PIXEL CONSERVATION MANUAL
the cosmetic afterlife teardown
A cloudy compact is placed on a marble bench. Follow the brass seam as each package becomes material, residue, component, and route.
Identify the shell before the shine.
Read the base, hinge, and insert separately. A mirror is not the same stream as the pan; a magnet is not the same truth as the plastic case.
Empty until residue becomes a note.
Scoop wax, powder, and cream from corners with a cotton pad. The package does not need to look new; it needs to stop hiding product.
Separate the quiet metals.
Pop refill pans from cardboard, magnets from palettes, and sleeves from tubes when they release without force. If glued tight, mark it mixed.
Rinse only what can dry honestly.
Warm water clears jars, caps, and simple bottles. Pumps with springs keep secrets; separate what you can and return the rest through take-back.
Sort by route, not by hope.
Glass jars, plain caps, metal pans, and clean cardboard can often leave locally. Tiny mixed plastics and applicators need a brand box or specialty mailer.
Refill before the bin receives it.
If the case still closes, the best afterlife is another pan, pencil, or jar insert. Reuse is the circuit trace that never needs melting.
Return the fragments with their names intact.
Every cap, sleeve, spring, pan, and smear has been inspected. The afterlife is not a wish: it is a labeled path away from the vanity table.