Depotting Eyeshadows

After I noticed that I was getting a nice little collection of loose MAC and Urban Decay single eyeshadows, I decided to depot them to make life easier.  To start, I chose a Large MAC Pro Palette Duo and a Make Up Forever XL Palette to store them in.  I tried two methods of depotting, but when using the candle method I ended up dropping MAC Trax in the candle and ruining it.  After I switched over the the flat iron method, this is definitely the easier method (at least for me), but do whichever works for you!

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MAC & UD Eyeshadows to depot + Graftobian Spatula

Tools:
Depotting Spatula (I used my Graftobian Double-Ended Spatula)
Rubbing Alchohol and Cotton Swab
Flat Iron/Straightener or Candle (and spoon)
Wax Paper
Round Magnets or Magnet Tape
Scissors
Sharpie
Magnetized Palette (Z Palette, MAC Pro Palette - Large/Duo, Make Up Forever Palette)

MAC Pro Palette and Make Up For Ever Metal Palette

Graftobian Double-Ended Spatula and MAC Shadow for depotting...

Steps:
1.  Open up the eyeshadow and stick the point of the depotting spatula in between the outer shell and the inner plastic pan where there is a little square hole.  Jimmy the inner pan out.
2.  Once your flat iron is hot, place the wax paper on one plate of the flat iron.  Place the eyeshadow on top of it.  This step is to melt the glue from the back of the metal pan so you can wiggle it out of that plastic pan.*
3.  After 3-5 minutes, take the pointed end of the spatula carefully press at the edge of the metal pan and see if the pan will move at all.  If not, set it back on the flat iron.
4.  Dip your cotton  swab in the alcohol and wipe the glue from the back of the metal pan.
5.  Label the back with the name of the eyeshadow, and the brand.
6.  Cut a piece of magnet if using a roll, or affix a round magnet to the back and pop in your palette!

*If you would prefer to use the candle method, put your eyeshadow pan in a spoon and lower it over the candle flame until the glue is melted and continue with steps 3-6.

I chose to melt the stickers off the back of my shadows and stick those on the back of the metal pans instead of labeling with the Sharpie (I have huge handwriting!).  Then I placed the magnet on the back where I could still read the color name.

MAC Pro Palette - Double

Using a palette also saves money since MAC sells their Pro Palette Refill Pans for $ (formerly $10), and are also already labelled on the back, versus their single eyeshadows which are $16!  I wish I had known that from the beginning.

MAC Pro Palette with MAC, Urban Decay, and Shea Moisture Shadows

Don't forget to save your shadow pans for the Back to MAC program!

Here is my finished product of my shadows in my MAC palette. So much easier just opening this up to do an eye look than a bunch of single shadows.  Plus I can take a few out to make a quad and put them in a smaller travel palette like the small version of the Make Up Forever palette, which I am going to buy just for that purpose.

MAC Pro Palette

I hope this helped everyone!  Let me know your favorite single eyeshadows and palettes to store them in below!