Mascara may get more air time as far as beauty products that can make the most difference, and its accolades are well deserved. From alternative eyeliner to emergency brow product, it gets the job done. When it comes to makeup that can be used for multiple purposes however, I think it's fair to say that lipstick could use a little more love.
With a creamy texture that's made for easy blending and a compact size well-suited for living out of a suitcase, lipstick is a digital nomad's cosmetic dream come true. What's more, the fact that it can serve multiple makeup purposes makes it a tremendous value for those on a beauty budget. Here are some alternative ways to make your favorite shade go the distance on the road and at home.
Accenting: When trying to accentuate your best features and put your best professional foot forward, contouring and highlighting can go a long way towards helping you achieve just that. Darker, earthy shades of your favorite brand of matte lipstick can work as cream contour products or even a bronzer, depending on the actual color. If you like to carry a pale shimmery shade to use as a top color for evening, consider incorporating it into your highlighting routine as well. It can do wonders on the eyelid, brow bone or Cupid's bow.
Color: If you are the type of person who likes to coordinate your cheek and lip colors to match, switching to lipstick as your only product eliminates the need to spend hours trying to find similar shades of each at the makeup counter. Simply use a small stipple brush or your fingers to apply lip product as a blush substitute, and voila! Your look is instantly coordinated and seamless.
You can even use lipstick to add an additional eye shadow color to your repertoire. This is especially powerful if you like to conserve space in your commuter or vacation makeup bag by only carrying a small duo or quad palette of neutral shades. Paler pinks, peaches and earthy nudes are suitable lower lid options, while chocolate browns, raisin shades and even vampy plums can be applied as accent or crease colors with the proper makeup brushes.
Variations: The more pigmented your lip product, the more options you have for wearing it. For example, a brush with a stiff point allows you to use your favorite shade as a matching lip liner, while using a little on your finger in conjunction with a clear balm provides a sheer, all-over color. Putting on a strong coat and then blotting it with a tissue prior to reapplying serves to provide more dramatic, long-lasting coverage. Like the idea of incorporating a pale shimmer shade mentioned above? Use it to not only add sparkle, but to accent the center of your lower lip or to lighten a darker shade.
Consumption: Part of making your lipstick go the distance on the road is finding ways to make it last until the very end. Many women toss the tube when their product has been consumed to the point where it is flush with the casing. In fact, there's typically quite a bit more left to be used even at that point. Save big by using brushes or cotton swabs to dip below the rim and extend the amount of time required before repurchasing. Similarly, consider using a makeup spatula to scrape out the remaining amount and transfer to an empty contact lens container from the dollar store. From there, you can use as normal, or stretch even further with clear lip balm to create your own tinted gloss.
Clearly, it's possible to wring a greater monetary value out of this makeup mainstay than many of us bother to attempt. If you've never broken down the cost savings potential of using your lipstick as a substitute for other cosmetic products, it might be time to take a closer look at your bottom beauty line. One of my favorite luxury brands sells a highly pigmented version for $17 per tube. That's nearly half the cost of one of the more popular high-end powdered blush brands, and less than $5 more than one of the bargain blushes found on drugstore shelves.
Further, while powdered blush products can serve multiple uses as well, lipstick can be pressed into service for those same uses while still being used for its original purpose. Even if you only use it as a lip and cheek color, you are still cutting the number of those products you need to purchase and find luggage room for in half. Assuming you throw down for the good stuff, this leaves more than enough extra money for happy hour with friends, an elaborate cocktail indulgence on the beach or that all-important vacation sunscreen.
