Adventures in Pressing: Introduction & Preliminary Results

*If you're interested in learning how to press your own, I've done my own tutorial here!*

Suffice to say, I blame Jill from Just Peachy for infecting me with the powder pressing bug. This post (and the others that will follow) are all due to her and her powder pressing series.

I've found myself needing space. Despite the fact that I haven't been purchasing a lot of cosmetics (little IMO over the last few months), stuff keeps piling up as I start rediscovering old favorites. I have a three drawer system with the first drawer spilling over in loose pigments plus a little basket next to me with more loose pigments. Space is getting limited and I started really looking at options.

Enter powder pressing or pressing your loose eyeshadows into pans and storing them in a palette. Now I'm not new to pressing loose pigments into pans (I used to be an avid MAC pigment presser with my square of denim and my quarters) but I am new to pressing mineral (Indie) pigments. Mineral pigments are a little different since you can't just use rubbing alcohol alone to press them.

Somehow I must have thought it was more complicated than it needed to be because it turns out all I needed to press mineral eyeshadows was a pressing binder to help hold the eyeshadows together. I purchased this kit from TKB Trading to get started. I specifically chose that kit because it came with 26mm square pans; they do offer several other kits with round pans but square pans would fit my palette better and be more economical.

I felt especially inspired to do some powder pressing after seeing this blog, Pressed Like Shadow. The person unfortunately doesn't seem to be active anymore, but those results are what I want my eyeshadows to look like.

I won't be talking about the process here since I shall do a separate tutorial/troubleshooting post in addition to testing if there are discernable differences to the eyeshadow before and after pressing. I do want to show you my results from my first and second trials though!

Here's the result from my first try. This is Darling Girl Cosmetics loose eyeshadow in Curious, about a petit jar's worth of eyeshadow (1/4 tsp). You can see how much of the pan it fills (not very much).

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I liked it, but I thought the hetchmarks/embossing was a little blurry in the center of the pan. It turns out that I had forgotten to peel off the label on the tamping tool I was using so it diffused a little bit of my weight on the pan.

I removed the label and tried pressing again, this time using Sugarpill Cosmetics Goldilux Loose Eyeshadow. I measured out about 1/2 tsp of eyeshadow this time around and it filled up more of the pan. I think maybe 3/4 tsp may be enough to fill the 26mm pan.

My second try. The light obscures the hetchmarks a bit but I can assure you that they looked much better than the first try.

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Needless to say, I've been bitten by the pressing bug. If you'd like to get more inspiration on powder pressing, be sure to check out Jill of Just Peachy's powder pressing tag! She shows off a few recipes, helps with some potential issues and is just a great resource for someone looking to condense and press their loose eyeshadows, powders, and blushes!

Do you press your indie eyeshadows or any of your loose eyeshadows? How about blushes or other powders?

11 comments

  1. Look at you go! Yay for powder pressing! You may have just motivated me to do some more! I agree, the square pans are probably a better way to go, in hinsight. You can fit more of them into a palette that way. Can't wait to see what else you have to share with us! Maybe I can learn something from you!

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  2. I tried pressing loose eyeshadow using the BFTE kit over the summer -- it was quite messy and a few of my shadows ended up very stiff and rubbery, so I haven't gone back to it since. :/ I'll check out the links you posted because I'd really love to press more of my shadows, but I don't want to risk losing so much of the product if I mess up! I'd love it if I could learn to make mine look as pretty as yours. Did you use denim to get the texture?

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    1. The biggest issue is probably finding the right formula, I used the TKB Press It Binder, about 1 drop per 1/4 tsp of product and then alcohol to make it into a paste to make it easier to pour into the pan.

      I used this Pressing Ribbon to make the awesome hetchmarks. http://www.tkbtrading.com/item.php?item_id=1200&category_id=73

      I'll explain more about the process when I do my post on it but hopefully this will tide you over until then!

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  3. I've pressed MAC pigments with much success, but I haven't tried pressing my indie pigments yet. I'm in the process of converting to baggie storage, so it really doesn't take up that much space. I might try it, though I've actually thought of scraping out my MAC pans and decanting the resulting loose powder into baggies, too, LOL :-)

    Pressing is great fun, isn't it? Like making little eyeshadow pies before you press them. Such a feeling of accomplishment when you line up your little pressed pies in their storage case (I like vintage tins from eBay).

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  4. Thank you for the link to the tutorial! I have a few loose eyeshadows that I absolutely love, but I hate loose eyeshadows as they make such a mess. I think I'll just press them so I can wear them without spilling all down my shirt.

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  5. I am definitely going to begin pressing shadows, as I am also in dire need of more space. I was thinking of it before you started tweeting it, and now you have cemented my need to press.

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  6. I have heaps on indie samples or small jars- I always wondered if there was enough in some of my samples (like hifi cosmetics ones) to press.

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  7. they actually look like proper pressed eyeshadows. O__O will definitely do this with my loose pigments.. if i can find a similar kit here! :) can't wait to see your tutorial posts on this ^^

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  8. Pressing indie BLUSHES. YES. I've never even though of that - what a good idea! I need to try this. I wonder if the smaller yaby-sized pans would be good for sample baggies? *ponderponder*

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  9. This is so awesome! I didn't realize the kit was only $2.95. I may have to give this a whirl.

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  10. so exciting- i just ordered fyriannae pigments, a handmade palette from etsy and the magnetic pans, presser & binding agent from tkb!

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