Picture it: You’re making up your face and carrying on as you do every day. The routine is running on autopilot when, while applying your brow powder/eye shadow/powder blush/face powder/bronzer, you all of a sudden get a case of the Butterfingers. Your palette crashes to the floor/sink/tabletop and powder fragments are everywhere. You shriek or moan (depending on your personal style) and dejectedly gather up all the pieces and clean up the mess.

Don’t get angry and don’t throw it out! It can be saved! Rid yourself of the powder palette woes with this little trick:

*Add a few small drops of rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) into your broken powder makeup compact or case

*Re-form the mud-like mixture by smoothing it out and pressing it flat with your finger or the bottom of a spoon. You will know what to do naturally because you’re smart like that.

*Let it dry for a few hours or even overnight for best results.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that this experiment worked. When I tested out my shadow to make sure nothing about it had changed, I was truly impressed. Why alcohol as opposed to water, you ask? Because alcohol is a gas, the vapor causes it to evaporate quicker and leaves the substance more solid and without residue, chemically speaking. The water would work temporarily, but break apart again into even tinier particles. Also, water on a product that is being used on your face would cause germs and bacteria to multiply—that’s a big no-no. For this reason, do not attempt this with hydrogen peroxide either, as it turns to water when exposed to air. And no need to worry; because you are using such a small amount of alcohol, it’s safe to use on your face, even if you have sensitive skin. Remember, most cosmetics have various alcohol-based ingredients already, another reason that rubbing alcohol works so well.

So  the next time you order makeup in the mail and it comes to your doorstep shattered, or your compact breaks in your purse, you’ll know exactly what to do. BONUS: create your own shadow and blush colors by breaking them on purpose you can mix them together! Makeup is supposed to be fun, yes?

 I thank my lucky stars that I paid attention in chemistry class. 😛