If you happen to break you powder makeup, you can easily fix it with alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and patience!
This works for any kind of powder based makeup, such as bronzers, blot powders, eyeshadows, whatever!
As you can see I broke my favorite bronzer - MAC "Refined Golden", and instead of buying a new one, which is out in the "Style Warriors" collection, I decided to fix mine and save my money.
All you need is a few drops of alcohol into your broken powder compact. Usually it would be said to use 75%+ based alcohol, but this is because the more alcohol concentrate, the faster it dries. Any percentage of alcohol will do though, because I like to leave it out to dry overnight.
Don't worry about the alcohol staying in the powder and causing your skin to dry out, it will completely evaporate. Alcohol dries very quickly that is why it is recommended for use on new wounds on your body, because it evaporates very fast and leaves little residue. The odor will also go away.
So how does it work?
Here are the steps!
- Add a few small drops into your broken powder makeup compact or casing.
- After you add the alcohol to the broken powder you will notice it seep into the powder causing it to become soft.
- Smudge the soft soaking powder around, making it into a paste-like substance and re-form it by smoothing it out with your finger. You will know exactly what to do!
- You can then smooth the surface out with the bottom of a spoon if you choose to, but remember that it does not have to be perfect to work perfectly.
- Let it dry overnight for best results.
Now you can use your powder makeup again without making a mess and spending more of your hard earned money!
The next day - All dry and ready to be used again!
Now stop wasting your hard earned money, and go fix your broken makeup!
xoxo,
Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeletethankz katrina! i never new this until now, now i kan add it to my make-up knowledge, by the way you look like kim kardashian, your gorgeous honey!
ReplyDeleteThat was an awesome tip...I can't believe how much money I wasted. I'm glad I know this now!
ReplyDeleteglad u posted this, i hate when that happens :(
ReplyDeleteoh wow this is such a great tip! i never knew that! thank you for the advice!
ReplyDeleteomg.. this is just perfect! my compact just broke! thanks 4 the post! i didnt know we could use alcohol on products for our face =X
ReplyDeleteThanks this is a really helpful tip that I'm going to have to use.
ReplyDeleteperfect! I was looking for a way to fix my broken compact makeup. Thank you! This will save me tons of $$$ since I am so clumsy
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip! I sure can use this. I, too, have thrown up beauty powders and eyeshadows just because they were broken. Kudos for posting!
ReplyDeletehi katrina! this quick fix solution works well with eye shadows too. i heard its best to use 90% alcohol to mend the products. =)
ReplyDeleteMirian, it works with any powder based makeup and eyeshadow is powder based. Also they usually tell you to use more alcohol concentrate only because it dries faster, there is no other need for more alcohol if you cannot seem to find such strong alcohol in stores, I cannot find 90% alcohol near me.
ReplyDeleteGreat tip Kat! Thanx
wow, what a good idea! thanks katrina!
ReplyDeletethanx katrina! really great tip! =)
ReplyDeletethanks for the top kat. i have alot of broken eyeshadows lol
ReplyDeletethat is an awesome tip! Thank you! Powders seem to love exploding on me all the time... sooo excellent ;)
ReplyDeleteOMG!!!!I just learned how to do this with MAC eyeshadows b/c I cracked a few while depotting!!! Who knew!! I poured the alcohol into a spray bottle and then pressed them with a quarter wrapped in a bandanna (I know mucho ghetto)...... I want to buy some empty metal pans and start pressing away some loose pigments I have. I also have like 4 MAC shadows that are broken that I'd love to press back together (yes, I'm a crack-head, anytime I broke one I'd put it in a sample sifter jar).....
ReplyDeleteXoXO
Give JJ more kisses from Auntie Kendall
aw.. :( your bronzer looked all sad in the first picture...
ReplyDeletegreat way to fix it up! <3
Yaaay! I just fixed 6 Mac e/s that i have kept FOREVER thinking "one day I might use the broke pieces" Now if I can onnnly find my bad of broken bronzers!! Thanks luv! Great tip!!
ReplyDeleteI´m from Spain and I love your blog; I visite the blog many days to see the products you bought. I love make up so much but my blog is not of this. Sorry for my english (isn´t good)Kissess
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I never really though about this, but it totally makes sense that it would work! Btw, I love love love your blog! You're gorgeous!! XOXO
ReplyDeletehey girl
ReplyDeleteI tagged You
Check out my blog entry
http://stayyoungforever.blogspot.com/2009/07/6-random-things-about-me-well-7.html
Katrina ...THAT IS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!!
ReplyDeletehad to twitter your awesomeness.
ReplyDeleteSo awesome! I shattered my Refined Golden too, and I didn't know what to do, I was going to buy a new one until now! Thanks gorgeous!! XOXO
ReplyDeleteYOU ARE A GENIOUS! This has got to be the best shit I've ever heard!
ReplyDeleteOMG YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY COMPACS I'VE THROWN AWAY.
A LOT!
hott idea!!!
ReplyDeleteWOW! SO GREAT! thank you....and my makeup thanks you too lol
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, hun! I'm off to fix my blush! Is rubbing alcohol Ok to use?
ReplyDeleteNarita, yeah girl, rubbing alcohol is perfect!
ReplyDeleteOMG i wish u told me this earlier.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a great and helpful post!!! I've always been SO mad when I drop my compact ... This is the first time I've heared this tip and I will definitely use it in the future.
ReplyDeleteP.s> You are so beautiful, and very talented with the way you put your blog together. Keep it up!!!!
Wow girl that is awesome! I usually just try to use something smooth, or cover my finger with a napkin and press the powder in. Which works a little, but the consistency is still loose. I'll most definitely be trying this method out,thanx 4 the tip!*_*!
ReplyDeleteThat's a genius tip! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI did this last month. Perfect for NYX's pearl shadows.. Those make quite a mess!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! As a broke nursing student with a makeup addiction, you just saved me a ton of Christmas Wish list items to be replaced with brand new items to try : )
ReplyDeleteI just threw some away last week~ wow thank you. Im gonna try this for sure!
ReplyDeleteThis idea is genius! Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteThank you!! I came across your post and it just saved me $$!
ReplyDeleteWhat a super fabulous tip. My compact actually looks just like this right now with a bunch of broken pieces. I will def. give this one a try! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteFreakin amazing!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great tibit of information, thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI JUST threw out 2 compacts this weekend! :(
ReplyDeleteat least now I wont be wasting my money by throwing any more out. Thanks for the tip!
OMG...I just dropped my mineral makeup this morning and thought it was ruined!! Thanks for this tip :)
ReplyDeletethis, I have to try!
ReplyDeleteGreat to know! between me and my daughter we will save tons of cash! we are forever breaking ours! thanks love! <3
ReplyDeleteYou've totally just saved my eyeshadows with this one! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteomg I have thrown so many out. Thanks so much for the tip.
ReplyDeleteQuestion?? Do you think this would work on eyeshadows??
ReplyDeletejust TODAY broke my MAC eye shadow and was so SAD...so happy to come across this on Pintrest...will try it tomorrow. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat Idea!!!!!!Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteWow! my 15 yr old daughter continually drops her make-up and i spend too much replacing it. Can't wait to try this and share it with her.
ReplyDeleteWell, this is quite genius! Thank you, you have just saved me tons of money and frustration!!!
ReplyDeleteExcellent idea.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
I guess you are never too old to learn new tricks! We have all been in this predicament one too many times...THANKZ!
ReplyDeleteYou freaking rock. Understated compliment!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you smooth it out with?? When I tried my finger or the end of a brush, it seemed like so much of it clung that I was actually losing lots of the eyeshadow. Any hints?
ReplyDeletei feel bad about all the makeup i've trashed. Thanks for a great way to be able to keep it!
ReplyDeleteHONESTLY THIS IS AMAZING, my makeup always breaks! and i usually just throw it out, thanks so much, i just posted on fb for all my girlfriends to see!
ReplyDeleteSo glad I stumbled across this! What a genius idea!!!
ReplyDeletedoes this tip work with eyeshadows?
ReplyDeleteThank u! Very Useful!
ReplyDeletePerfect!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip. Next time my blush drops to the floor I won't throw it away. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great idea. I think the alcohol would kill any bacteria present.
ReplyDeletewalMart has 90% alcohol all the time
ReplyDeleteI would think you could smooth it out with a small piece of saran wrap wrapped around your finger??
ReplyDeleteI own a makeup store, so this is a great tip for me to pass along to my customers. Some powders are more prone to shattering than others because of the specific pigment, lack of binders, or whatever...matte black eyeshadow is particularly bad to shatter. My smashbox blackout is broken right now; I plan to fix it tonight. Thanks so much!!
ReplyDeleteThis does work with eye shadow and you can mix colors too. I crushed some leftover powder, mixed it together & was able to get a perfect color form all my favorite leftover bits.
ReplyDeletelove this! thanks a ton! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this! I will be repairing two MAC shadows tonight! Whee!
ReplyDeleteThis is AMAAAAZING!!!! I can't wait to try it!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWow! I can save so much money now. I love this thanks.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this. I've this linked on pinterest several times.
ReplyDeleteWhen I just have some powder left in the sides of the compact to the point where I can't get much use out of it, I break it out of the compact into a loose powder container and smash it all up to use when I put powder on at home.
I love this idea! I wonder if toner/astringent would work just as well?
So amazing!! I wonder if this helps to disinfect & kill germs in the makeup too?
ReplyDeleteOMG, im 64 years old, and just to think how much money i could have saved all those years, I guess i could have went to Hawaii after all if ide known about this little tip
ReplyDeletei thought u were kim k? jee
ReplyDeleteI love this!!
ReplyDeleteThat is soo cool! The best part is that that is my same bronzer same color and everything that is broken! How crazy! Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteGreat tip, thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou are awesome...and beautiful!
ReplyDeleteyay! I just dropped my new blush! CONSIDER IT SAVED! :)
ReplyDeletethis is great! Saves so much money.
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome!! Thank you for sharing this with us!!
ReplyDeleteWhile the powder is still soft you could stamp it or texture it
ReplyDeleteso it didn't look "poopie".
This is the best tip ever!!!! I had to re-blog to share the news. You are amazing and my new hero!!!!
ReplyDeleteOMG!! Thank you soo much for the helpful hint! Now I know what to do with the broken makeup I have instead of having to buy new ones. Especially since sometimes I cant find the one I broke because they are sold out of it!! Now I will always have it.. Gonna go look for MORE broken makeup! Thanks again!
ReplyDeletewill this work with hydrogen peroxide?
ReplyDeleteSeriously! You are my hero. I was just talking with a co worker today about how much MAC makeup we have ruined from dropping. I can't wait to tell her. :)
ReplyDeleteVery useful! I've just broken mine, so now I use my knowledge :) Thanks a lot!
ReplyDeletethanks so much for the tip....
ReplyDeletejust followed u
do check out and follow my blog... i would appreciate it so much
thank you
peppermintcrinkles.blogspot.com
Realizing this is nearly a three year old post, do you think you could do this with mineral make up and an old compact? I love the stuff but it's probably the LEAST portable make up ever.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteRepinned this tip on pinterest for future reference. Broke my Benefit powder while on vacation so now I can try it out! Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteI just tried this a few hours ago with my compact that only had the powder on the edges and was completely gone in the middle. I broke up the powder and added a few drops of 70% alcohol. It worked awesome! When i checked it a little bit ago, I noticed that it was starting to crack so I pressed on it with my finger to smooth it out again! PERFECT!! cant wait to pass this on to EVERYONE at work tomorrow!! Thanks for the tip
ReplyDeleteIt looks like I'm not the only one that had the idea to use this to get more out of my blush that's only let in the corners! I'll have to try this when I actually have time haha.
ReplyDeleteI just did this with my bronzer and it worked wonderfully! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis is great! I saw this on Pinterest today! I don't know why I never thought of this before. Awesome!!
ReplyDeletety, wonderful info
ReplyDeleteWhat a smart idea! Happy I found your blog! :-)
ReplyDeleteI just did this with my Aveda dual foundation....it absolutely works like a charm! As a previous person commented, it's almost impossible to get the amounts leftover in the corners of a compact. It would really bug me to throw this away, so I would scrape it out into a powder and dab the sponge applicator in the crushed powder just to be able to use it all. I had saved several old compacts with lots of this leftover crushed powder. I was able to make two completely new compacts out of all the leftovers! I also found that if after you spread it out the best you can with a spoon, etc., let the alcohol soak in until it's not gooey on top, then take a paper towel and lay it over the compact, pressing lightly and smoothing with your fingers, changing to dry areas of the paper towel as you go, this will help it have a much smoother finish and will soak up some of the moisture, helping it dry quicker (I still let it dry overnight). This little trick just saved me about $50 and a trip to the mall! Thanks Katrina!
ReplyDeleteomg your paper towel idea made it even better!!! it's even smoother and better after patting it down with the paper towel! thanks! xx
DeleteI've had a broken Studio Fix compact forever! It's one fixed thanks to this awesome tip. Thank you thank you!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! This is my new favorite tip; it'll save me so much money!
ReplyDeleteGreat tip!!!
ReplyDeleteFantastic tip. Thanks for saving me money. This always happens to me when I have about 1/3 powder blush left. Hope it works for me!
ReplyDeleteOh man I am glad i found this. I broke 2, because I am clumsy and mines drop. I throw it out and get a new one. I am going to test this on the latest on I dropped. Thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteI have been doing it for about 15 years now, not only have I been doing that, I am Latina so my color changes from season to season and I have all different shades of powder. So when they break I collect it in one loose powder container and reuse it also.... I never spend more than I have too. Another tip is for your mascaras, you want to get the most use out of it by putting it in a mug that maintain heat longer and just run hot water for about 3 minutes or so, bang against a hard surface to loosen it up, then apply as usual... You will be able to use it for at least another month or so.....
ReplyDeleteI have been doing it for about 15 years now, not only have I been doing that, I am Latina so my color changes from season to season and I have all different shades of powder. So when they break I collect it in one loose powder container and reuse it also.... I never spend more than I have too. Another tip is for your mascaras, you want to get the most use out of it by putting it in a mug that maintain heat longer and just run hot water for about 3 minutes or so, bang against a hard surface to loosen it up, then apply as usual... You will be able to use it for at least another month or so.....
ReplyDeleteI have been doing it for about 15 years now, not only have I been doing that, I am Latina so my color changes from season to season and I have all different shades of powder. So when they break I collect it in one loose powder container and reuse it also.... I never spend more than I have too. Another tip is for your mascaras, you want to get the most use out of it by putting it in a mug that maintain heat longer and just run hot water for about 3 minutes or so, bang against a hard surface to loosen it up, then apply as usual... You will be able to use it for at least another month or so.....
ReplyDeleteHmmmm...heat plus all the bacteria in your mascara, doesn't sounds like a good idea. There's a reason they say you should replace it every 3 months. :P
DeleteWhat a great tip. I have found so many powder compacts (brand new never opened) at thrift or salvage stores that sell for just a few cents sometimes because they are broken. Would have been buying them if I had known about this little trick. Thanks so much! PS: Now I can go back to those places and buy these items cheap, cheap!
ReplyDeleteFantastic! No more loose powder coloring our make-up bags! Thanks for sharing!!!
ReplyDeletewow, very cool trick.
ReplyDelete- Gracie
http://sweettobegracie.blogspot.com/
Thank you so much for this great tip, tired it out and works perfectly, purchased a new compac for less than a buck, since mine was n pieces, put my old blush n new compac!! All looks 100% new!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this great tip! I have thrown away so many eyeshadows and blushes because of this reason. Now I don't have to buy new ones anymore
ReplyDeletexxox
very cool!
ReplyDeleteVery cool tip!
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing! My eyeshadows are always breaking. thanks for your tip!
ReplyDeleteTHANKS SO MUCH!
ReplyDeleteThank you so so much,just fixed my mac eye shadow i was going to throw away!!!
ReplyDeleteIngenious!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI found this tip via Pinterest... after my daughter dropped my new, most favorite shade of brown eyeshadow on a concrete floor just after I bought it. I held onto the shadow for a couple of months (praying for a miracle), and every time I looked at it I would get mad all over again. Now I have found the miracle, thanks to you!! As for the little tiny bits of powder from the shadow in the corners... I used a toothpick to stir the shadow with the alcohol and it worked like a charm!! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
ReplyDeleteHeather S.
what in the world made you decide this would work? I'm an old woman who could have save a fortune in my life time. Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteExcellent tip. I'm also going to try it when my compact starts cracking and falling out - making a mess all over my clothes, etc. I can't wait to try it.
ReplyDeleteGod golly, this is just wonderful!!! Thank you so much for such a helpful tip!!!
ReplyDeleteawesome thanks
ReplyDeleteWOW such a great idea!!! I loooove <3
ReplyDeleteOMG THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!! I was freaking out I dropped my favorite pressed powder and now it's back to solid and perfect!!!! this was the best thing to find!!
ReplyDeleteThank you thank you thank you thank you! All the way from Jamaica. Thank you soooooo much! This is a great valuable and well needed idea. Thank you so much for posting this.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this would work with MAC pigments? I love them but they can make a mess :0
ReplyDeleteWow- great idea! I've thrown broken compacts away before... never again!
ReplyDeleteAmazing tip! I can't wait to bring some of my favorite compacts back to life! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAny recommendations on how to accomplish this with broken shimmer brick bronzers and with the Clinique fresh bloom all over powders that have a flower design with 2 different tones as not to mix the colors?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
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ReplyDeleteKatrina, you have great style in fashion and makeup!
ReplyDeleteReally nice post thanks for posting that stuff. I like that kind of amazing and useful posts thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletepoeder & solid sampling
Very helpful! Didn't want to spend $ on another bronzer compact- thanks!
ReplyDelete