Helpful Hint: In addition to avoiding the dreaded clumpy look, twirling the mascara wand inside the tube rather than pumping it in and out will also keep unwanted bacteria out! – xo Britt

Makeup isn’t cheap, so when I found myself getting ready for a date night consisting of half-price appetizers at Applebee’s and my mascara started drying out before its expiration date, it easily put a damper on our my prep time. It was disappointing, my loyal mascara seemed doomed to fail me, I had only bought it a month ago, it couldn’t already be time to replace it, could it? I was about ready to send Tom out to buy a new one when I had remembered something that I once read on Buzzfeed about adding saline solution to mascara . I was skeptical, I admit it, but I had nothing lose except a couple of dollars if it didn’t work and I had all the materials I needed in my cabinet. Yes, it was a risk but it actually paid off. Before I walk you through step by step, I’d like to toss out a disclaimer stating that you shouldn’t keep mascara more than two months as it’s a total bacteria breeding ground and can cause a wide variety of eye issues. However, if you’re only a month in and your favorite makeup is looking a little stale try this little trick to make it good as new!

What you will need and how much it will cost:

1. Your dried up mascara: Already purchased so no price necessary.

2. Saline Solution (I used Equate Saline Solution for sensitive eyes) : $3.96 at Walmart.

Total cost of materials needed: $3.96

1. Un-cap your offending mascara and set wand aside.

2. Place 2-3 drops of the Saline Solution into your mascara.

3. Replace cap and twirl the mascara wand in the tube (DO NOT go up and down as mentioned above because this invites in bacteria)

4. Put on your mascara like normal and note the difference.

As mentioned above, I found this technique to be particularly helpful and as evident in the pictures provided, the myth of saline solutions as adequate moisture suppliers for dry mascaras is fairly accurate. Please use your judgment when adding the drops, the amount my mascara called for might be different than yours, I’d say use two and go from there.

Have you tried this technique and liked it? Do you have a different tick for dry mascara you use just as well? Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts and feedback, I’d love to hear from you!

Love you. Mean it.

Brittany

xo