Ok, so you may be surprised to see this on a feminist blog, and to be honest it wasn’t really its ‘green’ credentials that inspired me so much as good old-fashioned thrift and creative fun, but here is a handy hint for making your lipstick go further and invent some new shades into the bargain.

You may not have noticed, but those of you who fork out your hard earned dosh for a lipstick are generally only using about 60% of what you pay for. Next time your lipstick comes to the end of its natural life, scoop out the rest (you’ll be amazed how much) into a small plastic pottle (go to the chemist for these: you can find a set of three with screw-on lids for about $5 at those stands that sell manicure-type products). Microwave for 20 seconds at a time, like you would chocolate, and the lipstick melts. It resets in about 10 seconds and withstands lots of reheating, ideal for combining different shades.

Tania