I’ve been pretty quiet these few weeks as I’ve been ramping up basic materials to get me going with my homemade ideas. It doesn’t seem like it but I love making diy products : they’re inexpensive, natural and the best thing of all – they’re cruelty free! I started a few weeks ago making aromatherapy oil mixes and ointments and decided maybe it’s time to take it a notch up higher.

I’ve used Maybelline’s EyeStudio Long Lasting Gel Eyeliner for as long as I can remember. I just love it and I haven’t used anything that’s comparable. I’m a cats-eye kind of girl, and I don’t leave home without my eyes made up. But for asmuch as I’d want to use the gel, I decided, okay, it’s time to move on. As I started changing products a year ago, I’m no longer comfortable using those that aren’t cruelty-free. Mostly these are the commercialized brands whose ingredients are just not readable (too many chemicals -ates and the like). And seriously, have you seen how they test the makeups on animals? It’s really heartbreaking. Anyway, a few weeks ago, I was trying to look for a vegan gel eyeliner online to replace my current one. Since those products aren’t typically sold here in the Philippines, I really had to find one. Hahm, lo and behold, the prices were just too much for me (shipping fee and all)!

So it all boiled down to – Oh, what better thing to do but to make one!

This recipe of mine is 100% natural and waterproof. I had to research a lot prior to making it because I wanted to make an afforable, long lasting and a safe product. The shelf life would be six months and it would be best to have this stored in room temperature (not under the sun!)

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp Castor Oil

1/8 tsp Vitamin E Oil

1/2 tsp Activated Charcoal

1/2 tsp Candelilla Wax

1/8 tsp Shea Butter

4 drops Lavender Essential Oil

5g, Plastic Cream Jar

Toothpicks

Medicine glass droppers and small glass bowls

Directions

Tip: Before starting, it would be best to have a cover on your table (and your hands) Activated charcoal with oil can stick and stain into your nails too! Pretty easy to remove though, use oil or a makeup remover on cotton to remove the stains. Just don’t get them on your clothes!

In the small cream jar, pour in the Castor Oil, Vitamin E oil and the Activated Charcoal. Mix it well using a toothpick until there are just bits of the charcoal evident. Add in drops of the Lavender essential oil.

Tip: Collect the Castor and Vitamin E oils using different glass droppers. Using a single dropper may contaminate the other product.

On a small glass, mix in the Shea Butter and the Candelilla Wax. Place them inside the microwave with a medium-high heat for about 1-2 minutes.

Tip: Make sure you watch them melt. Candelilla wax hardens fast so you might get a hardened one by the time you transfer it to the small jar. You can also opt to use a double-boiler to melt the wax.

Mix the wax-butter into the small jar.

Tip: Since the wax hardens pretty quick, you can also opt to pour in the charcoal-oil mix into the melted wax-butter on the small glass. Heat it again if it hardens and pour it into the small jar.

To test, I ran it under the faucet and it didn’t smudge at all. I also dipped it in a basin of water for about half a minute and the application is as strong as I first applied it

 

Unfortunately, it’s not as thick as how I’d expect it to be unlike normal eyeliner products. I need a few strokes in before I get a strong black color but it works and I love it. I can control the color and can put in a lighter or a stronger streak.

Of course, I’d have to compare both (Left) my homemade eyeliner and (Right) Maybelline’s Gel Eyeliner. (Pardon the messy eyebrows, I haven’t groomed them yet). Quick to remove too, just use a makeup remover or oil (I love Jojoba) with cotton and gently wipe it off your eyes.

It takes a few minutes to mix these all up. It’s messy but quick and it’s really fun to make!

What I love about this recipe is that they’re not only homemade, natural and waterproof, but they also promote hair growth and thickness. Castor, Vitamin E oils as well as Lavender Essential Oil are all known to promote hair growth. My homemade eyelash serum has lengthened my eyelashes over time and yes, these were key ingredients.

I love it and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to using eyeliners that aren’t homegrown. I’m pretty sure I’ll be updating this from time to time so I can log in details of the product over a few weeks or months.

I want to hear your DIY stories. Tell me all about them!

Love and light,

Photos were taken by the author.