Reviving Gel Liner- What not to do!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

What does Bobbi Brown, Napoleon Perdis and MAC all have in common? They all have a gel liner that seems to dry out in the pot. After a few months of use, I always find that my gel liners harden a little in the pot. Actually, have you ever seen a gel liner tester at a store that wasn't rock hard and shriveled? Now, I hate waste and would really like to be able to use every drop of a product (I paid for it and I want it!), so I set about looking around the internet for a way to revive my liners. Some people said that they used oils, glycerin and Visine, among other things. Oils didn't work for me- neither did glycerin even though I all I added was one small drop and mixed thoroughly with a toothpick. Once I added oil to the gel liner, it didn't dry at all- and completely ruined the finish. Glycerin is a little better, the new mixture felt smooth but because glycerin is so potent, one drop really effected the formula. It just didn't dry well and lost it's staying power.
Eye drops are ideal! Think about it- because it's formulated for the eyes, it stands that it won't cause irritation, right? Least that was my line of thinking. I used my Visine for contact wearers, and just added one large drop but didn't stir. Instead, I waited ten minutes or so and just let that drop soak into the surface of the hardened gel. It revived it completely to the consistency I wanted, so I added a couple more drops to the surface. Hooray for salvaging makeup!