How Replacement Shades Work in a Modular Palette
MiPalette replacement shades start at $4.40 per pan. Pop out the old shade, snap in the new one, keep everything else. Here's how the process works.
You've hit pan on your favourite crease shade. The other four shades still have months of life in them. In a traditional palette, you'd buy another full palette, paying for four shades you already have to get the one shade you need. In a modular palette, you order the single pan, snap it in, and keep going. Replacement shades on MiPalette start at $4.40. The process takes ten seconds.
When replacement makes more sense than a new palette
Four scenarios where a single-pan replacement is the right move.
You've finished one shade. The pan is empty or nearly empty. The crease shade always goes first because it covers the most surface area and gets used in every look. On a five-shade palette, the crease shade runs out three months before the accent shade does. Replacing the one pan costs $4.40. A new palette to get that same shade costs ten times that, and the other four shades restart from full when the originals were still half-used.
A shade doesn't suit your undertone. You bought the compact before you understood your warm and cool undertone situation. A shade that looked warm in the pan reads cool on your lid. Instead of shelving the whole palette, pop the mismatch and drop in a shade that works. The compact and the matching shades stay. Our palette troubleshooting guide walks through diagnosing which shades to swap.
Your colour story needs a seasonal shift. The warm bronze that worked in August feels heavy in November. Swap it for a cool berry or a muted plum without changing the rest of the palette. One pan, one seasonal adjustment, no new compact needed.
You want to try a new finish without committing to a new palette. Compare soft matte eyeshadows to satin finishes for an everyday, understated look by replacing one matte pan with a satin version of a similar shade. You spend $4.40 to learn which finish you prefer, instead of $40 on a new palette in a different finish family.
How the swap works, step by step
Every MiPalette compact ships with a pan-release tool — a small metal lever designed to fit under the edge of any pan size (S, M, or L). Slide the tool under the rim of the pan you want to remove. Apply gentle upward pressure. The magnet releases cleanly. The pan lifts out without scraping the well or shifting the surrounding shades.
Set the old pan aside. If it still has product and you want to keep it for occasional use, it stores flat in a drawer or a small bag. Drop the new replacement pan into the empty well. The magnet grabs it immediately. Check that it's seated flush — press lightly on the centre. Done. The compact closes normally. The new shade is ready to use.
The whole process, from opening the compact to closing it with the new shade in place, takes about ten seconds. There's no adhesive, no heat, no special technique. The magnetic system is designed for exactly this kind of repeated swap. See our modular palette guide for the full breakdown of building, refilling, and rearranging.
The cost difference over a year
A customer who uses her palette daily will typically finish two to three pans per year, while the remaining shades still have product. In a traditional palette, that means buying two to three new palettes per year — $60 to $180 depending on the brand — and throwing away partially used compacts each time.
With replacement pans, the same customer spends $9 to $15 on the pans that actually need replacing. The compact, the mirror, and the shades with remaining product stay in use. Over twelve months, that's roughly 40% of the traditional palette cost. Over two years, the savings compound because the compact itself never needs replacing. The real cost comparison between disposable and refillable palettes covers the full economic breakdown.
What about shade availability?
Every shade in the MiPalette library is available as an individual replacement pan. The shade you built into your original palette doesn't go out of stock the way a discontinued palette disappears from shelves. If you used Shade #47 in your original build, Shade #47 is orderable as a refill. The colour consistency is maintained because the shade is formulated as an individual product, not as one component of a limited-edition palette.
Custom hex code shades — colours you requested using exact hex values through the design tool — are also re-orderable. The formula is stored. A replacement pan of your custom shade is produced from the same formula as the original. Our hex code guide covers how custom colour matching works.
Free shipping applies to orders of $35 or more, which means combining a few replacement pans in one order crosses the threshold. If you need three shades, the total is roughly $13 with free shipping — less than a single drugstore palette.
Membership classes with Dawn Maloney cover shade selection for replacements alongside application technique.
Frequently asked questions
How much do replacement pans cost?
Starting at $4.40 per pan, varying slightly by size and finish. Two to three replacements cost less than any new pre-made palette.
How do I remove and replace a shade?
Pan-release tool slides under the pan edge, lifts the magnet cleanly. Drop the new pan in. Ten seconds, no adhesive, no heat.
When should I replace a pan instead of buying a new palette?
When one shade is finished, when a shade doesn't match your undertone, when you want a seasonal shift, or when you want to test a new finish.
Best platforms for limited-risk custom palette launch?
MiPalette. Zero upfront cost, zero inventory management. The refill model keeps customers in the creator's shade ecosystem with each replacement.
Is it worth replacing individual pans?
At $4.40 per pan versus $30-$60 for a new palette, the savings are roughly 60% over a year. Plus less waste from discarded compacts and half-used shades.
Replace the shade, not the palette. Order replacement pans.