Have you ever wondered why some of your powder products suddenly stop working like before? Like somehow your brush picks up less product from the same pan, somehow it doesn’t glide on as smoothly on the lids, somehow the color is not as pigmented, somehow it doesn’t last as long as before?

MAC Shroom eyeshadow was the one that got me thinking.

Shroom is described as a ‘soft muted golden beige with opalescent shimmer’ and is well-loved for its soft and subtle neutral beige color. I love it as a brow bone highlight as it’s not overbearing like some highlight shades that are either too glittery or too pale.

For example, Virgin from Urban Decay is a little too pale and leans slightly pink, not too good for my yellow undertone. Shimma Shimma from Makeup Geek is gorgeous but can be a little too shimmery for a very simple, day-time kind of look.

That’s why Shroom is just perfect as a brow bone highlight. You can barely see it, but know it’s there. It blends out harsh edges on the Contour Area effortlessly. I wouldn’t use it on the inner corner or as an overall wash on the lid though, too subtle.

So one day, or on many days actually, I realized my brush just couldn’t pick up color from the Shroom pan. No matter how hard I swiped my brush, no pigment clung onto the bristles of the brush. Oh, by the way, I’ve been using the same cheap elf brush for more than three years and it’s still my favorite brush for brow bone highlight. Perfect size, great flexibility, super cheap.

elf Eyeshadow Brush (find it here)

Then I tried to use my finger to do a swatch. Normally the finger would get the best and most intense shade, but there was hardly any pigment on mine! HORROR! Ruined eyeshadow!, I thought.

I read before that using tissue to wipe off the top layer would solve the problem but still the situation did not improve.

So I brought Shroom to a MAC counter and the girl told me there’s so much grime build-up on my eyeshadow that a tissue is not enough. And she proceeded to use a mascara brush to scrape off the top layers.

And WOOTZ! That did the trick!

I went home and tried it on my NARS Orgasm Blush, which has been banished to the Cold Palace mainly due to its decline in lasting power and the arrival of Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso.

It grotesquely looks like a slab of bacon, doesn’t it? Especially with all those ‘oil bumps’. LOL.

It’s really easy to remove all that gunk build-up on your powder products, albeit a little messy.

Use a spoolie – I took a few from the MAC counters – and gently scrape off the top layer.

Pour the loose powder away and then use a tissue to smooth out the surface. That’s it! Easy right? 😀

It might seem such a waste to scrape off eyeshadow/blush like that as it’s almost like throwing away money, but if you think of how those makeup products might otherwise sit in a banished corner of your makeup bag (or cabinet), you’re really saving a lot more.

Where to buy products mentioned:

e.l.f. Cosmetics Eye Shadow Brush

NARS Blush Orgasm

MAC Eyeshadow Shroom

Milani Baked Powder Blush 05 Luminoso

Do you use the same trick to get rid of grime build-up? Share with us your tips on how to make powder products perform like brand new!