Six Creative Ways to Reuse Mascara Wands

Photo by: Flickr
Photo by: Flickr

Ever finish off a tube of mascara and toss the thing in the trash, sure you’ll never need it again? If you use mascara regularly, you may go through as many as four or five different tubes a year… maybe even more. But once the mascara goes dry, you don’t have to ditch the whole kit and caboodle. Instead, try recycling with these six creative tips for reusing old mascara wands.

1. Scrub brush:

A mascara wand may be just the thing you need to scrub stubborn surfaces around your house. Think of the area behind the faucets on your bathroom sink or the ring around your stovetop burners where ugly stains often settle. Instead of using a limp rag or paper towel, try using a mascara wand to scrub those stubborn stains and cramped crevices. Its bristles will get the job done more easily.

2. Hair dye wand:

If you’ve ever taken the DIY route by coloring your own hair, you know how frustrating it can be to apply highlights evenly. Luckily a mascara wand is just small enough to separate strands of hair for greater precision in color application.

3. Eyebrow brush:

A mascara wand is a great tool for taming unruly eyebrows. Just use it as a comb for trimming or smoothing to finish off your polished look.

4. Paint brush:

Believe it or not, a mascara wand can be a great tool for any artist. Whether you’re creating a masterpiece on canvas or decorating a delicate piece of jewelry, a mascara wand can be great for applying paint.

5. Jewelry cleaner:

Because jewelry has the tendency to show its age, periodically cleaning it keeps it looking shiny and new. When it comes to delicate pieces or jewelry with lots of crevices, you can use a mascara wand to apply jewelry cleaner and scrub those tricky areas until they’re sparkling like new.

6. Mascara wand:

This one might seem obvious, but hang on. You can easily mix and match wands among different tubes of mascara to create the look that’s just right for you. What’s more, you can save a favorite to use with mascara you make yourself. Smart recycling makes DIY a cinch.

Of course, you’ll need to clean the wands to rid them of any makeup before you use them for other things. You can clean them easily by mixing ¼ cup of warm water with 2 to 3 tablespoons of white vinegar and letting them soak for ten minutes. Rinse them off and use some makeup remover to erase any unwanted mascara that may be left. Let them dry and then you’re good to go!