Okay, so I decided to depot my four eyeshadows (yes, that's all i have at the moment..) and I chipped them along with cutting myself. I'm such a failure at this!!
I'm fine until I try to remove the actual metal container from the plastic (after candle flame). This is where they start to chip. How do u girls do it??

I use a flat-iron and I just wait even longer than I should, then turn the plastic insert with the pan in upside down on a fluffy towel, and use a safety pin to push through the melted plastic.

awww, this sucks!
Once you melt plastic in the back flip it upside down on a towel and push through with a screwdriver (or anything sharp enough to push the metal pan out), it should come right out. Did you melt the plastic enough?

But when you push through the plastic, wouldn't the shadow crumble?
My shadows get so easily ruined =(

I used an exacto knife (hence the slip and cut). I'm pretty sure i melted the plastic enough...30sec-a min

http://mac.larahill.com/depotting.htm

That's how I roll. Never had a failure yet.

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That sounds so much easier (and safer)! Thank you for that!
I'll try that with my new shadows (that'll be part of my huge haul on Friday)

Does anyone have tips on how to repair my shadows, please?

For minor repairs (chips, cracks), get some surgical spirit from the chemist. Pat it into the damaged areas of the eyeshadow with a q-tip, then set it aside to dry for a couple of days.

I recommend surgical spirit over 100%/rubbing alcohol because surgical spirit has a very small percentage of oil in it, which helps the e/s bind back together without giving any taint to the e/s itself.

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Okay thanks!
So just use a q-tip soaked in rubbing alcohol and pat it on?

I recently depotted all of my shadows. Out of about 30, 4 got chipped or bumped when I was depotting. Where was the great "push it through from the back" tip a week ago? But now I'll know. Thanks girls!

Try also the mini screwdriver, like in an eyeglasses kit, like Lara's pictures show. It's safer than the exacto knife!

I've used the candle method too, but it's messier, so I'm glad to see those photos! I have a quad I've been waiting to assemble.

Wow Lara what a great tutorial on depotting! I wish I had this my first time,..

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hmm...how do u exactly push it through the back?
Wouldn't u make a hole in the pot?
thanks girlies for the tips.Maybe i'll get a seperate empty quad to put my "handicapped" eyeshadows in. lol

Usually when I wait long enough, there is a hole already melted through the plastic part. If not, it probably would make a whole, but that's fine. It's just going to get recycled.

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