2.18.2013

Depotting Mineralized Products!

Hey there! I'm back again to show you how I depot mineralized/domed products!

Recently, I finally caved and bought a Dome Z Palette ($25) to house all of my domed powder products that are too tall to fit in regular Z Palettes. At first, I was quite nervous to attempt depotting these products because they are far more fragile and their shape makes them trickier to handle. Once I depotted my first item, it was such a breeze!

By the way, if you've never depotted things before, this is also very similar to the way I depot all my other products, for reference. If you remember just one thing, make sure to take your time and be cautious of the pan and product to make sure they aren't cracking or bending too much in the process.

Things you'll need: A sharp, thin knife or pointy metal tool, burning candle, tweezers/pliers, magnets, paper towels/washcloth

Most tutorials I've seen also include flat irons, but I've never attempted to depot things that way. I'm sure you can research and find other tutorials for that method.

Getting Started: First, you'll need to make sure you have some kind of protection on your work area for cushioning. These products, when depotted, also tend to touch everything, which will definately cause it to get dirty, so this will help prevent that as well. I'm using an old and stained (sorry!) washcloth for mine.

Next, you'll need to separate your packaging, which will allow for better access to the pan and surface we will be burning. On standard MAC packaging, there is a small groove in which you can insert your knife or pointy tool and wiggle loose. Be careful doing this too rapidly because there's a chance you could bend the pan inside, causing the product to crack. Most other packaging will have this same groove, but if not, you could always try to burn the bottom, it just may take more time.

Now that the inner packaging is separated, I tend to use tweezers to hold the outer edge above my burning candle, just so that my hand doesn't get too close to the heat. (You could also use pliers if you want a firmer grip.) Make sure you have control over the product before attempting to burn the underside because it could slip and burn you or fall into the flame. Now, position the plastic into the flame horizontally, generally starting from the center. I hold it there for a few seconds, and move the plastic in circular motions so that the flame will warm any other glue holding the pan down. Burning the plastic will cause a bit of smoke, just be careful not to breathe that in directly or too much.

After the pan has been burned for a minute or so, the underside should look like this:

While it is still warm, continue to grip the side of the plastic with your tweezers/pliers, and use your sharp object to push the pan through from the hole that has formed. If the pan is not coming out easily, repeat the burning process for a little bit more time. Remember to not force or push the product out too fast because it could be destroyed in the process.

Once the pan has come out, the bottom of the product will look generally like this. These are not standard metal pans, but are clay on which the mineralized products are baked on.

Now, since the glue should still be somewhat warm, I like to apply my magnet to help it stick a little better. Z Palettes come with round sticky magnets, or you could use some purchased from a craft store. After that is applied, if you want to label the product using the original label, you'll have to remove that too.

This time, I usually hold the outer packaging with my hand, since we're not really trying to burn through plastic. (If you want to take extra caution, you could still hold the packaging with tweezers or pliers.) I'll hold the plastic vertically and quickly run the bottom label through the flame a couple of times, making sure not to scorch it. This will soften the adhesive and you'll notice air bubbles beginning to form between the plastic and label. Once that happens, you can grip the label with your tweezers and peel it off. While the glue is still warm, I affix it to the magnet, and voila! the product is now labelled.

Your finished product will look like this!

Now that you have depotted and magnetized your item, you can put it into a palette, and here it is with all it's other friends!


Top to bottom: MAC Clarity, MAC Sky, MAC Young Punk, MAC Supernova

This is so much easier than having bulky packaging, and plus, now you have items to Back 2 MAC!

I definately recommend the Dome Palette for all kinds of thicker depotted products. It's super sturdy and has more space to hold all your items :)

2.11.2013

My Cream Shadow/Base Collection!

Hi there!

To go along with my blush collection post, I felt like swatching all of my cream bases for reference and comparison.

As you can tell, the main brands I prefer for eyeshadows/bases in this form are from MAC and Maybelline.

When compared to each other, at least to me, these are pretty much the same. The only difference I personally notice is that the Maybelline Color Tattoos have a slicker and thinner consistency compared to the thicker MAC Paint Pots. As far as longevity, both brands perform perfectly! Rarely will I have to retouch these after they have set, and creasing is usually to a minimum.

I have also tried the similar Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows in the past, and in my opinion, the Maybelline Color Tattoos are a close dupe, even down to the packaging. They still wore as well, and if you'd like to check them out, I'd recommend them, but do your research! Many of the shades have close dupes in the Color Tattoos. I no longer own any Benefit CCS due to my tendency to reach for Color Tattoos and Paint Pots more often. The Benefit CCS were still a product that I enjoyed and were great in performance, I just don't feel the need to repurchase them.

Now onto the swatches! I have quite a collection of neutrals and brights, and while some shades are similar in color, they are definately all different due to their finishes and opacity levels.


Left to Right: MAC Morning Frost, Maybelline Barely Beige, MAC Nubile, Maybelline Bad to the Bronze, Maybelline Tough as Taupe

As you can see, Morning Frost, Bad to the Bronze and Barely Beige have more of a frosty appearance compared to Nubile and Tough as Taupe, which have a satin and matte appearance, respectively. In the packaging, Barely Beige and Nubile look quite similar, but when swatched, Barely Beige is a cooler toned champagne with silvery shimmer, and Nubile appears more peachy and pink toned.


Left to Right: Maybelline Rich Mahogany, Maybelline Gold Shimmer, Maybelline Mossy Green, Maybelline Inked in Pink, MAC Idyllic

All of these shades have a frosty and almost metallic finish to them, and are so multi-dimensional! These colors, while they are still quite neutral, are perfect for fall colors, or adding a little color to a more monochromatic look.


Left to Right: Maybelline Edgy Emerald, Maybelline Test my Teal, MAC Half Wild, Maybelline Fuschia Fever, Maybelline Blue on By, MAC Imaginary

Holy Colors! Here is where the differences in opacity/quality lie with these bases. It is quite noticeable here that the MAC Paint Pots are more opaque when swatched, compared to the lighter shades of Color Tattoos. I feel like, if the Color Tattoos were closer to the formula of the Paint Pots, the colors may show up better. These still perform as they usually do, they just require a couple of thin layers to get true to pot color.

MAC Paint Pots generally retail from $18-20 depending on packaging, and Maybelline Color Tattoos retail from $6-8 depending on retailer and promotions.

Which shades do you enjoy using? Do you usually apply bases under your eyeshadows?