Cosmetics, skincare and haircare products can all come with a hefty price tag but with these smart tips and tricks, you can make your products last longer and work harder!
1. Prevent your razor blades from rusting
Shake your razor dry, soak it in baby oil, wipe dry and store in a dry cupboard. The baby oil works to prevent the metal from oxidising and stops minerals from dulling, which helps keep the razor blade sharper for longer.
Avoid exposing it to any moisture by storing it in a dry place, preferably out of the bathroom. This will also help prevent premature rusting.
2. Snip the ends of toothpaste tubes before throwing them out.
You'll be shocked by how much is left inside a tube of toothpaste! Simply cut it open and scrape out the remnants into a small jar. You can use this nifty trick on anything that comes in a tube, such as moisturisers and foundation.
3. Top up your body scrub when it's running low
Bulk it out with brown sugar or sea salt granules and olive oil or coconut oil. These store cupboard ingredients blend well with most fragrances and have natural skin-smoothing properties.
TOP TIP: Add a few drops of your favourite perfume or essential oils to your body scrub to give it a quick refresh
4. Make a free scented lotion
Use the last few drops of your favourite perfume to make a lotion. If you can't spritz any more just pour the remaining perfume into an unscented moisturising cream. Not only will this make the most out of your perfume but you'll get to enjoy the scent for longer.
5. Transform old lipstick into lip gloss
Melt the lipstick down in the microwave for a few seconds. Pour the liquid into a small pot and mix with some Vaseline to create a home-made lip gloss. You can even breathe new life into old lipsticks by cutting them and mixing together to create a completely new shade.
6. Use unwanted haircare products for shaving
Don't throw away unwanted haircare products - just because it didn't work for your hair doesn't mean it won't work for your skin!
Hair conditioner works really well as a shaving lotion - it adds moisture during shaving, leaving your skin peachy soft. If you like it, you could save money by buying cheap conditioners instead of expensive shaving foam - it'll certainly last longer!
7. Make old nail polishes like new
Restore the consistency and colour with just a small amount of nail polish thinner. Don't be tempted to toss out those gloopy, old nail polishes. Just add a few drops, give it a vigorous shake and the thinner will help resurrect it.
8. Top up expensive body oils with water
Don't wait until it's almost finished though, start topping it up when it's half full. You'll still enjoy the moisturising effects of the oil but it will last you a lot longer!
Body oils have taken the beauty world by storm, but most are almost triple the price of a good moisturiser. This handy trick will help you get the most out of your money.
9. Ration haircare products
Pour shampoo and conditioner into small 100ml bottles. If you're guilty of using too much hair product (it's especially easy to go crazy with the conditioner) then decanting them into smaller bottles will help limit how much you're using each week.
10. Fix broken powders with rubbing alcohol
This commonly found surgical spirit can be bought at most pharmacies. Add a few drops to your broken powder - this works on foundation, bronzer, eyeshadow or blusher - and gently press back together with a clean tissue. Leave for 30 minutes and it will set.
TOP TIP: Mixing different broken pieces of blusher powders together will create an exciting new shade
Thanks for reading! Do you have any secret beauty tips?
Please tell us in the comments section below.
My niece (who did a course) always says that keeping nail varnish in the fridge makes it last longer. I put my blunt eye pencils in the fridge - it firms them and makes them easier to sharpen.
Great tips! Will try those both out Susan, thank you. I've heard keeping toner in the fridge makes it nice and cooling on tired skin.
Finishing with your soap then put it down into your exfoliating glove save you money .
Amazing tip, thank you so much!
Great idea,s I, ll be putting them all to use Thanks.
Decant your shower gel from the bottle into a liquid soap pump. Use a puffer and put just one squirt of the gel onto it. You will be amazed at how long the gel will last as opposed to just tipping it out if the bottle
That's a great tip Sue! I'm guilty of getting a bit carried away with shower gel so I'll definitely try this out. Thanks.
Instead of scraping toothpaste into a small jar (a messy process) just snip near one end, use that amount first and then close with a bulldog clip or similar (I have used hair grips before now!) Trim off a bit more each day till it is all used up. Works with all tubes and packets.
Great tip Linda, I will try it out. Bulldog clips are so useful around the home!
I always used to suffer from swollen and blistering mosquito bites but have found that putting a miniscule amount of Vick on them prevents itching and helps them to disappear quickly.
Oh that's really interesting Julia. I have never heard of that before. Thanks for sharing!
Add salt to vicky for mosquito bites it soothes and stops them from itching.
Intriguing tip Marie - thanks!
Instead of buying teeth whitner use teaspoon of baking powder squeeze in some toothpaste togeather in small pot cover your mixture onto your teeth for 5 mins then brush with toothbrush removes tea coffee tobacco stains then mouthwash and rebrush if u need it whiter I drink alot of black coffee and my teeth look fab!
Totally agree! I love bicarbonate of soda for stain removal, I use it once a week. Thanks for sharing Kezza :)
I make my own face masks, with food items in the fridge, I have normal skin but prone to dark circles so after putting an ice pack under my eyes a min or two to improve circulation, I cleanse and mix together a teaspoon of honey, oats, as they are softening and full of vits , with a crushed up vitamin pill, and a little plain yoghurt, and leave on my face 10 mins, putting a bit of coffee (strong) under my eyes. Rinse well. For oily skin, a squeeze of lemon helps in the mix or strawberries, and dry use double cream/dash of groundnut oil not yoghurt.
Great tips there! Thanks for sharing them. I will try adding a vitamin pill to my face mask next time - I think a Vitamin C one would work well for brightening.
will this help if you suffer from night cramps put a tablet of soap near your ankles under the bottom sheet (not dove) hey presto a good nights sleep
Wow that's interesting, I'm not sure if it will or not!
It doesn't work - there is nothing in a bar of soap that can possibly cure leg cramps. Take a magnesium tablet every day - that does work.
#9 - regarding the mending of broken blushers: "Leave for 30 minutes and it would of set back together." - this should be "SHould HAVE" not "would of".
Hi Jay. Thanks for drawing our attention to this. The post has now been updated :)
Store baby wipes upside down ( the top becomes the bottom) when you want one all the wetness will have gone to the first wipe. All the wipes will last longer.
Hi Edith, This is a great tip and one we'll definitely be using! Thanks a lot for sharing :)
Be careful if mixing nail varnish colours, I did this with some left over colours and one of the bottles just popped. Not only glass all over me and my leather chair but a lovely shade of RED nail varnish.
Hi Joan. Wow, we've never heard of this happening before. It's definitely something we'll be watching out for in the future. Thanks for sharing and we hope you and your chair were OK! :)
You mention adding perfume to moisturising creams will add fragrance to the cream but is perfume really safe to use on the face - I doubt so!
Hi Mel! This would be a body moisturising cream - not for use on the face.