As our faces age, we tend to slather on a lot less makeup. One of the upsides of that is that our makeup products last longer than they did when we were younger. The downside? Those same products can deteriorate way before we’ve used them up. So today we’re going to talk about some makeup tips for seniors that will save you money – because you’ll be saving products you might otherwise thought had bit the dust.
Let’s get into it.
5 Makeup Tips for Seniors to Save Money
Tip #1: Foundation Separation
Have you ever opened your favorite liquid foundation to find that it either totally separated or went dry – way before the expiration date? If you have, stop before you throw it out and try this:
- For foundation that’s separated, take a whiff. If it smells fine, it is. Shake it up really, really well and it should get right back to itself.
- For dried-out foundation, add a drop of serum or liquid moisturizer and mix it in with a Q-tip or popsicle stick. If that doesn’t do the trick, add more, drop by drop until you get the consistency you want.
Tip #2: Lost Lipstick?
How annoying is it when you’ve finally found the lipstick color you’ve been looking for – and the bullet breaks or melts? Here’s a cool makeup tip (not just for seniors): Take all the product that’s left and put it in a large metal spoon. Light a candle and hold the spoon over the flame until the lipstick melts. Then pour it into a small, clean jar and close the lid tightly. You’ll need to apply the lipstick with a lip brush or your finger, but you’ll still have it.
Tip #3: Pencil Problems
Lip liners, eyeliners and brow pencils can really become a problem. First of all, Murphy’s Law dictates that the caps will always get lost, sometimes before you’ve ever actually used the product. Second, you need very little of these products at time, so the window of opportunity for them to dry out is really, really big. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix: Light a candle and hold the tip of the pencil over the flame for a few seconds. Let it cool completely and it should work like new.
Tip #4: Mascara Mess
When it comes to senior makeup, mascara is a staple. So when it dries out before its time, your whole look goes down the drain. If that happens, try this:
- Screw the mascara cap on as tightly as you can. Fill a large mug or measuring glass with boiling water and drop the mascara inside (yes, really). Let the water cool completely. Then take the mascara out of the water, open it up and check its consistency. Sometimes, this hack is enough to do the trick.
- If that didn’t work, then get a hold of some contact lens solution and add a few drops to the mascara tube. Work the wand up and down a few times – gently! – to mix the solution in with the product, and you should be good to go.
Tip #5: Pressing Powder Problems
How many times has a pressed eyeshadow or powder compact flown out of your hands and shattered inside the package? It’s happened to me more times than I can count. Hopefully it won’t happen to either of us but in case it does, here’s a trick I wish I’d known when my favorite eye palette smashed:
- Gather all the product and place it in a small plate.
- Grind it into the finest powder you can manage.
- Add a drop of rubbing alcohol and start mixing. Continue to add alcohol, drop by drop, until you get a nice thick mess.
- Take that nice thick mess and press it back into its original compact, as neatly as you can.
- Do not close the compact. Leave it open for a few hours or overnight, so that the alcohol has a chance to evaporated.
- Voila! You got your powder back.
So, there you have it: Makeup tips for seniors to save money – by saving those favorite products. And yes, tell your granddaughter or your great-niece, too.