How To : Fix Broken Powders or Eyeshadows

In yesterdays post I mentioned that I had a Shiseido Compact Foundation, which had completely smashed up. Today, I rescued it with the help of a tutorial I found online.

I'm sure it's happened to most of us - fact of the matter is, powder based products do smash - but that doesn't have to mean the end for them - they can be saved very simply... save them!


So, first you take your broken up powder...

...and tip it into a small bowl. I used the pointy end of an orange stick to scrape out all the bits that were still stuck in the pan. Use the end of a brush to break it up into a fine powder.

Then tip in a small amount of Surgical Spirit and mix it up using an orange stick, or spoon to form a paste. It's best to add a little bit of Surgical Spirit, seeing if more is needed, then adding more if necessary. It doesn't matter too much if you go overboard with it - it will just take longer to set.

Use a spoon to put it back into the empty pan, then leave it for a couple of hours somewhere where it won't be disturbed.

You can use a paper towel to press down and help shape it after a couple of hours - then leave overnight to set completely.

And there you have it - as good as new! This technique would also work to get your pigments into set powders. Happy setting!