Lipstick is such an important business. We can never do without lipstick because we know how well it lifts our look from zero to ten. But we are yet to unleash all the power that lipstick holds. Multiple times we end up throwing the last bit of the lipstick because we don’t know how to pick out all of the product from the packaging. That’s where we come in. We’ve made a list of all the points that you need to know about lipsticks to get maximum benefits out of a stick!

How to get the last bit of your lipstick?

We know how expensive makeup is and yet nothing stops us from buying one more shade of lipstick. But then how do you make sure that you’re using the entire amount of product that you’re paying for? We’ve gathered some ideas to dig out the last bit of your lipstick!

1. Scoop it all out

Did you know the best way to get that subtle tinge on your lips is by dabbing lipstick with the help of your fingers. You can use the same trick to really dig in that lipstick and get that rich pigment. If necessary, you can even use a drop of Argan, Jojoba, or Hemp oil to mix with the bottom remains of the lipstick with the help of a toothpick. You can transfer this mix to a small jar for efficiency. Do not add too much oil because then your lipstick consistency would be too runny.

Sublime recommends Dr. Organic Moroccan Argan Pure Oil that can be used for your hair, skin, nails, and gut health. Along with being a superfood, it won’t clog your pores when you mix it with lipsticks.

2. Cut it off

If it is a tube then you must cut it off. The result will surprise you. There is just so much lipstick left sitting on the tube’s inner surface. Tubes can be frustrating to dig and so if you use a q-tip, it will make the process less messy for you. Ever since we have started cutting down the tubes to double-check, we’ve realised that about 30% of the product is still left.

3. Melt the stubborn last bit

If it’s a metal stick then once you’re done with smooth usage of the lipstick, we’d say that run that stick around the fire. Lipsticks with creamy, powdery, velvety, or matte finish available in solid form can be extracted from the nooks of the stick by melting every bit of it. Once it melts, you can transfer it to a small tin.

4. Add lip balm to the remains

Lip balm is a nourishing lip product and is usually very creamy in consistency. It can mix well with lipstick to form a subtle lip tinge and at the same time hydrate your lips. Since lip balms are creamy, when you mix them with lipstick remnants, they can be a good tinted highlighter or blush, or even eye shadow. The power of repurposing!

Sublime recommends Tinge Agave Lip Balm: Natural. This is just a no-fuss lip balm that has no tint but does its job well. It can be easily blended with lipstick for this trick.

What are the multiple ways you can use your lipstick?

Lipstick can do just so much more than sitting pretty on your lips. At every party, to touch up, you can do with just one lipstick bullet in your bag. Not just this, if you’re a girl who can barely understand how to use blush, highlighter, eye shadow, etc, then your perfect bet is to use lipstick and fingers to achieve your entire look. Here’s how you can do that-

1. Use it to define your eyes

If you’re not good at doing your eyes then your lipsticks can be the best way to define your eyes. For a beginner who does not know how to highlight and shade your eyes at the right corners the best bet is a glossy lipstick that can do both the job- highlight and give a pop of color. 

Sublime recommends Tsara Liquid Lip Colors: Rise N Pink. Little days of this lip tint can do wonders. It can easily blend on your eyelids, lips, and cheeks. The best part is it is formulated with Jojoba oil and Vitamin E that nourishes your skin.

2. Use it to contour

Creamy lipsticks are a godsend we say! They can work so fine for both a dewy and matte look. Pick a brown shade darker than your skin tone. Draw lines at the niche of your facial bones- below your cheeks, border of your forehead, and even at the bottom of your jawline. Smudge it till you don’t see any harsh lines. The best part about creamy lipsticks is that they can blend easily. That’s perfect for girls who hardly have a pinch of patience to blend!

Sublime recommends Ruby's Organics Lipstick Bare that’s the perfect nude to glide on your lips and cheeks. It’s semi-matte in consistency hence your contour will stay for a long while!

3. Use it as a blush

Blush can lift and brighten your makeup look and we admit of never skipping blush in our makeup look. But let’s also admit that it is such a pain to carry multiple makeup products in our bag. So a subtle pink or a peach lipstick can work just fine for the look. Just dab a bit on high points of your cheeks and blend it while dragging it horizontally upwards near your hairline. This will give you that lifted look and who doesn’t like lifted cheeks like Deepika’s and Kareena’s?!

Sublime recommends Daughter Earth Nude Lip & Cheek Tint-Glacial Nude. This one is an all-rounder. It can work as a blush, eye shadow, and lip tint. The shade is just so right for Indian skin tone and the formula is unmatched. Definitely worth your money!

4. Tinge for your nails

We love seeing those rosy pink glossy nails that just look so healthy. We have a trick to get that easily. All you need is a light pink lipstick that may seem a bit too bright for your taste now. With your fingers, dab it on your nails. Just a light dab, don’t overdo it. Once you’re satisfied with the shade, lock it with transparent nail polish. We don’t guarantee that you won’t be obsessed with this later!

5. Mix and match to create new lipstick shades

There are no rules while playing with makeup. If you’re bored with your current lipstick but then it is too expensive to be thrown or given away then mix it. Baby pink or any such bright light pink shades can be mixed with dark brown lipstick to give you that perfect nude. Cool, right? So we're going to save money this year by doing this!

How to reuse lipstick empties?

Since we’ve shared so much on the usage of lipstick, you know your lipstick is getting over sooner. So what can be done about the empties, one might wonder. That little empty stick can still be useful. Wash it properly and then dry it. In the empty box, you can keep your q-tips that can come in handy at a party in case your makeup smudges. You can also use it as a storage box for bobby pins, tic-tac pins, or even use it to store your sewing essentials like a small piece of chalk, needles, etc. How simple will your life be due to this recycling tip! You can dig out your safety pins from the bag without having to search the entire bag.

Points to note

Lipstick is one of the handiest makeup products in our kit. We can easily create a full makeup look with just lipstick. It is really just all about playing with the lipsticks. But to get the maximum out of lipstick, one should know how to extract the last bit of the lipstick and ways to use lipstick for multiple purposes. We hope you have fun trying all these tips that we’ve mentioned!

-Divya Salvi