Lipstick Isn’t Just For Your Lips, You Know

If I were to ever be featured on an episode of Hoarders, it would probably be because of my lipstick collection. I’m not sure when or how I amassed such a collection of lipsticks, but it seems like one day I woke up and had three makeup cases full of them. Seriously. I recently went through my collection to decide what was to stay and what was to go. I spent the majority of that Sunday afternoon rifling through bright reds, subtle nudes, vampy purples, and even a neon blue or two.

After all of that hard work, I sat in my bedroom floor — covered in swipes of lipstick — too attached to part from my expansive collection. It was then that a memory from my childhood came back to me: my mom pulling a lipstick from her bag and blending it across my 6-year-old cheeks before sending me onstage for my dance recital. My mom had taught me something in that moment that I had long forgotten, that makeup is really just a combination of pigments and some type of substance to bond them all together, and just because a product is branded for a certain part of your face doesn’t mean it can’t be used anywhere else.

Armed with a (comedically oversized) arsenal of lipsticks, I set out to find ways to make use of the products in new, fun ways. Surprisingly, I found that you can use lipstick for just about anything your heart desires. So break out those underused lip shades in your collection and try out some of my tips to expand your makeup horizons, one tube at a time.

Lipstick As Blush

The most well-known use for lipstick outside of, well, the lips, is probably using the product as a cream blush. This technique has been considered a great quick fix to give your face a little color for decades. For softer, more satiny-finished shade, you can easily swipe a few small lines across your cheeks and blend with your fingers.

For more matte shades that prove to be a little harder to blend, your best bet is to swipe some of the color on the back of your hand, warm the product up with your fingers, and gently pat across your cheekbones.

Lipstick As Eyeshadow

Wanting to try out a vampy red eye for fall without the commitment of hunting down the perfect eyeshadow? Your lipstick collection might help solve your problems. Before you try this look, make sure to sanitize your lipstick in a little rubbing alcohol or a makeup sanitizing spray to remove anything that could irritate your eyes. Then — using a q-tip or a stiff, synthetic brush — spread some of your desired shade over your lid, and blend with your finger tip for a quick easy stab at the fall trend. To prevent your new look from creasing, dust a bit of translucent powder over your lid to help the lipstick set.

Lipstick As Contour

It seems like every makeup junkie has a earthy, taupe lipstick lying around that they never seem to work into their everyday beauty routine. While the color proves to be a little harder to wear than expected in the lip department, shades like this actually make a great, easy-to-blend contour color. Apply a few swipes on the back for your hand and swirl a synthetic stippling brush around in the mixture, then gently swipe along your cheekbones, jaw, and temples for a look even the Kardashians would be impressed by.

Lipstick As Eyeliner

Those crazy-colored lipsticks in your collection can see some action even on days when blue or green lipstick isn’t your cup of tea. Just like with the eyeshadow technique, make sure your lipstick is completely germ-free, then use an eyeliner brush to swipe the product across your lash line. Lipstick is usually a similar texture to gel liner, so you can achieve anything from a defined wing or a more subtle flash of color. When you’re done, simply set your artwork with some translucent powder and prepare for a slew of “how’d you do thats?”

For more must-have beauty tips, check out Bustle's YouTube page, and watch the video below!

Images: Greta Cereseni/Flickr; Giphy (4)