How can you fix crumbled makeup

We've all been there: We reach for our favorite powder, highlighter, or blush , only to find it shattered to smithereens when we lift the lid.

At that moment, every perfect photo we took while wearing it, as well as the money we spent to actually attain it, flash before our eyes. It's at this point that we come to a crossroads: Do we do our best to use it without spilling it all over the place, or do we call it quits and toss it in the trash?

While the latter may seem like the obvious answer and the best way to avoid a major mess in your makeup bag , professional makeup artists will tell you to do otherwise. That's because they know all the tips and tricks to revive their favorite pressed compacts after an untimely mishap. In the process, only use what's still in the container, throwing away any of the product that may have fallen out.

Next, add a few drops of rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer to the loose powder and mix using a spoon or spatula to make a paste. Evenly spread that paste into the container's pan and cover it with a paper towel or cling wrap. There are a couple of different ways, but it depends on what type of product you broke. Nonetheless, we went straight to expert makeup artists to find out exactly how they fix their broken products plus to hear about their expert makeup travel hacks.

According to celebrity makeup artist Stevi Christine , how you should fix broken powders depends on the extent of the breakage. After that, try reaching for a makeup brush to smudge the shadow in, making sure it's pressed nicely into the packaging, in order to prevent new cracks from forming.

If the powder makeup is completely crumbled, break it up even further. Yes, we're serious. Just pick up a small container from an art store and pop the loose powder inside. One of Christine's favorite powder products is this Tom Ford bronzer. If you're looking to complete a full pressed-powder restoration, then celebrity makeup artist Anton Khachaturian has the advice for you. What I do is collect all the broken pieces and get as much of the product back into the original container as I can.

Second, I grind it up as much as possible. This includes parts of the product that may not have broken. A toothpick is a good tool for this. The finer the product is, the better its chances of coming back to life! Put the drops over the top of the product and then smooth it out by hand or with a flat tool. A spoon can work really well. It dries quickly, but I like to leave it alone for several hours to ensure it comes together properly.

Rubbing alcohol, a little patience, and some pressure will make your pressed powders, well, pressed again. As for Khachaturian's favorite pressed powder product of the moment? It's this MAC palette. There is an array of neutral shades that are stunning on all skin tones, and they range from neutral to deep. I love this palette because you can do something super simple or dramatic depending on the situation," he says.

As it turns out, fixing a broken lipstick is even easier than fixing a broken powder product. She starts by sticking the broken lipstick in the freezer. This will help bond the broken pieces back together. If that doesn't work, "warm it up with a tiny makeup spatula and push it into a small empty container," she advises. Again, you can find these at makeup or art stores.

Next, take a shot. Sort of. Hey, after what you've been through grieving your broken makeup, you deserve it. After, D'Amelio says to use your scissors to cut a small corner of the bag and carefully squeeze the mixture to dispense it back into its original compact or container. Just picture those icing-piping bags they use on baking shows. Let it dry until it's back to normal. Fixing a broken lipstick is also relatively quick and easy, but it does require fire, so be extra careful.

Here are two ways you can do it. Start by removing the broken piece of lipstick and set aside the tube for a moment. Then, Patinkin says, "Hold a lighter about 2 inches away from the bottom of the broken-off piece in order to warm it slightly but not make it drippy and melted. Once the lipstick is nice and warm, Patinkin recommends placing the broken piece back onto the base of the lipstick and wiggling it gently into place.

Once the lipstick is reattached, Patinkin says to wait for about 60 seconds and then carefully twist the lipstick back down. Lastly, pop it in the fridge for at least two hours, and it'll be ready to swipe. Like with the broken powder, this one requires you to mush up the entire lipstick to fix it. D'Amelio recommends scooping out all the lipstick bits into a spoon.

Then, D'Amelio says, place your spoon over a stove or a lighter to melt it until it looks like a beautiful [insert lipstick color here] soup. Once the lipstick is nice and smooth and melted, D'Amelio says to pour it into an empty lip balm tube not the one it came in—grab a cleaned out Chapstick tube or the like. Then let it fully dry and harden. Lastly, D'Amelio says, "twist up and remove the newly repaired lipstick and place it into the original packaging. This allows the lipstick to be able to fit back into its original applicator without sticking to the sides.

You can also keep it in the Chapstick tube if you prefer.