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Do you depot your makeup products?


Do you depot your makeup products? Do you have to have everything in a palette?

No, not all.  I depot all of my MAC eyeshadows, and at some point, I will get around to doing blushes–just because they are taking up WAY too much space all in pots.  But for other brands, I don’t have a compulsion to depot as much.

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Jessie Q Avatar

Nope! I don’t feel a need to depot right now, with not that many single eye shadows. Maybe in the future if my collection gets huge. 🙂

Tricia Avatar

I’ve thought about it. I should because I have so many MAC shadows. Are they easy to depot?
Also, do you know if MAC will be releasing starflash shadows again?

Lili Avatar

They are very easy to depot!… Check out enkoremakeup on YouTube!… He has the most easy deporting you can find!… Hope that was helpful!…:0)

Leslie Avatar

YES!!! I have to it keeps me organized. Especially my NARS shadows because when they’re in the individual cases I forget about them.

Laura Avatar

Leslie, Do you find it easy to depot the NARS shadows? I’ve never tried depotting any of my NARS – just all 2389273984 of my MAC shadows! 🙂

Leslie Avatar

LOL I think it’s easier actually. If you just place the packaging on your hot surface (I use on of those pancake griddle this so I can do more then one at a time) the shadows just pop up 🙂

Cloé Avatar

I’ve depotted all my m.a.c. eyeshadows and some N.Y.X.. I recently purchased a blush palette and creamblushes are just a pain in the ass to depot… Yah, they melt.

Dini Avatar

I am on the verge of depotting all of my MAC and UD shadows, but I’m hesitant to do it. I’m sure my shadows will get more use when they are all lined up in a palette and easy to see/access.

NeenaJ Avatar

Dini, I did this about a week ago and I’m so happy I did! The UD tins fit into MAC palettes – so I can mix and match all my favs. I picked up s few of the new MAC 4-pan (empty) pallttes from Nordstrom ($5 each from Digi-pop collection) and they are perfect for carrying your FOTD shadows in your makeup bag. I must say, these are way better than the older 4 pan palettes. Magnetic closure, see through lid, very sturdy.

One tip: you MUST use heat with UD shadows and you have to keep it on longer than the MAC tins because the glue is so tenacious and the shadows can crumble easier (nearly a minute on the heat). To keep fumes at bay, place a small piece of thin cloth, like a piece of old cotton t-shirt, over the plate of your flat iron and under the pot.

Good luck & have fun!

Mariana Avatar

Yes. I’m kinda a neat freak that way. I love having as many options as i can in one neat compacted case. Unfortunately, I have tons of Bare Escentuals eye shadows that I cannot depot, so I guess I don’t apply depotting to all of my makeup. But I do find ways to use multi-chamber sifters to store my B.E. concealers/foundations, & put my lipsticks in multi-chamber pill boxes.

Maggie Avatar

I have the same problem, Marlana – I’d say about 80% of my gajillion eyeshadows are Bare Escentuals. I’m actually planning on trying my hand at pressing them so I can put them in palettes.

evelyn Avatar

just a question, i’ve seen some of your pictures of your collection, do you depot the holiday e/s sets? if so, it seems like they fit into the regular pallets even though they are rectangular? I’ve been thinking of depotting mine forever- but was always afraid it wouldn’t fit??

Frawlh Avatar

only the MAC eye shadows and blushes…
i do’t depot other stuff… but i usually don’t depot blushes.. only blushes, of collections

dolce aria Avatar

I depot everything I can. The Cargo Los Angeles palette is the only thing I like enough to NOT depot. The packaging is just… awesomely sturdy and functional! But everything else, I’d rather see it with teh rest of my colors. It bothers me SO much that the MAC Mineralize things can’t be depotted. I hate having a few colors separate from the palette.

Dusty Avatar

duuuude. i just did a vid a few weeks back on depotting mineralize shadows. you can do the same thing with skinfinishes… it’s just a matter of finding the right palette to put them in.

depot, destick, detube, de-everything! love it!

Mariana Avatar

the mineralized eye shadows fit into nixie compacts (sold online), as well as the too faced eye shadows. It’s a magnetized palette.

Amy Avatar

I’d really love to depot most of my makeup though! I like the concept of having everything in a palette (or in one place); that way I feel like they’re more organized. However I don’t have that many products within one brand, so it’s harder for me to do so…

Mamade Avatar

I depot mine…well I did until about a year ago. The only reason I have not recently is that I have been getting fewer singles and just not enough time. But I do like them depotted for two reasons – 1) easier to see what I have (so I actually don’t forget I have some colors) and 2) fewer pots to have to sort through when needing a color.

Lauren Avatar

I depot pretty much all my MAC eyeshadows and blushes. When I first heard about depotting and turning in the empties for a free lipstick/gloss or eyeshadow, (as opposed to actually using all of the product beforehand) I became almost obsessed with it! And each free eyeshadow was an instant start to the next set of six. I’m much better now, but I do still get a little excited when I find an eyeshadow that’s a keeper. And I’m always keeping an eye out on your blog for the next collection so I can save up my empties. 🙂

I’ll also depot UD shadows since they fit in the same pans.

Sari Avatar

I never depot anything , especially eyeshadows since I travel a lot so palettes are too inconvenient to me , if that makes sense . I probably will move everything to palettes evantually though , when the single eyeshadows start taking up too much room .

Jo Avatar

No, my MAC store is a freestanding that sells pans on their own anyway so I just pop those in the palette and any LE I leave in the pot because it tends to be nice packaging anyway.

Linda Avatar

I depot my MAC shadows as thankfully my local MAC counter still acceps depots for b2m (belfast, uk). Never depotted my blushes though as I find them alot handier in there pots.

Vanessa Avatar

I did my 1st depot of a couple Mac eyeshadows & a blush on Wednesday. I was scared I would end up ruining them but I did well! I’m proud. ^^”

Laura Avatar

I depot all my MAC shadows and blushes. It’s just waaaay more practical when you have 300+ shadows. I also try to depot as many other brands as possible to keep in my pallets or I just forget I have them. I haven’t had the best luck depotting MAC holiday sets since the plastic is realllly hard to work with to get those little square suckers out without cracking them. 🙂 And the new pre-made quads are even harder. 🙁

ledonatela Avatar

I depot my Mac shadows too, because there’s a nice neat palette to put it in, but otherwise no. I like to keep my packaging neat and tidy.

Katt Avatar

I never depot! I like having the shades individually packed, it seems cleaner and safer! I hate it if one cracks and leaves color dust all over everything else… Each time I run out of space, I just buy another organizer instead.

Julie Avatar

I don’t own any eyeshadows but I do own a ton of lipsticks. I go through them every few months and depot the ones that have been manufactured for a while or the ones I do not use that often. I tried DustyoHunter’s method of depotting lipstick and it works!

Lils Avatar

Yes usually MAC and UD Eyeshadows. I love saving space and having all of them in front of me. I don’t depot blushes but I may if I have enough to fit in a palette.

Karen Avatar

I depot MAC shadows – takes up less space, the shadows get more use because I can see them, plus I can “Back to MAC” the empty containers more quickly!

Kathie Avatar

I depot my MAC eyeshadow (Permanant line only!) and Mac Blushes (Permanant line only!) to Back to Mac the containers. I used to depot my MAC lipsticks to do the same but I stopped. I like having the tubes.

Jayna Avatar

I have started this process. All of my Mac shadows are depotted (not the mineralize ones but I am considering it). I have also depotted my Urban decay regular single shadows. I am currently searching for “free form” palettes that are sturdy and deep enough to allow me to take on other products, Bobbi Brown,etc. I am all about consolidating and being able to see things EASILY!! If not, I forget what I have and I will not use them! I like to look and compare shades to decide which is best quickly!

happybadfish Avatar

I love having my eyeshadow’s in palettes, this way I can choose colors and I use them more often. When they were in pots, I just reached for the same ones all the time.

BUT, dropping one eyeshadow on the floor is bad, but dropping a whole palette (which I have done) is devastating. I’m kinda clumsy, so I shouldn’t depot, but I do anyway!

Keana Avatar

I depot all MAC shadows and blushes as well ad UD shadows. I use MAC palletes and empty cd cases to store them. Also use cd cases to store pressed pigments such as belladona from thebodyneeds2.com

Megan Avatar

No, I don’t. I actually kind of like my MAC eyeshadows as singles. I don’t have that many so maybe as I get more I will want to but not right now. As for everything else, I don’t depot those either!

Sheena F Avatar

Just the MAC eyeshadows. I’m a B2M addict haha! And I have de-tubed MAC lipsticks before as well. I don’t think I have enough MAC blushes yet to depot.

Rosamaria Avatar

I don’t depot, because I purchase most of my eyeshadows and blushes from MAC in palette form. Plus, my free-standing MAC store won’t take depotted packaging for Back-to-MAC. 🙁 Are they supposed too?

Cheyenne Avatar

I don’t know how to depot, I probably never will know how to depot. I paid for the packaging, I’ll keep the packaging. If it’s limited edition, I’ll never touch it. If it takes up room in the future *maybe*.

I just barely started my Mac/Various other ‘brands’ collection a few months ago. I started even taking more consideration into the Drugstore brands I bought. I look at all the reviews *ALL* of them and take it into deep consideration. (I went back to all your old posts too hehe.)

It is building up REALLY fast and I did invest in a palette. I’m mostly trying to buy non-limited edition items in pan form. That will save room. I LOVE the palettes. It’s really nice. I just wish I could see the names rather than on the bottom of the pan. For limited edition items, I’m leaving them in the pot 😀

Lauryn Avatar

Yes, i depot all my mac regular e/s. I wanted to depot my mineralized ones, but i’m still hunting for a palette that they will fit into. Someone once told me you *cannot* depot the MES because they’ll break.. I don’t know..

Phyrra Avatar

I really want to depot my MAC shadows, but I’m so nervous I’ll mess it up! I’ve been on a pressed shadow kick and I prefer to buy colors in the refill pans, since they’re easier to put into a palette.

Casey Avatar

I like depotting my MAC single eyeshadows…LE included! Also, I have a dilema! I took my B2M empties back to my mac counter the other day and they wouldn’t except them without the little metal pan!! I was sooo mad since I’ve done it before. The girl said it was some new policy they had to follow. I hate when some stores care and some don’t. Maybe mac is cracking down on all the freebies!? I will definitely be trying another mac counter and see if they take them without the metal pan. 🙁

Sarah C Avatar

I pretty much only use MAC, and I used to depot. In fact once I learned how to do it, I depotted my entire e/s collection which was like 25 or 30 shades. Right after I B2M’d them all was when MAC stopped accepting containers that had been depotted. So ever since then, I’ve stopped. I buy everything I can in a refill pan, and just keep any limited shades in their pots until I finish them.

Fiona Avatar

Could you do a video on how to depot eyeshadows? In your makeup collection video you said you depotted 75 in one night! I would like to see how you do it so quick and efficiently! Thanks

Christine Avatar

I put them in an oven – I think there are about forty videos already up on YT about how to depot, lol! I’m pretty rushed, because I don’t care THAT much about 100% perfect depots. I usually end up gouging more with my fingernails than breaking, LOL!

victoria Avatar

I depotted all my drug store makeup today, and i don’t know what to put it in. You are suppose to glue/stick it onto a tin, but i don’t know what to use… any suggestions?

Lizzie Avatar

All the time! I depot anything I can. Today, I depotted a bunch of Nars, L’Oreal and Urban Decay stuff! Does anyone know if Too Faced palettes (smoky, naked eye, etc) have magnetic eyeshadow pans? I want to depot them to save space but If they aren’t magnetic, they won’t stick inside my big palette… I have trouble with magnetic strips. Does anyone know??

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