How to Repair a Broken Makeup Compact

We’ve all been there. That awful moment when your makeup compact, most probably your favourite one, tumbles to the floor in slow motion before your eyes and all it’s beautiful contents shatters into a million powdery pieces. As does your heart with it. (big sigh!)

But fear not! Did you know you can repair your compact? Back to fully functioning order. Maybe a little less pretty to look at but fully functioning, pigment depositing loveliness.

I was forced to take action when such an incident occurred recently. My rather lovely Hourglass Ambient Lighting bronzer met a rather grizzly end. We’d only been together a matter of hours. I was, as you’d imagine, mortified.

I took to my Pinterest and quickly found advice about how to repair such a catastrophe. You can find my Pinterest boards here.

You will need:

1.A broken makeup compact (obvs)

2.Rubbing Alcohol

3. An implement to, ahem, further break up the compact ( I know, sounds awful but trust me on this)

4. A cotton pad or something soft to hold the compact in shape whilst it dries

I bought the rubbing alcohol on amazon. It’s completely inexpensive which meant I could justify next day delivery. It was an emergency after all.

So, how to fix this compact. Firstly, and this is the worst part, you need to break your compact even more. Using any implement that will help you to do such dastardly deed, begin to break up the contents into as fine-a powder as you possibly can. I did the best I could, but on reflection I should have put more effort in. The finer the powder the better and more smoothly it will set.

Try to be brave and break yours up a lot finer then I did, you’ll see in a moment why.

Once your compact is in a state of disrepair, take your rubbing alcohol and add a few drops, perhaps 3 to 6 and then more if you feel it needs it. You’ll be able to gauge it. Your compact should begin to look little like a pale chocolate truffle.

Can you see the lumps? I didn’t break it up small enough!

Now using your cotton pad, start “mushing” it into shape, then place the cotton over the makeup and close the lid.

And now for the magic. Leave the compact for as long as you can. I actually left mine overnight although I don’t think it needs to be this long. As the alcohol evaporates the powder will bind back together to reform a solid shape.

Voila!

I noticed that the powder looked a little darker but when I touched it I realised it wasn’t completely dry. So I decided to put it on the windowsill and in the sunshine to allow it to “bake” a little.

After a few hours it was perfect. A little less pretty then she was before, but fully functioning and depositing beautifully bronzed pigment just as she did before.

If the dreaded should happen, give this a go. You’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Let me know if this helps.

Amellia Mae