Makeup products collecting dust? Try these new ways to (finally!) use those cosmetics

We all have them – drawers full of makeup that looked fab in the store but flopped at home. But it’s easy to salvage all mistakes. In fact, makeup pros customise colors and textures all the time, so why don’t you do the same? Here is a super-simple cheat sheet to take care of all those lipsticks and nail polishes that are gathering dust. Enjoy!

Lipstick that’s too bright? Layering a darker lip gloss over it will tone down the color. Alternatively, go over it with gold lipstick or a brownish lip pencil for a more muted effect.

Don’t like the texture? Transforming the texture is equally simple – mattify a lip color by blotting with one sheet of two-ply tissue, reapplying the lipstick and blotting again to absorb the excess oil. To add creaminess, mix with Vaseline or overlay with a clear lip gloss; overlaying with glitter will give a frosted or metallic look. And of you want to make a color more sheer, layer it over clear gloss.


If its nail color that’s a problem, layer two complementary nail polishes to achieve your own customised look. Go for glam by adding texture, such as a sprinkle of glitter, shimmer or a colored powder blusher over your nail enamel as it dries.

Stuck with excessively shimmery blush or eye shadow? Overlay with translucent face powder or blend with an iridescent lotion or face cream – you will get a soft gleam instead.

Not getting enough use from that white eyeshadow? Make it multi-task: to make your colored eyeliner really pop, use an angled liner brush to apply a thin line of white eyeshadow and then overlay it with your colored eyeliner (or use the angled liner brush again to apply a line of colored eyeshadow).

If an over-heavy or too-dark foundation is your problem, mix it with a little moisturiser. This will thin out the foundation, making it easier to blend into your natural skin tone without visible tread marks.