Broken compacts, smashed lipsticks, glugged-up polish…Here are five common makeup mishaps and how to solve them.
After the holidays and all the festive cocktail parties, dinners and special events they bring, both makeup artist and kit can feel a little worn out from all the callouts. For you, as we can really say is “go and lie down”. But for your kit we have some genius tips to get things back together.
A cracked compact
There is nothing more heart-breaking than a broken compact. But this neat trick will save some tears. Just add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to the compact (if you need more, just add as you go) then, using a clean butter knife or spatula to push down the broken pieces and smooth the powder back into shape. Allow the powder to dry out for a few hours before you use it.
M.I.A aerosol nozzle
There’s still something still in there, but the nozzle is no where to be seen. Think: spare parts. One aerosol nozzle has a good chance of being the same size as another so try replacing the missing cap with one from another aerosol can. When reattaching, point the nozzle away from yourself, gently press it down onto the stem, and keep on spraying.
Smashed Lipstick
Jammed the lid on a lippie without rolling it down first? We’ve all done it. The best way is to scoop out the colour and ditch the tube all together – get a pill organiser to store the colour and use a lip brush to apply. If you’re still partial to the tube (we get it), use a hairdryer on a low setting to warm up the smashed lipstick slightly to make it more pliable, then sculpt the lippie back together and leave it to harden in the refrigerator for about an hour. Warning: No promises the result will be pretty, but you will be able to use the shade again.
Stuck-fast nail polish lid
To prevent a jammed-up polish lid situation from happening, you should clean the rim on the bottle with a little bit of polish remover after each client. But sometimes things get busy, and, well, polish gets stuck. To open up a glued-shut bottle, hold the nail polish bottle from the bottom and submerge the top in the water for a few minutes. This will loosen up any dried nail polish lurking beneath. If the lid still won’t budge, wrap a rubber band around the cap and you should be able to twist it open easily.
Goopy Nail Polish
Repeat these words: do not put nail polish remover into your polish. It will break down the formula and ruin it. Instead add 2-3 drops of nail polish thinner and roll the bottle in your hands to get rid of any glug-iness.
Have your say: If you have any makeup tips you can share, let us know!