For Your Beauty Regimen
Instead of buying blush, use a dab of lipstick you already have.
When you’re running low on lip gloss, place the closed gloss stick in a mug of warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes. The heat will melt any gloss on the sides of the container and you’ll have more to use.
If your eyeliner pencil is too soft and crumbling, pop the pencil into the freezer for 15 minutes before applying.
Tired of your lipsticks? Create a new shade by cutting off pieces of two old sticks (or scraping out the remnants of the tube) and melt them together in the microwave. Then apply with your finger or a brush.
Use a thin layer of non-toxic white Elmer’s Glue as a makeshift pore strip. Just like when you peeled it off your hands as a kid, spread a thin layer on your face, let it dry, and peel off. Keep well clear of eyes. (You can watch one woman do it, here.)
The next time you find yourself in a Starbucks, pick up a few extra napkins–they’re well-known as awesome blotting sheets.
Use a credit card to get the most from your mascara: Hold the card against your lashes and swipe mascara over the other side. (Or follow these instructions using a business card.)
For Your Skin
If you’re running low on tinted moisturizer, mix a little foundation into your daily facial moisturizer to make your own.
Mix powdered bronzer with moisturizer for a temporary self-tan.
Mix a drop of body oil or olive oil with moisturizer for an all-over shimmer.
Use baby oil, conditioner or coconut oil instead of shaving cream.
Out of acne cream? Crush a few Advil or aspirin and mix with water to create a paste (or open an Advil gel capsule), and leave the paste or gel on problem spots overnight. Add a Band-Aid to keep it in place.
Use Vaseline (petroleum jelly) as hand, eye and foot cream. (Just be sure to put on socks if you use it as foot cream, so you don’t muck up your sheets.)
Place chilled green tea bags on tired eyes to reduce puffiness.
Use yogurt, honey, mashed avocado or sugar as an all-natural face mask (you can literally put those on your face by themselves–here are instructions for giving yourself a sugar facial.)
Make a body scrub out of one part coconut oil and two parts sugar.
Apply the liquid from capsules of vitamin E to skin and hair as a moisturizer.
For Your Hair
Soften coconut oil into a paste in the microwave, apply to hair and leave for 20 minutes (under a shower cap if you have one, minus the shower) as a deep conditioner. Then rinse and wash hair as usual with shampoo and conditioner.
Mix 1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar with 1 cup water to use as clarifying shampoo, then follow with your usual conditioner.
Use baking soda as all-natural shampoo.
Use organic apple cider vinegar and honey as conditioner.
Smooth dryer sheets over your hair to de-frizz mid-day.
For Your Teeth and Nails
To remove stains from yellowed nails, scrub with whitening toothpaste (add lemon juice for extra bleaching power).
Soak nails in olive oil for five minutes for deep moisturizing.
Mix lemon juice and baking soda to whiten your teeth.