3 Ways to Make your own Makeup & Save on Cosmetics

Is it easy to make your own makeup? Like any type of cooking or crafting, you know that the degree of complexity depends on the recipe you choose. So while mixing up your own makeup can become incredibly complicated, it doesn’t have to be. We've found a few easy recipes that will make you feel like a domestic goddess and beauty queen, all in one.

The “Crayola” approach Many people have already tried making their cosmetics out of Crayola crayons, so we can happily say that many of the kinks have been worked out. With that good news in mind, we highly recommend that you buy proper Crayola crayons instead of the off-brand ones that you can pick up at restaurants or at the dollar store. Being brand-conscious in this particular case is helpful for your “recipe” and is a good safeguard for your health.

Now on to the recipe, cobbled together with plenty of research! In addition to the Crayola crayons of your choice (which can be purchased anywhere, like at Staples, for example), you will need:

• .5 tsp. of coconut oil
• .25 tsp. of olive oil or vegetable oil
• Molds for your lipstick
• 1 saucepan, 1 heat-safe glass bowl, and chopsticks/wooden stir sticks

Make a bain-marie with a pot of boiling water and a heat-safe glass bowl over it. After removing the paper label from your crayon of choice, carefully cut it into small pieces. Add the oil and the crayon to the bowl and reduce the heat from low to medium. Use a wooden stir stick to melt down the crayons and ensure that the little pieces have all been blended into the oil. After that, remove from heat and pour carefully into the mold of your choice. Pour excess into a disposable bowl or cup and let cool before throwing into the trash (do not pour down the sink).

A safety disclaimer: if you were to check out Crayola’s website, you would see that the company actually discourages the use of their materials for makeup purposes. The website states: “Although our products are non-toxic, we do not recommend using them to make eyeliner, lipstick or other makeup, and strongly discourage their use in this manner. The products were never intended to be used on the skin or face in this manner.” So even though beauty bloggers and Instagram stars alike are seeing success, you may want to keep Crayola’s notes in mind.

Liquid Liner Making liquid liner is a little less scary than making lip balm, because it doesn’t involve molten hot wax. To begin, collect the following ingredients:

• 2 activated charcoal capsules (you can get them at Piping Rock)
• 1/8 tsp. beeswax
• 1/8 tsp. organic coconut oil
• 1/8 tsp. distilled water

Empty the charcoal capsules into a bowl first, and add your beeswax and coconut oil. After blending, add water and stir, transferring the mix into its final vial for safekeeping. Safety tip: we know you might be tempted to use regular water in your recipe, but please refrain. Distilled water is an important ingredient because regular water, strangely enough, goes bad.

The “cheat” — a Make-Your-Own kit You may have the drive, but not the time to pick up all the ingredients you need. Have no fear, there’s a workaround that is perfect for the amateur makeup mixologist… a “Make Your Own” kit is a perfect way to get creative and takes quite a bit of the planning out of things. We recommend a mineral makeup DIY kit, which allows you to customize your formulation to match your skin perfectly. These DIY ingredients usually include:

• Titanium dioxide
• Zinc Oxide
• Sericite mica
• Rose talc
• Kaolin clay
• Cornstarch

After you’ve mixed up your first makeup formulations from common home ingredients, we have a feeling you’ll want to keep experimenting. Like with any makeup, be sure to keep in mind allergies and do a patch test when you develop your next concoction. On that note, save a ton and have fun!