# MAC newbie, Pots VS Palette



## G0AskAlice (Apr 20, 2010)

Hi,
So I'm new to this whole Mac business. First and for most, I am a makeup beauty addict. It's just I always used other brands, I.E Bedhead, Urban Decay, and a few items from the Red Earth. I personally don't use any drug store brands because I am allergic to pretty much every cosmetic from the drug store.

I used to be totally anti-mac, for reasons that don't even make sense anymore. I didn't think it was pigment enough, the eyeshadows, which what I know now, really dumb. I recently tried mac because I needed new coverup and foundation. I absolutely just love it! 

So I am from Canada and I buy only of online as it's 4 hours away an actual store. I live in New Brunswick, closes is Halifax, NS. In May I am going to Maine, Which has a Mac Counter in a Macy's.

I am totally pumped now, as I am going to buy a bunch of mac. I am averaging about 100-150 dollars worth. I want the ES 219 brush but one question. Do you prefer the palette's with the customizable palette inserts or the pots of eye shadows. Any tips for a beginner?


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## LC (Apr 20, 2010)

I totally prefer pots over palettes. Palettes get so messy with all the powder floating around. I'm kind of forced to use palettes because I'm a travelling makeup artist and it saves a lot of space, but i HATE them. Unless you need them for professional reasons, i'd say stick with the pots! Also there's a higher risk in breaking them if they're in palette form. Drop your palette one time and you have a huge mess. And maybe you know this, but mac counters don't sell the palette eyeshadows, you'll need to stick to buying online on in a mac store for those if you want them, it's just really hard because the colors on the mac site are nothing like what they are in real life. So if you decide you want palettes...take a GOOD look while youre at the mac counter and write down all the ones you think you'd want in palette


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## JustAddSparkles (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks for asking this, I have been considering de-potting to condense my collection into less space....but now I'm reconsidering.


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## vintageroses (Apr 20, 2010)

I am not a makeup artist just a MACaholic & i actually love both! Well if i had to choose i'll choose pots just because they look cute 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 but they can be space consuming while palette are not! I have 2 palette from MAC & i love them because they complement colours for you! Really helpful for beginners! HTH!


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## RandomnessWithK (Apr 20, 2010)

i have 5 palettes and a drawer full of pots.. and i'm contemplating depotting my quads and pots.. because like baci said the palettes are easier and less space consuming.. i personally like palettes because i have them color coordinated in the palette in a specific drawer in my make-up stash..

my posts are just in one drawer all over the place and i don't feel like looking through each one in the morning to see what color it is.. but if you had enough space - i guess you could color coordinate your pot eyeshadows (but i dont have that kind of space)

so for me i vote palettes 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 and for reference - i am not a professional make-up artist! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 just a make-up/fitness/beauty junkie!


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## marlojean83 (Apr 20, 2010)

The only reason to go for palettes over pots is 1) you're a makeup artist and need your collection to be portable or 2) you're starved for space.  Other than that it's just down to personal preference.   

Have fun on your trip!


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## jbshinyfuzzy (Apr 20, 2010)

I prefer using palettes. The only time I get eyeshadows in the pot is if it is an LE color. Buying the pro pans is a lot less expensive and I find that I don't use colors as much and I forget what I have if I have them in the pots. I like being able to see all of the colors together all at once. 

If you have a lot of time at the mac counter, I would figure out which colors you like and then order the pans online. 

If you fill up a mac palette, the price of the palette plus eyeshadows is almost $180 (us dollars) compared to 15 eyeshadows in the pots costing about $220.

You can also take the insert out of the palettes and then they fit 27 (or maybe 26, I don't remember) eyeshadow pans. 27 eyeshadows plus the palette =$311 while 27 eyeshadows in the pots=$391

It makes sense to me to use palettes, but I know everyone has their own preference. I would just rather save the $3.50 on extra packaging and buy more makeup


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## G0AskAlice (Apr 20, 2010)

Personally myself I am not to worried about the palette getting dirty. I already have two of the 88 costal scents palettes. I do them a fair amount, and when I'm done I take either a Q-tip of a piece of cloth and wipe them up.


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## angelisagemini (Apr 20, 2010)

I like palettes better. I hate clutter and it's so much more streamlined in a palette.


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## Nzsallyb (Apr 21, 2010)

i like having palettes, as you can see all the colours that you have, so that dont use the same thing all the time. helps me to not forget about shadows, and its so exciting organising all of my palettes in a colour spectrum. hope that helps! enjoy your visit to the MAC store!


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## Susanne (Apr 21, 2010)

I just have one 15-e/s palette and maybe 100 single pots. I haven't learnt how to depot yet, but I also think it is easier to work with the pots.


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## InspiredBlue (Apr 21, 2010)

I buy pans of perm eyeshadows and depot LE's. Why? Because I like to have everything in one place in a palette and pans _cost less_ than pots. It's basically "buy two, get one free" compared to buying pots (with Swedish prices anyhow).


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## Vlcatko (Apr 21, 2010)

I really prefer the paletts. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 When I was starting with makeup I thought pots looked nicer and cuter and that I wouldn't get that many eyeshadows to justify looking "like a crazy artist" when applying my makeup.

BUT because I am as much a makeup addict as any other person here I soon found out just how much are the palettes better (for me anyway) than the indivudual pots. It saves you a ton of space, makes organizing the colors a breeze, helps you during the actual application (I do not have to pick and put down multiple containers) and my greedy little soul rejoices whenever I buy LE pot shadow - by depotting it I have an empty container for B2M without finishing an actual product 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




HTH


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## Kirsty (Apr 21, 2010)

I second all that was said by Vlcatko 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I'm a palette lover. It makes my happy to open them up & see my shadows colour co-ordinated.


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## LMD84 (Apr 21, 2010)

i prefer palettes. well quads are my actual fave because they have a clear lid!  but this is mainly due to space issues. i have so many shadows that it wopuld take up too much space if i kept them in the pots.


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## G0AskAlice (Apr 21, 2010)

This morning I ordered a 15 palette, and two inserts. One in passionate and the other in forgery. I am so excited! The only reason why I did it , is because of the free shipping with the free promo code " Papier".


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## AudreyNicole (Apr 21, 2010)

While I love the look of the little pots, as my collection grew, I needed more room, and the Back2MAC program was a huge incentive for me.  I am working on my 6th 15 pan palette, and pretty much, I depot everything now.  If I buy pots, I wait til I have a good amount of them, and then depot.  But I find that I do not use my potted shadows very much because I just reach for my palettes.  Once those shadows have been depotted and moved into palettes, they get much more attention.  Cost is another factor for me too... pans are so much cheaper.


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## obscuria (Apr 21, 2010)

I have way too many eyeshadows to keep in pots. Palettes are a good way for me to save space, also I tend to use different eyeshadows more when I have a palette, when they get left in pots I sometimes forget I own them and they get lost into oblivion.

And, palettes are cheaper.


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## she (Apr 22, 2010)

palette's! i have to see what i am working with. i have many pots that i know will get more attention once i can see who they are in front of me without digging.


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## LC (Apr 23, 2010)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *jbshinyfuzzy* 

 
_If you fill up a mac palette, the price of the palette plus eyeshadows is almost $180 (us dollars) compared to 15 eyeshadows in the pots costing about $220._

 
Dont forget you can back to mac your pots and not your pans. so when you add in the price of getting them for free, it's literally only the difference of a couple dollars

buying 15 pans plus the palette = 179
buying 13 pots and getting 2 for free = 182

when you put it that way, the price is so similar it doesn't matter except your preference

also, I like the convenience of being able to throw a couple touch up eyeshadows for the day in your purse. A lot harder to stick a 15 pan palette in your purse


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## Chester (Apr 23, 2010)

I'm working on my 4th 15-palette and I love them for all the reasons already mentioned. It saves me money and space, I like to order them by color, it's neat.


 Quote:

   Originally Posted by *baci* 

 
_*Dont forget you can back to mac your pots and not your pans.* so when you add in the price of getting them for free, it's literally only the difference of a couple dollars_

 
True, but you can reuse the pans when you want to press pigments.


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## InspiredBlue (Apr 23, 2010)

Thanks for doing the math baci. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 While I guess it's a bummer for many that something that they thought was a cheaper alternative really isn't in the long run, I think it's good that it really is a matter of preference and not cost.

Here's my swedish calculation:
15 pans + palette = ~$260
15 pots + palette = ~$380 and the possibility of two free lipsticks (nothing else) when I travel to a _neighboring country_ that has B2M

What can I say, pans FTW


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## LC (Apr 23, 2010)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *InspiredBlue* 

 
_Thanks for doing the math baci. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 While I guess it's a bummer for many that something that they thought was a cheaper alternative really isn't in the long run, I think it's good that it really is a matter of preference and not cost._

 
hehe


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## Twinkle_Twinkle (Apr 23, 2010)

I prefer palettes.  It's space saving and it's easier to organize shadows by color family (or collection as some people do).  I have way to many eye shadows to not buy pans/depot.  Also, you can always use palettes made from companies other than MAC which are even cheaper, so you saving even more money.  And inevitably there will be some LE eye shadows that you'll depot, so then you still get to Back2MAC.


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## cool username (Apr 29, 2010)

As a newbie I stick with the pots. I'm the kind of person that needs to see all my eye shadows at once and I keep mine on a nail polish rack that holds probably about 40. I only have about 20 anyways..(the rest is filled with other brands). if I had tons id probably do palettes.. or if I traveled a lot. Palettes also look kind of generic to me. But I'm weird lol


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## kpenn (Apr 29, 2010)

Even though I have way too many eyeshadows which take up a ridiculous amount of space, I definitely prefer to keep mine in pots for a few reasons.

1. In the morning, I like being able to take out several little pots instead of 3 or 4 different huge palettes.  I don't have a lot of counter space, so pots are a lot easier to deal with.

2. When I travel, I like being able to take a few of my staples with me.  If they get broken or lost, it's not a big deal to replace them, plus they take up less space in my luggage.  This also goes for the rare occasion when I bring my make-up elsewhere (ie to a friend's house) to get ready, or even lend an eyeshadow to a friend.

3. The whole depotting situation stresses me out.  Thinking about chipping or hurting any of my eyeshadows just about makes me start hyperventilating.

4. I echo baci's point about dropping a palette.  Dropping one eyeshadow is tragic enough - losing 15 would just about put me over the edge.

5. I don't have to worry about wasting special packaging.  Depotting shadows out of pretty packaging would seem like a waste.  I enjoy looking back at the special packaging and remembering the excitement of those collections.

6. Someday, when the proverbial money tree sprouts, I want to have a huge beautiful makeup room where I can display all of my lovely MAC makeup.  Having all of my eyeshadows in their little pots will be so much cuter


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## LC (Apr 29, 2010)

amen! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




also can i add that I had 150 individual pots before i ever depotted them! 
none of them ever received less attention than the others. that only happens when you have most of them in a palette, and just a few in a pot and you're so used to just whipping out your palettes.

i had cute little drawers that i stored mine in, so i easily was able to see all of them at once.

 Quote:

   Originally Posted by *kpenn* 

 
_Even though I have way too many eyeshadows which take up a ridiculous amount of space, I definitely prefer to keep mine in pots for a few reasons.

1. In the morning, I like being able to take out several little pots instead of 3 or 4 different huge palettes.  I don't have a lot of counter space, so pots are a lot easier to deal with.

2. When I travel, I like being able to take a few of my staples with me.  If they get broken or lost, it's not a big deal to replace them, plus they take up less space in my luggage.  This also goes for the rare occasion when I bring my make-up elsewhere (ie to a friend's house) to get ready, or even lend an eyeshadow to a friend.

3. The whole depotting situation stresses me out.  Thinking about chipping or hurting any of my eyeshadows just about makes me start hyperventilating.

4. I echo baci's point about dropping a palette.  Dropping one eyeshadow is tragic enough - losing 15 would just about put me over the edge.

5. I don't have to worry about wasting special packaging.  Depotting shadows out of pretty packaging would seem like a waste.  I enjoy looking back at the special packaging and remembering the excitement of those collections.

6. Someday, when the proverbial money tree sprouts, I want to have a huge beautiful makeup room where I can display all of my lovely MAC makeup.  Having all of my eyeshadows in their little pots will be so much cuter 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_


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## kpenn (Apr 29, 2010)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *baci* 

 
_
i had cute little drawers that i stored mine in, so i easily was able to see all of them at once._

 
Ouuu do you happen to remember where you got the drawers from?  I'd love to invest in some sort of storage system in the near future and these sound great!


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## LC (Apr 30, 2010)

I actually used this case from Joanns. You can probably order online if you don't have Joanns in canada. There's like 5 thinner drawers (i was able to hold about 25 in each one) and one thicker drawer. it's awesome!

Crop In Style Rolling Bead Organizer♥: portable storage♥: multi-purpose craft storage♥: storage♥: Shop | Joann.com


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