You dropped too much FCO. The only thing you can do to fix it is to add more shadows to the mix and repress it with the alcohol. It's always best to start with little FCO and repress if the shadow doesn't bind enough.
The perfect consistency you'd want after you add FCO to the loose shadows is crumbly. Pretty much like the phase after you cut butter cubes into flour to make pie dough.
diy palettes
Re: diy palettes
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I am pressing in the 26 mm round pans. It takes about one full size SN shadow to make one pressed shadow. I have used about 4-5 drops of FCO and then add a good bit of alcohol to make the mixture very smooth and blended. I thought that the amount of alcohol was not terribly important because it would evaporate out. Would it be too much trouble for you to describe your process to me. Do you mix in the eyeshadow pans or do you mix in another container and then transfer? Do you add the FCO all at once, mix and then add the alcohol? I really appreciate any help. I have seen the palettes that so many of the ladies here have done and would love to be able to get the hang of this.
Re: diy palettes
There is a link to video tutorial of Oxana pressing mineral shadows. That is the one I ha playing on loop on my laptop the first (and even second! LOL) time I press my shadows.
What I might want to add is to add FCO drop by drop until you reach crumbly texture (like the flour after you cut butter cubes into it in making our dough). Then, you add alcohol little by little until you reach the consistency of a listening blob of shadow that stick to your stirrer and doesn't break (like the pie dough after you add cold water/milk: non sticky).
How many drops of FCO depends on the shadows. Basically, matte shadows need MUCH LESS FCO, and the shimmerier or glitterier the shadows are, they will need more FCO.
It's very useful to watch Oxana's tutorial first.
For me it's easier to mix in another container first. I have used empty shadow jar or shot glass (very easy to clean) in the past.
HTH!
What I might want to add is to add FCO drop by drop until you reach crumbly texture (like the flour after you cut butter cubes into it in making our dough). Then, you add alcohol little by little until you reach the consistency of a listening blob of shadow that stick to your stirrer and doesn't break (like the pie dough after you add cold water/milk: non sticky).
How many drops of FCO depends on the shadows. Basically, matte shadows need MUCH LESS FCO, and the shimmerier or glitterier the shadows are, they will need more FCO.
It's very useful to watch Oxana's tutorial first.
For me it's easier to mix in another container first. I have used empty shadow jar or shot glass (very easy to clean) in the past.
HTH!
Re: diy palettes
Thank you fcrkls for the kind words about my tutorial 
rfnandkcn - I do feel like pressed shadows have a creamier feel than loose ones, so it is going to feel different no matter what. However, if you add less FCO it would feel less creamy. And it needs at least overnight to dry, that will change the consistency/feel as well.
you could try remixing the ones you already pressed with alcohol, and repressing, in hopes that some of the FCO floats to the top and when you re press it gets absorbed into the paper towel, I'm not sure it would helps tons, but maybe a little. If you have any silica, and you mix a little bit in, that would help too, since it will absorb some of the oil and possibly make the pressed shadow feel less creamy.
The alcohol part doesn't matter, it will evaporate. Just depends on if it is easier for you press a more dry consistency or a more wet one.
Good luck, hope the pressing works out for you!
rfnandkcn - I do feel like pressed shadows have a creamier feel than loose ones, so it is going to feel different no matter what. However, if you add less FCO it would feel less creamy. And it needs at least overnight to dry, that will change the consistency/feel as well.
you could try remixing the ones you already pressed with alcohol, and repressing, in hopes that some of the FCO floats to the top and when you re press it gets absorbed into the paper towel, I'm not sure it would helps tons, but maybe a little. If you have any silica, and you mix a little bit in, that would help too, since it will absorb some of the oil and possibly make the pressed shadow feel less creamy.
The alcohol part doesn't matter, it will evaporate. Just depends on if it is easier for you press a more dry consistency or a more wet one.
Good luck, hope the pressing works out for you!
https://www.youtube.com/user/Oxana124
http://swatchsoiree.blogspot.com
http://swatchsoiree.blogspot.com
Re: diy palettes
Ladies, thank you both so much for the input and advice. I will look at the video and try repressing. Fingers crossed!
Re: diy palettes
Ladies, has any of you ever tried pressing SN's matte shadows? I'm curious how it works out.
So far, SN shadows reigning on my non-pressable list are: Restless, Colt, Blue Steel (you actually can, but I just prefer not to), Propinquity, and Fusion.
So far, SN shadows reigning on my non-pressable list are: Restless, Colt, Blue Steel (you actually can, but I just prefer not to), Propinquity, and Fusion.
Re: diy palettes
Since I received some advice from you and Oxana, and watched the video, I have had much more success pressing shadows. I have not had any luck with mattes though. They just have not pressed well for me at all. The texture is different and they all crack. It may just be my
inexperience though.
inexperience though.
Re: diy palettes
Mattes are so hard to press, I have not had success with them either.
https://www.youtube.com/user/Oxana124
http://swatchsoiree.blogspot.com
http://swatchsoiree.blogspot.com
Re: diy palettes
Like they become hard or they crack?
Re: diy palettes
The only real matte I've pressed with success is Thistle. It's a little hard but still useable. It's the most recent one I've done so there was a big learning curve...
Other (semi) mattes I've pressed are: Earth, Propinquity (these went great! But they're not very matte), Slate, Moonstone (these went fine, could be a bit softer, again not purely matte), Martian, Action and Basalt (these turned out hard, harder than Thistle, only useable with a very hard brush; Basalt broke into many pieces, the biggest I kept and still use cause it's soo goood as a dark-but-not-black smudgy liner
)
Other (semi) mattes I've pressed are: Earth, Propinquity (these went great! But they're not very matte), Slate, Moonstone (these went fine, could be a bit softer, again not purely matte), Martian, Action and Basalt (these turned out hard, harder than Thistle, only useable with a very hard brush; Basalt broke into many pieces, the biggest I kept and still use cause it's soo goood as a dark-but-not-black smudgy liner
)