Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
How To Fix a Broken Makeup Palette
Updated: 9/1/26
My beauty loving heart was broken. I anxiously awaited my Danessa Myricks Lightwork Highlighting Palette from Sephora, only to find it arrived broken. It didn’t surprise me as I read the reviews on Sephora’s website and saw others had experienced the same issue. I LOVE Danessa Myricks’ products (they are cruelty free, very versatile and last!), but due to already having an issue with the Vision Flush products seeping product (no matter how many times I wipe it), the packaging of the products is not the best.
Broken makeup pencil? See my hack using these makeup pencil caps via Amazon below via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
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Because an actual Sephora store is about an hour from my house, I weighed my options. I knew I could fix it, but I knew it still wasn’t right that the makeup arrived broken. It actually looked like someone stepped on the box, but who’s really at fault?
Is it the overworked UPS driver trying to make their deadlines? Is it Sephora’s fault for not packing it very well? Or, is it Danessa Myricks’ design team for not quite nailing the package design of her super soft highlighting palette?
You can easily fix broken highlighter
I decided to go on Sephora’s website and do a chat with them to tell them what happened. After a quick chat and sending them a photo of the product and the smushed box, they offered me a refund or a replacement. Because I was afraid the highlighter palette would arrive broken again, I asked for a refund. They agreed and told me to keep the product.
Check out more of my makeup tips on my YouTube Channel “Carolyn Braden” or below:
You can quickly fix a broken eyeshadow palette
Because I got to keep the highlighter palette and five of the highlighters weren’t broken, I decided to use my tried and true hack to fix the one broken highlighter. I’ve used this same method on my IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Pressed Finishing Powder and on an IT Cosmetics blush over the numerous years I’ve worn makeup and it has always WORKED and lasted for the rest of the time I owned the product.
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Because I’ve used this method on various broken powdered makeup, I can say it would probably work on just about any powdered makeup.
Get the one minute broken makeup fix tutorial on my Pinterest page @carolynjbraden or below:
Here’s what you do:
I used a face mask mixing bowl set and it’s tools for this process. This way I only use these items for makeup/face masks and not for food. One of my art teachers in college taught me to do this and I have kept my kitchen tools separate from my art/beauty tools ever since!
Scrape the broken makeup into a bowl.
Break it up into a very fine powder.
Add a few drops of 70% Isopropyl Alcohol at a time to the powder. Stir to mix.
Add more alcohol as you need it in order to form a PASTE-like consistency (not too thin, not too thick)
Scrape the paste into the empty palette space
Use a square of wax paper to press it into the palette and to make it smooth
Allow it to dry (keep the palette open!) for about 24 hours, or until it’s firm and fully dry
Fixing broken makeup is easy and quick
And that’s the process! I cannot attest to fixing broken makeup with micellar water, basic water, setting spray or anything else. I know that the alcohol helps keep your makeup in the same consistency as it originally was and it works. It’s also really easy!
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If you try any of my ideas, let me know how it turned out—or tag me when you try them because I LOVE seeing your posts💖 If you tag me using @carolynsbloomingcreations or @carolynjbraden, I’ll see it! Or tell me about it in the comments below.
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Carolyn J. Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.