I don’t have to tell you about the chemicals contained in makeup…well maybe I do, but honestly I just don’t want to take the time. I think I can sum up with this- it is logical to consider that the vast majority of foundations contain odd oils, preservatives and chemicals. I don’t think many of you have had much luck sleeping in your makeup and never taking it off. You probably don’t even have much luck having your make-up not feel like an afterparty towards the end of the day. Granted, there are some incredible all natural makeup companies out there- but this can get pricey and nothing makes you feel like more of a bad ass, than making your own beauty products- amiright? Furthermore- when you take into consideration the fact that DIY beauty results in less waste and fresh natural products that you know you can trust- it’s a “natural” choice (excuse the pun, it was unintentional but unavoidable hehe.)
So, being a girl who has used a DIY Kaolin clay based face scrub/mask since I was 13 years old, and being a girl who has recently dabbled in using said clay mixed with Cocoa powder as a replacement for loose powder, and being a girl who knew of the existence of many different shades of natural mineral rich clays, I finally decided to take the plunge and try my hand at making my own mineral make-up.
The result: I’m over the moon. Not only is this stuff easy enough for a child to make- but I’ve been wearing if for a week and my skin has never looked better. And did I mention… It probably cost about 50c per batch to make. I mean…..!!!!!! Thrifty AF, eco-friendly AF, beauty AF, healthy AF! AmIRight?!?! Not to mention- you can totally create a custom shade to match your specific skin tone and the different shades of clay can also be blended and used for blush and eyeshadow. Imma go spin around on a mountain top with my face covered in clay ah la Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music… okay I’m done. So now let me drop some knowledge on how you can create your own makeup in about 5-10 minutes.
Let’s start with the ingredients:
- Zinc oxide powder 1 tsp
- White Kaolin Clay 1 tsp
- Rose Kaolin Clay 1/4 tsp
- Moroccon Clay 1/3 tsp
- Rhassoul Clay 1/10 tsp
- Cocoa Powder 1/8 tsp
- Grapeseed Oil 15-20 drops
- Lavender Essential Oil (optional) 5 drops
- Rose Essential Oil (optional) 5 drops
If you are looking to be uber thrifty, this is a project you might want to go in on with friends. Buying all of the ingredients together will cost around $50-$60 since it’s tough to buy less than a pound of each clay online (health food stores may sell smaller quantities) but you will literally have enough materials for a lifetime supply of make-up. I happened to have many of the materials on hand already from previous projects. You can also choose to purchase fewer unique clay colors- but I liked having the option of a perfect color blend.
These are the approx amounts that I used for my complexion. Obviously- when it comes to mixing- it’s a blend of art, trial and error, and personal finesse. I have very fair skin- so I used a large amount of white kaolin and zinc as a base. The amount of zinc would be similar no matter who is using it- because the zinc creates a smooth slippery feel and finish for the makeup that is desirable for application and overall finish. The oil acts as a bit of a binder and also helps to create a smooth application. You want to go easy on essential oils- as they can irritate the skin in large amounts- but besides smelling amazing- you can do your own research and add oils and essential oils that will give your specific skin type what it needs.
I used a ceramic bowl and the end of a wooden spoon (thrifted, of course) to mix. The oil will create little beads- so you want to crush these and mix over and over until it is as blended as possible. Once it is blended- you are literally done (OMG!) Bulk apothecary sells lots of great containers and I had some left over- but you can put your make-up in anything you’d like- even a re-used mineral make-up holder, baby food jar or thrifted sugar holder ( the cute little ceramic ones) to name a few.
Here are some unedited, unfiltered photos in natural light- with nothing but my DIY mineral makeup, blended clay blush and eyeshadow, liner, mascara and a lovely $2 rose colored lip from Wet N Wild that I’m obsessed with. Like I said- I’ve been wearing this make-up for a week and my skin is amazing. Since there is no chemicals, oils or preservatives on it- its just healthy and glowing. When I started looking in to this idea- my thought was that I had been using clay to clean my face- so using it as makeup would most likely create a similar purifying effect.
If you want to mix your powdered makeup with lotion for a liquid application you can do this. The clays can also all be mixed with water and used as a face mask. So much winning.
I’d love to see your results with this! I’m so excited that I’m having a makeup making party with friends this weekend!
Love and Thrift,
Elisabeth
365daysofthrift 