Viral TikTok videos reveal surprisingly creative use for old make-up

We understand the pain of running out of your favourite watercolour and right in the middle of a painting session. But what if we told you there was a solution that not only saved you money but also helped repurpose those old eye shadow palettes lying around?

One artist has gone viral for turning her old eye shadow palettes into beautiful watercolour paints. The TikToker uses high-pigmented eye shadows and a binding solution to create her very own DIY palettes, and we are totally mesmerised by her videos. If you were wanting to try painting with watercolours but don't have any kit (or eye shadow palettes to transform), then check out our roundup of the best watercolour paints. 

@emdoessketches

♬ Show Me How (Album V) - Men I Trust

Emdoessketches posts short but satisfying videos featuring the process of how she transforms the eye shadow into paint. She shows viewers how she cuts, binds and mulls the eye shadow pigment, and then viewers are treated to a clip of the paint being swatched. 

Who would've thought eye shadow would make brilliant watercolours? We can't get over how innovative and resourceful the idea of transforming eye shadow into paint is. We're also surprised by how effective and luscious the colours turn out, especially those with glitter in them (because who doesn't love a bit of shimmer?). However, we're a little sceptical about the idea of eye shadow paints fully replacing watercolours, given that the latter have been around for, you know, thousands of years.

@emdoessketches

♬ Lofi - Domknowz

The account has accumulated over 1.5M followers and racked up an eye-watering 36.5M likes, so it's no surprise that her videos are normally flooded with comments of admiration. "Your videos always cheer me up," one user commented on the video, and another said, "Watching you destroy eyeshadow makes me cringe so hard, but seeing the beautiful paint you make out of it makes me happy again". 

We've given Emdoessketches a follow and will probably spend the next three days watching her videos completely mesmerised, so if you don't hear from us for a few days, you'll know why. If you're an artist and are looking to upgrade your equipment or are just looking to start painting, then make sure to have a look at our roundup of some essential art supplies. 

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