This is my all-time favorite lipstick recipe. Â Not only does it make your lips look exactly like what you’d want your lips to look like naturally (rosy, plump, and kissable!) but it makes a killer cheek stain as well. Â No matter how tired or winter-ed out I feel like, Â when I wipe a coat on my lips and smear a bit over my cheeks, I instantly look well-rested and healthfully flushed. Â Needless to say, it’s the hardest working lipstick in my house!
I like applying some DIY Midnight Clay Eyeliner and DIY Airbrushing Mineral Powder or DIY Airbrushing Mineral Liquid Foundation.
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I’ll rewrite the instructions here as well but if you’re looking for the customizable lipstick base recipe, I’ve written it up the post here.  That post also covers troubleshooting and extra directions.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 tablespoon beeswax
- 1 1/2 teaspoon mango butter
- 1 teaspoon cocoa butter
- 1/2 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 1/2 tablespoon sweet almond oil
- 1/2 tsp magnesium stearate (this lets the lipstick glide over your lips like store bought version…strongly recommended but optional)
- 1 tsp carmine colorant (I’ve been having problems with making that a link but I got this from Saffire Blue Inc…I just searched for carmine natural colourant)
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon kaolin clay (or any other white clay; more white clay=less intense end color)
Note: since the mango butter, beeswax, and cocoa butter come in chunks, I just kind of break them up into small pieces and roughly measure out into the measuring spoons. Â Honestly, the final result ends up being pretty similar if you get a little more or less of something so don’t stress out too much about measuring them out perfectly.
Other things you’ll need:
- mixing jar/cup that will be easy to pour out of
- 2 empty chapstick containers
- spoons
- small pan to melt the butters/oil in
Note: I have a separate small pan, mixing bowl, and spoons that I use just for projects like this.
Steps:
1. Measure out the beeswax, mango butter, cocoa butter, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, and magnesium stearate into a small pan. Â Melt everything over low heat without letting it smoke, stirring occasionally. Â It’ll take about 7-10 minutes and the magnesium stearate will be the last thing to melt.
2. While your oils/butters and melting, stir together your carmine and kaolin clay in a small dish that will be easy to pour out of (the one I use is just an old ceramic square bowl…the square corners act like a spout that makes it really easy to pour).
3. Â When the oils/butters are melted, pour them into the mixing container with your carmine and kaolin clay. Â Mix until everything is combined. Â This step is when you can play with your color and make your final tweaks, stirring pretty much continuously. It’ll start to cool and become more viscous so if you need more time to play with the color, you can always place it in the microwave for a few seconds or place your mixing bowl in a pan of hot water to keep things warm.
4. Â You’ll need to let the mixture cool enough that the color powders won’t settle to the bottle but not so cool that you can’t pour it. Â If you’ve over-shot it in either direction, either warm your mixture up in the ways stated in #3 or just wait a few minutes until it cools a bit.
5. Pour your lipstick into chapstick  containers and let cool without disturbing for a while.  You can either keep them out on your countertop or stick them in the fridge for about half an hour.
What does the finish look like? Is it shiny or matte? And how long does it last on the lips? Thank you for the recipe btw! 🙂
The finish is shiny! And it lasts for a couple hours. I will sometimes set it with the same powder carmine that I use to make it so that it lasts longer.
This looks lovely! I have a question about application. Could I apply this over your airbrushing powder? I am thinking about making your liquid foundation recipe, it looks so awesome! But, I am not sure yet because anything liquid seems to clog my pores, even natural stuff, so I try to stick with powders. Thank you!
Yes, I do that regularly and it absolutely works! In fact, I think it gives some good glow to the matte powder. I generally do better with powder than liquids as well and I haven’t had any issues with the liquid foundation…but I actually like alternating them anyways 🙂
Thank you Alex! I made this last night and LOVE it! I did add sea Berry oil to it though, I bought it for my face and it ended up breaking me out! =( so I used it in this because I love the scent and the properties. I added red oxide…but realized that the red oxide I have is an orange red so it turned out like a brick red but it’s actually really nice so I just darkened it a bit and it’s a perfect orangey hue for fall. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Woot woot!! That’s amazing! So glad you’re enjoying it 🙂 The little accidental great things that happen with DIYing is what makes it so great, right??
Hi Alex! Did you purchase the carmine natural colorant as a predispersed liquid? Or was it in powder form?
Also, is the recipe for the carmine lipstick deeply pigmented or more opaque (like lip balm)?
I’m looking for a recipe that will replace conventional lipstick.
Thank you!
I bought the powder form! I find it easier to work with. It’s pretty pigmented, especially when layered but it doesn’t have quite the same staying power as lipstick…I find that it stays longer if I layer a powder over it to make it more matte. Happy New Year!
I am FINALLY getting around to trying this 😉 I will be making some tonight! How opaque/pigmented is this? I attempted a lip to cheek, but I made it too opaque and it is definitely not suitable for lips! Is this like a tinted lip balm? Thank you!
Oops, Ashlynn! I was totally taking about the wrong recipe…that was totally confusing! So sorry! Yes, this is like a tinted lip balm that’s subtle but you can definitely layer for a bolder look 🙂