I love lip color—lipstick, lip liner, lip gloss, you name
it. For years, I actually “collected” lipstick…I had over 80 at one point (I’d
like to note that a large portion of these were gratis from cosmetics companies
when I worked behind the counters—great perk!) and I was really proud of my
collection. I had to stop collecting lipsticks though because they went bad
before I had a chance to wear them all!
Lipstick is one of the most popular forms of “retail
therapy”.
New lipstick is easily accessible, and makes you feel good. However,
lipstick is getting more and more expensive, especially if you choose one from
a brand that uses less chemicals and healthier ingredients. I get professional pricing
on many makeup brands, and I’ve noticed that even the professional prices are
getting steep. One way to keep the happy feeling you get from wearing a new
lipstick color is to mix up the ones you have into fun new colors. I happened
to notice a photo on Facebook from Red Apple Lipstick that talked about this
very subject. I shared the photo on the Holistically Haute™ Facebook page, and
quickly got inspired to mix up some of my own colors to show you how simple it
is.
Let's mix it up!
I began with a clean surface, a synthetic lip brush
(actually a paint brush I got on sale at the art store—it’s the best “lip brush”
I’ve ever owned), two lipstick colors, two glosses, and an opaque liquid
concealer (I used the one from Colour by Osmosis). I got out a clean white plate to use as my palette. It’s best to mix
on some kind of nonporous, white surface so you can see the colors without
interference from other tones. I don’t like mixing on my skin because the skin
absorbs some of the product, the oils and other stuff on the surface can
contaminate the lipsticks, and they tend to stain.
I used my lip brush to get some color onto my plate, added a
dab of the concealer to the side, and started mixing.
I began with a red shade
from Youngblood called Spicy, which has yellow undertones. I liked the color
when I first bought it, but since my skin has yellow undertones, wearing that
lipstick makes my skin look even more yellow and is also not flattering for the
teeth. So I thought I’d pink it up a bit by adding a little bit of the
concealer (it has the same effect as white paint when you mix it in—it adds
opacity, brightness, and lightness if you use a lot), and a pink lipstick
(Champagne Ice by Bare Minerals). I added some Raspberry Ice lipgloss from
Colour by Osmosis got a bright, shiny, rosy red.
I experimented further by adding more of the concealer and a
plummy metallic gloss from Youngblood called Poetic which made it more of a frosty,
neutral pink. Then I took the original two shades, added lots of the concealer
and a nude gloss from Bare Minerals called Trailblazer and got a nice, shiny
salmon pink.
Of course by the end of the experiment my plate looked like
this:
So before you run out to buy a new lipstick either for a special
occasion or for a little pick-me-up, I encourage you to look through the ones
you have and start playing. Something else you can do is get one of those empty
lipstick palettes (they come in different sizes) and scrape out
the last bits of lipstick in the tube (when you would normally just throw it
out), so you can extend your use of the product and have an easier time mixing.
Other than lipstick and concealer, you can add other mix-ins like mineral
pigment powders and cosmetic glitter.
If you come up with a blend you really love, you can get
empty tubes and tins from Mountain Rose Herbs so you can mix up a larger
quantity and have more to use in the future. As always, make sure your hands
and surfaces are clean, and it’s a good idea to clean your brush often to avoid
contamination. Keep lipsticks and glosses closed tightly when you are not using
them as well.
Did you come up with a fabulous custom color? We’d love to
see it! Give it a fun name, take a picture and email it to me at holisticallyhaute@gmail.com. I
will pick my favorites and share them in a future post!
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