How To Fix Broken Makeup

Written by Esha Saxena, MA (Mass Communication & Media Studies) Esha Saxena MA (Mass Communication & Media Studies) Experience: 3 years
Last Updated on

The sight of broken makeup is just plain sad. Imagine your favorite bronzer cracking into a zillion pieces after you drop it on the floor. Or, God forbid, your most beloved eyeshadow palette turns into a big, crumbling mess. Tragic, right? The good news is, if this ever happens, you don’t have to throw away your expensive makeup. Broken makeup is quite easy to fix if you know what you are doing. We have put together a bunch of hacks that will come in handy for you to mend broken makeup in a jiffy.

How To Fix Broken Eyeshadow

What You Need
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Toothpick/wooden stick

Step-By-Step Tutorial With Pictures

Step 1: Add Alcohol

Step 1 Add Alcohol
Image: youtube

Add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to your eyeshadow container. It should be just enough to saturate the shadow.

Step 2: Smooth It Out

Step 2 Smooth It Out
Image: youtube

Smoothen out the mixture with your finger, a toothpick, or a little spoon – anything that can help flatten it out.

Step 3: Time To Wait

Step 3 Time To Wait
Image: youtube

Wait for a couple of hours for the shadow to set completely. Clean the edges of the box, and you are all set.

Doesn’t the eyeshadow look as good as new now?

How To Fix Broken Lipstick

How To Fix Broken Lipstick
Image: Shutterstock
What You Need
  • Lighter/candle
  • Q-tip
  • Paper towels
  • Refrigerator

Step-By-Step Tutorial With Pictures

Step 1: Prep Is Must

For this little mission (which may get messy if you are not careful), start by laying out clean paper towels on a flat surface. Wear thin, disposable gloves to keep both your hands and the lipstick clean.

Step 2: Swivel It Up

Expose the base or the broken end of the lipstick and remove it if it hasn’t already fallen off.

Step 3: Melt Away

Step 3 Melt Away
Image: youtube

Using a candle or a lighter, run the flame underneath the broken part of the lipstick carefully to soften it. Then, slightly heat the lipstick that is still left in the tube. Make sure you don’t burn the lipstick or melt its case.

Step 4: Join It Back Together

Step 4 Join It Back Together
Image: youtube

Press the broken piece gently into the base of the lipstick. Use a Q-tip or your finger to gently fuse the sides of the lipstick together and seal them as one piece.

Step 5: Refrigerate

Place your lipstick in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Once it cools down, your lipstick will feel completely solid and fully functional.

Repairing Melted Lipstick

If you left your lipstick in your car, and it now lacks any shape or form, simply transfer all the bits onto a spoon. Place a lighter flame underneath the spoon until the lipstick softens. Now, transfer it to a small container and refrigerate it. Depotting melted or broken lipstick is a quick and easy way to retain your favorite lip color.

How To Fix Broken Powder

How To Fix Broken Powder
Image: Shutterstock

This trick works for any powdered makeup, be it your compact, highlighter, bronzer, or blush.

What You Need
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Ziplock bag
  • A bowl
  • Spoon
  • Butter knife
  • Paper towels

Step-By-Step Tutorial With Pictures

Step 1: Clean Your Container Out

Step 1 Clean Your Container Out
Image: youtube

Gather all of the pieces of your broken powder compact into a ziplock bag. Seal the bag and gently crush the pieces into a fine powder.

Step 2: Mix Alcohol

Step 2 Mix Alcohol
Image: youtube

Once you have crushed up all of the powder and cleaned out the container, transfer the powder into a clean bowl. Add about two teaspoons of rubbing alcohol into the bowl and mix it well until you achieve a paste-like consistency.

Step 3: Spread It Out

Step 3 Spread It Out
Image: youtube

Now, transfer the makeup from your bowl back to its original container. Once you have all of its contents on the pan, spread it around the container as evenly as possible, using a butter knife. It is as simple as icing a cake!

Step 4: Soak Up Excess Rubbing Alcohol

Step 4 Soak Up Excess Rubbing Alcohol
Image: youtube

Place a paper towel right on top of your compact. Gently press it down with a flat, circular object that is the same size as your compact. If you don’t want your paper towels leaving an impression on the surface of your makeup, it is best to use plain ones.

Once you remove the paper towel, leave the compact open, and allow the powder to dry and set overnight. During the waiting period, the rubbing alcohol will evaporate, leaving behind caked powder.

If you are in a real rush, you can use a blow dryer to speed up the process.

Restoring broken makeup to its prior state involves using a liquid to rebind the powder. That’s why rubbing alcohol works extremely well as it has the highest evaporation rate. It dries up quickly, and your makeup retains both its texture and consistency.

It is never a good idea to use water or petroleum jelly to fix broken powders as your makeup will not only lose its consistency, but it will also become more susceptible to bacterial growth.

We hope this article comes in handy and helps you restore your broken makeup to its original form. Are you excited to try out these methods? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

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Esha Saxena
Esha SaxenaBeauty & Lifestyle Writer
Esha Saxena is a writer and journalist with over 3 years of experience. She holds a master’s degree in media and mass communication from St. Francis College for Women, Hyderabad, and firmly believes that makeup is nothing less than art.

Read full bio of Esha Saxena
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