I'm not an expert but I will tell you I don't add FO or colorant until after I have added my lye water to my oils and mixed well, then if I am doing a swirl I pull out however much I need then add my colorant then the last thing I add is my FO. But part of the fun and challenge of doing CP soap is that you don't have a lot of control when it comes to the final color of your soap and swirls because some FO will cause it to darken, some of the oils can cause it to darken, so many factors can cause your color to morph. A surprise every time lol. HTH I hope one of the experts jumps in here and gives you a better idea about it and some sugestions. Because you can't go by my methods I think everyone does it they're own way. But the best advice I can give is read read read and then when you have gone cross eyed read some more. Donna