The handy makeup hack that saves you space and money. What it means to depot in the makeup world is to remove your makeup product from it’s original packaging and to place it into more practical packaging which is normally an empty palette of some sort.

This is very common for professional makeup artists who are always travelling with their kits but everyone can benefit from that extra bit of space. It also allows you to build your palettes exactly the way you want and saves you money when you buy the pan sized versions of products (a mac pan blush is £3 cheaper than the one with the packaging).

I decided to depot some of my makeup when I felt like my makeup collection was overflowing. It’s still overflowing but I knew if I kept all of my neglected blushes in one palette, I’d end up using them more. I also did this with my urban decay eyeshadow palettes. They now sit on my desk at work where I reach for them daily..

My compact combination of eyeshadows and blushes (not as pinterest worthy as I’d hoped for..)

There is a bit of an art to it and it’s worth researching the product you do want to depot because there’s probably a tutorial out there with specific tips. It generally involves  heat, a spatula, patience and an empty palette. There are also tips on how you can avoid breaking any product and how to fix them if you do.

It’s worth investing in the right empty palette to ensure it’s protected and doesn’t move around. The Z palette is probably the most famous for depotting and it allows you to see exactly what you’ve depotted through it’s clear lid. If you don’t like it’s cardboard packaging, makeup forever now do a great sturdy tin that has a really strong magnet and a protective layer of foam.

If you’re a sucker for packaging, you might not want to depot which is why I wouldn’t recommend it for every makeup product you have. It really is a great way to organise your makeup collection and makes you think you have space to treat yourself to more…

Check out our top picks to get you started and watch the helpful tutorials below!

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