Pressing pigments.. what am I doing wrong?

[xLongLashesx]

I'm fiddling around with pressing loose shadows and pigments. When I went to use them though, one of them cracked and shifted around.

I used alcohol.. should I be putting something else in them to make them stick?

 

[gildedangel]

Did you press it hard enough? You have to press them with all of your might for at least 60 seconds, maybe that's why they are cracking.

 

[Ksayare]

what brand loose shadows and pigments are you using? MAC pigments can be pressed with only alcohol, but many other brands need a bonding agent. Coastal Scents has one people like:
Coastal Scents: EZ Prez&trade Pressing Medium

 

[xLongLashesx]

hmm I pressed hard but not for a whole minute.. that's something I'll try for my next lot.

The one that cracked was a EM shadow, but my solarbits look pretty good. I've just pressed a mac pigment today that looks okay too but haven't tried it with a brush yet.

Makes sense that the MAC pigments are okay to use with just alcohol as they seem to stick to my skin readily, not like EM or coastal scents.

Thanks for your help guys!

 

[simplyenchantin]

I tried to use my electric coral pressed pigment today and it was ROCK hard.. weird, almost like I over baked it lol!

 

[tana2210]

i clamp mine for like an hour usinga tiny g clamp from bunnings

 

[xLongLashesx]

I just tried my mac pigment and it's perfect!

okay so does anyone know where I can get pressing medium besides coastal scents? Their postage charges are astronomical so I try not to buy from them.

 

[MrsMay]

I dont actually use pressing medium, I only use alcohol. This has been succesful with both Inglot and MAC pigments.

I believe some people have made their own pressing medium which consisted of alcohol and glycerine... I will have to see if I can track down a post about it.

Just keep in mind that some metals and mattes dont behave well when pressed

I think Electric Coral is one of those that behaves badly when pressed (sorry Mich!)

 

[xLongLashesx]

I'll have a look around and see if I can find a recipe then.. I've got some glycerine already and only need a bit just to re-press some EM stuff.

 

[darkorchid]

fyrinnae has some pressing stuff and shipping wasn't too much. I hated the coastal scents one - it was too tricky to use. Some work work and some would just be slushy messes. It's like the liquid doesn't evaporate and dry out, it just stays there and the shadows become useless.

 

[panda0410]

Electric Coral needs to be pretty moist when you actually press it for it to be soft when it dries. I made the same mistake....LOL... but it works if you make sure its still tacky when you press it

Entremauve does the same thing so be careful!

To press mattes you need the face and body mixing medium from mac - alcohol sets mattes like concrete... yeah, I tried that too...LOLOL!!

You have to be careful not to overdry the mix before you press, I tend to err on the side of caution and leave them slightly damper and havent had a problem with any of them since then

 

[MrsMay]

oooh Panda is that the water based mixing medium or the alcohol based one?

Cos I have the water based one and would love to press some of my mattes!!!!

 

[Shanible]

I have heard that using visine works well as a base, I don't know how that dries, I've never tried it, but I thought I'd let you know.

Part 06: Recipe: Powdered Eye Shadow - FNWL

Tells you how to make a base, it's for use with micas. I know they are two different things, but MAC pigments contain mica (at least the ones I just looked at), so it might work for them too.

 

[panda0410]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsMay oooh Panda is that the water based mixing medium or the alcohol based one? Cos I have the water based one and would love to press some of my mattes!!!!

Sorry I didnt get back to you on this one earlier Jen!! The water and alcohol based mixing mediums are neither good - you need the Face & Body Mixing Medium for mattes. Its a creamy/white consistency and I'm really not sure what the base is but its definitely NOT the water or alcohol based mixing mediums. The MA will know what you are talking about when you Face & Body Mixing Medium

This is the only medium that I know of that will successfully press a matte into a soft and blendable shadow