Frugal Friday - Make Mascara Last Longer

As we all know, healthy living takes a financial investment on some level. That level can vary based on what you want and what you have available to spend. I don't like to spend money. And a penny saved is always a penny earned! And a penny that wasn't spent on something else can be put towards your healthy lifestyle expenses.

With that in mind, I am going to dedicate one post every Friday to helping you pinch those pennies!


Today's Frugal Friday tip is one especially for you ladies!

How To Make Mascara Last Longer

I hate buying mascara.

I spend ten bucks on something so tiny!!You know there is hardly anything in that little bottle.

Then a month later it starts drying out and I feel the need to go buy more. What really bothers me is that there is still so much in the bottle that I haven't used! But it is dry and clumpy so all I can do is throw it out. Well it is time for that nonsense to stop.

There are several tricks to making your mascara last longer. The easiest by far is to add a couple drops of contact solution to it and stir it up. This alone can add a month or more! It keeps it from getting dry and clumpy so you can actually use the entire bottle. When was the last time that happened?

Another trick is to never 'pump' the wand into the tube. This increases the amount of air that gets in and drys it out. Instead, twist the wand to get more mascara on it. This helps keep it moist longer.

Now if you are like me, with very sensitive eyes, the dryness of the mascara is not the only thing that bothers you. As the wand gets older it gets more dust and germs on it. After a couple months or so, even if it is not dried out, it makes my eyes itch so bad that I would have to throw it out if not for this tip. Boil the wand! I know, it sounds weird. But seriously, boil a bit of water and stick the wand in and clean off all of the old mascara on it. This removes enough germs and dirt for me to use it for another month at least.

Mascara is expensive, especially when you think about what you are getting (goop on your face.) But if you take care of it you could wind up only needing to buy it twice a year. You may think it is not worth the effort, but if someone was willing to pay you ten dollars to boil a small pot of water, would you? I would. So just think of it as paying yourself! =)