How to get the most out of your makeup

International makeup brands, traditional beauty companies and independent beauty labels, like Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna or Lady Gaga’s Haus Laboratories, are constantly launching new products, each more innovative, ground-breaking and multi-purpose than the other – think lip-plumping lipstick, high-definition highlighter and curling-lash-extension mascara. The options are seemingly endless, with each one making a perhaps not so necessary dent in our disposable income.

For makeup users, the reality of the morning shuffle can be real.

If you’re looking to spend less on your makeup products and make them go a little further, here are a few multitasking beauty products you can rely on.

Lipstick/blush

Lipsticks with red and pink hues can also be used to add a hint of colour to your cheeks by doubling up as a cream blush. The benefit to using a cream blush (or rather, lipstick posing as a cream blush), as opposed to a powder, is that it can also add a hint of sheen thanks to the creamy texture and can be easily blended using your fingertips. By using your favourite shade of red, you’re assured that the colour will suit your skin tone – it’s easier than testing a range of new pigments.

Simply use your fingers to dab the top of the lipstick and then lightly blend the colour upwards from the apples of your cheeks (the part where your cheeks are most round if you smile slightly). Some lipsticks have stronger pigments than others, so if you are opting for the natural look, start by using a small amount of product and build the colour until you are happy with its strength.

Mascara/eyebrow brush

This tip depends entirely on the colour of the mascara you use and the colour you like your eyebrows to be. However, if you’re looking to get dual-use out of your makeup products and simplify your morning routine, the idea of using your mascara wand as an eyebrow brush and filler is worth a try. If you usually fill your brows with a black pencil or gel, then a simple black mascara works well. Alternatively, if your eyebrows are brown it might be worth buying a brown mascara that would coat your lashes and define your brows. The idea is to use the excess product that is left on the wand after applying your mascara to lightly brush over the eyebrow hairs, adding colour and definition as you do so.

The texture of the mascara is slightly heavier than a usual eyebrow gel or pencil, so the action of brushing the wand over your brows needs to be done with a soft hand. The “sticky” texture of the product will not only add colour to your eyebrows but will also enhance the definition and keep the hairs in place, brushed up or swept sideways, throughout the day or night.

Bronzer/eyeshadow

Doubling-up the use of your bronzer not only saves time, money and space in your make-up bag, using it as an eyeshadow can also boost the natural glow on your face. Using your usual bronzer brush, a smaller eyeshadow brush or even the tip of a finger, the bronzer powder can be applied to the eyelids in the method that is most readily available and easiest for you. If using a brush, dab the bristles on the product and then gently sweep them across your eyelids, one at a time, ensuring that the colour is evenly distributed across both.

You should see the soft glow starting to build as you do so, and you can add as little or as much as you see fit. The idea of using the same bronze colour on your cheekbones and eyelids also ensures coherence in your make-up look as there’s no chance of these colours clashing.

Lip balm/highlighter

This is one of the most convenient makeup duos: not only does the lip balm add a natural and dewy highlight to the cheekbones, giving the skin a moist finish as opposed to a matte look, it also hydrates your skin due to ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil and vitamin E.

The other upside to this double-use tip is that lip balm is one product that most women have on them or in their handbags throughout the day, which means it can be used for quick touch-ups as and when needed.

Using the tip of a finger, squeeze half a pea-sized amount of product and gently dab it across the tops of your cheekbones. The same amount of product applies if you are using a lip balm in a small tub, however, you would use a finger to scoop out the small quantity.

Due to the smooth and sticky consistency of lip balm, a small amount goes a long way on the skin, and you want to ensure that it adds a healthy glow and not a greasy finish. Even though this tip can help with a glossy and glowing look throughout the day, ensure you cleanse your face properly at night as the ingredients in lip balms can clog your pores if not correctly removed.

Dry shampoo/volumiser

Dry shampoo is already a high-convenience product, so the fact that it can double up to add volume to the hair is even more reason to consider keeping a bottle of this aerosol spray at home.

The alcohols or starch in dry shampoos soak up the grease and oils in the hair, leaving it with a cleaner appearance; however, the product does not actually clean the scalp.

These same ingredients can be used to give the hair a boost of volume, using a different application method. Instead of waiting to use the dry shampoo when there is a build-up of oils (generally two to three days after the last wet hair wash), apply the dry shampoo evenly to the roots of damp hair after shampooing and conditioning, then go on to dry and style as normal. ML