Stila and I have always had a dysfunctional kind of love affair. Their eye shadows are so buildable and blendable that it's hard not to love them, but because they're so soft, they tend to break. Then you're left with tiny bits of Kitten all over the place, which means a lot of product goes to waste.
While at Sephora this weekend, a Stila representative named Pam asked me if I'd tried their shadows. We got talking about the fragility, and Pam showed me a trick. It's one of those no-duh things that I should have tried on my own, but I honestly didn't think it would work so well. In just three steps, you can rehabilitate your broken shadow and make it as good as new. To find out how to do it, read more.
Because Stila's shadows are so soft, they're prone to breakage. But that quality is exactly why it's so easy to put them back together. Here's how to do it:
- Step one: Use a clean mascara wand (like the testers at Sephora) or Q-tip to gently scrape away any loose bits of shadow.
- Step two: Place a Kleenex on top of the broken shadow, then use your index finger to press down on it. Use a series of small pressing motions rather than a few big ones.
- Step three: Remove the Kleenex, and you should have an intact shadow once again. (I turned mine upside down and it stayed in one piece. Success!)
Simple but effective, right? Don't forget, you can also turn broken blush into lip gloss.
Antik Batik
Energie
Ralph Lauren
This is a really, really good idea. I'm always a little bit crushed when my shadows get, well, crushed.
1oh yea one of my FAVE colors just broke and I'm so sad. Will this work for all eyeshadows? Mine is from MAC. I'll try it out and pray it works!
2Renees let us know if it works with MAC my Dazzlelight is in a million pieces and i'd love to be able to fix it.
3This seems like such a simple solution, I can't believe I hadn't ever thought about it.
4That's a really good idea!! I never thought of that! But, then again I barely ever wear eyeshadow. I get really disappointed when my powder foundation starts to crumble.
5I know what you mean! After I read the steps, I thought "pressed" shadow....."press it again"....yet I never thought to do this!?!
6That is a great idea. And if all else fails, sample jars with sifters would probably work well too
7I went to using mineral eye shadow about 5 months ago, so I'm completely used to the powder-y look. As long as you're using a brush (instead of those Q tip-like things that come with some eye shadows), I don't know why you couldn't just swirl your brush over the bits and pick up some color.
8To repair MAC eyeshadows, you can scrap it completely, pour some 90° alcohol in it, mix, replace in the pan. 24 hours later, press it with a coin with some fabric around it, it'll be as good as new
9I have been keeping my broken eyeshadows in tiny tins from the Container Store...this sounds much less messy!
10I was just going to suggest what Lilie said -- mix in rubbing alcohol and press it down and as the alcohol evaporates, it repacks the eyeshadow. This definitely works with the firmer eyeshadows, like MAC.
11I third the rubbing alcohol trick - that's how I salvaged my last pot of Kitten, as a matter of fact.
12Thank you so much Lilie!
13I've never heard of the rubbing alcohol trick - sounds easy enough.
If my Stila shadows break I'm definitely going to use Bella's suggestion!
14That is really simple, but I had soooo never thought of it either! Alas, I have lost so many eyeshadows to breakage.
15I'm going to try this with my Kitten when I get home.
16WOW. cannot believe i never thought of this on my own!
17I should try that with my Stila Blush that I dropped a month ago.
18Thanks for the tip!
My eyeshadows are so fragile. Maybe it's because I'm clumsy, but
I dropped them twice, and two broke! Maybe this will help.
19If you're unsure about how to press it with isopropyl alcohol, youtube "pressing eye shadow" or something. This makeup artist EnKoreMakeup has awesome tutorials on how press pigment and repair eye shadows and what not. I fixed my clinique pressed powder this way. It was all broken and impossible to carry around but now it's fixed!
20wow great tip
21Really good to know. I threw away a Clinique pressed powder because of it breaking. Now I know what to do, and if it doesn't work, i'll try the alcohol trick. Thanks!
22OMG. i just broke my rose blush from stila. and i threw it away two days ago.
two days too
late. haha ohwell. i know what to do next time. :]
23I'm a BE user (used to the loose powder) and very frugal so I've always just crushed them up and used them as it. Never heard of the alcohol trick though.
24Interesting... I've only ever broken one powder product, and that was about 10 years ago, but I'll keep this in mind should it ever occur again.
25Good tip, thanks!
26I can't believe this would actually work. It sounds so simple. I will have to give it a try if I break one.
27haha, wow this IS a "no, duh" tip - I'm beelining it to my bathroom RIGHT NOW to re-press a couple broken eyeshadows
28I use a brush, usually, so it doesn't bother me if my eye shadow is in pieces- except the initial break, I've dropped them face down before and wanted to cry.
29Good things to remember though.
I broke my compact pressed powder bronzer into a bajillion pieces. I cried (I actually did, I'm not kidding. I'm a bit of a loser in that regard LOL). Anyhoo, my best friend took it from me, went tot the kitchen and got a small teaspoon, and used it to pack the powder back down. Seemed to work, just have to be careful with it and not tote it around anywhere, but it did work!
30Good idea. I never thought of this simple one.
31I will be experimenting with this tip very soon.
32Thank you so much for posting this! I have had little pieces of Go lightly all over the rest of my everyday make up for about 2 weeks now! I'll have to try this!
33I love this tip! I went home and tried it on my broken shadows and blush. It worked better on the eyeshadow. The blush ended up still being a little messy, but it worked just a bit!
34If you have isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) crushing the shadow further, adding a few drops of the alcohol and stirring it up, waiting for it to dry, and then pressing it with your finger/or a coin over plastic wrap should prove to be more sturdy. tutorial here: http://www.specktra.net/forum/f280/guide-pigment-pressing-pic-heavy-6381... it gives it for pigment pressing but works the same for broken up eyeshadow.
35Didn't work for me
I have tried it a few times, and have always been careful with my
eyeshadow, but it seems to want to stay broken or keep breaking when I put a brush near it
36i always use this trick when my eyeshadows break, but i use my bare fingers
why
didnt it occur to me to use a tissue paper!
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