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What to Do When Your Makeup Melts in This Stupid Summer Heat

We've got some tricks

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So, you left your favorite lipstick in the cup holder of your car and it melted into a mush. Or your trusty concealer stick broke in half mid-use. Don’t toss it out just yet. Here are some handy tips that will salvage the mess and save you money.

Lipstick
Gently reattach the broken piece to the base of the stick. Next, run a lighter around the perimeter of the lipstick to seal the two pieces back together. Place it in the fridge for an hour to set it before use. If your lipstick has melted beyond reattachment, scoop as much as you can into an empty pillbox and place it in the fridge overnight to make yourself a new pot of rouge.

Pencil Eyeliner
If you have some time, pop it in the freezer overnight to reset it. But if you’re in a rush and need your liner in the next few minutes, drop the pencil into a glass of iced water to get a similar effect faster. Don’t worry: The pencil’s waxy coating will protect the wood. 

Cream Blush or Shadows
Add a couple drops of saline solution to the melted (or broken) pigment and stir it together with a toothpick. This will add back some moisture that may have evaporated--while, say, that compact sat out in your hot car--without compromising the color. Smooth the surface of the compact with the back of a spoon and place it into the fridge for an hour before use.

Concealer
If it’s a stick, treat it like a marred lipstick and melt the pieces back together. If it’s a pot or palette, smooth the lumpy surface with the back of a spoon and set it in the fridge for an hour. Ta-da!

HOW TO FIX A BROKEN MAKEUP COMPACT



Jenny Jin Headshot Vertical 2023

Beauty Director

Jenny Jin is PureWow’s Beauty Director and is currently based in Los Angeles. Since beginning her journalism career at Real Simple magazine, she has become a human encyclopedia of...