I used to believe that one of the most difficult DIYs was making your own mineral make-up. Surely there’s no shortage of magic required to make the perfect consistency, the perfect coverage, and the perfect color to match your skin tone right? Well, that’s what I used to think until I started experimenting making my own. Sure, there’s a bit of experimentation involved, but once you nail down your unique mineral make-up base, you can make anything from pressed or loose powder, concealer, and even the ever-elusive liquid foundation – all using natural ingredients!

Before you delve into those things though, you need to get your mineral make-up base prepared as it’s going to be what gives your formulas their pigmentation. Once you have that down, you will never need to worry about finding your perfect shade again. Another plus? Making your own mineral make-up is a lot cheaper and a lot healthier than buying and using conventional brands. I’ve done quite a bit of research on natural brands I love, and have tried to stick to the bare minimum needed to create effective long lasting make-up at home.

So, without further ado, let’s get into it!

How to Make a Mineral Make-Up Base for Homemade Foundation and Concealer

To begin, you’re going to need to get a few ingredients that may sound a bit odd at first, but I assure you that they’re safe. Even the most natural and organic brands you can find use these ingredients so I figured they must be good enough for homemade make-up!

However, if you have found an even better alternative, please let me know in the comments! I will gladly give your suggestions a try!

Here’s what you’re going to need:

• 1 teaspoon NON-NANO titanium dioxide for fair to medium skin tones (this is the blank white canvas you need for adding other pigments. It’s rated 1-3 out of 10 for health and safety depending on how you use it.)
• Yellow iron oxide. You will need 1 teaspoon of yellow oxide for deep skin tones instead of titanium dioxide (rated a 2 out of 10 for health and safety)
• Red iron oxide (rated a 2 out of 10 for health and safety)
• Brown iron oxide (rated a 2 out of 10 for health and safety)
• Tiny measuring spoons like these
• A coffee grinder (have one on hand for DIY projects only)

Loving Preparation – Fair to Medium Skin Tones Mineral Make-Up Base

If you have a fair to medium complexion, your recipe should start out with 1 level teaspoon of non-nano titanium dioxide, so add that to your coffee grinder first. If you have a deeper skin tone, start out with 1 teaspoon of yellow oxide.

You will want to take careful notes during this process. So go and grab a pencil and some paper!

For fair and medium skin tones, use the tiny measuring spoons to add very small amounts of yellow pigment, blending the mix in the coffee grinder with each addition. I will often use the “Nip” measurement which is 1/64 of a teaspoon since it’s the smallest unit of measure (you can even use half or less of this tiny measuring spoon when measuring pigments, just write it down!).

If you accidentally add too much of something, there’s really no going back at that point, believe me, I’ve tried and it never turns out and you’ll just waste ingredients trying. This is why we’re starting with small amounts until you know your perfect recipe.

Once you have found the right amount of yellow, it’s time to add tiny amounts of red pigment. You may not think you need it, but believe me when I say you’ll look pretty pasty without at least a teensy amount of red in your blend.

If you have a more neutral undertone, start adding tiny amounts of brown pigment after you have added the right amount of red. A little goes a loooong way. I find that comparing your blend to your favorite make-up shade helps a lot! Check your blend against the skin on your cheek in natural lighting to see how it matches.

Make sure everything is blended well together and store it in a small container for use in future mineral make-up recipes.

Loving Preparation – Deep Skin Tones Mineral Make-Up Base

For deeper skin tones, you may need to start out with 1 teaspoon of yellow iron oxide and no non-nano titanium dioxide. From there, use the tiny measuring spoons to add very small amounts of red iron oxide, blending thoroughly in the coffee grinder between each addition, until you find a good match.

Once you’ve done that, it’s time to add the brown iron oxide a tiny bit at a time. If you find that you have a cooler undertone, you may even need to add the teensiest amount of ultramarine to bring balance to your blend. Use your current favorite foundation to help guide you in the formulation process, it helps immensely! Don't forget to check it against the skin on your cheek in natural lighting to see how you're doing.

This mineral make-up base is so versatile! You can make sheer to full coverage make-up at home super easily once you have your color match figured out using this base. I hope you give it a try! Also stay tuned for future posts using this base to make concealer, liquid foundation, pressed powder, loose powder, and setting powder.

***NOTE - using even non-nano titanium dioxide can have health risks if inhaled. Please use caution when making dry preparations like loose or pressed powders.

What have been your favorite homemade make-up recipes? Please share them in the comments below!

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