Hello, my lovelies! I'm so sorry for being MIA yesterday, but I'm still getting over this cold, and that kept me away from the computer, and Nouveau Cheap, for longer than I intended (I can't remember a time when I have ever went a full day without posting something!). But anyway, I'm back and it's time for this week's question, which I hope you will answer in the comments! This week's question was inspired by my lovely reader Denise, who always has the best ideas:
What product do you own and love but use in a way other than its intended use?
I have a few products that I use in ways that differ from their intended use. But lately, my favorite is using Vicks Vapo Rub (actually, I use the generic CVS version) as a cuticle cream. This little tip was given to me by another amazing reader, and I swear it's the only thing I've ever used on my cuticles that makes me see instant, and lasting results.
So let's hear it: What product do you use in a way that differs from its intended use? I know we've all got secret weapons like this and I can't wait to hear about yours!
So let's hear it: What product do you use in a way that differs from its intended use? I know we've all got secret weapons like this and I can't wait to hear about yours!
I use cheapie conditioner as shaving lotion for my legs! Super affordable, lasts a long time and makes my legs feel so soft.
ReplyDeleteprobably not too creative, but i use lipstick a lot as blush when i want to do a quick look and get out the door. my favorite for this is Revlon Matte lipstick in fabulous fig. i just dab a bit on my lips and my cheeks, swipe some mascara and go! so pretty, yet so easy! =] can't wait to read what other people have to say. i'd love to know some ways to double task a product! =] =] =] great question, rec!
ReplyDeleteI dab a small amount of Vaseline under my eyes each night to prevent wrinkles. I don't remember where I originally heard this tip, but a friend of mine told me that her mother has been doing it for years and she has very fine lines under her eyes. Another under eye treatment (as I'm sure most of you know) is Preparation H. This will reduce puffiness in the morning. Make sure you use the cream and not the ointment or it will be too greasy.
ReplyDeleteMilk of Magnesia (or in my case the dollar tree version) as a mattifier. I use it in my t-zone after my moisturizer and it helps combat shine!!!
ReplyDeleteBoring, but I use baby wash as a brush cleanser and a gentle detergent for handwashing delicate fabrics. I use witch hazel as a toner, but I also put it in a spray bottle and mist my face with it after applying my makeup to cut down on any cakey-ness. Finally, I bought a bottle of aloe vera gel yesterday and plan on using it to scrunch my wavy hair and to mix it with tea tree oil as a lightweight nighttime moisturizer. :]
ReplyDeletei use baby oil for eye makeup remover. it's much much cheaper and works really well. oh yeah, i use it to remove long-last lipstick too.
ReplyDeleteI use olive oil as an eye makeup remover...it doesn't leave the eye area "too" oily, conditions the lashes and is really, really economical! Olive oil makes a good cuticle oil, too!
ReplyDeleteI use my Sonia Kashuk angled eyeliner brush to give my nails french tips
ReplyDeletewow - what great tips! I use vitamin E oil for my cuticles/weekly to keep my nail beds moisturized. it works great at preventing peeling!
ReplyDeleteI know that Michelle Phan from youtube has suggested using extra virgin olive oil as a makeup remover, rice water as a toner, and extra virgin olive oil and dishwashing soap mixtures to clean brushes. They are interesting and I haven't tried them to see if they work, but I think natural ways of doing things are probably better for you in the long run than using tons of chemicals.
ReplyDeleteI have nothing innovative here:
ReplyDeleteI use a mixture of castor oil and extra virgin olive oil as a cleansing oil. I also use a drop or two of olive oil as a moisturizer when my skin is really dry.
I make my own facial scrub out of sugar, lemon juice and honey. And I make a mask out of uncoated aspirin dissolved in water. I learned this trick on MUA and it really helps keep my breakouts under control.
And as discount diva mentioned, unflavored Milk of Magnesia is an awesome mattifier!
I use lipstick as blush a lot. I know it's not really original, but a lot of celebs do it too! (Sandra Bullock at the Oscars, anyone?) But this is a great question! I got a lot of tips. :)
ReplyDeleteI use a combination of dish detergent and olive oil to clean/condition my brushes. I use monistat chafing relief powder gel as a foundation primer. I use maybelline dream mousse concealer as an eyeshadow base. I put jojoba oil on my lashes and in my hair to condition it. I put a teaspoon of baking soda into my shampoo to make a clarifying shampoo once a week. That's all I got.
ReplyDeleteI bought a really emollient and thick night moisturizer that didn't work well on my face as a foot cream!
ReplyDeleteI use the suave naturals rosemary mint shampoo as a bubble bath and a foot scrub with sugar added in. I use super fine tip artist brushes for eyeliner brushes.Clear nail polish is good for pantyhose runs and jeans zippers that won't stay up, super glue is good for paper cuts that I don't want to get dirt in, and on a non beauty related note, I use denture cleaning tablets in my toilet to keep it clean.
ReplyDeletedissolved aspirin + honey = mask that makes your skin glow and fights impurities
ReplyDeletebaking soda + cleanser = super-exfoliant to get rid of dead skin cells (don't rub too hard though or the crystals can micro-tear your skin)
lotion, conditioner, or bodywash as shaving cream (good way to use up formulas that don't work for your hair, BUT they often dry out your legs, so 50/50)
hand sanitizer to tame flyaways (at my desk), ditto hand creme
hand creme that smells too floral as overnight treatment for chapped legs
vaseline for EVERYTHING.
old toothbrushes to clean fixtures
btw i just got a sample of the new L'Oreal professional primer (Magic Perfecting Base) in a magazine, complete with $2 dollar coupon. i can't wait to try it because the jar is a bit pricey but has a lot in it, and the creme is supposed to minimize flaws and smooth surfaces so that you could wear it without foundation if you so choose. verrry curious. gonna do a test run of it on saturday.
Oh thank you thank you thank you! I have done some of these for a long time, some I have found recently, SEVERAL I found here (Mentholatum on cuticles = the ONE AND ONLY thing that helps mine!)
ReplyDeleteAnd now a buncho buncho new ones that I am SO gonna try. MOM is on my shopping list for TODAY.
I have one -no, two- to add...
Beyond oily - actually waxy scalp is called seborrheic dermatitis (cradle cap) Baking soda and clarifying shampoo help control it, but not so good for seriously bleached hair. Prescription shampoos have salycylic acid. Again, not good for the hair condition. And $$$$$ and stinky.
Use J&J Clean and Clear toner- the pink one (and store brand is probably fine) and apply it ONLY to the scalp, either on freshly cleaned hair or just before styling if you didn't wash that day. Rub it in good and leave it, and only apply it to the crusty areas. The salycylates in it help keep the waxy stuff in check.
There are a couple of ways to do it - you could part it and squirt it like you'd add color to roots. But I have a thing that I have heard is called a "snozzle" - it's a spray nozzle with an extension designed to get a spray product right at the roots and noplace else. I think mine was some kind of a spray gel product.
The other tip is to crush up 1/4 of a frozen strawberry and brush teeth with it after coffee and toothbrushing. Leave it sitting on teeth as long as it will sit. It cleans stains off and whitens them as well as white strips!
I use whitening toothpaste to scrub my nails a couple times a month, keeps them white and pretty.
ReplyDeleteI found a bunch of tips here
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thefunplace.com/house/tips/beauty.html