Foundation is without a doubt one of the most expensive makeup investments, and one that probably gets used the most—so it’s only natural that we want to make it last as long as possible! Here are some of my favorite tips for getting the most mileage out of your foundation. (Pictured above are some of my favorite foundations, the liquid is Exa Beauty and the powder is Alima Pure.)
Fix what’s broken! We’ve all been there … a perfectly good foundation gets damaged. Maybe your powder compact shattered when you dropped it or maybe something scratched (or dug into) the makeup. Don’t throw it away just yet! There IS a way to fix it, and the secret weapon is isopropyl alcohol. I tried this method out so you can see how it worked out for me and what I might do differently next time.
Simply grab your alcohol bottle and very carefully pour some in your compact. You’ll know right away when you have enough as your makeup will start “healing” before your very eyes.
I used a bobby pin to spread and smooth things out, but I would recommend a small blunt knife or the back of a spoon to smooth it out a little better. However, THIS WORKED!!! I left the lid open for the foundation to dry out and I was so impressed with how it made something broken usable again. If you have a liquid foundation that broke, maybe the bottle shattered, the top broke off, or the pump is broken, try something like this! You can siphon what’s left of the foundation into a new bottle so your precious product isn’t going to waste.
Be sure you aren’t leaving product behind. Every time I get a new foundation it takes me a few applications to figure out just how much I need. Sometimes, we are letting product go to waste by simply using too much of it and it gets washed away from our brushes and sponges. Maybe you need a half pump instead of a full pump, a pea-sized amount instead of a skittle—and this goes for just about any liquid/cream product.
Get everything out of your tube foundation! Are you at the end of a tube of foundation (or any other beauty product!)? Here’s one of my favorite tips: cut it off in the middle and check out how much product is still left in the bottom! You can scoop the product out into a really small container, and if you don’t have one of those, just pop the tube in a small tupperware container in the meantime. You can see above I probably have 5-10 more applications left in this tube that I couldn’t possibly squeeze anything else out of.
Make a tinted moisturizer. Have a liquid product that you need to stretch for a few more days until you can get a new bottle? Squeeze in some sunscreen or your favorite moisturizer to add some more volume to the product. This will dilute the pigment, of course, but it’s better than nothing! Here’s a great sunscreen option.
Here’s to getting every last drop out of that bottle or tube! xo, Keely
What is “Baking” Your Makeup, and When Should You Do It? Check out Keely’s post for more details!
