Re-compacting powders which have hit the pan

So my old Jill Stuart Mix Blush Compact was really getting hard to use. It was really hard to get any product onto any brush as the remaining bits were stuck to the side. So, I decided to transfer the bits into a new, smaller pan! I transformed this (the one on the right):

Into this:

So first you'll want to scrape off the remaining amounts from the sides of the pan. I used a toothpick (totally new and clean of course!) Jill Stuart blush pans are around 0.6cm deep, so even though it may not look it, there's actually quite a bit of product left! (Most pans are 0.4cm deep. JS Mix Blush Compacts have 8g of product, NARS blushes have 4.8g.)


Transfer all the bits into a plastic bag, and pound/mash it till the powder bits are well-broken up (the finer the better) and roughly uniform in size. You also want to do this to evenly mix the 4 colors ^^


Find any old eyeshadow/blush pan you don't want anymore, remove whatever's in it, clean it/wash it and pour a portion of your pounded powder bits in.


Use a toothpick or whatever you'd like the press/compact the powder towards the bottom of the pan.

Keep pouring in the powder a bit at a time and compact them as much as you can.

When you've gotten to the last portion to pour in, don't use the toothpick but get a plastic bag.

Using the plastic to cover, use your fingers or whatever you deem fit to compact the powder into the pan. Just keep pressing as hard as you can because the more compacted the powder is, the better the finished pan'll turn out. There'll also be a less chance of the powder coming loose and getting messy when you use it.

And tada! Smooth-ish finish and a more usable pan compared to the old stuck-at-the-sides version! You can do this for pressed powders or eyeshadows too. Just make sure the product hasn't expired.

I know some people like to pour rubbing alcohol to mix the powder and then let it evaporate, but I find the thought kind of disturbing, so I just tried pressing as hard as I could. I mean, they're called pressed blushes/pressed powders/pressed shadows for a reason right? :D