If you are like me and like to keep your MAC eyeshadows all in the one palette but aren't quite sure how to go about depotting them from the pots then this post is for you...

When I'm buying MAC single shadows I try to always buy them in pan form rather than in the pot, not only is it a little cheaper (£10.00 pan, £12.00 in the pot) but its much easier to store and takes up less room if they are neatly housed in a palette.

However occasionally for one reason or another I've not been able to get the shade I want in pan form so thats when depotting comes in. At first I was a little worried about doing this incase I damaged my eyeshadows, but I can safely say I've been depotting using this method for quite some time and not one has been hurt in the process.

Also, the method of depotting I use means you can also still Back 2 MAC the packaging. In the UK if you bring 6 empty MAC products into the store or return them online you can receive a free lipstick of your choice.
I've done this a good few times and I think it is a great recycling programme.

To depot MAC eyeshadows using this method you will need;

• MAC Eyeshadow to be depotted
• Hair Straighteners/Flat Iron
• Nail Scissors
• Sturdy Needle 

Firstly, open the lid of the eyeshadow and find the lip where it clicks shut, just under this there should be a crack you can slide the pointed end of your nail scissors into. If you wiggle them around a little the whole top part of the casing should easilly pop out.


Looking at the back of the part the eyeshadow is still housed in you should see a dot in the centre of the packaging, this is the weakest part of the plastic and this is what we will use to pop the eyeshadow out.

Next, take your flat iron, (you may want to use a piece of foil or greasepaper on top of the hot plates to avoid damage to them, mine are only for depotting so it doesn't matter if they get ruined) place the eyeshadow plastic side down onto the plate and leave for a few minutes.
Be careful with this step as the plastic can get quite hot, don't want any injuries from depotting.


Remove the eyeshadow from the flat iron and place, eyeshadow face down onto a smooth hard surface. Then quickly take your needle and push it through the centre of the plastic casing. Do this slowly as you don't want to go right through the metal pan.

Your eyeshadow pan should then easilly pop out from the casing, if it doesn't place it back onto the heat for another few minutes.

There may be some glue still stuck to the back of the metal pan but it should peel off quite easilly.
At this stage I also like to peel the sticker from the packaging and stick it to the bottom of the pan, you can also attach a small magnet under this if you wish.


Et, Voila, you now have one depotted MAC eyeshadow ready to go into its new palette.


I find MAC's own 15 palettes quite pricey so I like to buy mine from ebay from this seller. They are from Hong Kong so take a few weeks to be delivered and are a little smaller than the MAC ones but I prefer this. They come with empty metal pans which I like to use to press pigments in.


Now, as for Back 2 MAC-ing the empty pot, there shouldn't be much damage to the original pot apart from a tiny pin hole in the centre.
You can then do with this as you wish but I normally Back 2 MAC these.


I'm not 100% on MAC's procedure with this but some stores are a bit funny with you taking back a pan-less product. Possibly due to the fact that you are depotting the eyeshadows therefore getting a free lippy quicker I'm not sure though.
To get around this I simply stick the metal pan from the new palette into the now empty MAC pot.
I've never had any issues with Back 2 MACat the Glasgow store, I believe you can take back a maximum of 18 empties to get 3 lipsticks in the one day.


There are two MAC counters in Glasgow one in House of Fraser on Argyle/Buchanan Street and one in Debenhams Silverburn.