How To Make a Lip and Cheek Tint


Here's one of the best ways I know to fight winter doldrums – making make-up! A splash of bright color like this lip and cheek tint stick offers is just the thing for both on-the-go color and moisture injection.

Are you with me?

Good.

Let's get busy!


French Roots

To be perfectly honest, this started off as an Aroma Zone recipe – but that was yonks ago. I have made and tweaked it a few times by now, so it's probably not too terribly close to the original any more. (I'm a hopeless tweaker, what can I say?)

Even though there are quite a few ingredients in this recipe (my incessant tweaking), this particular combination has provided me with the perfect combo of moisturizing and color-staying power.

Equipment List

  • Beaker (or other heatproof glass that you can pour from)
  • Stirring rod
  • Scale that can measure to a tenth of a gram
  • Container(s) for your product




Ingredients List

This amount will make 20 ml of product and fill a 17ml chunky-sized lip balm case and a 5ml container (pictured above)
  • 1-4 grams Pigment - depending on desired strength of color (use micas for sheerer color and oxides for deeper color - less pigment for a tint, more for a lipstick) 
  • 3,6 grams Fractionated Coconut Oil (Caprylic Capric Triglycerides) 
  • 1,6 grams Beeswax 
  • 1,2 grams Carnauba Wax 
  • 6 grams Jojoba (can be replaced with fractionated coconut oil) 
  • 2,8 grams Coco Silicone (can be replaced with jojoba or fractionated coconut oil) 
  • 2,4 grams Shea Butter 
  • 1 drop Vitamin e

Method

Weigh out all of your ingredients so they are ready to add - you will need everything at the ready while you are working. Also, be sure your containers are open and right at hand as well.

Work Tips 
  • Cut the shea into small bits to aid and speed the melting process
  • Have paper towel at hand to wipe up any spills
  • Cover your work surface with wax paper for easy clean-up

Step 1

Mix the pigments with 3,6 grams of fractionated coconut oil.



If you are using the max amount of pigment, the mixture will look like a 'pigment ball' when the oil is fully incorporated.



Step 2

Add the 2 waxes and transfer your container to your heat source. Melt SLOWLY over VERY LOW heat while gently stirring.

Melting methods: you can either place a heatproof beaker directly on the heat source or heat in a container over a water bath. Either way, the mixture must be monitored constantly.

As soon as the waxes have melted, add the jojoba and coco silicone while continuing to stir.





Step 3

Remove from heat and add shea butter - stir until fully dissolved.

Step 4

Quickly transfer the mixture to your containers.

It stiffens quite quickly, so you will need to work uninterrupted (read: have your containers ready to be filled).

If the mixture stiffens in the beaker, reheat it very gently - stirring until it can again be poured.

If you check the picture below (and at the top), you can see on the surface that I had to reheat to get the final bit out of the beaker.

Below: a quick swatch of the color on my arm – this was just the rosy lip and cheek shade I was looking for!


Do Tell

Do you have any make-up making tips when working with pigments and fats? Please share by dropping a comment below. You are of course also welcome to ask questions and comment with other input as well.

Comments

Marjolein said…
Where do you buy the pigments?
LisaLise said…
Hi Marjolien - I bought these at Danish Urtegaarden, but have pigments from many other suppliers in my stockroom. Check out DIY cosmetics in the US (link on the sidebar) - they have great knowledge of pigments of all kinds. Also, you can get pigments from Aroma Zone (mostly oxides).
Anonymous said…
Hello there! I just found your blog searching for how to make a pressable eyeshadow base and have been lost in your blog for about an hour now. Incredible stuff you have here! I have been formulating makeup form scratch for about 10 months now using minerals and pigments from TKB Trading. I am looking to branch out into eyeshadows now and cream type products. I am also looking to keep it very natural! This is a gold mine for me!

I would like to say here that when working with pigments and fats, I mix continuously after adding pigment and let the mixture cool just enough, just before any small amount of solidification occurs so that I can still pour, but not too warm either. Oxides aren't soluble and will sink so I then take the tube or compact or whatever it is (especially tubes) to the freezer immediately after pouring. I don't think this is as critical with oxides as it is with micas in fats. Those will sink rather quickly so I follow these tips particularly with micas but still do the same with pigments.

Thank you so much for your blog and sharing your extensive knowledge! I am having so much fun here!
LisaLise said…
Hey there Ashlynn, I am thrilled to meet another make-up making person! Thanks for sharing your experience with adding pigments to fats. You are quite correct in that the micas are a bit trickier to work with as to dispersion. What kinds of make-up have you been making until now? :)
Anonymous said…
Hi again! I have been making mostly powder mineral products right now while I do some in-depth research with making creams and liquids (how I found you!). I make foundation of a couple formulas, blush, highlights, bronzers, setting powders, and working with eyeshadows right now! I would love to make a liquid and cream foundation! I am quite interested in the difference with caprylic/capric triglyceride and fractionated coconut oil after doing some reading about it. It seems to differ in the way the fats and glycerine parts are separated. In your experience, does Fractionated work the same? Thank you!

LisaLise said…
HI Ashlynn - You are indeed al in with making make-up! Great to hear! You asked about fractionated coconut oil and caprylic/capric triglycerides. I've never experienced any noticeable difference in either feel or performance between the 2. :)
Unknown said…
Hi Lise, I just found your site today and lovin it. For the Lip and Cheek Tint can I substitute another wax?
I have Polawax NF Emulsifying Wax, Beeswax Pastilles - Yellow Cosmetic or Beeswax Pastilles - White Cosmetic. Which one would be your choice? Thanks!
LisaLise said…
Hey there Victoria - thanks for your kind words! I think I would probably go with beeswax pastilles (aren't those beeswax in pastille form?). Let me know how it goes!
sweety said…
hi lise.. can we use beetroot powder for the pigment? i tried to make gloss mixing fractionated coconut oil, shea butter and beetroot which was dissolved in glycerin beforehand. But it did not work. The result was a grainy mixture, which i believe is due to the unrefined, raw shea butter. And even the beet root did not mix properly with shea butter. Do you think beet root works for lip balms and lipsticks as pigment?
LisaLise said…
Hi Sweety - I haven't tried working with beetroot powder but from my experiences with other food powders, I wouldn't expect too much. Not to say I might be wrong though -- I'd probably try it just to satisfy my curiousity. If you do give it a shot I'd love to hear how it turns out for you!
Unknown said…
Hi Lise, your final lipstick is a kind of color I want!! Could you please kindly tell me how you made your pigment mix? Thank you so much.
LisaLise said…
HI Grace, my pigment mix is about 40/60 oxides and micas in this blend. Oxides have a real deep color so if you really want a lot of power, bump up the oxides and add micas for shimmer. Best of luck with it :)
Unknown said…
Thank you for your prompt response! I have light gold mica and silver mica, also yellow, red and brown iron oxide. How many different colors of micas and oxides did you use and what proportion of each? Thank you!
LisaLise said…
Hi Grace Lee, You have to mix a little at a time until you get the shade you want. With your supplies, I'd use 38% red oxide, 2 % yellow oxide and then start adding micas until you get the shade you like. :)
Unknown said…
Thank you so much. This is going to be my first lipstick! I can already hear my heartbeat :)
LisaLise said…
OOh Grace Lee then promise me you allow yourself to have fun with it! Even if it takes a few tries to get perfect - have fun with it! :)
DramaRecs said…
Hiii Lise!!!! I must tell you your lipstick is absolutely amazing. Loved the way you worked with organic materials. Although, I would like to ask how long does it stay after applying??? Thank you so much!!!
LisaLise said…
Hi Sanchi - Thank you for your kind words! You ask about staying power. This is dependent upon which pigments you use and whether or not you apply over a balm or other product. Oxides will have a longer, deeper color while micas are more see-through. You'll have to try to see what works best for you. Have fun!