Do you "depot" your lipsticks?

I sure do. I keep them in a pill container, like so:

They're portable, still easy to throw into a purse, and are much easier to stash away than a zillion little tubes. I peel the labels off of the lipsticks and put them on the bottom of the pill box, so I know what I'm lookin' at.

Git 'Er Done
Depotting is easey-peasey, if a bit messy. I set up some paper towels so I don't make a mess and get a little spatula (you can get them at beauty supply stores) or toothpicks.

1. Break off as much of the lipstick as you want and put it in the container. You can use a knife or just push the bullet into the well and use the side to slice it.
2. Use a hairdryer to warm up the label on the lipstick tube, then peel it off with a toothpick or other projectile poky thing.
3. Put label under the appropriate compartment in the pill container.
4. You're done.
   
   Ok... so if you want to empty the entire lipstick container, you have to use the spatula or the toothpicks to clean out the bottom and stuff it in the pill container. So... ostensibly another step, though some people just like to scrape a bit of the lipstick in and leave the rest in the bullet. To each his own.
   
   
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Another storage solution:

Pick up some empty makeup pans (you can get some here at YabyCosmetics.com and a lot of other places) and put just a small portion of the lipstick in each pan. Melt 'em or just smooth them down, your choice. Stick them in a palette (I love UNII's) and you're on your way! I am going to start doing this for jobs, leaving the larger palettes for basic storage. I'll refill from them and put the shades in the smaller pans as needed. Ultra convenient.

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Tidying Up:

You can, if you like, put the palette in the microwave for a few seconds, which will melt the lipsticks and leave you with a nice flat puddle of color in each well of the container.

I used to be an OCD collector, but I've had to relax a bit in this area of my collection. I know a lot of you would start twitching at the mess! Bear with me, and I'll explain why my lipsticks are a bit willy-nilly and not melted to flat perfection.

So, you can melt it and make it pretty. HOWEVER, please note that this does not work really well for frost or shimmer lipsticks! The glitters/shimmer/frostiness all sinks to the bottom because it's heavier than the product, so what you're left with isn't a true representation of the original color. There are tricks and tips you can find for avoiding that if you Google, but I have tried many (most?) of them and not found a satisfactory solution.

Plus, I'm just not convinced that I'm not messing with the chemistry of the lipstick formula by reheating the product. I have noticed some disappointing changes to a few of my favorite lipsticks after melting them - nothing horrid, but some slight color changes and impact on shimmer, wear, and texture.

For these reasons, I just push the depotted lipsticks into the well as best I can. I used to melt them, now I don't.