We’ve all been there before — whether it’s a case of severe butter-fingers or simply the fevered rush right before a night out — you’ve dropped and shattered your palette, a setback any ardent makeup lover would find tough to overcome. The financial hit you take is heartbreaking, and dealing with the mess left behind is brutal. Fixing broken makeup can seem intimidating, but it is surprisingly easy. While the restored product will look as good as new, it will still be less resistant to breakage than a brand-new counterpart. Moreover, fixing your broken makeup will not affect its performance, so it’s always a good idea to repair and salvage the product rather than throwing it all away. Bookmark this article to save yourself some heartbreak the next time you break a palette.
What do you need to fix broken makeup?
First, gather all the supplies you need to fix your makeup. If you’re prone to dropping their beloved palettes often (don’t worry, we’ve all been there), we recommend keeping this kit handy to give your broken palettes timely first-aid as and when needed.
- A bottle of isopropyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol
- A glass bowl
- A small spoon or a spatula
- Paper towel/cellophane paper
- Micellar water
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Now, let’s get down to business
Whether it is an eyeshadow palette or a compact or blush, the general method of repairing any type of makeup is the same. Here is what you need to do.
1. Collect the broken makeup
Use the small spoon to collect the shattered loose powder into the bowl. Now scrape out the remaining powder from the palette into the bowl. Some pieces of makeup still retain the shape of the compact, so make sure to break them up into powder form. Use a makeup remover to clean the side of the palette and pan.
2. Make a paste with rubbing alcohol
Once you have smashed the product into a fine powder, mix a few drops of the alcohol. Note that the finer the powder, the easier to reassemble the product into a new one. Additionally, avoid adding excess rubbing alcohol. The amount of alcohol depends on the amount of the product. Take a ratio of 1 drop per gram. So a standard 3g eyeshadow will need three drops at most. Make a paste just gooey enough to scoop out of the bowl.
3. Transfer to the pan
Once you have the paste, scoop it out and transfer it to the cleaned pan. After adding the entire paste into the pan, use the back of the spoon or a spatula to press it down. Try to press it as smoothly as possible. Another trick to do this perfectly is using cellophane paper-
- Wrap the cellophane paper covering the entire pan.
- Now press down the makeup using scraping motions with the spatula.
- If you have a coin or any circular item the size of the pan, hold and press onto the transferred paste to even out the surface.
4. Let it dry
Once you have pressed the product uniformly, remove the cellophane paper and let the product dry. Do not close the lid. The alcohol will need anywhere between thirty minutes to four hours to evaporate completely. Once it has vaporised, your makeup should be as good as new!
Take notes!
You may need to have all the supplies at hand that are required to fix the makeup. But if you don’t, do not get anxious; here are some great alternatives:
- If you do not have rubbing alcohol, rose water can work equally well but requires a longer drying time.
- In case a lipstick breaks, slightly melt the broken end of the bullet with a lighter, then press it down into the holder gently. Hold it in position for 10-15 seconds, and it should get mended.
- If there is barely any lipstick left to repair, scoop out the lipstick into a pan and press it down. You can use it as a lip or cheek stain.
- Avoid salvaging a broken foundation, as tiny glass shards can enter the product and harm your skin.
- If you have no access to the supplies, you can turn a broken compact into a loose powder or the eyeshadow into loose pigment and store them in small containers.
