• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To MakeupMakeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
    • Advertising & Media
  • Categories
    • Product Reviews
    • Makeup
    • Skincare & Fragrance
    • Style & Fashion
    • Hair
    • Nails
    • Tips & Tutorials
    • Just for Fun
  • Brands
  • Store

Hate Makeup Hair Triggers? Try This Simple Tip to Waste Less

January 22nd, 2011 by Karen 47 Comments

I love love MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, but that dang pump dispenser’s hair trigger has given me trouble from day one.

Even when I carefully apply the slightest pressure it dispenses way more product than I need, which means I’m wasting, grr… Seriously, MAC, what happened to my doe foot? Anyone?

I’ve tried to remove the pump to no avail (thing’s securely fastened), and it looks like I’d have to crack the plastic to pull it off.

At the MAC counter the other day, I vented about it to one of the makeup artists, and she handed me an empty sample jar with a smile. 🙂

She suggested just pumping the product into the jar. That way, I can grab the right amount I need with a brush from the jar, and replace the lid to save any amount that’s left over for later.

After finishing whatever’s in the jar, add another pump, and repeat.

Great idea, right?

You might be able to get a free sample jar at your counter (give it a try), or they also sell them at beauty supply stores.

The trick should work with any liquid product, making those touchy pumps a little easier to bear. Try it with foundation, eye primer, blush, whatev! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Hate Makeup Hair Triggers? Try This Simple Tip to Waste Less / Originally published January 22nd, 2011

There are 47 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup Tips/How To Keywords: mac

Previous Post: 3 Often Overlooked Beauty Tools
Next Post: The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. dani@callitbeauty says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 7:05 pm

    this is precisely why i save all my sample containers! i’ve got “lead finger” and am always getting more than i need :p.
    dani@callitbeauty recently posted … Collection Spotlight- Marc Jacobs – Resort 2011

    Reply
  2. Tavi says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 7:08 pm

    This is a good idea! I’m going to use my sephora sample containers!

    Reply
  3. NeutraKris says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 7:12 pm

    Great tip! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  4. Betty Reviews says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 7:15 pm

    I tried this with my UDPP and I forgot about the jar. When I opened it after a while, I noticed that the product inside was dry….no clue why. It was the first time I was opening the jar after I put the product in it. And yup, it was closed properly.
    Just weird.

    Reply
  5. stacie says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 7:23 pm

    Does anyone else feel kinda dumb not to have thought of this before! It’s such a simple yet genius idea!
    Stacie
    stacie recently posted … First ever nail art

    Reply
  6. Heidi says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 7:32 pm

    Now why didn’t I think of that? Thanks for the tip. Love my Pro Longwear, but I could cover my whole face with what comes out of that dang pump!

    Reply
  7. Makeup Morsels says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 7:41 pm

    I was thinking of doing this with my Pro Longwear concealer too 🙂 I’m just waiting to finish up one of those little sample jars I got from Sephora.
    Makeup Morsels recently posted … All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter

    Reply
  8. Suzy says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 7:46 pm

    Wouldn’t such small quantities dry up in the jar before a second use? Or at the very least, solidify just enough to be difficult to apply and blend out?

    If no such effect occurs, I would love to try this! 🙂

    Reply
    • HanaBerlin says

      January 23rd, 2011 at 1:12 am

      I was thinking the same thing. =/

      Reply
      • Silvia says

        January 23rd, 2011 at 10:13 am

        no, it doesn’t. I can use it safely the next day and even the day after. Normally one pump is enough for me to cover under eye circles and redness around nose and on cheeks for two days.

        Reply
    • ShannoninBC says

      January 23rd, 2011 at 1:55 pm

      I’ve been doing this for months with my Pro Longwear, 1 pump will give me 4-5 uses and I make sure to close the lid tightly on my sample jar (from lush) and no problems at all! In fact, I’ve gone almost 2 weeks and the product got a little tacky but still workable!

      Reply
  9. snoopysteph says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 7:59 pm

    Thanks for the tip! That’s one of my peeves too.

    Reply
  10. Rae says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 8:21 pm

    Awesome tip, Karen! I do this all the time with lip colours, but for whatever reason, it hadn’t occurred to me that I could use the same method for hair trigger containers >.< *makes a mental note of it*
    Rae recently posted … A message from Urban Decay re- Naked palettes

    Reply
  11. marisol says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 8:29 pm

    I don’t get what’s up with crappy packaging. I know that everyone that uses Nars Sheer Glow wishes it had a pump that dispenses the right amount.

    Thanks for the tip.
    marisol recently posted … Change in perspective

    Reply
  12. Principessa Grassa says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 9:16 pm

    You could also use 5-gram jars for this. You can get them in bulk from TKB Trading–I have TONS, and they come in really handy! I used two up last week, in fact, when one of my UDPP bottles broke when I dropped it on the floor. Transferred the primer into the jar and voila! I’ve also used them to decant powder products in crappy packaging (for example, Urban Decay’s loose pigments and NYX Pearl Mania loose eyeshadows.
    Principessa Grassa recently posted … Seven Things You Never Wanted To Know About Me- But Now You Do

    Reply
  13. Nhiapa says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 10:26 pm

    I’m so glad you posted this because I’ve actually been doing this ever since I bought my MAC concealer a few months ago. I hated wasting the product so I emptied out 2 sample containers from Sephora and pumped about two pumps into each so now I have concealer on the go and on my vanity!

    Reply
  14. Monica says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 10:58 pm

    I’ve been doing that too, I lucked out though and before I bought the concealer I got a sample pot of it (the girls on my counter are amazing!). I loved it so when I went back to purchase it I’ve just been using the pot and adding more. It works so well I think I can forgive the packaging.

    Reply
  15. Nika says

    January 22nd, 2011 at 11:19 pm

    Good thing I’ve got a lot of empty jars in handy! I’m definitely gonna need them since I’m planning on buying the Pro Longwear Concealer once I’m done with my Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer. 🙂

    Reply
  16. Silva says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 2:50 am

    That is so simple and brilliant! So obviously I would never have thought about it 😉
    Silva recently posted … Tags!

    Reply
  17. Tiffany says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 4:10 am

    love this tip! just need to find some small jars…

    Reply
  18. Paintthetownscarlet.wordpress.com says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 7:41 am

    That’s a great idea! However, I don’t even use a dispenser – naughty, I know! Would save a lot of the product I use though.

    Reply
  19. Tiffany H. says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 8:06 am

    I just bought this yesterday, but I’m afraid they matched me to the wrong color. I am a NC 42 and she gave me NC 42 concealer. I’d been using NW35 in select cover up. I will try the jar trick. Thanks for the tip.
    Tiffany H. recently posted … More Rock &amp RepublicThis Time Eyeshadow

    Reply
  20. tadga says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 8:35 am

    WOW! I never thought of this. Yeah i loathe the pump!! Thanks for sharing!!!!!!

    Reply
  21. Tracy says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 8:58 am

    You my friend, are a GENIUS.
    Tracy recently posted … The Bays Deluxe Beauty Treats

    Reply
  22. Katie says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 9:03 am

    I haven’t tried that concealer yet, but i’m excited to! Did you try the foundation? Did you like it if you did?
    Katie recently posted … LOreal Purchases Essie

    Reply
  23. Olga says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 9:28 am

    great tip!! thanks for sharing!!

    xx Olga
    Olga recently posted … Meet my little zoo

    Reply
  24. Chris25 says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 9:33 am

    If you go to beauty supply stores (the ones run independently, not Sally’s) you can find cheap plastic jars and bottles. I keep moisturizer in my pro kit in a small jar I bought for $1 at Beauty 35 in Manhattan. Ricky’s Beauty Supply also has plastic jars, as well as other supplies, but they cost a little more.
    Chris25 recently posted … Purple Nail Polish Swatches

    Reply
  25. kelly says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 9:44 am

    Great idea, why didn’t I ever think of this? Thx for sharing!
    kelly recently posted … Kat Von D High Voltage Eye Primer in Smoky Swatches & Review

    Reply
  26. Fabienne says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 11:39 am

    BRILLIANT!!! If I ever have this issue I know what I am going to do with all of those lovely glass makeup jars I’ve washed but can’t bear to just recycle……

    Reply
  27. Willa Bardawil says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 12:54 pm

    I have the exact same problem with this concealer! Although I still love it!
    Will deff be trying this out!! xx

    Reply
  28. Nina says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 1:11 pm

    i have the MAC Face and Body foundation and i decant a week’s worth of use into little jars too. that way, i can keep the original bottle in the refrigerator so that it lasts longer. 🙂

    Reply
  29. gio says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 1:12 pm

    That’s a great idea, thanks for sharing!
    gio recently posted … Sunday Survey- Vol39

    Reply
  30. Jessica says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    I’ve been doing this but if u don’t use it the next day it gets dry and gross . I wouldn’t pump to much into the container

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      January 23rd, 2011 at 6:31 pm

      That’s what’s kept me from doing this.

      Reply
  31. Liz! says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 1:34 pm

    Funny coincidence you should post this, as I just did it with my UDPP a couple days ago. I’ve never done it before and I was SO amazed at how much stuff was still in there even though the applicator wasn’t picking any up!

    Oh, and FYI for everyone else, I found some tiny clear jars made out of nice sturdy plastic in the travel size product section of walmart, they were pretty cheap and have worked well for me. I also like to save my little glass jars from my gel eyeliners etc… to use, I find that for some reason glass jars work a little better to help stuff not dry out.

    Reply
  32. Gilby says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 3:22 pm

    FYI…Nordy sample cups are the worse to travel with any type of liquid in them. Save your makeup bag or purse the drama of clean up.

    Reply
  33. The girl in the yellow shoes says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 5:24 pm

    OH thank you so much!

    http://www.girlinyellowshoes.blogspot.com

    Reply
  34. Alexandra says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 5:38 pm

    Ive been doing that with my makeup forever hd blush. I always seem to pump too much out.

    Reply
  35. Melody says

    January 23rd, 2011 at 6:23 pm

    Love this shared tip! I’ve been doing the same for a few months now and have found that glass containers (eg. empty smudgepot or fluidline pots) work better to prevent the small amount of product from drying up. And, as Pro Longwear is more of my corrector, I also squirt a small amount of my concealer (select-cover) on the other side for quicker, daily application 🙂

    Reply
  36. Kim says

    January 24th, 2011 at 6:17 am

    Excellent! This just proves that it pays to vent! 🙂

    Reply
  37. Deb says

    January 24th, 2011 at 9:31 am

    Great tip! Last time I had this problem, I just tried to use all the concealer on my face – not pretty.
    Deb recently posted … Sarahs Pastries &amp Candies

    Reply
  38. Shannon says

    January 24th, 2011 at 2:25 pm

    For something like this, why not buy an empty twist up lipgloss pen (think Stila lipgloss) from a beauty supply store and pump the product into that (until the pen is full). That way, in it’s handy-dandy new dispenser, you can control the amount of product and it’s got a built in wand. I know a lot of people were doing that with de-potted UDPP, before they got the professional size.

    Reply
  39. Kimberly says

    January 31st, 2011 at 11:54 am

    I do this also, but I what I do is “trigger” what I think is enough for one application into a sample jar and whatever’s left gets saved in the jar. If it dries out a bit, I mix it on a palette with my moisturizer (with sunscreen) and make my own tinted moisturizer. The moisturizer brings what’s dried up a bit to life and I don’t have to throw anything away.

    Reply
  40. Kendall says

    February 23rd, 2011 at 4:45 pm

    For people wondering about the concealer drying out, I’ve done this with many different products, and I find that the little sample jars that MAC gives out (The ones that actually say MAC on the lid) work quite nicely. The other ones I’ve tried allow product to dry out within a week or so, but I’ve had a paint pot sample in one of the MAC jars for maybe 8 months now and it’s still in great condition.

    Reply
  41. Shanda says

    February 24th, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    awesome idea! I also use these when I want to travel w ith pigments, and loose powders and don’t want to take the whole jar.
    Shanda recently posted … Sephora by OPI Glee Collection

    Reply
  42. mulberrytea says

    February 27th, 2011 at 2:05 pm

    I have been doing this for a while and it is a great trick for making sure you don’t overdose on things like moisturizer, primer, and foundation!

    I also find that for foundation, if you dab a little from the main compartment with your brush or sponge, you can use the lid as a “palette” to coat your tool evenly before applying to your face. Using this trick, I have been able to make 1 tiny Sephora sample-sized container of foundation last for WEEKS, no exaggeration!

    Reply
  43. Pam says

    February 23rd, 2013 at 9:59 pm

    Talk about waste….I have about a 1/4 btl left of this product and can’t get it out. S now I am using my new btl.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About Makeup and Beauty Blog

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog
Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

SHOP THE STORE


Long Live Lipstick Tee 💄



Blush Is My Crush Tee



Mascara & Kitties Tee



Thank You For Being a Friend Tee



You Hair Me Tee


Recent Posts

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 643

window bed balcony

Saturday Surfing, Jan. 23, 2021

briogeo at ulta

Briogeo Now at Ulta!

duri when in rome

I’ve Found the Perfect Pale Blue Denim Nail Polish, and It’s Only $8

duri when in rome

This Matte Brown Classic Eye Makeup Goes With Everything

Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Featured Posts

Lady Unicorn

Weird Things I Like to Do

brows fill out beforehand

Before You Pluck or Wax Your Brows, You Must Do This

current bare skin status

What’s One Thing That Drastically Changed Your Skin for the Better?

red brown smokey eyes tutorial top pic 2

A Glamorously Grungy Makeup Tutorial: Smoky Reddish Brown Eyes and Vampy Matte Lips [MODERATE SKILL LEVEL]

Copyright © 2020 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.