How to depot mineralize products?

How to depot mineralize products?

 

I really like to have all my products in palette form (I definitely have to check out Inglot as they sell so many products already in pan form). If something is not in pan form I tend not to use it because I forget about it.

MAC just recently released their new palette, that is deeper than the original one. Now their mineralize blush and eyeshadow fit in the palette. :-)

Mineralize products are produced by baking the powder on a clay plate. You can still put a magnet on that, just like you do with the metal pans.

I can fit 8 blush or 12 eyeshadow in one palette, which I find pretty amazing :-) It saves a lot of space and finally I'm using all my lovely products again.

The depotting process works exactly the same as the one I explained in my How to depot eyeshadow and blush post: How to depot eyeshadow/ blush.

Therefor I'm not going to bore you with a lot of pictures that show exactly the same process.

 

The clay plate with the magnet and sticker.

 

 

How to depot cream products?

 

I already told you in previous posts how I depot lipstick and powder products.

Here are those two posts:

How to depot lipstick

How to depot Eyeshadows and Blush

 

But let's get started with depotting your cream products:

 

Here is everything that you need:
magnet tape, printable label sheets, blush/ creme colour base to depot, spatula, printer, rubbing alcohol, side cutter, syringe with needle, palette, cotton pads

When depotting a bigger product you should try to get underneath the top plastic part from the side. Normally this is more gentle than trying it from the front. It is important to get underneath the blush as far as you can and then lift it up gently. If you just lift from the side, the probability of breakage are much higher. You have to be way more gentle when depotting a blush compared to an eyeshadow.

Separated insert from the outer plastic container.



There are two indents. I like to cut at the bigger one of them. Make two small cuts with your  side cutter. Then bend the plastic backwards (gently!!!). The cut should be wide enough that you can get your spatula in.

 

I like to use a syringe to get some of the rubbing alcohol underneath the pan as I find it the most gentle way. You could also use a Q-tips and dip the rubbing alcohol on the side. I find that it is easier to get rubbing alcohol everywhere that way. After applying the rubbing alcohol wait for some minutes so it can dissolve the glue. 

Gently slide your spatula underneath the pan and by sliding it around try to loosen the glue until the pan gets out really easily.



If there is some glue left on the pan just remove it with some rubbing alcohol and cotton pads. Go to my post about depotting eyeshadow and blush if you want to know how to put a magnet on the bottom of the pans.

My palette with some cream blush and cream colour bases.

 

Setting Sprays- What are they doing for you?!

  

MAC Fix+

( MAC Cosmetics  )

This is what MAC says about it:

An aqua-spritz of vitamin and minerals, infused with a calm-the-skin blend of green tea, chamomile, cucumber, topped off with the fresh, natural, energizing scent of Sugi. Adds radiance, finishes makeup. Spray it on. Skin drinks it up!

Ingredients:  

Water, glycerin, butylene glycol, cucumber fruit extract, chamomilla, camellia leaf extract, tocophryl acetate, caffeine, panthenol, hydrogenated castor oil, fragrance

Price:

 3.4oz - US$ 10.00

100 mL - € 10.00

My opinion: 
 From looking at the ingredients I wouldn't call this a setting spray, it is more like a toner. You can use this before or after applying your make-up. Before: It will moisturize your skin. After: It will take away the "powdery" look. 
I prefer to use this spray before applying my make-up. The mist is really fine. My skin feels soft and moisturized after spraying it on. I tap it into my skin.
I don't like it too much after applying my make-up: It really looks nice but I don't have the feeling that my make-up lasts longer.  

Skindinävia- No More Shine Makeup Finish

( Skindinävia ) 
 
This is what Skindinävia says about it:

Leave your blotting papers and powder at home. The No More Shine Makeup Finish controls oil and holds your makeup in place for 16 hours.

Features and Benefits:
Extends makeup wear for oily and combination skin types.
Fewer required touch ups throughout the day.
Stops makeup slippage on t-zone and eye area.
Holds eye shadow, foundation, blush and concealer in it's place.

Ingredients:
Water, Alcohol Denat, Polyhydrostearic Acid, PVP, Methyl Perfluorobutyl Ether, Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether, Dimethicone PEG-7 Phosphate, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Caprylyl Glycol, Methyl Methacrylate Cross Polymer, Poloxamer 407, Sodium Hydroxide,  Sodium Cocamidopropyl PG Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Glycereth-5 Lactate, N,2,3-Trimethyl-2-Isopropyl Butamide, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate,  Isononyl Isononanoate, Fragrance, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract.

Price:
2oz - US$ 19.00
4oz - US$ 29.00
8oz - US$ 39.00

My opinion: 
I would say this one is my favourite. The mist is the finest of all five sprays. It takes away all of the "powdery" look that you sometimes get after setting your foundation with a powder. I can't say if it would make your make-up last for 16 hours, as I don't ever wear make-up that long (the longest I had my make-up on when using Skindinävia was about 12 hours). 
For me it does make a different when I use that. Especially on my nose the foundation looks better when using that. I can totally recommend this setting spray. I have really sensitive skin and I didn't react to this product at all.

Skindinävia- Bridal Makeup Finish

( Skindinävia ) 
 
This is what Skindinävia says about it:  The Bridal Makeup Finish gives a healthy luminous finish over your makeup and sets it in place for your special day. Each four ounce bottle contains over 300 sprays--enough for the entire bridal party.

Features and Benefits:
Great for extensive photography or evening looks.
Extends makeup wear and controls shine under high stress.
Helps makeup resist heat and humidity.
Award Winning.
Bridal Makeup Finish comes in 4oz size only.

Ingredients:
Water, Alcohol Denat, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, PVP, methyl perfluorobutyl ether, Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether, Dimethicone PEG 7 Phosphate, PPG 3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Caprylyl Glycol, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Cocamidopropyl PG Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Glycereth 5 Lactate, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Fragrance, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Poloxamer 407

Price:
4oz - US$ 29.00

My opinion: 
I can't see a big difference between using this one and the No More Shine one. I have to admit I haven't been taking pictures with both of them on to see if you can notice a difference then.

 

Skindinävia- Makeup Finishing Spray

( Skindinävia ) 
 
This is what Skindinävia says about it:

The Original Makeup Finishing Spray sets and holds makeup in place. Keeps color vibrant and prevents makeup from fading for up to 16 hours. Recommended for normal to combination skin types.

Features and Benefits:

Fewer touch ups throughout the day.

Stops makeup meltdown.

Holds eye shadow, foundation, blush and concealer perfectly.

Award Winning.

Ingredients:  

Water, Alcohol Denat, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, PVP, Methyl Perfluorobutyl Ether, Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether, Dimethicone PEG 7 Phosphate, PPG 3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Caprylyl Glycol, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Cocamidopropyl PG Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Glycereth 5 Lactate, N,2,3-Trimethyl-2-Isopropyl Butamide, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Fragrance, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Poloxamer 407

Price:

2oz - US$ 19.00

4oz - US$ 29.00

8oz - US$ 39.00

My opinion:

 I only used this one throughout the day for touch ups, as I only get the tiny bottle as a sample when I ordered the other two. I really like it so far, but again: no big difference to the other ones from Skindinävia.

Vichy- Eau Thermale, Thermal Spa Water

( Vichy ) 

  

This is what Vichy says about it:

 Vichy Thermal Water is 100% pure and naturally rich with 15 rare minerals. It is clinically proven to have health benefits for your skin: regenerating, antioxidant, soothing and protective. Recommended for sensitive skin.

Ingredients:  

100% Pure Vichy Thermal water, preservative and fragrance free, 

Mineral content (mg/1): Bicarbonates: 4776.3, Chloride: 357.0, Potassium: 99.6, Fluorine: 8.8, Sodium: 1860.0, Calcium: 150.6, Magnesium: 12.3, Iron: 1.0, Neutral pH

Price:

5.07oz - US$ 13.00 

My opinion:

For me this one is just enriched water in a bottle. It takes away the "powdery" look, but I wouldn't use it as it can make your make-up slip. I would use this one when you are not wearing make-up and want to freshen up you face on a hot day.

Unii Palette

Unii Palette

also compared to the MAC Palette

I have been looking for a nice make-up palette for quite some time. I always liked to MAC palettes, but they are quite big and not as sturdy as I would like a platte to be (especially if I put it in my purse for touch ups through out the day). I heard a lot about the Z palette, but than I found out that it is made out of cardbord.

The main things that I wanted my perfect palette to have are: 

• sturdy case
• not too big (should also fit in my smaller purses)
• mirror
• should fit all sizes of pans
• shouldn't spring open on accidant

And that is what I found and fell in love with :-) :

Unii Cosmetics Online

These are the 3 colours that I got. They actually have 6 different ones. The two missing ones are in lavender, white and light yellow.

As most of you are familiar with the MAC paletts, I thought I would compare those two in size: 

This is how they look from the inside. I really like their little magnet = thumb grip. It is really easy to hold the palette that way.  They also send you a sheet of magnetic paper. One side is white, so you could write the products name on it and the other side is sticky so you can put it on your depotted pan.

I really like how it closes, because it can't happen that you open your palette on accident.

Another nice thing is the rubber around the inside. Should any products brake, the powder will stay inside the palette and not spill around your purse.

This is my Unii palette for on the go: 3 eyeshadows that I currently use, my brow powder, my blush and I depotted my blotting powder too. Eyerything in one little case with a big mirror. I love it :-)

 

They only thing I would have made different: A stronger magnet on the bottom. Big things like your powder can slide around. They don't fall out, don't worry. It helps if you put some other things around it so it can't move around the whole case.

Best cuticle pampering

Best cuticle pampering

I have always had problems with very dry cuticles. Especially during winter time they can get so dry, that the skin around my fingers really hurts. If I have to wash my hands often it makes the matter even worse. 

Some things that will really help:

1. If you have to do housework, you should wear plastic gloves. Soaking your hands in warm water and cleaning chemicals will dry out your hands completely. 

2. The colder it gets outside the higher the fat content of your hand lotion should be. The fat will build up an additional barrier and your hands will stay moisturized.

3. Always put on some hand lotion after washing your hands. Rub some of the lotion into your cuticles.

4. You have to pamper your cuticles regularly. Just doing it once a while won't help. There is no quick fix if your prone to dry skin. For me it helps to have some hand lotion or cuticle treatment with me at all time. A ten minute subway ride is enough time to massage some oil into my cuticles.

5. Don't cut away too much. If you have a hangnail, cut it carefully. Push your cuticle skin back carefully. If you cut away too much your skin can get infected really badly.

6. I know we girls like polish. If you have dry skin, nails and cuticles you should consider not wearing polish every day. Especially the nail polish remover dries out the nail and cuticles. 

Products and where to buy

Here are the products I tried out in the past months:

Stuff I also tried but forgot to take a picture of, before I trough it out:

Alessandro-Mango Nail Serum

L'Occitane en Provence- 100% Pure Shea Butter

Lush- Lemony Flutter

Here are the companies web pages:

Alessandro 

Bipa

Burt's Bees 

butter London

L'Occitane en Provence

Lush 

I bought the Alessandro products at Douglas (their web page:  Douglas).

Müller (their web page: Müller) carries Burt's Bees and butter London. You could also order butter London online at the Douglas Online Shop. 

Bipa, L'Occitane en Provence and Lush have a lot of stores around Vienna as well as an online shop.

What i think

Alessandro-Mango Nail Serum

I really liked the smell of it. You apply these serum with a dropping glas. This is one thing I didn't like about it. You always got too much serum on your nails. I somehow found it not moisturizing enough. I guess it just looked like a normal cuticle oil but wasn't as "oily". I think if your cuticles are not too dry you would like it. I don't think that I will buy it again.

 Look by Bipa- Nagelpflegestift (nail care pen)

I like the smell a lot (coconut) and it is really cheap. I like it for on the go as it is really easy to apply. Not one of the best ones but for the price a good one.

Burt's Bees- Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

I first tried that one out when I used to live in the United States and immediately fell in love with it. It smells really good like fresh cut lemons. I especially love to use it in the summer time, because of the fresh smell. I normally have it in my handbag to use it on the go.

butter London- Handbag Holiday Cuticle Oil

I absolutely love this one. It just smells like holiday (a bit like coconut). Because of the packaging (glass container, brush to apply) I only like to use it at home. I normally use it as my night treatment before I go to bed.

L'Occitane en Provence- 95% Shea Butter, Vineyard Rose

L'Occitane en Provence- 95% Shea Butter, Orange Honey

I think those two were a limited edition, but I might be wrong.  I prefer the orange Honey because the cream is softer. This is a pity because I love the smell of roses. I like both a lot because you can also use them on your lips, hair and other dry spots you have. The only downside: It starts to get rancid really fast.

L'Occitane en Provence- 30% Shea Butter Cuticle & Nail Cream

I like this one a lot. There is a hand lotion to go with it. The smell of both is really nice and very subtle. I have repurchased both a lot of times. It takes some time to sink into the skin.

L'Occitane en Provence- 100% Pure Shea Butter

I didn't like this at all. The smell was really bad and it got rancid so fast. I'm definitely not going to repurchase it.

Lush- Lemony Flutter

Another one I didn't like. I liked the smell a lot, but the pot is so big that it is not convenient to take with you. Somehow I didn't notice any difference after using it for some time. 

Summary

I absolutely love butter London and Burt's bees as well as the 30% Shea butter cuticle & nail cream from L'Occitane. Those three are my all time favourites.

How to depot an Eyeshadow/ Blush

How to depot an Eyeshadow/ Blush

As i already explained how I depot my lipsticks, I thought I should also show you how I depot my eyeshadow and blush. Basically it works entirely the same for both, there are some thing you should keep in mind for both of them. 

So let's get started:  

What you need: baking paper; hair straightener, magnet tape, printable label sheets, blush/ eyeshadow to depot, spatula, tweezers, printer Optional: laminating machinery, laminating pouches, white paper, hole punch

You start of with your eyeshadow or blush. This would work for any other brand too.

Take your spatula and find the little crack at the front where the case usually snaps close. Wiggle your spatula around (gently !!!!) until you can remove the inner part.

It should look like that.

When depotting a blush you should try to get underneath the top plastic part from the side. Normally this is more gentle than trying it from the front (I broke one of my blushes when I tried it the same way I did with the eyeshadows.) It is important to get underneath the blush as far as you can and then lift it up gently. If you just lift from the side, the probability of breakage are much higher. You have to be way more gentle when depotting a blush compared to an eyeshadow.

Looks like a depotted eyeshadow, just bigger :-)

Set your straightening iron on the highest setting, put some baking paper on the heating plates (it will protect them) and than put you eyeshadow/blush on it. It needs to stay there until the glue (and most of the time a little bit of the plastic too) is melted. For me it took about 1 minute. 

Take off the eyeshadow with your tweezers. The pan is very hot and you would burn your fingers by touching it!

Take some pointy tweezers and push the metal pan on a piece of tissue paper. Only push if is loosens up easily. If you need to use a lot of force, put it back on the flat iron! Your shadow could break!

The back of the depotted eyeshadow with the melted glue.

Sometimes you could also remove the blush with your fingers, because the outside doesn't get as hot as it is a bigger pan. To be on the save side I would use tweezers again.

As you can see, sometimes the plastic melts a little bit more. Just push the blush gently on the tissue paper.

You can remove the glue with rubbing alcohol (if you get in in Austria at a pharmacy ask for "Benzinum" = "Wundbenzin") and some old towel. Normally you have to throw the towel out afterwards, because you can't get the glue out in the washing machine. Don't worry if some rubbing alcohol gets on your blush/shadow. It will dry in less than a minute without harming the powder. You should soak the powder in it though :-)

An alternative if the rubbing alcohol doesn't work to get the glue off: nitro-cellulose combination thinner. This one smells really bad and nothing should get on top of your shadow/blush. Sometimes even your palettes smell like this for some weeks. You should only use this one outside!!! 

This one basically works like the nitro-cellulose combination thinner but smells like oranges. It is more pricey and you would probably need more than one if you depot a lot of shadows.

Take your magnetic tape and cut off pieces as wide as your pan.

It can be pretty hard to get the labels off the original pot. Therefor I print them myself. I got some Avery printable label sheets.

This is how the pans look with the magnetic tape and label.

If you get magnetic sheets and sticky paper without precut labels on them you could cut them yourself. There are a lot of companies that sell hole punches like that. This one is 1 inch/ 2,54 cm round-punch.

This size would perfectly fit the eyeshadow pans as well as the blush pans.

This is how one of my blush palettes looks like. I printed a label for the inside that tells me the name of the blush as well as the finish. You could go to MAC Cosmetics and check out the different finishes they offer.

On the front I put a smaller label with the names and finishes as well. I often look for a special finish, for instance a matte blush. This makes it easier to find the one I was looking for.

I label my eyeshadow palettes the same way.

On the front of my eyeshadow palettes I put two labels: First what range of colour is in it and second the names. There isn't enough space to put the finish on the front too. Besides that, if I look for a dark brown shadow all of them are in one palette, no matter what kind of finish.

To make the labels I used an excel file. I printed them out and laminated them. I put all of the labels on with double sided sticking tape (the thing one).

The easier way would be to buy the pan form :-)