Last year I filmed a tutorial on how to fix a broken pressed powder which was inspired by my shattered Nars pressed powder. The main question I got asked was if there were any side effects to the color or application of the newly fixed powder (due to the rubbing alcohol).

I would tell people that there was no difference in application from what I've noticed but I couldn't really give definitive proof because I didn't have two identical pressed powders to compare.

A few weeks ago, I dropped my Nars Orgasm blush and it ended up cracking. I used the same steps that I did in my tutorial to repair it and discovered that this could be a great teaching moment.

It just so happens that I have another Nars Orgasm blush in my collection, so I wanted to compare them to show that there is no degradation in the pigmentation or application of the product due to the addition of rubbing alcohol.

The appearance of the blushes are quite different from one another. The repaired Orgasm blush looks much darker in the pan (though this is partially due to the fact that it wasn't completely dry when I snapped this shot).


I waited until the repaired Orgasm blush was completely dry before I did any swatches. I also compared the swatch of both blushes in various lighting. The repaired Orgasm blush is on the left and the original Orgasm blush is on the right.





As you can see, the pigmentation and application of both blushes are similar. They have the same color payoff and the same shimmery gold sheen. There is no degradation of the product from the rubbing alcohol.

This is a great method to get your broken pressed powder/blush back into shape without compromising the product.


How to: Fix a Broken Pressed Powder

If you want to know how to fix a broken pressed powder, I list the four simple steps that you can follow. For a more in depth tutorial, be sure to watch my video!

All you really need is a mascara tube (or anything with a small flat surface), rubbing alcohol, and the broken pressed powder you want to fix.

Step 1: Crush the powder.

You want to break up all the solid pieces to make your pressed powder into loose powder. You won't need to transfer the powder anywhere, just crush the powder while it's in the pan. Take your mascara tube and crush whatever solid pieces are left to create a powder.

Step 2: Add the rubbing alcohol.

Take some rubbing alcohol and add some to the loose powder. This will make a paste. Add enough alcohol so that all the powder is covered (but be careful not to add too much).

Step 3: Wait.

Let it dry. The alcohol will evaporate leaving you with a pressed solid. Be sure to leave it overnight with the lid open. This will help it dry faster.

Step 4: Spruce it up.

Make it pretty. This step is optional. Once the powder is dry, you want to clean up the edges of the pan and the packaging. You can use a Q-tip and some rubbing alcohol. This is more for aesthetics.

It's that simple.


If you've tried this, let me know how it works for you!


On another note...

I received my TopBox in the mail today. If you're not familiar with TopBox, it's another subscription service like Birchbox (but for us Canadians).

I am excited to open it! I will be doing a blog post & a video on it soon. The blog post will probably be up first.

I'm on the fence about whether or not this is against Project 10 Pan. I feel like it is because I'm acquiring new products (whether or not they're samples). On the other hand, I have quarterly subscriptions to both Glymm and Loose button that I purchased months ago. Does this mean I should cancel my subscriptions? I'm torn.

What do you think?

xo,
Aleeza

P.s., ahh! It's Thursday. Thursdays are like my Fridays. It's the last day of the week I have classes. I am so excited to sleep in tomorrow.