Broken Powder Is A Makeup Nightmare. Here's How To Fix It

We've all been there. You're traveling with your makeup or rushing through your morning routine, and after a bit of rough handling or a quick drop onto a hard bathroom floor, you open up your favorite compact to find it's shattered into about a hundred pieces. Pressed powder cosmetics are unfortunately designed with convenience of application, not sturdiness, in mind, so it's not uncommon to find your products smashed or cracked after even a minor tumble.

It might be tempting to toss the blush or powder entirely, but, if you're looking for a way to salvage what you have left of your makeup, there are a few things you can do. Cosmetics, especially higher-end or luxury beauty brands, are often quite expensive, so sometimes it's worth putting in a little leg work to restore them to their previous glory. With just a few items, you can re-press your broken powder or turn your broken compact into loose powder. 

If you want to bring your smashed powdered product back to its original state — or as close as you can get — MasterClass advises that you should begin by getting together your materials. You'll need something to smash up the rest of your powder into smaller bits, a few drops of 91% isopropyl alcohol, and a paper towel.

To begin, you'll need to cause a bit more destruction. Take the remains of your compact and crush it down as finely as possible, doing your best to keep as much of the product in the compact as you can. For this step, the back of a makeup brush, a small bottle, or even a spoon will do the trick. Once you're satisfied, add a few drops of your rubbing alcohol and mix it in to the powder, ensuring everything is evenly saturated. Grab your paper towel and press down gently, then clean up any messy edges. Once everything has dried, your compact should be looking brand new. It's that easy! 

If you're okay with the idea of having a loose powder version of your broken compact, this trick is even easier. All you need to do is dump the remains of your compact into a plastic bag. "Then empty the contents of the bag into a small sieve and, using a spoon, stir the contents of the broken powder until it all falls from the sieve into a clean container," Jane Iredale makeup artist and global educator Hannah Hatcher explained to InStyle. This can easily be pulled off with just your hands, too, but if you're feeling fancy, you can use something like a rolling pin to completely flatten any remaining lumps. As for the container, an old face cream container or short glass jar should do the trick, but it's all up to personal preference and what you have on hand.

With this hack, however, it's important to be a bit more careful when it comes to application. Brushes will pick up more loose powder than they would from a compact, so it's important to tap off before you apply if you want to avoid a super-pigmented look.