It’s easy to overstock on makeup and cosmetic essentials.
Perhaps you’ve taken advantage of an end-of-season sale or gone overboard with subscription services.
Whatever the reason for your overflowing vanity case, there’s a good chance you’re now dealing with a stack of expired cosmetics.
However, while that makeup might be past its prime, it doesn’t have to be thrown out just yet. With a little creative thinking, expired cosmetics can be repurposed and reworked into your beauty routine.
Base Layers
Starting a stockpile of foundation that’s now expired? You’re not alone. Many of us end up with a surplus because we’ve purchased too much or decided a product isn’t right for our skin type. The good news is that these cosmetics can be repurposed with ease.
Expired base layer cosmetics also make for a superb lip and eye primer. Have you recently gone overboard and spent a small fortune on Black Friday bargains?
Rather than let those premium products go to waste, these brilliant base layers can be used for all manner of vanity table tasks.
A long-lasting foundation can be used to lock eyeshadow or lip colours in place. In many cases, a premium foundation will perform far better than primers designed exactly for this purpose.
Short on concealer?
Many of us end up with a surplus of concealer that’s too light for our skin tone once the summer months are over.
Rather than ditch these costly cosmetics or leave them to gather dust, you can use them as an impromptu concealer to smooth out your complexion.
If you’re stuck with a foundation that’s a little too dark for your complexion, consider working it into your contouring routine.
Admittedly, this only works if you’re using something that’s fairly close to your natural skin tone, but it can deliver impressive results with relatively little effort.
Other Uses for Unused Lipsticks
It’s estimated that the average woman owns seven lipsticks. However, most of us are guilty of stockpiling many times this number. Just because they’re no longer fit for use on your lips, doesn’t your lipsticks aren’t good for something else.
In a pinch, you can use a quality lipstick as an impromptu blush.
This trick works best with pink and peach shades, but you can be daring and experiment with more reddish hues.
However, you don’t want to go working lipstick directly into your cheeks.
Instead, work a little pigment between your fingers to break it down and make it more pliable. This will make it easier to work into your cheeks and blend with your other cosmetics.
If you’ve spent a small fortune on a designer tube, it can be hard to say goodbye.
However, even the smallest amount of remaining pigment can enjoy a new lease of life. Use your favourite shades to add a pop of colour to clear lip balms.
Recycle Expired Eyeshadows and Eyeliners
Eyeshadows are one of the most versatile items in your cosmetic collection. In fact, you can continue to use eyeshadow long after its expiration date.
Struggling to find the perfect nail polish palette? Turn to your out-of-date eyeshadows for inspiration.
For best results, you’ll want something with a powder base that can be easily added to a clear polish.
Don’t know what to do with an expired eyeliner pencil? Simply heat the tip and allow it to cool for a few minutes and you’ve got yourself a DIY liquid eyeliner. Perfect for adding definition to your looks.
Keep On Using Your Favourite Cosmetics
It’s easy to extend the lifespan of your favourite cosmetics. In many cases, you transform expired products and give them a new lease of life.
Finding it hard to keep your lip colours and eyeshadows in place?
Use expired base layers as premium primers. Looking to get more use out of old lipsticks?
Use your go-to pigments as a makeshift blush or melt down the remnants of a favourite tube and add it to a clear balm for a killer lip colour.
What’s more, powdered eyeshadow can be added to clear nail polish for a custom colour palette.
Unsure of what to do with a stubby eyeliner pencil? Heat the tip to transform it into a budget-friendly liquid liner.
