Like many of your favorite foods, makeup has a shelf life. And just like you wouldn’t put expired, lumpy milk all over your Rice Krispies. You probably shouldn’t put expired makeup all over your face, as it might cause an infection or clog your pores, leading to acne. There is a good chance that won’t happen, but it is best to be safe than sorry.

But, you don’t have to throw away those expired items of makeup, there are ways you can reuse them and repurpose them, giving them a whole new lease on life. Here are some of our favorite ways to reuse expired makeup.

Custom Nail Polishes

If you have an expired eye pigment or shadow, they can be used to make great custom nail polishes. Crush up the shadow or pigment and add to a clear nail polish for a totally unique color. Mix shades together for something exciting, or use old glitter pigments for a gorgeous high shine polish.

Mascara Wand

When your mascara has run out, or become too thick to use (I hate it when that happens), don’t throw away the mascara wand. A mascara wand is actually a really useful beauty tool, just make sure you gently wash off all the excess mascara with warm soapy water. It is a great tool for shaping your eyebrows and it can be used to tame stray hairs by spraying with a little hairspray and combing through the stragglers. It can also be used to exfoliate your lips when used in conjunction with a lip scrub —it is such a versatile applicator!

Dried Lipstick

Creamy lipsticks that have dried out a little don’t need to be thrown out. They can be given a new lease of life as a tinted lipbalm. Melt down the lipstick in a hot spoon and combine with some Vaseline for a some gorgeous lip therapy, with a touch of color. Perfect for summer, when lips can get a little dry with exposure to the sun. Just make sure you don’t do this with expired lipstick, just lipstick that doesn’t have the creamy texture it used to.

Nail Varnish DIY

Nail varnishes that have reaches that gloopy phase, where the it can’t be applied in nice coats on the nails might seem completely useless. But, it can be given a whole new use by using it as a decorative material. It can be used to great decorative details on the likes of photo frames, tea light holders and tiles. Nail varnish that can no longer be used to make your nails sparkle, can give some sparkle to many other things. Get creative with it.

Lip Balm

Lip balm that can no longer be used on the lips, can still be used as a nourishing product. Use it on the cuticles to keep them soft and supple. Or, use it on the hard skin of the feet to help soften up the skin, as well as preventing shoes from rubbing and causing blisters.

Use Your Imagination

But what about makeup that has broken. I once smashed a beautiful bronzer/highlighter palette and was heartbroken. I hadn’t had it long and it was just perfect for creating a bronzed glow for summer. I could have thrown it away, but thinking quickly, I put the broken pieces into the tub of my favorite body butter. After a good mix, I had an amazing bronzing cream that really helped enhance the starter tan on my legs and arms.

So get creative with your broken and expired makeup items, don’t let them go to waste. As the shelf life of makeup is fairly good chance that you will not reach that expiration date, but if you do, you now know how to make use of some of those pieces. If you have another use for your old makeup, please share it with us here at Ogle School, either in the comments or by email.