Beauty Calculators
Makeup cost per wear.
List the products in your collection with what you paid and how often you actually wear them. See cost per wear for each one, which products miss the price per wear you are willing to pay, and how many wears they need. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.
Your collection
Cost per wear
Fill the form and press Calculate.
Worked example
Lipstick: $28, worn 4 times, then 6 times a month for 6 months = 4 + 36 = 40 wears, so $28 / 40 = $0.70 per wear. Foundation: $45 with 20 wears so far and 15 a month for 4 months = 80 wears, $0.56 per wear. An eyeshadow palette: $60, 3 wears so far, then 1 a month for 6 months = 9 wears, $6.67 per wear. With a $2.00 target, the palette needs 60 / 2 = 30 wears in total, 21 more than the 9 you plan. Total spent: $133.00, of which $60.00 is above target.
How it works
wears planned = wears so far + wears per month x months you will keep using it. Cost per wear = price / wears planned. Wears needed for your target = price / target, rounded up.
Declutter use. The price is already spent, so cost per wear does not undo it. It tells you which products are worth wearing more, and which ones you are keeping out of guilt. Use a shorter keep time to be strict.
Safety is separate from value: open makeup ages, and eye products especially should be replaced on schedule. See the PAO calculator for the discard date.
Every figure is arithmetic on numbers you type. No prices, sizes or amounts are assumed, and nothing is sent or stored.
Sources: none needed. This tool uses only the numbers you enter.
FAQ
How do I work out makeup cost per wear?
Divide the price by the number of times you will wear it. Add the wears so far to wears per month times months you will keep using it. A $28 lipstick worn 40 times costs $0.70 per wear.
What is a good cost per wear for makeup?
There is no published standard. It depends on what you are willing to pay, so the tool asks you for a target and compares each product with it.
Should I count a product I have not worn yet?
Yes, with a plan. If you enter 0 wears and no wears per month, it shows as not planned, which usually means it is a candidate to sell, swap or give away.
Does cost per wear tell me whether to throw something out?
No. It measures value for money only. Check the open date and the period-after-opening symbol for safety, and never keep old eye products to improve the numbers.
Is the price I paid or the full price the right number?
Use what you paid. Gifts can be entered at their shelf price if you want to see what they would cost, or at 0.