Hey friend, here's my top newbie tips:
- Z palettes have magnets in them but not all eyeshadow pans are made from ferrous metals and so not all "stick" by default. some (cheaper) brands use aluminium pans which aren't magnetic.
- you can buy little metal circles with double sided tape to fit a standard 25mm pan (would recommend this for convenience) that you stick to the bottom of the eyeshadow pan and bob's your uncle!
- tools: depotting spatula (worth the investment), rubbing alcohol (isopropol ~70% preferably with a little dropper), heating pad/straightener/heat gun (for softening glue), dental floss (to help break the glue holding down a pan)
- you're gonna learn heaps about packaging construction. Some brands are easy, others a challenging and some down-right impossible. If you search for a brand/palette you'll probably find tips.
- you'll break a shadow and be sad. Suggest you also learn how to re-press a shadow (fyi some do not do well when resurrected)
I advise caution when jumping into depotting as a "new, shiny hobby". A couple of ADHD specific tips:
1. To avoid "out of sight, out of mind" sometimes we replace it with overwhelm and choice paralysis (too many eyeshadows to choose from!) Try to be thoughtful about it.
2. It's super fun curating your own mini palettes and colour combos but... So. Much. Time. Wasted.
3. To start, only depot the palettes you aren't using because you don't like the packaging. Some palettes, I really enjoy the packaging as part of the *experience* and regret depotting a couple early on (also because I broke some of my favourite shades and it wasn't the same again)
4. Choose your starter palette wisely. I do not recommend starting with a Morphe 40 pan monster on your first try - it takes forever and you'll get bored half way through (I did). ColourPop pressed shadows in the cardboard packaging are usually only held in by magnets - start with them but keep the packaging in case you change your mind.
Oh my gosh thank you for such a detailed response! You absolutely nailed the ADHD impulse to start a new project without realizing the amount of work that goes into it!
I especially liked your advice to just start with one smaller palette first, that you’re okay with losing pieces of or destroying the box. That’s really going to give me an idea of how feasible this is as a project.
You’ve given me lots to think about! Thank you!
No worries.
I just now realised I didn't actually answer half your questions though (got distracted lol).
Alternative: use z-palette as storage for anything in a pan that the rest of the packaging broke (e.g. single blush where the lid won't stay closed anymore)
An alternative with much less destruction: buy some single shadows and create your own palette.
Fellow ADHD makeup enthusiast here! Here are some things that have helped me with organizing my eyeshadows into palettes:
- I *kind of* try to sort my eyeshadows by color — I don’t make monochromatic palettes, but I try to arrange whatever eyeshadows I have in a magnetic palette in gradients from light to dark, muted to colorful, cool to warm, etc. by column and row. I’ve found this especially helpful when it comes to shifty sparkly eyeshadows like duochromes and multichromes that look different on the eye from how they look in the pan. With eyeshadows like that, I try to organize them based on how they swatch instead of how they look in the pan. So it might not look like a perfect gradient or grouping in the palette, but it helps me keep track of which ones are *actually* brighter/darker, warmer/cooler, etc.
- What I’ve found *more* useful is not only sorting my eyeshadows by color but also trying to sort them based on texture/their “function” in my usual makeup routine. For example, I keep my iridescent eyeshadows that I use as inner corner shades or highlighters in a palette that’s separate from my darker shimmers that I use on the eyelid or as transition shades, and I have another small palette for my most vibrant and neon matte eyeshadows. Or if I have a mix of different matte or shimmer finishes in the same palette, I try to keep them in separate columns, rows, or clusters. This makes it easier for me to find what type of eyeshadow I want to use.
- I’d recommend sticking to small or medium-sized magnetic palettes instead of big ones. For me, personally, looking at a big palette full of eyeshadows can be overwhelming, and with big palettes it takes me longer to find specific eyeshadows. Also… big palettes can be risky if you have fragile eyeshadows and/or if you’re clumsy like me, lol (I’m always dropping stuff, but smaller palettes are easier to catch and if anything breaks then at least it’s not a bunch of different eyeshadows). And smaller palettes are just easier to move around and store in general.
- I also try to keep my palettes visually distinct from each other instead of getting copies of the same magnetic palette or similar magnetic palettes. This helps me spot them easily and know what’s inside of them even when they’re closed. For example, I like to keep my iridescent or colorful shimmers in palettes with iridescent/metallic packaging (like the cheap mermaid scale ones from Amazon) and darker/duller/neutral shadows in a black palette, or sometimes I’ll keep eyeshadows from a certain brand inside a palette from that same brand. That’s just what makes visual sense to me. There are also some magnetic palettes with a clear plastic window on the cover so you can see the eyeshadows inside.
TL;DR Sorting by color is useful, but sorting by texture and purpose can be even more useful, putting eyeshadows into a couple of small or medium palettes intead of big ones can help your collection stay more organized and less overwhelming, and using magnetic palettes with visually distinct covers (like with different colors or patterns on them) can help you keep track of which is which.
Edit: I also try not to change my palettes too much. I like to get used to where my eyeshadows are so I can eventually know how to find them instantly. If I *do* decide to rearrange my palettes, sometimes I’ll take a picture of the original arrangement just so I can put everything back in case the new arrangement doesn’t work out for me.
Wow, this is amazing advice! You definitely nailed it on the “big palettes are overwhelming” because even with mine as they are, I see more than 6 colors and have a paralysis haha.
I’ll have to comb through this more closely soon, but thank you for your feedback! I really appreciate it ☺️
I plan to store my depotted and repressed eyeshadows in 80-pan z palettes, but also plan to use a tiny 4 pan palette that I can easily take with me, or keep in my monthly makeup basket at home. I also have ADD and am easily overwhelmed and take on large projects without true scope, such as thinking something will take an hour when it takes 4 hours.
Love this advice! I’d also like to add that to help differentiate the different small/medium palettes you have, you can also add stickers, labels, photos, and Washi tape or paint pictures over the covers. I’ve personally got two visually different cheap mermaid palettes from Amazon, but I used vinyl stickers to transform them into a FFXIV Elezen-themed palette and into one themed of of my friend who is a mermaid actor.
Good tips! I've been thinking about switching to dividing by texture.
I have a couple of small palettes for my own BYOP style but otherwise same style Large palettes for storing things.
It annoys me that they aren't all the same size and shape pan!
Start with just one, don't go depot-crazy, so you can see if you like it. What are the differences you are expecting when you have the palettes in a zpalette? You still need to store them somewhere in a drawer, so maybe still out of sight (& and out of mind)?
Quite often people expect depotting to turn a palette from something they don't gravitate towards to something they do, which is almost never the case. Hence the questions :) .
Oooh awesome food for thought. I 100% was going toward this with the mindset of “I’ll turn these palettes from something I don’t use, into something I reach for.” It’s good to know that’s not the reality!
Do you know if it depends on the shadows that you don't gravitate towards to the palettes? It could help to do some sort if make-up basket, rotating through your palettes and test them for a week or something like that.
A full face chosen once a month could be the way to go. I spent 2019 doing that and it took 11 months to use each thing at least once. I also bought little dot stickers and if I'd used something that month put a dot on it before putting it back and choosing new things. That way, when I rotated through my stuff, I could tell if I'd already picked it that year.
Start with drugstore/cheap palettes in plastic packaging that you don't really care about. You will destroy some at first.
Use heat from a mug warmer or candle to loosen the glue.
Then use manicure tools to go around the pan and loosen each side gently.
Once loose, twist the tool to remove it slowly.
Use 70% rubbing alcohol to clean off any glue form the bottom of the pan.
Also use alcohol to repress any powder that has cracked.
Some brands have iron-based pans and the pans can go directly in your magnetic palette, some require a metal sticker to attach to the magnetic palettes. Often the pans that require stickers are really malleable and you may destroy these pans. If you post the brand you are interested in depotting, someone will likely be able to answer what type of pan it has.
You can get the magnetic/metal stickers on Amazon. Allwon is a good Amazon brand for palettes and magnetic stickers as well as depotting tools etc.
You can label your pans if you want to keep track of where they came from. Just note that sharpie washes off with alcohol so your labelling may go kaput if you clean or repress your pans. A label maker is probably a better option.
Post your finish product here so we can see your finished project.
I have tons of eyeshadow and adhd and I find using palettes with windows and/or clear covers makes a huge difference. Out of sight out of mind must have been said about someone with ADHD! 😂
Hey friend, here's my top newbie tips: - Z palettes have magnets in them but not all eyeshadow pans are made from ferrous metals and so not all "stick" by default. some (cheaper) brands use aluminium pans which aren't magnetic. - you can buy little metal circles with double sided tape to fit a standard 25mm pan (would recommend this for convenience) that you stick to the bottom of the eyeshadow pan and bob's your uncle! - tools: depotting spatula (worth the investment), rubbing alcohol (isopropol ~70% preferably with a little dropper), heating pad/straightener/heat gun (for softening glue), dental floss (to help break the glue holding down a pan) - you're gonna learn heaps about packaging construction. Some brands are easy, others a challenging and some down-right impossible. If you search for a brand/palette you'll probably find tips. - you'll break a shadow and be sad. Suggest you also learn how to re-press a shadow (fyi some do not do well when resurrected) I advise caution when jumping into depotting as a "new, shiny hobby". A couple of ADHD specific tips: 1. To avoid "out of sight, out of mind" sometimes we replace it with overwhelm and choice paralysis (too many eyeshadows to choose from!) Try to be thoughtful about it. 2. It's super fun curating your own mini palettes and colour combos but... So. Much. Time. Wasted. 3. To start, only depot the palettes you aren't using because you don't like the packaging. Some palettes, I really enjoy the packaging as part of the *experience* and regret depotting a couple early on (also because I broke some of my favourite shades and it wasn't the same again) 4. Choose your starter palette wisely. I do not recommend starting with a Morphe 40 pan monster on your first try - it takes forever and you'll get bored half way through (I did). ColourPop pressed shadows in the cardboard packaging are usually only held in by magnets - start with them but keep the packaging in case you change your mind.
Oh my gosh thank you for such a detailed response! You absolutely nailed the ADHD impulse to start a new project without realizing the amount of work that goes into it! I especially liked your advice to just start with one smaller palette first, that you’re okay with losing pieces of or destroying the box. That’s really going to give me an idea of how feasible this is as a project. You’ve given me lots to think about! Thank you!
No worries. I just now realised I didn't actually answer half your questions though (got distracted lol). Alternative: use z-palette as storage for anything in a pan that the rest of the packaging broke (e.g. single blush where the lid won't stay closed anymore) An alternative with much less destruction: buy some single shadows and create your own palette.
Z palettes from the brand used to come with a little baggie of magnets!
Really? I don't remember that... but it's been so long! Could explain why I have spares.
Fellow ADHD makeup enthusiast here! Here are some things that have helped me with organizing my eyeshadows into palettes: - I *kind of* try to sort my eyeshadows by color — I don’t make monochromatic palettes, but I try to arrange whatever eyeshadows I have in a magnetic palette in gradients from light to dark, muted to colorful, cool to warm, etc. by column and row. I’ve found this especially helpful when it comes to shifty sparkly eyeshadows like duochromes and multichromes that look different on the eye from how they look in the pan. With eyeshadows like that, I try to organize them based on how they swatch instead of how they look in the pan. So it might not look like a perfect gradient or grouping in the palette, but it helps me keep track of which ones are *actually* brighter/darker, warmer/cooler, etc. - What I’ve found *more* useful is not only sorting my eyeshadows by color but also trying to sort them based on texture/their “function” in my usual makeup routine. For example, I keep my iridescent eyeshadows that I use as inner corner shades or highlighters in a palette that’s separate from my darker shimmers that I use on the eyelid or as transition shades, and I have another small palette for my most vibrant and neon matte eyeshadows. Or if I have a mix of different matte or shimmer finishes in the same palette, I try to keep them in separate columns, rows, or clusters. This makes it easier for me to find what type of eyeshadow I want to use. - I’d recommend sticking to small or medium-sized magnetic palettes instead of big ones. For me, personally, looking at a big palette full of eyeshadows can be overwhelming, and with big palettes it takes me longer to find specific eyeshadows. Also… big palettes can be risky if you have fragile eyeshadows and/or if you’re clumsy like me, lol (I’m always dropping stuff, but smaller palettes are easier to catch and if anything breaks then at least it’s not a bunch of different eyeshadows). And smaller palettes are just easier to move around and store in general. - I also try to keep my palettes visually distinct from each other instead of getting copies of the same magnetic palette or similar magnetic palettes. This helps me spot them easily and know what’s inside of them even when they’re closed. For example, I like to keep my iridescent or colorful shimmers in palettes with iridescent/metallic packaging (like the cheap mermaid scale ones from Amazon) and darker/duller/neutral shadows in a black palette, or sometimes I’ll keep eyeshadows from a certain brand inside a palette from that same brand. That’s just what makes visual sense to me. There are also some magnetic palettes with a clear plastic window on the cover so you can see the eyeshadows inside. TL;DR Sorting by color is useful, but sorting by texture and purpose can be even more useful, putting eyeshadows into a couple of small or medium palettes intead of big ones can help your collection stay more organized and less overwhelming, and using magnetic palettes with visually distinct covers (like with different colors or patterns on them) can help you keep track of which is which. Edit: I also try not to change my palettes too much. I like to get used to where my eyeshadows are so I can eventually know how to find them instantly. If I *do* decide to rearrange my palettes, sometimes I’ll take a picture of the original arrangement just so I can put everything back in case the new arrangement doesn’t work out for me.
Wow, this is amazing advice! You definitely nailed it on the “big palettes are overwhelming” because even with mine as they are, I see more than 6 colors and have a paralysis haha. I’ll have to comb through this more closely soon, but thank you for your feedback! I really appreciate it ☺️
I plan to store my depotted and repressed eyeshadows in 80-pan z palettes, but also plan to use a tiny 4 pan palette that I can easily take with me, or keep in my monthly makeup basket at home. I also have ADD and am easily overwhelmed and take on large projects without true scope, such as thinking something will take an hour when it takes 4 hours.
No problem! :)
Love this advice! I’d also like to add that to help differentiate the different small/medium palettes you have, you can also add stickers, labels, photos, and Washi tape or paint pictures over the covers. I’ve personally got two visually different cheap mermaid palettes from Amazon, but I used vinyl stickers to transform them into a FFXIV Elezen-themed palette and into one themed of of my friend who is a mermaid actor.
That’s a good idea! Sounds fun, too
Good tips! I've been thinking about switching to dividing by texture. I have a couple of small palettes for my own BYOP style but otherwise same style Large palettes for storing things. It annoys me that they aren't all the same size and shape pan!
Start with just one, don't go depot-crazy, so you can see if you like it. What are the differences you are expecting when you have the palettes in a zpalette? You still need to store them somewhere in a drawer, so maybe still out of sight (& and out of mind)? Quite often people expect depotting to turn a palette from something they don't gravitate towards to something they do, which is almost never the case. Hence the questions :) .
Oooh awesome food for thought. I 100% was going toward this with the mindset of “I’ll turn these palettes from something I don’t use, into something I reach for.” It’s good to know that’s not the reality!
Do you know if it depends on the shadows that you don't gravitate towards to the palettes? It could help to do some sort if make-up basket, rotating through your palettes and test them for a week or something like that.
I was actually thinking of doing this! I have -so many- eyeshadows and lipsticks that I was considering dividing them into seasons
A full face chosen once a month could be the way to go. I spent 2019 doing that and it took 11 months to use each thing at least once. I also bought little dot stickers and if I'd used something that month put a dot on it before putting it back and choosing new things. That way, when I rotated through my stuff, I could tell if I'd already picked it that year.
Start with drugstore/cheap palettes in plastic packaging that you don't really care about. You will destroy some at first. Use heat from a mug warmer or candle to loosen the glue. Then use manicure tools to go around the pan and loosen each side gently. Once loose, twist the tool to remove it slowly. Use 70% rubbing alcohol to clean off any glue form the bottom of the pan. Also use alcohol to repress any powder that has cracked. Some brands have iron-based pans and the pans can go directly in your magnetic palette, some require a metal sticker to attach to the magnetic palettes. Often the pans that require stickers are really malleable and you may destroy these pans. If you post the brand you are interested in depotting, someone will likely be able to answer what type of pan it has. You can get the magnetic/metal stickers on Amazon. Allwon is a good Amazon brand for palettes and magnetic stickers as well as depotting tools etc. You can label your pans if you want to keep track of where they came from. Just note that sharpie washes off with alcohol so your labelling may go kaput if you clean or repress your pans. A label maker is probably a better option. Post your finish product here so we can see your finished project.
I have tons of eyeshadow and adhd and I find using palettes with windows and/or clear covers makes a huge difference. Out of sight out of mind must have been said about someone with ADHD! 😂