Many women spend a sizable amount of money on beauty products every year. Between makeup, hair products and nail salon visits, it’s easy to rack up thousands of dollars by the end of one year. Since so much money goes into purchasing these products and services, it makes sense for women to try extend life of beauty products. Frugal ladies want to make their products last for as long as possible.

Cosmetics are expensive: tips to extend life of beauty products

Approximately 75% of women don’t finish all of their beauty products before they expire. While products do have an expiration date, there are little tricks you can use to make sure beauty products don’t go to complete waste. If you’ve ever run into an issue like one of these below, experience the beauty of repurposing and repairing.

Foundation turned tinted moisturizer

If you have a favorite foundation that works well, but is expensive, there are ways to stretch it. Use an inexpensive concealer to cover scars, redness and discoloration. Blend the concealer into the skin well. Then, add a bit of foundation to an off-brand moisturizer. The result: a light and tinted moisturizer easily used on your skin. It offers light coverage, as well as include the shade of your favorite foundation without spending the big bucks all over again.

Broken eye shadow put together again

It’s not uncommon to crush eyeshadow. It happens at the bottom of a make-up bag. Once crushed, it becomes a loose powder that gets messy. This doesn’t have to be your reality. Place the broken eye shadow into a small bowl with a little rubbing alcohol. Combine the two until they become a paste. Then, add the paste back into the original makeup casing and leave it to set. The alcohol will eventually evaporate, and your eyeshadow will be brand-new again.

Beauty refrigerator

On the door of the refrigerator, most people store: condiments, butter and juice. However, ladies, make a bit of space for your perfume, nail polish and lipsticks. To extend the life of perfume, nail polish and lipstick, store them all in a cold, dark area. It doesn’t get much colder than the refrigerator! Plus, it’s only bright when you open it. Therefore, consider creating a section of your fridge just for your beauty products. Yes, it’s unusual, and not everyone will like it.

Family not into it? Buy a mini-fridge and put it in your bathroom, or bedroom. A mini-fridge is a more convenient, and perfect solution for storing beauty products.

Melted and melded lipstick

Pinterest is a goldmine of beauty tips and tricks. Certain companies, such as Nu Skin, use Pinterest to share different skincare practices that’ll benefit you in the long run. Likewise, there are many bloggers who use Pinterest to share hacks. Everyone has seen that one toddler destroy mommy’s favorite lipstick when they found it in mom’s purse.

Luckily, all wasn’t lost: pull out a lighter to melt the lipstick back together. It may not be able to fit back into the tube, but it can fit in a small casing! Apply it the same way you’d apply a lip balm. To up the ante and make things a little more fun, consider adding a glittered eyeshadow or blush to the mix for some extra shimmer.

There are so many ways to keep your beauty products from going to waste. If you’ve spent a ton of money on them, you deserve to enjoy them until their expiration dates. Once it passes the expiration date, it’s important to throw the products away. Germs and bacteria can create a breeding ground for breakouts, and other serious health issues. As long as you use these tricks, you’ll never have to worry about your beauty products going to waste ever again!

Author bio: Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, CA. She enjoys kayaking and reading books by the lake.