If I had to estimate how many tubes of lipstick I’ve gotten sick of or not been able to use past their expiration, I’d probably cry a little bit. Being a makeup artist means you often buy tons of products so you can achieve any look a client asks of you, but many of those products are only seldom used.

Revamping these into other products, however, makes it feel less futile to keep on truckin’, so I love these ideas for improving your already-owned items! Whether you want to make matte glitter polish using old eyeshadow or a designer scented body lotion, we’ve got you covered. 

1. For the glittery nail polish above, simply scraped or crush some sparkly shadow and mix it with clear nail polish, then apply to nails. If it’s too shimmery, try a matte top coat.

2. Melt old lipsticks to make a custom shade.


You can also do this by baking a few scoops of lipstick in a metal palette placed on a cookie sheet on a very low temperature; I used to do this in order to make mine with the colors I’d be using most frequently.

3. Powder + moisturizer = tinted moisturizer.
Sometimes, I mix liquid foundation with my moisturizer for an extra dewy glow, but in the summer and for people with less dry skin, that’s not as ideal. Instead, mixing some foundation powder with moisturizer works wonderfully (particularly if you’re like me and tend to break compacts constantly).

4. The last drops of a perfume (or the entirety of an unused perfume sample!) + unscented moisturizer = scented body lotion.


Personally, I love Daisy by Marc Jacobs but the body lotion is $35 and I simply don’t have that kind of money for scented lotions, which tend to leave the skin along with the moisture after a much shorter time than concentrated perfume. So, I combined a Marc Jacobs sample of Daisy that I got the last time I shopped at Sephora (though you can just ask them to give you one for free!) and poured it into a little bottle of lotion. Voila! Delightful. :)

5. Make a tinted lip balm for you or someone else as a customized gift.


“Mix an old lipstick with petroleum jelly, melt over heat, pour into a small container, and let sit in the refrigerator. Try a pretty tin box, or an old container of Altoids.” Personally, I would use a pretty tin like this example, especially if I wanted to gift this to somebody for an easy, inexpensive birthday or Christmas present. Half of what you pay for (or more, even) with expensive makeup is the packaging, after all!

I love DIYing even though I’m usually pretty terrible at it, but since these are makeup-related, they’re much more within my reach. For other lovely ideas, check out the gallery! And for even more, check out Buzzfeed.

Lovelies, do you have any DIY ideas for past-their-prime makeup?