Make your own eyeshadow palette!

I have a bit of an obsession with makeup. It started when I was pretty young and my mom and I would go to the Bay. We always checked out the M.A.C Cosmetics counter and wound up taking home a new eyeshadow every time. My collection quickly started to build up, and before I knew it I had a tackle box full of shadows.

A couple of years ago, I found out that at M.A.C stores (not the counters in the Bay) you can buy the eyeshadows without the pots. You can also buy empty palettes in different sizes to fill with the shadows of your choice. They are also cheaper than buying the shadows in the pots, a big plus.

I bought a couple of the de-potted shadows and a palette that could hold 15 shadows. I let the palette sit more than half empty for a couple of years and that's when I heard about de-potting M.A.C shadows.

It's a simple process and doesn't take very long. It's the perfect way to convert your old, bulky shadows into a streamlined palette filled with the colours of your choice.

You can also buy palettes at other makeup stores and you can follow this process using pretty much any eyeshadows that you would like to add!

Here's how to de-pot your shadows!

 

What you need:

• Foil
• A knife
• A M.A.C eyeshadow
• A hair straightener
• Magnet sheets
• Labels
• A pen
• Rubbing alcohol and paper towels  
• A safety pin

Step 1:

Write the shade name of the eyeshadows you plan on de-potting on a small label. This way you can remember what your shadow is called once you take it out of the pot. 

Step 2:

Cut the magnets to into small pieces that will fit on the back of your shadows. Mine were 1 cm by 1.5 cm.

Step 3:

Stick the labels on the magnets.

Step 4:

Slide the tip of your knife into the slit between the top and bottom of the shadow pot. 

Step 5:

Twist the knife and the top half will pop out. 

Step 6:

Using a piece of foil to protect your straightener, put your shadow on the ceramic plate. Keep it there for 30 seconds to one minute. 

Step 7:

Poke your safety pin into the centre of the shadow until it starts to come out of the pot. 

Step 8:

Lift the shadow out of the pot. Some shadows didn't want to come out so I gently used the knife to lift it out. If the shadow cracks at all, put a drop of the rubbing alcohol on it and press the shadow back into place.

Step 9:

Put some rubbing alcohol on a paper towel and rub the bottom of your shadow on it to remove an excess glue. Stick the magnet to the back of the shadow. 

Step 10:

Place the shadow into your palette and put the lid on. Voila, a custom M.A.C eyeshadow palette!