I’m hoping I’m not the only one who didn’t know about this, but I’ve only just found out about the MAC ‘Back to MAC‘ initiative. Which is completely bizarre as MAC is one of my favourite makeup brands. I’m quite surprised that I have never been told about it by any MAC assistant as I’ve been shopping there for years, but due to the amount I spend at MAC I’m so pleased I now know!
Just in case you aren’t aware of it either (please tell me there are others)……. ‘Back to MAC’ is MAC’s recycling programme whereby you can return 6 MAC primary packaging containers and receive a FREE MAC lipstick in exchange. You can choose any lipstick apart from the Viva Glam range or any limited edition lipsticks. Primary packaging covers most of the popular items such as eyeshadows, lipstick, lip glosses, foundations etc.. If you are unsure as what is included then just check with your local store.
Once I discovered Back to MAC I soon started rummaging through my makeup to find what I could return to earn me some lippy! I decided that my eyeshadows would be the best bet as I’ve been wanting to put them in a Z palette for some time now, so I thought I might as well depot them, pop them in a Z palette and go claim my free lipstick.
I had a look online to research the best way to depot my MAC eyeshadows before I did it, as there are quite a few ways, but I found this process the simplest.
How to depot your MAC eyehshadows:
You will need the following items:
- Hair straighteners
- Heat proof mat
- Small sharp knife
- Greaseproof paper
Open the eyeshadow and you will see a small indent near the opening of the case. Place your knife (carefully!) inside and wiggle until the insert pops out. This can be trickier on some eyeshadows so you may need to apply quite a bit of force.
You will then be left with the case and insert that looks like this.
Turn your straighteners on and place on a heat proof mat on their back. Place some greaseproof paper on the bottom of your straighteners.
Place the insert with the MAC eyeshadow in on top of the greaseproof paper and press down with the flat side of the knife for 1 minute. DO NOT leave on for longer than 1 minute as otherwise it bends the insert out of shape and you cannot get it back in the container. I actually used a timer to make sure I wasn’t doing it for longer than a minute.
After 1 minute take the insert (be careful as it will be VERY HOT!) off the straighteners and place upside down on the greaseproof paper. Press it gently with the knife – if you press it too hard it will bend the insert which means you won’t be able to get it back into the pot. It should feel soft and bend ever so slightly. If it doesn’t it needs a little more heat, so put back on the straighteners. Only do this in intervals of 10 seconds and check each time.
The eyeshadow pan should pop out when you bend the case slightly. If it doesn’t use your knife to help you – again be careful as it will still be very hot!
You will be left with this. Place the insert back into the pot/ casing and that is what you take back to MAC to claim your free lipstick!
Lastly, repeat the process on the straighteners with the pot/ casing (but only for about 20 – 30 seconds this time) and the label underneath will easily peel off. Use this to stick on the underside of the pan so you know what shade it is. The sticker will still be sticky, as will the back of the pan, so no need to add any additional glue.
Ta da…! Your eye shadows are then all ready to place into a Z palette or MAC Pro palette!
I hope this little ‘how to’ guide helped you and you enjoy your free lipstick!
P.s Please excuse the state of my GHD’s – they’ve had a lot of use!
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