Homemade makeup may sound a little daunting, but I promise it’s actually simpler than you think! The biggest plus about homemade makeup is that the ingredients provide nourishment for your skin, rather than clogging it up with toxins. Plus, you get to customise the colours, textures and fragrances of your makeup! First stop? Loose powder blush. This is one of the easiest makeup recipes, and therefore the best place to start.
Natural Powder Blush
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon (30ml) Bentonite clay
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.25ml) Red iron oxide (Adjust this amount according to your colour preference. I prefer a light pink blush, so I use about 1/4 teaspoon of red iron oxide. You can add more or less).
Instructions
- Makes approximately 30ml.
- A pinch at a time, add the red iron oxide to the bentonite clay until you have your desired colour.
- Store in an airtight container away from moisture (i.e. steamy bathrooms are a bad idea unless you know your jar is airtight. You don't want it to form clumps.)
Notes
1.) If you want a really strong colour, start with the red iron oxide as your base, and lighten it accordingly by adding the bentonite mixture a little bit at a time.
2.) If you want to make this a compact blush, simply add a few drops of pure alcohol (like rubbing alcohol) or any carrier oil. Combine well so that the entire mixture becomes crumbly (not muddy wet), then press it down to compact it. It will harden as it dries and stay in the shape that you compacted it.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
Bentonite clay:
You can substitute corn flour or arrowroot powder instead of the bentonite clay, however the bentonite clay has a better application to skin and stays put for longer, whereas these substitutes are easily dusted or wiped off. A better option is to substitute any other natural clay, but just keep the colour of the clay in mind, because it will affect the colour of your blush. Bentonite clay is the closest to a white coloured clay. Rhassoul clay, Yellow French clay, and Kaolin clay are good alternatives. Rhassoul clay would be my second best option as it is reddish brown in colour, so if you’re making a red-toned blush, it is the perfect colour already and you may not even need the iron oxide to tint it. Rhassoul clay is also claimed to have amazing benefits for the skin, even more so than other clays, as it moisturises and softens the skin.
Iron oxides:
Iron oxides and mica powder really are the best way to colour a product.
Colour adjustments:
You can adjust the strength of the colour by adding more or less red iron oxide to the clay base. You can also mix more than one iron oxide colour (eg. you could combine red and yellow iron oxide). These are the colours you can expect if you add the following to the bentonite clay base in the recipe below:
COST & SHELF LIFE
Cost Price: R17.67 per 30ml recipe.
Lasted me about: 1 year (using occasionally).
Estimated shelf life: 2 years (stored in an airtight container away from moisture, that includes wet makeup brushes).
*Costs accurate at time of writing, and based on the best retail prices I’ve found.
CHALLENGE
- No glittery shimmer like some of the synthetic blushes I’ve used before. Although, the matte look is pretty, so I wouldn’t say it’s much of a challenge.
- Unfortunately, DIY blush doesn’t have the staying power of other blushes – it wipes off more easily. Applying it to well-moisturised skin helps it stay put. Otherwise, you may want to look into buying a good organic blush, or making a cream blush (here is my recipe).
CHERRY ON TOP
No breakouts. I would always breakout on my cheeks after using regular blush bought from the store. However, this homemade blush keeps my skin as clear as a summer’s day.
INGREDIENT BENEFITS
- Iron oxide: is a natural pigment used to colour skin care products. Rust is iron oxide – so basically, iron oxides are different colours of rust ground up as a powder. Red or brown iron oxide are the best colours to make blush. (buy here)
- Bentonite clay: Rich in minerals and detoxifies the skin by absorbing toxins beneath the skin (buy here).
Not sure where to find these, or other ingredients? My shopping guide may help you.
Recommended Retail Option
If DIY just isn’t your thing, then I recommend buying Inthusiasm‘s Compact Blush, which I have used and approved. I personally like their Desert Rose colour.
Have you ever made your own makeup – what makeup recipe works best for you?
Hey. Thanks for the post. I’ve been researching natural makeup but couldn’t find a tutorial that has south african products. Thanks a lot. Very informative ☺
Thanks for the comment Salma. I’m glad you’ve found it informative. I also struggled to find info with South African products, which is why I started this blog =) Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that it’s quite tricky to get the same coverage and texture with DIY makeup than with their natural retail options. So expect light coverage. If you want more coverage, it’s better to buy natural makeup.
bonjour,
je suis française et j’adore votre blog.
J’aimerai des fars à paupières naturels , en évitant le maca. Comme pour votre première recette
j’en veux plein
merci !!
Bonjour et merci pour votre soutien. Avez-vous essayé cette recette pour le fard à paupières, sans mica?
Oh my word! I am so happy to have stumbled across this- every natural blush recipe I’ve read until now has a bunch of ingredients unavailable in SA! Thanks for the amazing post, it really makes a difference when you can find what you want on a local website! 😀
Thank you Tessa 🙂 I’m happy that I could help you in your search for a local recipe. It’s one of the reasons I started this blog. I struggled to find local ingredients myself, and wanted to make it easier for other South Africans. So, Yay! 🙂