How to Fix Broken Makeup

Last Updated: January 26, 2022 References

It's always a sad day when your compact powder cracks after you drop it on the floor, or your lipstick melts or breaks in your purse. While your makeup won't be as perfect as when you first bought it, it's definitely possible to make it usable again.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Repairing Cracked Powders

1
Cover your compact powder with plastic wrap. Gather all of the pieces of your cracked compact powder and put them in the pan. Place plastic wrap over the compact powder so that the pan's edges are completely covered.^{[1]
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2
Crush the powder into tiny pieces inside the compact. Use a spoon or your fingers to crush up the powder so that it becomes very loose. The plastic wrap will allow you to crush up the powder without getting your fingers dirty or making a mess.^{[2]
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- For an easy fix, just crush the makeup completely to create a loose powder. You may need to transfer the powder into another container so it doesn't spill.^{[3]
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3
Add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to the powder. Remove the plastic wrap and fill a dropper or spoon with rubbing alcohol. Drop a few drops into the compact powder — you want to aim for creating a paste-like texture. How many drops you add will largely depend on the size of your compact, so start with 2 or 3 and go from there.^{[4]
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- If you oversaturate your powder, don’t worry — it will just take longer to dry out.
4
Smooth out the paste using a spoon. After you’ve created a paste with the powder and rubbing alcohol, flatten it out using a spoon so that the top is nice and smooth. Try to make sure that the paste reaches all of the edges of the compact and that there aren’t any air bubbles.^{[5]
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5
Let the powder dry for 24 hours. Once your powder is smooth, wipe off any residue around the edges of the compact. Let the powder dry for 24 hours or overnight. Once it’s dry, it’s ready to be used again!^{[6]
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- Leave the container open while the alcohol is drying.^{[7]
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- This method works well for cracked eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers, highlighters, and broken powders.
6
Remove a broken compact mirror with an acetone-soaked paper towel. If your compact’s mirror shattered when the powder cracked, it’s best to remove the mirror entirely. Make sure there’s no glass in the powder and then cover the powder up with plastic wrap or a cloth. Dampen a paper towel or cloth with acetone and start to loosen the glue keeping the mirror attached to the compact, scraping the glass pieces off with a sharper tool. Use acetone to remove any extra residue.^{[8]
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- If you’d like to find another mirror to replace the broken one, visit a craft store or go online.
- Protect your fingers from getting cut by glass by wearing gloves, if desired.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Restoring Broken Lipstick

1
Melt the ends of your lipstick if it broke in half. If your lipstick broke in half, reattach it by melting the pieces back together. Make the ends of the lipstick pieces smooth using a cotton swab, and then use a lighter to soften the base. Right after the base of the lipstick is slightly melted, soften the end of the piece that broke off. Stick the pieces together carefully, using the lighter to slightly melt the edges where they connect so that you can smooth them out using a cotton swab.^{[9]
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- Twist your lipstick until it’s fully extended before starting to repair the lipstick to make the process easier.
2
Scoop out the bottom of your lipstick if it broke at the base. If your lipstick happened to break off right where it’s attached to the base, fixing it is super easy. Use a toothpick, bobby pin, or other tiny tool to remove the lipstick stuck in the bottom of the base. Now take the top part of the lipstick that broke off and place it back in the base.^{[10]
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3
Purchase a reusable lipstick mold if your lipstick melts frequently. If you live somewhere hot or your lipstick keeps melting, consider buying a reusable lipstick mold. The best place to find these is online, and they cost roughly $15.^{[11]
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4
Transfer your lipstick to a container if it can’t be fixed. If your lipstick is cracked into pieces or simply can’t be restored, melt it down. Place the lipstick pieces in a large spoon and melt them using a lighter. Once it’s all melted, transfer it to a tiny container or palette before putting it into the freezer to stiffen. Now you can use your finger to apply the lipstick, or use a lip brush.^{[12]
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Expert Q&A

Question

How does rubbing alcohol fix makeup?

Alicia D'Angelo
Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist
Alicia D'Angelo is a makeup artist based in New York City. She currently works for teams with Dior Makeup, YSL Beauty and Pat McGrath Labs as well as bridal companies Once Upon A Bride and Miss Harlequinn. Her work has been featured in Today.com, New York Live, Forbes.com, VH1, MTV, Vevo, Entertainment Weekly, Refinery 29, and NYXCosmetics.com. She has a Visual Communications degree from FIDM-Los Angeles.

Alicia D'Angelo

Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Rubbing alcohol helps mold the makeup back into a solid. To do this, simply dip your clean finger into the alcohol, then rub it onto the surface of the makeup
Question

How do you fix broken makeup without alcohol?

Alicia D'Angelo
Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist
Alicia D'Angelo is a makeup artist based in New York City. She currently works for teams with Dior Makeup, YSL Beauty and Pat McGrath Labs as well as bridal companies Once Upon A Bride and Miss Harlequinn. Her work has been featured in Today.com, New York Live, Forbes.com, VH1, MTV, Vevo, Entertainment Weekly, Refinery 29, and NYXCosmetics.com. She has a Visual Communications degree from FIDM-Los Angeles.

Alicia D'Angelo

Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Crush the product and create your own loose powder. This may require you to swap the container to another, so hang onto empty loose powder pots when you're done with them just in case you need it one day.
Question

Why not just buy new ones?

Cecilia Flores

Top Answerer

Makeup can be extremely expensive. $30 - $70 for a foundation alone, and $30 - $80 or more for an eye shadow palette. If something breaks and it's expensive, we try to fix it the best we can.