DIY: Lipstick Remix

When you are a bit of a makeup hoarder, like me, you end up with a lot of things that end up being...not so great. One option is to trade them with other hoarders, which I've done a few times with fabulous results. But sometimes, the things I've acquired aren't worth swapping. I can't bear to toss them out, but I know that I won't use them in their current state. That is where a little bit of heat comes in. All you need is a little time, a few supplies, and you can turn those unwanted lipsticks into a whole new shade!

Supplies:

Heat Source (I'm using a measuring cup and candle, but you can do this in the microwave too)

Random lipsticks (but not mattes. They get weird.)

Clean, empty containers

A bunch of paper towels

(if you want to make sheer balms, you can use wax/oil or regular lip balm and just add less lipstick. And save the tube for re-use!)

Step One: Destroy the Bullets

Once you have all your supplies together, cut chunks off your lipstick bullets and dump them in your heat-safe container. (If you are doing this in the microwave, Pyrex might be a good choice.) You can use as much or as little as you want. I didn't really have too much of a plan going in, so I just kinda added chunks all willy-nilly.

Step Two: Melt

Place your lipstick filled container over the flame and wait. It took me about five minutes to melt my chunks completely. You want to swirl them around a bit so that the lipsticks will meld together completely...unless you want a swirly look in your pot. If you wanted to make sheer balms, this would be a good point to add a little more oil/wax.

Step Three: Pour

Once you have a color that you like, carefully pour it into your container. I'm using pill holders that I picked up at Daiso. They are just the right size. If you were making tinted balms, you can just pour them back into the empty lip balm tubes. Let them sit, undisturbed, for about two hours...or pop them in the fridge for 30-45 minutes...which is what I did because patience is a virtue I don't have.

All done! The colors are all pretty similar because most of my lipsticks were pearly and wine-colored. I imagine if you had a wider variety, you could make some really interesting shades. I recommend, if you don't have one to destroy, that you pick up a super-nude lipstick. It is great for lightening some of the deeper shades. I had Nyx Uberchic from a set I picked up at Marshall's, and I recommend something similar. On me, it was completely unwearable...but it was great for melting.