How to Fix Broken Beauty Products

Broken Lipstick

Cause: Because they're made of waxes and emollients, lipsticks become unstable if they aren't kept at the right temperature, explains New York City makeup artist AJ Crimson. "If you're not storing it at room temperature, or if it gets too hot in your purse, a lipstick can melt and lose strength, which makes it more susceptible to breaking completely," he says.

Cure: Mash the bullet back into the tube and apply with a lip brush. If it's too far gone for that to work, scoop what's left into an empty lip-gloss pot, use a blow-dryer to melt it into place, and let set.

Preventive tip: If a lipstick looks as if it's melting, put it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes so it can regain its consistency.

Shattered Powder Eye Shadow or Blush

Cause: You bumped it or dropped it. And because compacted makeup is usually less than a quarter-inch thick, says Crimson, it's very fragile. Extremes in temperature can also make pressed powder more prone to breakage.

Cure: Add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to the compact and use a butter knife to smooth the powder back into shape, says Fuhrmann. Let dry before using. If the damage can't be repaired, you can crush the cosmetic completely, transfer it to a small resealable bag or jar, and use it as loose powder.

Preventive tip: When traveling, place cotton puffs over each eye shadow, blush, or powder before closing the case, says Crimson. Store them in a cool, dry place.

Jammed Lotion Pump 

Cause: It's either a clog (a bit of lotion in the hole of the pump has hardened) or a pump defect (one of the mechanism's many parts is misaligned), which causes the whole gizmo to fail, says president and CEO of MD Skincare Carrie Gross.

Cure: If a clump is the issue, run the pump under hot water, then use a toothpick, a needle, or a bobby pin to dig the blockage out of the hole. If this doesn't work, and the pump itself is the cause, take it out and pour the lotion into a plastic cosmetics bottle (available at drugstores).

Preventive tip: After each use, wipe away any lotion sitting at the tip of the pump with a cotton swab.

Broken Perfume Pump

Cause: The pump tops of many fragrance bottles have crimped collars to prevent leaks. If these are misassembled, the perfume won't make it to the nozzle. Other possible culprits? A faulty pump spring or a pump that is poorly attached to the dip tube (that strawlike thing). "The dip tube can also come loose in the bottle," says Doug Virtue, president and CEO of Virtue Development Company, which creates packages for fragrances, skin-care products, and other cosmetics. "Unfortunately, there's no way to reattach it."

Cure: "Return it to the store where you bought it," says senior director of packaging development for Revlon Ray Garofano. Before buying, ask what the return policy is on faulty packaging.

Preventive tip: Try a spritz before you buy (though that's no guarantee your purchase won't break later).