How to Re-Press Powder Products

Here is an easy step by step tutorial on how to re-press powder products such as face powders, blushes, eyeshadows or powder foundations. This can be used on broken powders or powders that have nearly been used up with a ring of product around the edge. Repressing powders is a savvy way to use up an entire product with minimal wastage.

Here's what you'll need:

• Rubbing alcohol (I used 99% but 50-70% works as well, I purchased mine at the drugstore)
• Paper towels
• Spoon 
• Knife (or other scraping utensil such as chopstick, end of makeup brush, etc)
• Ziploc Bag
• Bowl
• Broken Powder (pressed face powder, powder foundation, eyeshadow, blush, etc)

STEP ONE: Dump the contents of the product into a ziploc bag. Use a knife (or chopstick, etc) to scrape out any remnants of product left in the pan.

STEP TWO: Close and seal up the bag. Use a spoon to mash the powder up until fine without any visible chunks. 

STEP THREE: Dump your powder into a bowl directly from the ziploc bag. 

STEP FOUR: Add one capful (or one teaspoon) of alcohol to the bowl. Begin to mix up the contents and slowly add more alcohol until the mixture becomes creamy and runny but not completely liquid. I started with one teaspoon of alcohol and adding another 1/2 teaspoon to get the right consistency. The amount of alcohol you add will differ between products depending on the amount of powder you have and how absorbent the product is. Continue to stir mixture until it becomes smooth without lumps.

STEP FIVE: Sterilize the pan by wiping it over with alcohol on a paper towel.

STEP SIX: Carefully pour mixture into the center of the compact. You may want to put a paper towel in under the compact in case of accidental spills. 

STEP SEVEN: Pick up the compact and drop it on a hard surface (table, counter, etc) 2-3 times. This helps to get out any air bubbles trapped in the mixture and also helps the product to spread out more evenly in the pan.

STEP EIGHT: Let the powder dry out over night and you will wake up with a repressed powder!

Optional: I did not press my powder because it was already in a very thin layer. However, if you want to press your powder to flatten it out in the pan, it is super easy. After powder has been drying for one hour, place a folded paper towel over the entire pan and smooth it down with something hard and flat (e.g. bottom of a shotglass, large spoon, etc). Remove the paper towel and you will be left with a smooth, flat surface. Let product dry overnight as stated above. 

Although this tutorial has eight steps, it literally took me about five minutes and I'm very happy that I can use up the rest of my Clarins Ever Matte Powder. 

Have you repressed your makeup? Please let me know in the comments below if you have any questions! 

Thanks for reading.