Z Palettes: Depotting, Decluttering, and Organizing Your Makeup

Hey guys!  A few days ago I did a blog post on 'Making Your Perfect All-In-One Palette', and today I thought I would go into a little bit more detail on how I actually depotted some of this makeup, and how I've organized some of my makeup in Z palettes.  Depotting can be quite the challenge, and it's long and tedious and I really don't enjoy it.  But, the end result is really worth it and it saves you so much space. 

To depot my makeup I use the flat iron method.  Any flat iron will work, this particular one is by the brand 'Andis' and I got it from the drugstore to use strictly for depotting.  I have used it at least a 100 times in this process, and it has stayed clean and like new.  You could use the same flat iron you use on your hair, it wouldn't hurt it at all.

Basically I break all the packaging apart as much as I can, then I put the product on the flat iron and leave it just long enough that it starts to melt any plastic packaging.  Then I flip the product over on the towel and use a knife to press into the melting packaging on the back of the product.  If you have heated it up thoroughly enough, the pan of makeup will pop out of any plastic packaging, and you will be left with a junk-heap something like this:

After you remove all the bulky, plastic packaging you will have small, sleek pans of product similar to this:

My favorite palettes to use are the Sephora Collection Z Palettes.  I just think they are so much cuter than your average Z Palettes.  I have 4 of them (3 big and 1 small), and I have 1 large, regular Z Palette I bought a few years ago (pink).

When you are depotting your makeup and putting all your items in a Z Palette, you really want to take the time to label everything so that you know what you've got.  Also, some pans of makeup will automatically stick in a Z Palette, but some won't.  When  you purchase a Z Palette it comes with several magnets you can affix to the bottom of your pans of makeup so they will pop in your palette and be secure.

Here is an example of a bronzer that I depotted and put in my travel-makeup Z Palette.

You can also depot baked products as well.  As you probably know these products have a clay bottom, so you can just stick a magnet on there along with a label and you are set.  Note - baked or dome shaped products will not fit in standard Z Palettes, they are not deep enough to hold them.  When you try to put this type of product in them, the lid on your palette will not shut properly (unless it's a product you've used quite a bit and the dome is not as pronounced.)  The Sephora Collection Z Palettes are plenty deep for these.  Another reason I love them so!

See the little bitty rectangular magnets that came with my Z Palette?  These little eyeshadows from the Wet n' Wild 6 pan palettes work great with these!!!

And here you will see my 5 palettes.  The top one (the little one) has some everyday items I use:  MAC Pro Sculpting Powder in Emphasize (to set undereye concealer),  and some Makeup Geek eyeshadows.  The pink one has just some random makeup items in it that I have depotted:  Lancome eyeshadows, Nars eyeshadows, Wet n' Wild eyeshadows, Elf blushes, Essence blushes, etc.  And as far as the Sephora palettes go, one houses all of my Milani blushes, one is my travel makeup All-In-One palette, and one is a NYX palette.

Size comparison of standard and Sephora Collection Z palettes.

Pictured:  MAC Shroom, MAC Emphasize, MUG Shimma Shimma, Beaches and Cream, Peach Smoothie, and Cocoa Bear.

This is my NYX palette.  You'll see I did two large rectangle labels that show what each color is.  (Pine Nut was in a different palette when I took this photo, it was the one that is missing.)  Each pan is labeled on the bottom, but I went ahead and put these labels on there as well for ease of use.  I don't see myself changing pans in this palette for quite a while, but when I do I can just pull these labels off and put in a new one.  This holds 21 eyeshadows and 5 blushes (for size reference.)

Pictured:  1st row - High Light, Vanilla Sky, Sahara, Aloha, Ultimatum, Silk, Silk.  2nd row - True Taupe, Brown, Brown, Suede, Hawaiian Coffee, Root Beer, Volcano.  3rd row - Charcoal Brown, Morocco, Burgundy Pearl, Mermaid Green, Irises, Black, Pine Nut (missing in photo.)  4th row (blushes) - Mocha, Peach, Rose Garden, Bourgeois Pig, Taupe.

Pictured:  1st row - Wet n' Wild Brulee, Nars Paris Duo, 2 Lancome eyeshadows (I didn't write down their names when I depotted them so I have no clue what their names are, this is why I stress to label your products!!!), Revlon Vintage Lace eyeshadow.  2nd row - Maybelline Wine eyeshadow, Clinique Foxy eyeshadow, Wet n'Wild Envy eyeshadow, Wet n' Wild Cheeky eyeshadow, Wet n' Wild Brulee eyeshadow.  3rd row:  Elf Candid Coral blush, Essence Adorable, Babydoll, & Sweetheart blushes. I also put the rectangle labels in this palette as well.

Milani has some of my favorite blushes available at the drugstore, and I was able to fit all of them in one palette.  This takes up so much less space!  And to have them all together is just great.  Most of these are the discontinued Minerals blushes that were WONDERFUL.  I'm so glad I stocked up on them, as they are slowly becoming extinct.

Pictured:  1st row - Luminous (NOT Luminoso), Luminous, Luminous, Sunset Beach.  2nd row - Sweet Rose, Mai-Tai, Mai-Tai, Sunset Beach.  3rd row - Rose D' Oro, Delizioso Pink, Mai-Tai.

And lastly, my All-In-One travel makeup palette.

Pictured:  1st row:  Nars Sophia eyeshadow, Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer, Nars Laguna bronzer, NYX Peach blush, Estee Lauder Peach Nuances blush.  2nd row - MAC Soft Brown eyeshadow, MAC Brown Script eyeshadow, WnW Greed Palette peachy eyeshadow, WnW Greed Palette matte black shadow, Essence Life's a Cherry blush, Covergirl True Plum blush.  3rd row - MAC Emphasize, WnW Brulee eyeshadow, Jordana White Lie eyeshadow.  Bottom row - Elizabeth Mott Champagne eyeshadow, Nars Orgasm blush, Nars Devotee highlight, MAC MSF in Soft and Gentle.

Hope you found this helpful!  If you have any questions just let me know!!!  Muaahhhhh!