Learn how to fix broken makeup, broken highlighter, broken blush, broken eyeshadow… basically ANY broken powder makeup! It just takes 5 minutes and one ingredient and couldn’t be easier.
I am sooooo excited to share this cool trick with you today!! Seriously, you’re going to LOVE this.
I’ll admit it, I like to buy the good stuff when I buy makeup.
It’s beyond frustrating when one of my kids (or me) knocks down one of my MAC eyeshadows, powders, or blushes, and it breaks into 10 million little tiny crumbles all over the counter.
I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to me!
As much as I want to salvage it, it’s such a big mess. I end up throwing it all away and throwing away my money in the process.
How to Fix Broken Makeup
Using just one ingredient you probably already have at home, you can easily repair your broken powder makeup. Yep, it will be back to normal the next morning.
In less than 5 minutes (although it does take overnight to dry), your broken makeup will look just like it did before it broke!
What Broken Makeup Can I Fix?
This quick makeup hack works on all of these types of makeup-
- broken highlighter
- broken blush
- broken eyeshadow
- broken powder
- ANY broken makeup that is a powder
Supplies You’ll Need
- Broken powder makeup
- Rubbing alcohol (the higher the concentration, the better- I used 70%)
- Plastic wrap
Pick Up the Pieces
First, gather all of the broken makeup pieces.
Place them in their original makeup container.
Crush up all of the makeup in the container, even the parts that may not have broken.
Smooth It Out
Add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to the makeup compact and let it soak in.
Use your finger or the back of a spoon to rub and smooth down the makeup.
I used my finger at first, but got better results by placing a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the makeup.
Rub the plastic wrap to smooth out the makeup.
If the mixture is still too dry, add a little more rubbing alcohol, then rub again.
The Waiting Game
Now that your broken makeup is all smooth again, you just have to wait, preferably overnight.
The makeup needs time to dry out.
Once dry, your makeup will be completely back to normal, and the alcohol smell will be gone!
My blush was perfect the next day. You never would have guessed that it was a crumbled mess the day before!
My sad crushed pink blush that would have been thrown away because dropped it is now fixed and ready to be used again!
How To Fix Broken Makeup
Materials
- broken powder makeup
- rubbin alcohol (70% or higher)
- plastic wrap
Instructions
- Gather all the broken makeup pieces and place back into original container. Crush up all the pieces, even if they weren't broken.
- Add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to the makeup and let it soak in. Place plastic wrap over the makeup and smooth it out a finger or the back of a spoon.If the mixture is still too dry, add a few more drops of rubbing alcohol.
- Let the makeup compact sit overnight to dry. Once dry, the makeup will be back to normal and the alcohol smell will be gone!
This how to fix broken makeup article was updated in January 2021 and was originally published in January 2013.
Arianna says
I love you.
Half my make up is actually in that devastated shape (I’m a bit of a klutz)…and if I can make it work…you’ll have saved at least my favourite cyclamen eye shadow. <3
Laura Russell says
It works, I promise. And it will save you so much money! Yay for saving your favorite eyeshadow 🙂
Arianna says
I’m waiting for the eyeshadow to dry!
It’s a bit messier than yours, but I’m pretty satisfied with the result!
Yay for good ideas that save both money and perfectly good materials! ^^
Laura Russell says
Love that I could help you Arianna! Thanks for letting me know your results!
Melanie says
Love this tip! I use powdered eye shadow every day and I’ve thrown away my share of crumbled shadow. No more!….Thank you so much!
PS – to keep excess eye shadow powder off your cheeks, try CUES – Clean Under Eye Shields 🙂
Laura Russell says
You’re welcome Melanie! I’ve thrown away tons too, thanks to a toddler who loves to throw my makeup on the ground- not anymore! I’ll have to checkout CUES… never heard of them. Thanks for the tip!
Heidi says
Genius!
Laura Russell says
Thanks Heidi!
Carolyn at Moose Mouse Creations says
I’ll be trying this today on my favorite face powder that my kids decided to play with and proceeded to crush. I couldn’t bear to throw it away and now I don’t have to! Thanks so much!!!
Laura @ Make Life Lovely says
You’re welcome Carolyn! Hope it worked well for you. Thanks for stopping by!
Evelyn Murphy says
Im gLad i look this site up because i just knew someone had a great idea for crumble makeup.problems?thanks ladies
Laura says
You’re so welcome, I’m so happy this tutorial has been so helpful for you and everyone else! 🙂
Anonymous says
I’m so excited to show this to my mom! I dropped her blush last week by mistake… she still hasn’t thrown it out!
– Emily
Laura @ Make Life Lovely says
Oh good, maybe you can help her fix it! So glad I could help!
Anonymous says
And sometimes you can buy new make up on sale that is still sealed but has been dropped and crumbled! This would be a great idea for saving money that way too 🙂
Laura @ Make Life Lovely says
Yes, that’s true, I hadn’t thought about that!! Thanks for the great tip!
Anonymous says
I think I could use this trick with loose power to refill my favorite compact.
Laura @ Make Life Lovely says
Yes, I’m sure it would work! Good luck!!
Lisa says
Amazing idea and so easy. I can’t wait to try it!
Laura @ Make Life Lovely says
You’ll love the results, be sure to come back and let me know how it goes!!
Anonymous says
After reading I thought about how I am constantly mixing two different shadows to achieve my favorite color. I smashed them up, followed you tips and I LOVE my ‘new’ eyeshadow! Muah
Laura @ Make Life Lovely says
Oooh, GREAT idea! I need to try that!! Thanks for the tip!
Anonymous says
I wish I would have known this long ago..thanks for the tip!
Laura @ Make Life Lovely says
No problem, glad I could help!
Jen McGahan says
Oh my goodness, I SO GLAD I found this! Thank you!
Laura @ Make Life Lovely says
You are most welcome!! It is so satisfying to restore those sad crumbles back to their powder form 🙂
Linda Young says
Wow! This is brilliant! Thanks so much for this great solution, also the underwire repair tips. I’ve sewn them back too, but didn’t know about the duct tape and clear nail polish! You’re amazing!
Hugs, Linda @ Grandmalay’s Daydreams
Cassandre Augustin says
umm.. i Love you ??? my FAVORITE eye shadow trio broke and every time I go my make up I get gold dust all over my fingers and clothes but I couldn’t part with it. Im SOO happy i found this. Im telling everybody about this. your a life saver. !
Leslie Marion says
OMG! I just did it with my all time favourite purple eye shadow (MAC)..I’m letting it dry out, so tomorrow I’ll see the result. Thank you so much!!!
Tina Vassallo says
your totally amazing!!!!!!! my kids have smashed so much of my makeup god i love u 🙂
Tina Vassallo says
Omg thank you your awesome!!!!!!!
Anonymous says
Hey I was wondering if you substitute the alcohol for anything else?
You have any ideas? Or anyone else for that matter?
Although this one is fantastic. And thanks for the bra tip. You don’t know how much money I’ve wasted over the years and how much I’m going to save now.
Love you and thank you again..
Anonymous says
Great idea. Question: When it’s in the drying stage, does it matter if you leave it covered or open? It probably dries faster open, right?
Laura @ Make Life Lovely says
I left mine open so that it would dry faster. Good luck!
tashasface says
Oh my goodness my HD Brows palette just smashed! I’m so glad I found this post – I need to get some surgical spirit (rubbing alcohol) as soon as possible. Thanks for sharing this tip!
Laura @ Make Life Lovely says
You’re so welcome! I’m still using this same MAC blush a year later, and it workes perfectly! That bright pink color has lasted me years now 🙂
Sonya Nadia says
Laura,
Your ideas are amazing. Thank you!
Sonya Nadia says
Laura, your ideas and tips are amazing. Your website is a breath of fresh air. Thank you!
Laura @ Make Life Lovely says
Wow, thanks so much Sonya! What a compliment… you made my day!
Dana Anyan says
Im always saving those compacts you cant get all the stuff out of it…hoping for a miracle to be able to make them work someday! Can’t wait to combine all my like type blushes into onr new one. I have 5 almost gone berry blushes! You’ve made my day. Thanks!!
Rotem says
Do you have any tips about restring a broken melted lipstick ?
My revlon colorburst lip balm is really hating the heat .
Keeping it in the fridge is a partial solution because I really like to take it with me in my makeup bag
Laura says
Oooh, good question! What I’ve done in the past is to put the lipstick into an empty MAC palette that you can buy at the MAC Cosmetics store. Press the lipstick inside one of the empty holes, and then use a brush to apply the lipstick. It will still work just fine, and you won’t have to throw away your favorite lipstick! Hope that helps, and thanks for reading!
Dee Gee says
Brilliant ideas! Thanks!
Laura says
Thanks so much!
Tamera says
My teenager & i just went on a eyeshadow fixing spree ~ HOORAY ~ it worked!! Thank you so much 🙂
Laura says
Yay!! It’s a pretty cool trick, isn’t it? So glad it worked for you! Isn’t it nice to not have to throw it all out now?
Rx says
Can you substitute the alcohol with any non alcoholic liquid?
Fatims says
Can you substitute it with out alcohol?
Rx says
Can you use something non alcoholic instead of rubbing alc?
traceynatashacarroll says
whats rubbing alcohol pls
Meeme K Mweeka says
I’m so glad to find this…
Meliss says
I literally JUST threw away an eye shadow because my husband threw my make-up bag up the stairs and broke 2 of them!!!! Will try this in the future. I’m so thankful for pinterest and for you posting this!! Thank you 🙂
Robyn says
There are SO many helpful tips in your blog – thank you! I googled how to fix a broken underwire in a bra, and your wonderful post about the duct tape and upholstery thread came up (genius), and that brought me here, and now I’m hooked! So many broken bras and blushers that shall shortly be whole again . . .
kelly says
I have a blusher which is muliticolured, will it work on this? I just keep trying to use it and it ends up on the bathroom floor so i pick up the bits n put them back in the pot and bluc0sh up again and it falls out …. well you get the idea of my repeated frustration!
Also rubbing alcohol, anyone and idea where you can buy this in the UK
Laura says
Yes, it will still work on a multicolored blush. As to the rubbing alcohol, I’m not sure about buying in the UK. Here in the states you can buy it at any grocery store or drug store. I’m sure you could even find it on Amazon if you can’t find it locally. Hope that helps! Good luck, this really is a pretty cool trick!
Personal Jennius says
Laura, i have been keeping my large Sephora SunDisk in a box for the past month since i totally dropped it (truth being said it wasn’t my first time dropping it, those of you who don’t know what i am talking about is a bronzer made by Sephore that is lie rally the size of a compact disc (cd, blue ray, whatever generation your a from its a 4 inch circular bronzer) so it I sack ward to store. Anyways it finally cracked but for some reason i couldn’t bare to toss it. As I was about to finally let it go i decided to google how to repair cracked make up and then there was you. The tip is amazing and totally works. I didn’t know that rubbing alcohol came indifferent strengths. Mine was 50% Isoproply Alcohol amd worked totally fine. I think i had to add more than when working with 70% like you used but this is what i had in my house so you know i had to make it work which it did. I used the plastic wrap, i didn’t even want to make a mess of my hands added until the powder was moist enough to put back together and then used a marker to smooth out the top. I found that the spoon left small lines in the makeup. Other than that your tutorial is by far the best hack I have ever read. And it totally works, for those of you trying to follow along there can be no exact amount of alcohol to add as each powder size is different. And you have to use alcohol bc most make up bases are made up of alcohol this is a genius idea. And for sharing this tip with me, here’s another great tip for fellow make up lovers
FYI NEVER THROW OUT ANY MAC MAKEUP EXCEPT THE LINERS. MAC RECYCLES WHATEVER THEY CAN: THE LIPSTICKS EYESHADOWS BRONZERS BLUSHES MASCARAS POWDER CAN ALL BE BOUGHT BCKTO MAKE EMPTY ONCE YOU HAVE 6 AND CAN BE TRADED IN FOR ONE NEWLIPSTICK (IN DEPARTMENT STORES) AND OR AN EYESHADOW (EYESHADOWS AND LIPSTICKS OPTIONS AVAILABLE AT MAC STORES
Laura says
It’s a pretty incredible hack, isn’t it?! It’s so frustrating to drop your favorite makeup, especially when it costs so much. This trick has worked to fix mine every. single time. Thanks for sharing your experience! And a big YES to MAC recycling! I save up my packaging and have been recycling it there for years and trading them in for new lipstick. It’s so nice that they do that, isn’t it?
chantalclaireinvitations says
OMG – how am I only seeing this now? I have broken blush in my bathroom right now that I use anyway (i figure the blush gets picked up on my brush in micro beads anyway) but I hate that I have to tap so much off my brush before putting it on so I don’t look like a clown. I am desperate to try this!!
cheyenne says
does this work on makeup highlighter? And can you use peroxide instead of rubbing alcohol?
Heidi Blevins says
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I just bought some $10 Hard candy blush for clearance at $5! I dropped the entire compact as i was opening it and it was the very last one! You saved my life!!!
Laura says
Happy to help! I’ve used this trick more times than I care to admit, haha… It works so well!
Anna says
I just dropped my favorite eyeshadow and thanks to you it’s fixed!
Laura says
That’s great Anna, I’m so glad I could help you! It’s such a great feeling not to have to go out and buy new makeup, especially if you still had a lot of it left. 🙂
Alaknanda Shankar says
It’s a lovely idea to repair my blush on Thanks a ton!
Laura says
You’re so welcome! It’s been life changing to be able to fix my makeup that I drop!