DIY Makeup Tutorial

Happy Friday everyone! Since this week has been all about skincare, I wanted to wrap things up by sharing with you how you can make your own makeup. WARNING! There are several closeups of my face in this post, including one with NO MAKEUP. Viewer discretion is advised.

 I bet SOME of you are wondering why in the world you would make your own makeup when Maybelline already makes it and you can buy it anywhere. I bet some OTHERS of you wish they'd keep quiet because you already know what I'm going to say.

I'm sorry. I'll only take a minute, but I HAVE to tell them. Imagine me stepping up on my (natural) soap box. Hear ye, Hear ye! Most commercially produced cosmetics contain pthalates, parabens, petroleum, progesterone (yes-the hormone!), and more. Many of these items are known to disrupt normal hormone patterns and/or cause cancer. You have to be extremely diligent to find products that don't contain harmful chemicals... or you can make your own!

There are several upsides to making your own. First, you KNOW for sure what is in it and what is NOT in it. Peace of mind is worth something folks. Second, they can be quite economical.

There are some downsides as well. Some of the products you can buy work better. Sorry folks. Its true. If you need super heavy duty coverage or have special needs for your makeup, it might be hard to make a DIY version that works just as well. BUT, if your needs are pretty basic, like mine are, then I can show you how to mix up your own.

I have been using a popular brand of mineral makeup for... probably ten years now. I have pretty good skin naturally and really just need it to even out my complexion and maybe cover some redness. The brand I've used doesn't contain dyes, fragrances, or binders, but does contain bismuth oxychloride, which can irritate skin. Apparently it is a byproduct of lead and copper processing.

I must confess that I've often wished I had been the one to get the idea of going around and scooping up different colors of dirt and selling it for twenty bucks for .25 ounce.

I searched online and found several recipes. I ended up using a version of THIS one. It was really simple to make. It only took five minutes. I didn't have to purchase anything as I already had most of the ingredients in my kitchen cabinet, and the others from other DIY products.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp arrowroot powder

1 tbsp bentonite clay

1 tsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp vitamin E oil

3 drops lavender essential oil

3 drops geranium essential oil

I am fair skinned, so I used more of the lighter ingredients. If you have dark skin you might want to use more cocoa or cinnamon. The cinnamon can be irritating though, so don't use too much if you have sensitive skin. You can play around to get a color that works for you.

First I'll tell you what I like about it. I like knowing what is in it. I like that it is cheap. I will probably add a little zinc oxide for sunscreen in it if I make it in the spring, but with winter coming up, I'll take all the rays of sunshine I can get for the vitamin D.

I like the coverage. I put my 'old' product on the left side of my face, and the new DIY on the right side so I could see the difference. The 'old' one seemed to sit on my skin more and within a short time I could actually see it begin to separate a little bit. The DIY version seemed to absorb into the skin more and you couldn't tell I was wearing anything, but it still seemed to even out the color.

What I didn't like is that I couldn't match the color of my old foundation very well, but once it was on my face, it wasn't a problem.

This is my scary face.

I consider this a success!  I will definitely continue to use it. My old brand cost about $20 and I have less than a buck in this! I plan to reuse the container my other makeup came in though as it has a built in sifter that I like.

Now, for a little BONUS! 

I also made some blush using equal amounts of arrowroot powder and beet root powder. A friend gave me a bag of this a while back to use as a colorant in my homemade lip balm.

This picture shows it beside the mineral makeup that I usually wear. Again, the color was slightly off, but when applied gave a similar look.

If you really want a heavier coverage, you might want to try THIS tutorial. I think I'll try it one day, but I haven't invested in a scale yet so I wasn't ready to chance it. This is me wearing the blush and the foundation.

What is YOUR experience with DIY cosmetics?  Have you make your own eyeliner from the crud in the bottom of your grill or done something else that is radical and awesome??? Tell me all about it in the comments below.