Budget Beauty Tips

Fix broken powder: We’ve all been there before – you drop an expensive eyeshadow on the ground and watch in horror as it explodes all over your bathroom floor. Before you shed a tear for your beloved broken hue, try this trick for bringing it back from the dead:

1. Scoop up the broken bits and dump them into a ziplock bag

2. Use the back of a spoon to crush the fragments into a powder consistency.

3. Carefully pour the powder back into the container

4. Put a few drops of rubbing alcohol into the powder and use the back of the spoon again to pack down the now wet powder into the casing

5. Wait until dry – and voila! It may look a little jacked up, but you can now use your powder again

Clean makeup brushes with bar soap: Skip the fancy cleaners for your makeup brushes and just rub them under warm running water onto a plain old unscented bar of soap. This works just as well and probably cleans more thoroughly. Blot with a clean towel and leave them out to dry.

Run hair under cold water for shine: Before you jump out of the shower, turn the water cold and try your best just to soak your head while not completely freezing your ass off. Cold water seals your hair cuticle, creating shine and adding strength – plus you’ll probably also look wide awake and energized after the mild shock from the cold water.

Use toilet protector sheets as blotting paper: Works just as well as expensive blotting papers for removing the sheen off your oily face. Most restrooms are equipped with toilet protector sheets, and no one will judge you for using it to soak up the sweat from dancing on a table in some nightclub (although they may judge you for that).

Use your toothbrush as a lip exfoliator: After you brush your teeth at night, use your wet toothbrush to scrub the dead skin off your lips, and then apply a nice lip moisturizer before bed. You’ll wake up with kissable lips even if the only thing you wake up to is your cat sitting on your face.