the foundation really does boost the color a little. So it’s like mixing two products that don’t work for a look that works!
Good way to use up foundation, Sara! Thanks for sharing that tip with us 😀
Hey, thanks for those great tips! I never knew what to do with foundation with the wrong colour (having a very fair skin, its hard for me to find the right foundation color).
Btw: I also bought Tippy, and its just purrrfect for me!
My pleasure, Ciara! Hope they help you out somewhat 🙂
hey ladies
you can also make dark lipstick lighter by applying a white pencil before applying the lipstick
Thanks for sharing this find with us, Posley!
Face wash that’s too drying for your face can be used on feet 🙂
Awesome suggestion, Galen!
Yeah, my neck and my hands have gotten great benefits from facial moisturizers that broke me out! 🙂
Haha! Glad to know I’m not the only one who does this!
Thanks, always looking for new ideas. I also use conditioner as body lotion in the shower, and it makes shaving smooth…better than those expensive shave gels, and makes mt legs silky. My friend gave me alot of makeup samples…a lot where orange based blush…oh no. But they are great for layering eyeshadows, even mixed with other blush, or eyeshadow, then mixed with lip gloss to make a completely one of a kind. Peace;)
I also use conditioner as a shaving cream sometimes 🙂
Great tips, Dawn!
I’m more a lipgloss girl over lipstick lady so whenever someone gifts me lipsticks i don’t like, i take out the bullet and crush small bits of it into a jar of moisturiser and stir it – then i’ll wear it on apples of cheeks etc for a flush etc – or if it’s subtle enough – continue wearing as normal moisturiser.
i do the same with unwanted blush too.
the mascara as gel liner is a very clever tip – great!
luckily i don’t buy any other mascaras apart from my HG diorshow blackout, so i’m finally safe from making mascara mistakes now. phew.
Oh, wow! That’s so creative, Sarah! You could probably add some vaseline to make it into more of a gloss, too 🙂
thanks a lot for this tips . I would have throw them all away lol XD
lol! No prob, Indra!
These are fantastic tips! I have used every one of them, but sometimes I find that I just have too much that I will probably never use.
I also like using old eye shadows or eyeliners or pigments for art. My boyfriend will sometimes take them and make gorgeous art pieces, then seals the “paint” with a protector so it doesn’t smudge all over.
LOL! Yes, sometimes I’m just like that, too 😉
I’d love to see some of your boyfriend’s art pieces!