We've all done it before, been applying an eyeshadow (usually your favorite too), but it slips out of your hand, falls to the floor, and leaves you heart broken when you find it shattered. Some of us might have even thrown it out, convinced there was no way to fix it, or possibly have tried to use it as a loose dust. Well no more! Instead of throwing away your broken eyeshadows, you can fix them!
Here are the tools you'll need:
Rubbing alchohol (or something like vodka will work too)
Cuticle stick (or tooth pick if that's all you have to hand)
A small pot (optional, but will make things much easier)
A small dish
Something fairly hard that will fit into the eyeshadow pan
A scrap of fabric
Broken eyeshadow (of course!)
Before you start this, please make sure your hands and finger nails are very clean, if you don't do this, any germs or bacteria on your hands will get into the eyeshadow and then they'll go into your eyes every time you use the shadow.
First things first, take your eyeshadow out of the pan and put it into the small pot. (Some people say you should do this in the eyeshadow pan, but I find it's just too difficult). Also, take an eyeshadow brush and brush as much of the left over dust out of the pan as you can, it might sound silly, but it's surprising how big a difference this makes. Taking the cuticle stick, break up the eyeshadow into a fine powder and eliminate as many clumps as possible. Take the rubbing alcohol (or vodka) and pour some into the cap, the reason for this is so you can avoid pouring too much liquid into the eyeshadow and making a mess. Mix the eyeshadow and the alcohol together until you have a paste and make sure you don't have a liquid, if it's turned to a liquid, you'll have to wait for some of the alcohol to evaporate so you can actually press the eyeshadow, if you press it while the eyeshadow is a liquid, it will only leave you with a big mess and a ruined eyeshadow. Take a tissue and clean out the eyeshadow pan, if you don't do this, the eyeshadow won't stick in the pan because of eyeshadow residue. Transfer the eyeshadow paste back into it's pan and spread it out with the cuticle stick to avoid air bubbles. If you get air bubbles in the bottom of the pan, the eyeshadow will just break all over again, and you don't really want that.
Once you've spread the eyeshadow in the pan, take something like a coin, or anything that will fit into the eyeshadow pan, and wrap it tightly in the fabric scrap. (This has to be small enough to just fit inside, but large enough that when you press down on it, the eyeshadow paste doesn't splotch out everywhere.) Pour a bit of alcohol into the small dish and dip the cloth and coin (or whatever you find to use, just make sure you don't mind if it gets a little dirty and wet). Hold the fabric in the alcohol for a few seconds, this will kill any bacteria. Press the fabric wrapped object firmly onto the eyeshadow paste. Don't be afraid to really press down hard, nothing will go wrong unless you're afraid you might break the palette or pan. Your first try at this, you probably won't push down hard enough, or you'll press unevenly. That's okay, it gives you an idea of how to do it the next time. After this, clean up the sides of the pan and leave the eyeshadow to dry.
The eyeshadow might smell a bit like rubbing alcohol for a day or so while it dries, but that's normal, the smell should dissipate after it dries.
I hope this was helpful, if you have any questions, leave a comment and I will try to get back to you!
Here are the tools you'll need:
Rubbing alchohol (or something like vodka will work too)
Cuticle stick (or tooth pick if that's all you have to hand)
A small pot (optional, but will make things much easier)
A small dish
Something fairly hard that will fit into the eyeshadow pan
A scrap of fabric
Broken eyeshadow (of course!)
Before you start this, please make sure your hands and finger nails are very clean, if you don't do this, any germs or bacteria on your hands will get into the eyeshadow and then they'll go into your eyes every time you use the shadow.
First things first, take your eyeshadow out of the pan and put it into the small pot. (Some people say you should do this in the eyeshadow pan, but I find it's just too difficult). Also, take an eyeshadow brush and brush as much of the left over dust out of the pan as you can, it might sound silly, but it's surprising how big a difference this makes. Taking the cuticle stick, break up the eyeshadow into a fine powder and eliminate as many clumps as possible. Take the rubbing alcohol (or vodka) and pour some into the cap, the reason for this is so you can avoid pouring too much liquid into the eyeshadow and making a mess. Mix the eyeshadow and the alcohol together until you have a paste and make sure you don't have a liquid, if it's turned to a liquid, you'll have to wait for some of the alcohol to evaporate so you can actually press the eyeshadow, if you press it while the eyeshadow is a liquid, it will only leave you with a big mess and a ruined eyeshadow. Take a tissue and clean out the eyeshadow pan, if you don't do this, the eyeshadow won't stick in the pan because of eyeshadow residue. Transfer the eyeshadow paste back into it's pan and spread it out with the cuticle stick to avoid air bubbles. If you get air bubbles in the bottom of the pan, the eyeshadow will just break all over again, and you don't really want that.
Once you've spread the eyeshadow in the pan, take something like a coin, or anything that will fit into the eyeshadow pan, and wrap it tightly in the fabric scrap. (This has to be small enough to just fit inside, but large enough that when you press down on it, the eyeshadow paste doesn't splotch out everywhere.) Pour a bit of alcohol into the small dish and dip the cloth and coin (or whatever you find to use, just make sure you don't mind if it gets a little dirty and wet). Hold the fabric in the alcohol for a few seconds, this will kill any bacteria. Press the fabric wrapped object firmly onto the eyeshadow paste. Don't be afraid to really press down hard, nothing will go wrong unless you're afraid you might break the palette or pan. Your first try at this, you probably won't push down hard enough, or you'll press unevenly. That's okay, it gives you an idea of how to do it the next time. After this, clean up the sides of the pan and leave the eyeshadow to dry.
The eyeshadow might smell a bit like rubbing alcohol for a day or so while it dries, but that's normal, the smell should dissipate after it dries.
I hope this was helpful, if you have any questions, leave a comment and I will try to get back to you!