Since the time of Cleopatra, cosmetics have been cherished and coveted items. From camera-loving Technicolor red lipstick to sculpting powder that can transform the dimensions of an entire face to eyeshadow palettes in every color under the sun, they’re all a delight to experiment with. In other words, there’s no question that cosmetics-aficionados really love their paints & powders. (“Red lipstick is a part of my psychological makeup,” as a friend of mine once said—a makeup-lover’s pun of the highest order.)
There’s really only two problems with beauty products: cost and questionable ingredients. Lipsticks and other products may contain BHA, parabens, and other possibly not-so-great (or even downright toxic) components. And even though there’s a lot of wonderful organic lines out there, they often come with a hefty price tag. So what’s a conscientious (and budget-conscious) individual to do?
The answer may lie in the last place you’d think to look: in your very own yard/garden—where blackberries, flower pollen, beets, and other potential cosmetics await you in abundance. After all, a lot of products on the market are derived from plant-based ingredients anyway, so why not make your own? It’s not as hard as you might think, and it’s great fun, to boot. Check out the following tutorials that prove that beauty is, indeed, not just skin deep—it’s earth-deep!
1. Garden-Fresh Lipstick
This tutorial recommends working with lipstick molds, which are basically just plastic, lipstick-shaped cylinders. In this footage, they’re homemade, but it’s also just as easy (or maybe even easier) to buy them on eBay. You’ll melt one tablespoon of beeswax, one tablespoon of shea butter, and a half teaspoon of coconut oil into a bowl, and after some stirring, you’ll be ready to add your first garden ingredient: fresh beets.
Since it’s the beet juice you’re after, you can extract it using one of two methods: a juicer or a blender. (The latter method is going to be a little bit more time-consuming, as you’ll need to subsequently mash the juice out of the beets and remove the extra pulp/pieces by hand. But that isn’t as painstaking of a process as you might think; I tried this recipe myself, via blender. The pieces tend to glom up into easily removable chunks).
Note: A beets-only lipstick is going to result in a bright but sheerish texture that’s closer to a lipstain/lipgloss combo, so remember that the more beet juice you add, the richer your hue will be. However, if you want a really pigmented product, you can always melt in a crayon in the color of your choice—e.g., adding pink will result in more of a raspberry stain, while a chocolate color will veer the lipstick into a kind of vintage 90s brown/sepia hue.
If you want a vivid deep red color, however, this tutorial has some great ideas for achieving it. It recommends adding natural red clay to your beet-mixture, and throwing in some natural charcoal to darken the hue. (Sure enough, this method resulted in a gorgeous color that was quite similar to Mac’s Studded Kiss.) I chose to melt my lipstick into a little pot, but you can also pour the mixture into the lipstick molds, stick everything in the fridge for a bit, and then transfer the product to an old, empty lipstick tube.
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2. Garden-Fresh Eyeshadow
DIY eyeshadow isn’t quite as easy to make from scratch as lipstick. But there are some wonderful options out there. This quick but succinct/easy to follow tutorial simply recommends using flower pollen for yellow eyeshadow, for example (a color that’s particularly great at making dark eyes pop). No assembly required: all you have to do is collect the pollen and then add a little bit of water. But you’re not limited to golden/yellow hues: this enterprising tutorial recommends making green eyeshadow via spirulina powder, arrowroot powder, and green clay. Still all things that you can technically find in your garden, even if it is the dried version of them.
3. Garden-Fresh Mascara
This tutorial proposes the idea of using blackberries for mascara—due not only to their dark, highly saturated color, but the fact that their stickiness doesn’t wear off easily and makes for a lasting texture. I know… this sounded far-fetched to me too, at first; but guess what? As you can see at 3:58, this method actually works beautifully, especially when the effect is enhanced with an eyelash curler. You get the high-end look of a high-end mascara. And the prep couldn’t be simpler: all you have to do is pick some blackberries and then mash them into a paste. (You can also just buy frozen berries if it’s the off-season for blackberry bushes, of course). No additives, preservatives, or extra ingredients necessary.
4. Natural Blush
Bringing a natural blush to your cheeks is certainly much easier than pinching your cheeks, as they did in Victorian times; or “clapping your pale cheeks, until clapping makes them red,” to paraphrase Shakespeare. According to this tutorial, all you have to do is slice up a beet and blanch it (i.e., submerge it in boiling water for a short time, which will help to preserve its color). Then throw the blanched pieces into the freezer. When you’re in need of some color, remove a slice from the fridge, thaw it out over low heat (or put it in a food dehydrator), and wait for it to dry to a “chip” consistency. Then simply dip it in a little bit of water and apply. You can reuse the slice for up to three months, and the color will look, and be, as natural as natural can be.
5. Floral Fragrance
This tutorial, which claims to employ an ancient method of perfume making, recommends starting with a base of gin—it’ll keep them from going bad and eventually evaporate, thus providing a strong base for your fragrance. According to this video, the more potent the flower in question, the better, which means that blooms like honeysuckle, gardenia, orange and lemon blossom, and frangipani (aka plumeria) are ideal. You can also add spices like cinnamon and vanilla, for extra nuance and complexity. Then simply stuff the flowers into the jar of alcohol, adding more (over the next few days) as you see fit.
After that, let everything sit for a minimum of six months. At that point, take the mass of congealed flowers out and squeeze it thoroughly over a sieve-covered bowl or jar. And voilà —the liquid elixir that comes out will be none other than paradisaical, organic perfume, in its purest and most undiluted state.
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6. DIY Deodorant
Homemade deodorant is also super easy to whip up—and the fact that you can customize its scent makes it almost as fun to make as perfume. This video recommends using lemon, lavender, and bergamot essential oils. But you can also use jasmine, rose, and/or any other heavenly aroma that appeals to you. This recipe calls for eight tablespoons of distilled water, four tablespoons of witch hazel, two teaspoons of glycerin & rosewater, and two teaspoons of organic aloe vera juice (which, of course, you can extract from your very own homegrown aloe vera plants). The witch hazel and bergamot act as antibacterial ingredients to combat odor, and the aloe vera acts as an all-day moisturizer. Just combine everything in a bowl, mix it up, and pour into a spray bottle.
It is possible to be the possessor of top-of-the-line, organic makeup & personal care products—without having to worry about spending ungodly amounts. And even if it’s the dead of winter, the grocery store (or garden center/nursery) will always prove to be a reliable “backup outdoors.” As the old saying goes, nature is witty—and with these clever and enterprising beauty ideas, you can be witty (and beautiful) right along with it.
from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2dPcpma
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