How to Make Your Own Pans for Pressing Pigments: A Beauty Newbie Guide

Recently on Youtube, my second home, I came across a video from Makeupsquare. She has a lot of great videos and one that I definitely favorited was her tutorial about pressing pigments and making your own eyeshadow pans... I just recently got an empty MAC palette, and thought I would try out this crafty idea with it. Here is a shot of the finished product (none of the shadows are MAC):

Top to bottom, left to right:
1. Purple Gray, customized mix of Manly shadows
2. Dark Brown, NYX
3. Shimmer Tan, customized mix of Amuse shadows
4. Dense Forrest green, customized mix of Amuse + Manly eyeshadows
5. Electric Blue, customized mix of L.A. Colors Tease palette (blue) + Amuse shadow
6. #45 a.k.a. Steel Silver, The Body Shop
7. Bronzy Brown, customized mix of Amuse shadows
8. Copper, customized mix of Amuse shadows
9. Rusty Red, customized mix of Amuse shadows
10. Flamming Pink, customized mix of L.A. Colors Tease palette (pink) + Amuse shadow
11. #06 a.k.a Iridescent Violet, The Body Shop
12. Unknown name, Caboodles (loose shimmer)
13. Pastel Peach, customized mix of L.A. Colors Tease palette (orange) + L.A. Colors Tease palette (yellow)
14. Sun Ray, customized mix of L.A. Colors Tease palette (yellow) + Amuse shadow

Amuse just kicks butt in this palette, seriously the most pigmented colors here are from the amuse shadows... crazy that they are the least expensive! The only one that beats Amuse out is the silver color from The Body Shop- it is like liquid metal! Gaah-geous baby!

Wanna know how to do this? Here you go lovelies!

Step 1:

First take one big sheet of aluminum foil and fold it on top of itself until you have 4 layers. Flatten it out with your hand until you get most of the wrinkles out.

Step 2:

Cut a square from the aluminum foil about twice the size of the pan size you want to create.

Step 3:

Taking a quarter push it down into foil until it hits the bottom of the palette. Use your fingers to push the edges of your homemade eyeshadow pan firmly against the sides of the palette hole.

Step 4:

Take the coin out, and again rub the aluminum foil firmly against the palette hole. Try to do this until it's almost completely free of any wrinkles.

Step 5:

Next take your shadow or pigment and pour it gently into your homemade eyeshadow pan. You can add you mixing medium before hand and then pour it in if you find it easier- me, I just did it right in the pan because the shadows I was working with were pretty "fresh" and pressed easily.

Step 6:

Add your mixing medium (I used rubbing alcohol) using a spray bottle, this ensures an even application. If you are using high quality (or non-chalky) shadows, you might not need to add very much before pressing your shadow/pigment.

Step 7:

Take either a piece of grained cloth, or a plastic bag and place it on top of the shadow you want to press. Then take a coin, place it over top and press down firmly.

Step 8:

Remove the cloth and coin to reveal your newly pressed shadow.

Step 9:

Next you want to trim the outer edges of your homemade eyeshadow pan. If your shadow is dry enough, take it out of the palette for easier cutting.

Step 10:

Enjoy your masterpiece!

Seriously, you can hardly tell the difference! Sure, they are a little less firm than bought eyeshadow pans, but because it's aluminum foil, you can press your pigments right up to the edges of the palette holes! I got almost three times more product in one of these babies, than I did with a purchased eyeshadow. You can also add a magnet to the bottom if you want :)

Cheers!