4 Crazy Makeup Hacks You Need To Learn Now

If you’re anything like us, you likely open your beauty products the same way: Rip off the protective plastic, throw away the box, dispose of any extra sheets or covers; toss the little sponges in favor of your own makeup brushes; consider (briefly) using the tiny skincare spoons for caviar, realize you never eat caviar, discard those, and then catapult headfirst into your brand-spanking-new makeup. It’s smoky eye time!

But when you get rid of all that stuff, you miss out on some seriously awesome makeup hacks. “People get excited and dive right into it, without thinking and fully embracing what they have there,” says Tim Quinn, celebrity makeup artist and director of makeup artistry for Giorgio Armani Beauty. “Because I travel so much, I like to pare everything down and make use of anything I can find.” Those plastic sheets that protect your powders, for example, turn out to be amazing eyeshadow guards. Skincare spoons? Fantastic for mixing lipstick. And you won’t believe how you’ve been using those little pigment lids wrong this entire time.

Click ahead to see four gorgeous looks, all created by Quinn, along with cool, easy tricks for getting the most out of your product packaging. If you're tempted to go dig some stuff out of the trash after reading this, well, we won't tell anyone.