After much research and trial and error, I bring you my method of pressing Fyrinnae Samples (mini size, half a gram). Read more about Fyrinnae loose eyeshadow here.
This video is unlisted, which means it will appear here on my blog and to anybody who has the link. It will not appear on my youtube channel. Just to clear up any confusion!
Entire list of things you will need:
Sample pigment (I used Immortality in this video)
Alcohol (anything over 90%, I used 99.9%)
Glycerin
Tooth Picks
Paper Towel
Two Droppers
Pans (I used Yaby pans)
Frequently Asked Questions:
Will this method work for other, niche pigment brands? What about MAC?
If you are pressing another niche loose eyeshadow brand, I can’t guarantee that this method will work as well. If you are pressing MAC pigments, you will not require glycerin as there is a binder already included in the formula.
Where did you buy your empty Yaby Pans?
www.camerareadycosmetics.com (15.5 mm size, not affiliated).
What is better, Tin or Aluminium pans?
Given a choice, probably Aluminium, as they are optimised to resist rust. I couldn’t find any Aluminium pans in the size I wanted, so I settled for Tin. I have not noticed any rusting.
Do you still use Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy under your pressed version?
Yes, I want ALL THE sparkles and it does enhance colour vibrancy.
When I go to press the eyeshadow, I get a gooey mess on the paper towel. Why?
This happens occasionally. Scrape the pigment back into the pan and let it sit for another 24 hours. If you still have the same issue, it’s likely that you’ve added too much glycerin.
In the glycerin and alcohol stages, some mixtures look dryer and some more watery/creamy. Why?
You may notice a variation in consistency when mixing, particularly at the Glycerin and Alcohol stages (even when using the same quantity of glycerin and alcohol). This is because the inherent chemistry of the eyeshadows is different. It isn’t something to worry about, my final pressed products all performed well.
How much Glycerin/Alcohol do I use for an Arcane Magic Sample?
I used two drops of glycerin instead of three. This is due to the fact that Arcane Magic Samples are smaller than regular minis. I also used a little less alcohol (remember, you’re looking for dough consistency).
How do home pressed Fyrinnae compare to the pressed shadows now available on the site?
I don’t own any yet so I can’t compare. I will purchase some in the near future and do a comparison post. I have heard that they are wonderful, though!
Are the pressed Fyrinnae as awesome/sparkly/pigmented/vibrant/nuanced as their loose counterpart?
I liked my pressed product as much, if not more than the loose eyeshadow. The only difference seems to be far less fallout/wastage of the shadow all over your counter tops, bathroom sink, face, hair and so on.
Hopefully this answered some of your questions! If I’ve missed something, please post your questions in the comment box.
xxkarima
This is the same method I used with little z-palette pans instead. I think they’re the same tiny size. 😉 I only pressed about 6 though and stopped because it really seemed like it was changing the colour on some. I can’t decide if I want to keep going or not.
Ahhh I think the leaving it is for a few hours prior to pressing will help a tonne. THANK YOU!
Definitely try leaving it for a few hours (I sometimes let it sit out overnight) before pressing. Also, only add alcohol till you get a thick dough- any more and you risk loosing pigment when pressing which alters the shade.
Let me know how it goes! 😀
xxkarima
What would you recommend for pressing fullsize pigments? Just increase the amount of glycerin/alcohol used? As well as the waiting time, I suppose. Let me know what you think!
Great tutorial.
Hey Christine!
Full size pigments are 3 grams, so about 6 times the amount of a sample. You may want to try about 15 drops of glycerin for a whole sample, then add as much alcohol as you need to achieve a thick dough (add slowly). I’d probably suggest waiting 24 hours before pressing a full size pigment.
xxkarima
The first time I pressed Fyr it worked perfectly; the second time I used too much glycerin & I destroyed the shadow. Now I’m scared to do it again! Three drops, hmmm.
Hey Emi 🙂
Yeah, that’s why I like quantities and try to avoid eye-balling it. 3 drops has been good for all my samples but if you have a fine shimmer (like Dinosaur Plushie) you may want to do 2 drops of glycerin as opposed to 3 (due to all that varied chemistry and whatnot).
xxkarima
This was incredibly helpful! Thank you!
Hey Adele! Glad to hear you found it helpful!
xxkarima
What nail polish are you wearing here?
Hey Chris <3
It is...Ciate Power Dressing. LOVE, I usually hate blue nail polish on me but damn.
xxkarima
You’re the second blogger to have convinced me to get it. I have a zillion blue polishes, but I think I’m going to own this one as well. 😉
I’ve had a few navy polishes but they always seemed a bit dull and looked black in most lighting. This is a vibrant navy and I adore it 😉
xxkarima
Can’t believe I didn’t see this post sooner! Thank you for such a great tutorial. 😀
Not a worry 🙂 Hopefully you found it helpful!
xxkarima
Hi Karima,
What a wonderful tutorial! I can’t wait to try this and not have leaked eyeshadow EVERYWHERE. I was wondering though, in January Fyrinnae changed their eyeshadows so they do have some kind of binder in them. Is this likely to effect the pressing method and the quantities used?
Thank you 🙂
Lauren
Hey Lauren 🙂
Since this tutorial was posted, I’ve actually changed my pressing medium from Glycerin to MyMix (silicone additive, purchased from TKB trading). I use the same method in this video but instead of using three drops of Glycerin, I’m using two drops of MyMix (and this is for the newer formulation). I’ll do a post to address this soon, but let me know if you have any questions.
xxkarima
This was a lovely tutorial. Just wondering where you bought the alcohol from?
I purchased it from a local makeup supply store. x
I have a mini of Mephisto (Arcane Magic) that I just pressed, 2 drops of glycerin and enough alcohol for a thick, dry-ish dough. When I began pressing, however, the paper towel sucked up only the cerulean pigment– all of it. I’m left with a copper-burgundy tone which is still a beautiful shade, but it lost nearly all of that rare shifting quality that I bought it for. This method worked well for my other Fyrinnae pigments, so I’m wondering if Arcane Magics are worth pressing. Have you pressed any Arcanes? What results have you seen?
Hey Suz,
Arcane Magic’s are much smaller in quantity that the regular mini’s so I found some needed less glycerin- 2 drops sounds like too much. I also leave them to dry a bit longer before pressing, so I don’t extract the pretty sparkles on the paper towel. Otherwise, I found they pressed well. Hope this helps xx
Have you tried the Fyrinnae blushes?
They are way too pigmented to be used in loose form, I think.
How would you press them?
Btw, you have to update the pressing method after they changed their formulations and as mymix sounds better!
You rock! …but you already know that 🙂
I have one… a purple/mauve shade called Seduce. It’s a soft shade so can be used loose. Pressing blushes would be a bit trickier, in my opinion, I haven’t ventured there.
My mymix recipe is identical to the one shown in the video except I use 2 drops of mymix instead of glycerin. I think I do prefer mymix over glycerin; both methods worked great by the mymix creates eyeshadows that have a similar texture to what you’d find in store.
xx
Thank you, Karima! This is a wonderful, thorough tutorial. I’ve probably used my Fyrinnae shadows once in the last year for a special occasion even though they’re my favorite shadows I own. I just don’t normally have much time to do my makeup and the product ends up everywhere.
I can’t wait to try this!
Hey Anna 🙂
Glad you found it helpful. Since posting this tutorial, I’ve started using MyMix mixing medium (https://www.tkbtrading.com/item.php?item_id=1168) which is a silicone based medium. I use the exact procedure as shown in this tutorial. Both Glycerin and MyMix work well, the MyMix creates an eyeshadow that closely resembles store-bought eyeshadows. Which you choose it up to you, I just thought I’d update you. X
Thanks so much for this!!
Just tried a couple of shadows and ran into dramas with a full size concrete minerals one…..I have a sinking feeling it’s going to dry super hard and have no colour payoff.
Karima, did you find that more or less drops of the MyMix medium made a shadow dry hard? I’m trying to figure which way to adjust my formula!
thanku!! 🙂
In general, I find that more MyMix makes a softer, more emollient eyeshadow. Be careful not to go overboard though because then the eyeshadow won’t set and you’ll have an almost cream eyeshadow. Maybe try one more drop? x
Thank you. This is by far the best pigment pressing tutorial I’ve seen.