Fashion

How To Make Your Own Cream Blush

by Kelly Dougher

I recently came up with the idea to DIY my own cream blush because of my huge collection of lipsticks that I prefer to wear on my cheeks. I've purchased a lot of lipsticks over the years that looked bad on my lips, but somehow looked great once I put them on other parts of my face.

At first, however, I was just wiping the lipstick on my fingers and then trying to smear the right amount of pigment on my cheeks. Often in the case of matte lipsticks, it was much too dry for my already dry skin and didn't look great.

That's why I came up with this simple DIY that lets me turn one or more lipsticks into a cream blush. Cream blush is great for dry skin, and this DIY is fast, easy, and can be done with items you already own. Plus you can get creative and customize your blush so it's the exact color, saturation, and consistency that you want.

Here's what you need:

  • Lipstick (you can mix more than one color if you want)
  • Your favorite oil or moisturizer — I used argan oil
  • Something for mixing (I just used a bowl and a spoon)
  • A container to keep your cream blush in. I had a cheap, old powder compact that I never used — I emptied out the powder, cleaned the compact, and voila!

Wet 'n' Wild Megalast Lip Color in Just Peachy, $2, Walgreens

I use two lipsticks, Revlon Matte Balm in Complex and Wet 'n' Wild Megalast Lipcolor in Just Peachy. Both of these looked horrible on my lips, but really fantastic on my cheeks.

If you plan on using the lipstick after this, you want to be careful when slicing it up. I had no problem with ruining these lipsticks and I like to be messy so I took no such caution.

I started out small with tiny chunks from each lipstick, because I wanted to make sure I liked the color first. I melted the lipsticks in the microwave for about 30 seconds, added a few drops of argan oil, and mixed it all together.

Once I was happy with the color I had created, I added more lipstick. I decided I really liked how Just Peachy looked, so I threw the rest of that tube in and melted it down. I added several more drops of argan oil until it had the right creamy consistency, then transferred it to my container. (Yes, that part is messy, and you will have to clean up the edges of the container.)

I'm not going to order you to use exactly three drops of oil or anything like that because you basically just have to play around with your mixture. If you want it creamier and less pigmented, add more oil or moisturizer. I wanted it as pigmented as possible so I can use less and it will last longer. A white or tinted moisturizer will definitely dilute the color more than a clear oil.

Also, I wouldn't recommend using anything with ingredients that are sensitive to light unless you have an opaque container.

I really like how my cream blush turned out. I love the peachy-pink color, and the creamy consistency is just right. It's very easy to blend. I only need a tiny dab for a lot of pigment and it gives a great dewy glow.

Plus, the entire thing took me about ten minutes tops. Now that's my kind of DIY project.

Images: Kelly Dougher