I’ve shared my recipes for homemade powdered makeup before, but I’ve been working on a liquid foundation or cream recipe for quite some time. It was quite challenging because most of my attempts resulted in tinted body butters or creams that either didn’t provide enough coverage or gave too much. Some looked grainy, others streaky, and some just didn’t look right.
After dozens of tries, I finally came up with a liquid foundation recipe that offers great coverage and looks fantastic on the skin without looking overdone. It uses some of my favorite natural skin care ingredients like shea butter and argan oil, along with natural minerals and clays. Once I figured out how to make a good base, creating a natural cream blush and concealer was also straightforward.
You have two options for the base of this recipe: a simple method or a DIY method. If you prefer the easier route, you can use one of two natural lotions that are both rated safe by the Environmental Working Group and feel amazing on your skin.
For those who want to make it from scratch, you’ll need specific ingredients for the base and others for color and coverage. This homemade foundation costs much less per ounce than major brands and is significantly cheaper than organic options. Although I couldn’t calculate the exact cost per ounce, it’s more affordable, especially if you have the ingredients on hand from other projects.
All the ingredients have other uses too, so just a few ounces will provide months of makeup. I suggest making it in small batches if you’re opting for the homemade version since it doesn’t last long and should be used within a few weeks. If you’re using a pre-made mineral makeup in your skin tone, just blend it with the pre-made or homemade lotion until you achieve your desired color and coverage.
For the homemade option, make the base lotion first and test it on your skin to ensure you like the texture and coverage. After that, gradually add color powders like clays, mica, cocoa, and zinc to get the right shade and coverage.
Here are some tips I found useful:
If you’re going for the simple version, just mix organic lotion with mineral powder to achieve the desired color and texture.
For the full DIY version:
1. Melt shea butter, argan oil, and emulsifying wax in a double boiler until completely smooth.
2. Add aloe and witch hazel, whisking until fully combined.
3. Turn off the heat.
4. Gradually add colors, starting with zinc and clays for coverage. The mixture will look pale at first.
5. Add mica and cocoa powders incrementally until you get the right color.
6. Test the color and coverage by cooling a dab on your forehead.
7. Spoon the mixture into a container and let it cool.
You can store this in a glass jar or an old makeup container, but my favorite way is using a silicone squeezable tube, which makes application easy and keeps the foundation fresh by reducing contamination.
I like to squeeze a small amount onto a makeup sponge for application. A little goes a long way!
If you’re not up for making the base lotion yourself, at least consider using an organic lotion and natural mineral powder for a simple two-ingredient foundation. The best fully pre-made liquid foundation I’ve found is Jane Iredale, but the DIY option provides comparable results for much less cost over time.
Have you ever tried making your own makeup? What did you use?
