When you get to the end of a product, and there’s still a little left, how do you deal? Will you slice and dice it open to get every last bit out? Just trash it?
If there’s more than just one or two uses, I’ll cut the tube open — or if it was really expensive!
Thanks to Natalie for today’s question!
Got a question idea? Submit yours here.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
I did a blog post on this recently, I actually will go to great lengths to use up 100% of even the cheapest product if it’s something I really like!
Use all of it; I usually cut it open or hack it open to get at the last bits, no matter what I paid for it.
Me too. I agree with u
Same here! It just seems such a waste to leave it there. Amazing the amount of product you still have but can’t reach it.
I find the shelf life, doens’t justify keeping a product forever,or until the end.By then it’s not good anymore,because of oxidation, and bacteria.I throw products out,long before the end.
If it’s something I really like, I’ll find a way to use up every last bit.
I agree that if the product is expensive, I will cut it open. Its amazing how many products have ill designed delivery systems, so when you think you are out, if you were to look inside the container, you find tons more, like UD primer potion, or Caudalies Vino Sorbet cream.
I would save it until I can go back to the store for another one but if it’s LE, I wouldn’t touch it so much after the halfway mark.
Awesome question.Well when it comes to MAC products I actually just scrape it out and throw away the leftover product, and keep the packaging so I can B2M, but that’s only if the product is unusable, if the product dries up or something of the sort.In regards to other brands, what I will do is try to use it up and just trash it.
I’ll shake it, squeeze it and cut it open until all of the product is gone. Waste not, want not!
Hmm. I haven’t really gotten to the bottom of many products, yet, but I do know that even when they’re not almost-empty/-gone, I feel bad about wasting them. So, I’d say yes.
Regardless of how much I paid for the item I’ll cut the packaging open or dig out the remaining contents. There’s always so much more left in there than you expect!
I would try to use all the product, if I can I would cut it open. If I can’t than I feel there really is no other choice but to toss it! Might even shed a tear….
If it was a drugstore item, i probably would throw it away, but if its a premium makeup item, i do actually save it until its completley gone, i have the last few grains of my mac trace blush in the old mac sample pots. i refuse to buy another one until ive completely used it up,
It depends, like always. If the product I’m going to finish soon is a liquid one, I put the leftover in my new bottle or a smaller one, which I can take to the siwmming pool with me.
With powder products I often trow the leftover away before completely finishing it.
Most likely cut it open if it’s possible and worth it, I don’t see any reason to waste!
I hate waste, whether the product is pricey or economical. With tubes, I will cut the “crimped” end open and reseal it with a “butterfly clip” (those metal things meant for holding papers together). With my night time eye cream, in an “airless” pump, there is still a LOT of product left (anyone who thinks those jars with the bottom that pushes up give you ever last bit of product is WRONG), I get DH to remove the top with some vice or something. There’s usually about 2 weeks of product left and just setting the pump and lid on top keeps it fine. Tall bottles where the pump no longer dispenses the very bottom – I use a chopstick to get it out.
I cut it open too. Or my Maybelline foundation that comes in a glass bottle I used a small brush to clean it out with, it still had 10+ uses left in it, but the pump didn’t bring any more out.
It mostly depends on how much I like the product, how expensive it is, and how hard it is to get a replacement. =)
Yep, I definitely slice and dice so I can get access to all of the product. I’m seriously OCD when it comes to this!
I have no idea, have never gotten to the end of anything! Recently hit pan for the first time!
I use it all to the last drop. I also either buy a backup so I can have one ready when it finishes or use a backgup product when it finishes until I repurchase.
I try to use every drop of product. I pulled the stopper out of my Nars primer to get more of the product. There was months of use left in the tube.
as almost everything I use is expensive (!) i will cut the tube open to get out the last tiniest bit (i do that even at the beach for using sunscreen til the last drop!!); however if it’s a prodcut i did not like and struggled to go though the bottle, I’ll thow it away with no regrets even if it’s not finished. for foundations etc it’s harder as they come in glass pump bottles, and a lot sticks on the inner “walls” of the bottle…
I always try to buy things that I really like.. so I cut it open and use it all 😛
I slice, I dice, I squeeze, I use funnels and gravity, scissors too. I absolutely HATE hermetically sealed pump bottles that you cannot open or see through as I know that I’m probably wasting tons of product.
I never cut the tube, but I’ve heard that if you cut the tube, the remaining is enough for 2-3 times use. I normally buy a new one before I run out something and try to use the old one up as quickly as possible. I just want to open the new one. XD
I haven’t used something to the end besides a facial product, which I will go to great lengths to get the last bit out of.
I get it all out and use it to the end. Usually I don’t repurchase a product until there’s like 2 uses left so I’m not tempeted to just throw the old one away
If it’s foundation I will dig in there with a cotton swab since there is usually no air pump packaging. Lancome’s foundation is so lovely but the amount left after the pump stops working is so wasteful! I dip lip gloss tubes in hot water for a minute or so, which melts it and brings all the product from the sides to the bottom. When the brush no longer works but I still see product, i dip it in hot water to melt it and and pour it on a contact lens case (if I’m that desparate). For blushes and powders that are way past hitting pan, i just scrape off the remains, grind it with a spoon and put it in whatever container I have handy. For lipsticks I have a few empty lip palettes I bought at sephora on sale I scoop out the remains, melt it in the microwave and make my own molds.
Yes I’m cheap!
Great ideas! I hate to waste my Chanel Glossimers! Thanks!
I have a problem. Unless it’s a very staple sort of thing (primers and face stuff), past about halfway through a product, I can’t even bring myself to use the rest up to this “only a little left” part. I hate using things up if I won’t ever have them again. Of course, if I’m denying myself the rest of it, I’m not enjoying it, anyway, but it’s just the way I am.
I always try to get every last bit out of the container. I’ll cut it open, stick q-tips in to scrape the sides, whatever it takes lol
If it’s a tube of lipstick or lip balm, you can always scoop out what’s left or use a lip brush. If it’s a product in a squeeze tube, I’ll cut the top off to get to what’s left inside. Why waste any product when you don’t have to?
I have not yet cut open a product container but what I will do is turn a bottle upside down and leave it like that for awhile to get all of the product out
I will do whatever it takes to get that last bit of product out. With my Missha M BB Cream, there’s no easy way to open the tube and once it starts running out the pump stops working because there’s less product inside…I hack that thing open every time 🙂
Depending on what it is, I will slice it open to use the rest.
Depends on the type of packaging how I go about getting it all. I am famous for cutting tubes in half to get out tons of left over. Q-Tips to the edges of pots, pans of cream products. I really like to do whatever it takes to get all the use possible out of something, unless it’s already been relinquished to my ‘not in use anymore’ product pile.
If it’s a tube. I work what’s left towards the opening with the cap ON, and then I cut the far end of the tube open. You can then reach in with a finger or implement and scoop out quite a bit. If the tube is long and your finger can’t reach what’s left, cut the tube down farther until you can reach the contents.
Me too unless of course I try to open something and break a nail in the process then I might give up, or I might find the “tools”.
i don’t think i’ve ever used up anything… oops. ._. but i guess i’m a really wasteful person, because for the staples, like toners, lotions or body washes, when i get to the last bits, i always can’t wait to open a new bottle, so i sorta try to use more to finish it faster.=P
If it was a cheap lipgloss or something I was trying to finish, I just cut my losses and chuck it, but if it was really expensive or something I LOVED, I will use every last drop! I have been known to dig into lipstick tubes and cut open lotion bottles for sure.
When I used to use Mary Kay’s liquid foundation, i would cut the top off when it would get down to the end of the product because the shape of the top of the tube (like a toothpaste tube) would hold at least 3 or 4 more uses of product! I just put it in a ziplock bag!
If it’s something I really like or a huge splurge, I use it until I have 0 product left. If it’s relatively cheap, I toss it if I see around 90% of the pan. Sometimes it’s just annoying scrapping off every last bit when your brush can’t reach the bottom or the sides anymore.
If I’m like halfway done with the product I’ll go buy more because I hate running out of things especially when I’m about to go somewhere and I need to use it.