If you use pressed powder, whether it be face powder or a powder-based foundation, after a while it tends to cake up in the compact due to facial oils. One's natural instinct to remove this build up, even after using a new sponge or brush to combat the problem, is to scrape it off. The problem with that is you are wasting product and money.

An easy way to remove that is with scotch tape. Simply press a length of tape over the problem areas and the cakey part is gone. This can be done over and over again...and you're not losing product in the process.