Lifesaver, Well Maybe Eye Shadow- Saver

There are some things in this world that are truly better than their less expensive counterparts, eye shadow is one of them. My favorites are NARS and M.A.C. eye shadows, they have richer pigments, better colors, and they last all work day. They also cost about four times more than drugstore brands, which is why when I drop one or it cracks, my morning is ruined. I refuse to throw them away so my makeup case has little jars of the loose powder that once was pressed powder. Don't ask me why, but pressed eye shadow powder works ten times better than loose powder, so it is not the same. A few months ago there was an article on The Beauty Department blog about how to fix them, but I was skeptical that it would even work, so I did not try it. I did not want to take the chance, have it not work, and completely ruin my shadow.  Then yesterday, as I stared at my "Nocturnelle" M.A.C. eye shadow that was all sad and broken, I decided to just go for it since it was not doing me much good as a loose powder. Half way through the process, I thought I had completely ruined my shadow just as I feared, however this was the solution I needed to save my eye shadow. I repeated the  process with my other two broken eyes shadows, and I am so happy with the results. I used one this morning and it was as if it had never broken. So if you have any broken shadows, blushes, etc sitting in your make up case, drawer, purse, whatever; you can now fix them.

Directions via The Beauty Department

1. WRAP IT UP: Completely cover the compact with the plastic wrap and make sure it adheres tightly to contain everything.
2. MASH IT UP: With your spatula, crush up the entire pan of shadow, not just the broken pieces. You essentially are turning the pressed powder back into loose powder.
3. ADD ALCOHOL: Remove the wrap and add at least 10 droppers full of 70 % alcohol. You can add a few droppers full at a time to see how much you need. I used a dozen.
4. SMOOTH IT OVER: Now you’ll feel the powder has become sponge-like and very pliable, giving you the perfect opportunity to even it out smoothly with your spatula.
5. PERFECT THE EDGES: Use your eyeliner brush to smooth it out even further. Give it a few hours to completely dry and it’s like it never happened! To make it extra pretty, clean up the perimeter with a Q-tip.

* jauberry note- I used With Hazel instead of 70% Alcohol and it worked perfectly.