How to Fix Broken Blush

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Co-authored by Ivy Boyd and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: March 5, 2023 References

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Blush plays an important role in many beauty routines. Whether you’re applying makeup at home or on the go, there’s nothing more frustrating than finding a broken and powdery blush compact among your makeup supplies. Before tossing it out, consider using a simple and inexpensive home remedy to repair your blush.

Things You Should Know

Grind the broken blush to a fine powder with a metal spoon.
Add 4-5 drops of rubbing alcohol and mix until the powder becomes a paste. Use the metal spoon to flatten the blush back out into a single piece.
Leave the container or compact open overnight so the blush can dry and set.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Adding Rubbing Alcohol

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1
Break the blush with a spoon. Using the back of a metal spoon, delicately grind the broken blush into powder form. Crushing the blush into as fine of a powder as possible will make it significantly easier to reform and flatten later on.^{[1]
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- You’ll want to use a metal spoon instead of a plastic one, as you’ll eventually be using the spoon to flatten the blush back into place. You may find a plastic spoon to be much less sturdy and more difficult to manage in the flattening process.^{[2]
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2
Add in a few droplets of rubbing alcohol.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Ivy Boyd
Makeup Artist

Expert Interview. 4 August 2021} Add at least 4-5 drops of rubbing alcohol into the container of blush. You want to make the blush powder moist enough to stick together and form a paste, so add more as needed. If you are repairing a smaller amount of blush, you may want to use less rubbing alcohol.^{[4]
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- For easier application, you can use a spray bottle to add rubbing alcohol to the blush powder.^{[5]
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3
Mix the alcohol thoroughly with a spoon. Use the metal spoon to combine the rubbing alcohol and the blush powder. Continue to mix until the blush looks like paste instead of powder.^{[6]
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- If your blush container is on the smaller side, consider using a toothpick to stir in the rubbing alcohol.^{[7]
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4
Flatten the blush with the spoon.^{[8]
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Ivy Boyd
Makeup Artist

Expert Interview. 4 August 2021} Using the back of a metal spoon, press the blush paste mixture into the container until it appears flat. Once you have completed the process, leave the blush container exposed to open air overnight so that it can dry.^{[9]
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- Depending on the size of the container, a tissue can be spread over the blush paste and a coin can be used to flatten the paste mixture.^{[10]
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- To finish the process, press the blush with a paper towel to absorb the remaining alcohol and set the new flatten shape.^{[11]
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  Ivy Boyd
  Makeup Artist
  
  Expert Interview. 4 August 2021}

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Flattening the Powder by Hand

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1
Crush the blush into pieces with a toothpick. Using a wooden toothpick, break the broken pieces of blush into a finer powder. This process can be long or short depending on how broken your powdered blush is initially.^{[12]
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- Consider using a larger instrument (i.e, pencil) if you want to break up the blush more quickly.^{[13]
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Even out the blush powder with a knife. Use a small, dull knife to mark vertical and horizontal lines down the container of blush powder. This will ensure that the blush is equally distributed throughout the makeup pan.^{[14]
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- To prevent any accidental injury, try to avoid using any sharp knives.
3
Lay a makeup removing wipe on the blush. Take a generic makeup removal wipe and place it on top of the blush powder. This moist wipe will help the powder become more compact in the container.^{[15]
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- Make sure that your blush container is lying flat on a surface before you continue to place a wipe.^{[16]
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Once the makeup wipe is in place, use your fingertips to push the blush powder down into the container beneath the makeup wipe. Continue to apply pressure so that the powder can be as flat as possible. This will allow the loose powder to combine and reform at the bottom of the makeup pan.^{[17]
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Dab the blush powder with a makeup removing wipe. After you have firmly pressed the blush into a flat position, use a crumpled makeup wipe to apply a final bit of pressure to the powder. This will help to secure the blush powder into its container.^{[18]
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- Gently tilt your blush container if you want to double check for any loose powder.^{[19]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How does rubbing alcohol fix broken blush?

Ivy Boyd
Makeup Artist
Ivy Boyd is a Makeup Artist and the Creator of the beauty blog, Ivy Boyd Makeup. With nearly a decade of makeup experience, Ivy specializes in makeup services for weddings, special events, and editorial photoshoots. She holds a BA in Graphic Design from The University of Northern Iowa. Ivy was a finalist in the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards and has been featured in numerous media publications such as People Magazine and Brides Magazine.

Ivy Boyd

Makeup Artist

Expert Answer

Rubbing alcohol helps turn the broken blush into a paste-like consistency. From there, it's easy to smooth and re-flatten the blush into its original shape.

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Question

Can rubbing alcohol fix broken makeup?

Ivy Boyd
Makeup Artist
Ivy Boyd is a Makeup Artist and the Creator of the beauty blog, Ivy Boyd Makeup. With nearly a decade of makeup experience, Ivy specializes in makeup services for weddings, special events, and editorial photoshoots. She holds a BA in Graphic Design from The University of Northern Iowa. Ivy was a finalist in the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards and has been featured in numerous media publications such as People Magazine and Brides Magazine.

Ivy Boyd

Makeup Artist

Expert Answer

Definitely! Pick up a strong concentration from the store—70% and 90% work best for fixing broken blush.

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Things You’ll Need

Adding Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol
Metal spoon
Water dropper (optional)
Toothpick (optional)
Tissue (optional)
Coin (optional)

Flattening the Powder by Hand

Makeup removal wipe
Toothpick
Pencil (optional)
Knife

Tips

If you don’t have any rubbing alcohol on hand, consider adding a few drops of saltwater^{[20]
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Research source} or vodka to your blush. This will help the loose powders to stick together, and will serve the same function as the rubbing alcohol.^{[21]
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Thanks
Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
Pressing the powder into place with a makeup wipe is a quicker solution, as it effectively fixes the broken blush without it needing to dry.^{[22]
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Thanks
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