Revive & Reinvent Broken Shadows!

I recently uncovered two or three eye shadows from my beauty arsenal that I hadn't seen in a while. The shadows ranged from a black matte Vincent Longo shade to a cerulean blue tint by Chantecaille and another shimmery navy by Trish McEvoy. They were each smashed into a million pieces, ready to explode out of their containers. As much as I tried to continue using them, the harder it became. They invariably splattered all over the place and usually ended up smearing all over my face.

I couldn't bring myself to throw them out because they truly are some of the most flattering hues against my skin and after some arduous effort, did end up looking fabulous on. They are, however, impractical and kinda impossible to use in the state they're in. It was a lost cause till now.

What was always a wasteful shame (throwing out or never using the handicapped shades) is now solved by mixing the broken shadows with a dab of Vaseline. You get a rich cream/gel liner that goes on smooth and velvety. My beloved shades are back in action! Take the powder and swirl it around with the Vaseline on the back of your hand or inside the shadow container. Then apply the revamped product as you would a cream shadow or liner. Smokey eyes are instantly created and the newly mixed concoction will look dewy and fresh on the eyes and against your skin.

As I've mentioned in the past, Vaseline will always be handy for numerous beauty fixes. It's a does-it-all tub. Grab a few and throw them in various places (the office, your bathroom, First-Aid kit, travel bags, makeup bags, etc). I guarantee you this old-school product will save the day no matter where you are.

Another solution to Zombie-Bride (bring back to life) your shadow is to gather a few tools and re-solidify the broken eye-poppers. Here's how: Take a tissue or piece of an old t-shirt, a ziplock bag, a bottom of a utensil like a knife, some rubbing alcohol (since we clearly all have that lying around) and nickel or quarter. Slide the damaged pigment into the ziplock bag, seal it tight and smash the contents so the solid pieces are now grinded into a powdery mixture. Take the pan or container out of the bag and add a few drops of the alcohol. The higher the concentration, the quicker it dries. Make sure the shadow has enough drops to create a thick smooth paste. Let the alcohol dissolve and the consistency harden. Then take the coin and wrap it around the tissue or cloth and press the shadow container firmly for 30-45 seconds. The shadow will flatten and solidify . Voila! Good as new!


Tip: Add a tiny dot under the eyes to help moisturize the delicate area and make your under eye concealer stay on without looking cakey.

On a separate side note, if your shadow constantly falls while trying to apply it (especially when using eyeshadow applicators to add it on), brush some translucent powder on where it typically falls (underneath the eyes or on the cheeks). You can easily wipe the shadow and excess translucent powder away with a brush or baby wipe. Then add concealer under the eye and set it with powder to make your eyes look alert and help your makeup stay put all day.