Crazy things are happening in Nigeria right now and absolutely no one needs to tell you to buckle up, and sit tight in these trying times. Virtually everything you can think of is so pricey, jokes have been made over the cost of living that is trying its best to ‘un-alive’ the living.
Luckily, there are a few hacks to surviving living in Nigeria at this point and one of them includes making our prized and costly beauty products last longer. If there’s one saying that I’m doing my best to stick to right now, it’s the: ‘Avoid looking like your problems, no matter what you’re going through’ and I know a lot of people share this sentiment with me.
Granted, you may not ever be able to say that you’re done replenishing your beauty products, but you can get more out of your products until you are able to buy it again.
With no further delay, let me introduce you to some surprising and some already known hacks that can help your makeup and beauty products last longer:
Add oil to your cream-based moisturiser:
If you have a cream-based moisturiser and you’re almost out of it, adding a few drops of any face oil to it will ensure that your products lasts twice the amount of time it normally would have because oil makes spreading the product a lot more easier. Just make sure to give the mixed product a good shake/mix before using.
Use only half of your facial wipes:
If you normally use facial wipes to clean your face just before applying your makeup, or to quickly wipe sweat or dust from your face when outdoors, then its a good idea to cut them in half before using instead using the whole product, especially if your aim is for it to last more.
Tip: Make sure that you clean and dry your hands very well before touching a face wipe to avoid contaminating it.
Add face lotion to your foundation:
To make tinted moisturiser (albeit a low-budget one), add face lotion to your high-end foundation when its about to run out.
If your foundation comes in bottle, avoid pouring in too much face lotion so that the product doesn’t get clogged up and stuck in the nooks. However, if your foundation comes in a squeeze container, cut it up and scrape out what’s left.
Add water to your shampoo:
In a fix and running out of shampoo? Mix a small amount of water to your shampoo bottle, shake it and leave it to rest for at least 24 hours (this is to make less harsh on the hair and easily spreadable) before using.
Scrape/scoop out the product:
Before you consider a product empty and you throw it out, —especially when the said product comes in a plastic/squeezable container— cut it open and scoop out what’s left at the bottom. If you can’t finish whats left at once, find an empty jar with a large opening to store the remaining product so it’ll be easier to use the product the next time.
Revive dried mascara or eye liner with a saline solution:
The advised length of time to use up a mascara or liquid eyeliner before it expires is 3 months but if they get a bit clumpy before then, add a few drops of saline solution into their formulas to rejuvenate them.
Store some beauty products in refrigerators:
Light and heat can negatively alter the formulas of your products (perfumes, lipsticks, nail polishes) and change their scent, colour and texture so it is advised to store these in a dark, cool environment a.k.a your refrigerator.
