Being Frugal: How to Make Makeup

If you’re like me and trying to save every penny you can, you’ve probably noticed the prices of items you buy regularly climbing in recent years. For me, one of the most astonishing price increases has been in health & beauty. Think about it, people pay tons of money to get their hair done, remain hairless and, of course, have a perfectly contoured face. This got me thinking about how to make makeup to save a bit of cash.

The Price of Makeup

You may not believe that the price of makeup really makes a difference but it does. According to The Financial Diet, many women spend anywhere from $50 to $150 a month on their beauty regimen alone. That’s not really surprising when you think about the cost of individual items though. A tube a lipstick, for instance, usually runs about $10. Then there are companies like MAC and Sephora whose name on the product makes it practically twice as expensive. So, what’s a girl to do?

How to Make Makeup

My answer to the astronomical makeup prices was to learn how to make makeup myself. (I’d first considered it after rematching “Orange is the New Black” and watching Sophia make lipstick.) Believe it or not, learning how to make makeup is extremely easy and an effective way to save money. Here is how to make each of the makeup “essentials:”

How to Make Foundation

Making foundation is a lot easier than it would seem. I use a recipe from One Green Planet that is amazing. You start by using arrowroot powder (only about $4 for a bag that will last a while). If you’d prefer to leave your foundation powder you mix it with pigment powder ($1 to $20), also known as iron/zinc oxides, until it is the shade you need. I prefer my foundation to be liquid, however. So, if you want liquid foundation you’ll also need liquid moisturizer (face friendly), which only costs a couple bucks. Overall, making your own foundation will cost you $10. While that may not seem like it’s much cheaper than some foundations in the store, you’ll use these items for months and months before having to stock up again.

Making Eyeshadow

Eyeshadow is one of the more fun things to make, if I’m honest (coming in second to lipstick). If you’re crafty enough you can make shades that aren’t available in stores and all your friends will want to know where you got it. When you tell them you made it they’ll never believe you! All you need to make your own eyeshadow is colored powder (which you can find online for as little as $2). If you’d like for your eyeshadow to stay on longer/be darker, add a little water to your applicator before applying. You can also mix/match colors. If you’d like to remain more natural you can also use things like cinnamon and cocoa powder to make eyeshadow as well. Making your own eyeshadow can save you hundreds if you normally buy higher-end products.

Blush Recipe

Blush is similar to eyeshadow in that you’ll need pigment/colored powder. All you’ll need to do is mix the powder you get (you can use cinnamon instead if you’d prefer) with your arrowroot powder and viola! You’ve got blush. Making your blush instead of buying it in the store can save you about $20 per blush purchase (on average).

How to Make Eyeliner

When learning how to make makeup I didn’t think I’d be able to make eyeliner at first but it isn’t all that hard once you get the hang of it. The best thing about making your own eyeliner is that you can make any color you want. You can use your colored powder that you’ve purchased for other makeup endeavors and simply mix it with water and a little oil or aloe to create a gel. Once you have you can apply it with an eyeliner brush like you would a store-bought product. Making your own eyeliner will save you, on average, about $20 per eyeliner cycle.

Making Your Own Lipstick

Making your own lipstick or lip color was my favorite part about learning how to make makeup. I’ve always adored those “stand out” lip colors so being able to create my own is fun. There are a couple methods you can use to make your own lipstick but the one that has worked best for me is the “Vaseline method.” You buy a tub of Vaseline (as low as $0.99) and mix a small amount of the powder color you want for your lipstick. You can do this with leftover eyeshadow, broken eyeshadows and blush, and even Kool Aid to create whatever color lipstick you want. This can save you a TON if you love lipstick. Most stores charge $10 or more for lipstick, whereas making your own you’ll only spend a couple bucks and have limitless color possibilities.

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Cheapest Makeup Brands

So, what if it turns out you’re not too good at making your own makeup? Or maybe you want to make some aspects of your makeup routine but not others? Well, have no fear! There are a few cheaper makeup brands left out there. Here are a few worth a mention:

• e.l.f. – When I buy makeup I buy e.l.f. brand items. They don’t test on animals, which is a plus for any animal lover AND their products are super cheap but still good quality.
• NYX – NYX is a brand usually seen in drugstores like CVS or Walgreens that usually gets overlooked but it’s actually a fairly good (and cheap) makeup brand.
• 2b Colours – It’s hard to pass up 2b Colours on the shelves with their colorful packaging. However, if you’ve not tried them out, 2b Colours is another great, cheap makeup brand that budget makeup lovers should give a try.

Learning how to make makeup or seeking out cheaper makeup brands are both great ways to try and save more money, which is always a great thing. Do you have any other tips you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments!

Photo: Favim