Mama B’s of babies and toddlers don’t usually have time for lots of make-up—most women we know apply moisturizer and lip balm and call it a day. We’re always on the lookout for quick, cheap beauty tips, and recently, by sheer serendipity, we discovered a good trick.

A certain inquisitive two-year-old got into our make-up bag. Eager to explore the magic of twisting lip balm containers, this toddler broke off our favorite, practically unused Weleda EVERON lip balm. Arg. We were about to toss it in the trash when it occurred to us that we’d be better off saving the broken balm. We found a tiny plastic container, smashed the balm inside, then added a small bit of our favorite intense red lipstick (a splurge, which we feel guilty for not using more). The result? Best made-to-order lip tint we’ve ever used.  Hands down. Totally wearable and sheer, need no mirror to apply. If you’ve got lipsticks in shades you love but you aren’t in a lipstick-wearing frame of mind, mix a dab with good clear balm and color yourself gorgeous.