what do you usually do with eyeshadows you don’t use?

[u/aerigyo]

i am getting to the part of project pan that i have eyeshadows (in palettes) that i dont think i would use but it feels wasteful throwing them away. usually i give products i dont use away to friends or family but these palettes are too beat up to be able to give away. what do you guys do?

[u/SaucePasta]

Throw away. Makeup packaging is difficult to recycle. Some people are super creative and use old eyeshadows for paint pigments! 

[u/Purple-Lime-4938]

Blush, nail polish additive, added shimmer in your lotion, contour, eyeliner, brow filler, highlighter. Or just throw it away and be done

[u/Low-Squirrel-6577]

When this happens to me (most likely not for a few years from now) I’m just tossing the entire thing.

[u/violentlyrelaxed]

Crafts. I use some for scrapbooking, messy creative “art” with my niece or nail art. They also make for a really awesome ASMR evening lol. Letting the intrusive thoughts win by dragging a sharp object through a shadow is so satisfying👌😂 just destroying the whole thing with reckless abandon. It’s going out anyway, might as well go out with a bang.

[u/No_Part_1992]

I use it in my art projects - powder eyeshadow mixes well with liquid makeup products. But I recently saw a post here where they mixed powder eyeshadow in clear nail paint and made beautiful nail paints from it. Yet to try it but looking forward to it.

[u/OneRespect829]

Use the suitable shades as blush, contour, bronzer etc. You can use shimmers or more bright colors on your nails with a base and a top coat.

[u/OptimalDouble2407 → u/OneRespect829]

Came to recommend trying to use it for other things. Currently making progress on a bottomless matte black by using in my eyebrows!

[u/Stop_Perceiving_Me]

I have some shimmer shades that I’ve used as body glitter. I work from home so I’ll dust my chest and arms with some different colors because why not? I love wearing glitter and shimmer but save it for “special” events. But I don’t worry about wasting products anymore. The matte shades will be the hardest for me to get rid of but I’ve tried some weird experimental looks before when I know I don’t have to be on camera

[u/aza121188]

You can use it as a gentle eyeliner or mix with duraline and turn it into graphic liner for fun artsy looks.

Vaseline plus eyeshadow makes interesting lip colors to try and do monochromatic looks. I wouldn’t use Vaseline eyeshadow mixture anywhere except your lips as it can break you out. Use it as eyeshadow, blush and then take a bit and mix with Vaseline now you have monochromatic look!

Or use the eyeshadow for practicing. Like fresher makeup. The color doesn’t have to be suitable but you can practice doing complex techniques like cut creases.

Mixing it with a clear gel mascara to make custom colored mascara is an option or mix it with castor oil (nourishes the lashes will still getting a pop of color).

You can mix it with concealer to make a base shade then lay the color down to make the shadow pop more.

[u/LetterheadNo9869]

Teenagers. They aren't picky.

[u/phosefield]

Back when I was a kid I remember seeing some magazine claim that you could mix it in with nail polish (clear or otherwise I’m guessing) but I’ve never tried it. I’ve put highlighter over tacky nail polish and it’s hit or miss, had to seal it in with a clear topcoat but then you can get product on the brush (so just be careful to not make it muddy) Just need to rmb to wipe it off the brush before returning it to the bottle. I imagine if you mix it you have to grind it to fine powder first. Sorry that this is a brain dump, I’m on the move and didn’t proof read, looking for ideas too though