How to: De-pot MAC eyeshadows

This is the easiest way I've come across to de-pot eyeshadows. No fancy tools, just things you can find around your house! And they don't necessarily have to be MAC eyeshadows either, it can be anything with similar packaging.

Here's what you will need: the eyeshadow (obviously. lol), a candle, tweezers, scissors (or you can you a knife but that's more dangerous), something to poke through a small hole (I used a chopstick), something you can put hot metal on (I just used the lid of the candle), and lastly a palette to put the eyeshadow in (I used a MAC pro-palette [$10 at MAC store + $2 for insert])

The example I used shows the eyeshadows going into a MAC pro palette in which you don't need separate magnets but if you're putting them into a Z- palette or something like that you will need magnets as well!

You're going to start off using your scissors and with one side of the scissors you're going to wedge it just above where that prominent line is in the middle.

Put pressure pushing in while twisting it back and forth and you should see the top layer of the black plastic start to come loose.

It will pop out like this! (Some come out more easily than others)

Congrats! You're half way done :)

I forgot to mention that you need a lighter but I'm sure you already figured that out when I mentioned that you needed a candle but I don't know I'm just trying to be thorough. Haha. But also, if you use a candle with multiple wicks like I did, make sure to only light one because you do have to put your hand relatively close to the candle and you don't want to burn yourself.

Using your tweezers, hold the eyeshadow above the flame a couple of inches. Do this for about 30 seconds or so (it varies) so check back every so often because you don't want to over-burn the plastic.

Once the plastic forms a little hole like this, it's done! Sometimes the hole doesn't always form but when the plastic is indented, it's usually ready.

Then use your poking tool to push through the plastic to get the little metal pan out. Make sure to do this over something that can handle heat and make sure not to touch the metal pan for a minute or two because it will be veryyyy hot. 

Then you're basically done! WHOO HOO! :)

Pop the shadow into your palette and you're good to go!

You can also put the plastic you took out back into their original packaging and return it to MAC for their "back to MAC" program. You can exchange 6 empty products for 1 brand new lipstick or lip gloss. Check with your location to make sure that they will except the eyeshadow packages without the metal pan as not all locations do.

I hope you found this somewhat helpful! It's kind of hard to explain via blog so feel free to ask questions! Hope you're all having an amazing weekend :)

Thanks for putting up with me <3

-Ashley