The great thing about vodka is that it doesn’t smell much in itself. So when making perfume or as in this case, after shave, vodka is perfect, it can carry the other smells real well. The stronger the vodka, the better, but it should be at least 40%. I use 80% – that’s the kind of stuff you only get on the ferry to Estonia.

I made this after shave together with L to go with the shaving kit that I got him for Christmas. The recipe is based on this bay rum after shave recipe from the fantastic The Art of Manliness blog. We more or less followed the recipe, only didn’t measure out the herbs because, well, I never bother to measure out anything really. Also we don’t have any allspice so we substituted that with a mixture of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, and instead of orange we used clementine. The result was a bit too christmasy, so I think a bit less cinnamon and clementine would be in order. Here’s the recipe

• 4 Ounces Vodka
• 2 Tablespoons Jamaican Rum
• Dried Bay Leaves
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
• zest from clementine (or orange or other orange-like citrus fruit)

Combine all the ingredients in a glass bottle or jar, close the lid and leave in a dark place. Soon, the vodka will get colored, which means that the smell and benefits of the spices are extracted into the vodka. For our mixture, only a day or two after we made it the clear vodka had shifted into a deep ambery brown. I don’t know if it was this quick because the vodka is so strong or because we used a lot of spices. However, it’s good to keep them steeping for at least two weeks.
Then, strain the spices very well. If you have used any ground spices, be extra careful not to leave any residues (the link suggests using several coffee filters for this). If you do, your product will stay fresh and zingy for a very long time.

Now that you have your after shave, you definitely need to learn how to shave like your grandpa.

If you’re interested in making a herbal perfume, you can get some suggestions here. Or just experiment with smells that you are fond of.

Just your average winter's day

You may like winter or you may not, but your hair sure doesn’t. I personally get huge problems with static hair especially during the dry winter months. Leading a no ‘poo lifestyle is no help:  when using the no ‘poo-method I had big problems with static hair, and using a boar bristle brush, which is one of the gentler ways of combing your hair can give you a truly hair-rising experience. Static hair can be caused by many things, for instance if your hair is too dry, or chemically or heat treated. The reason why no ‘poo causes static hair is that the pH value of your hair can get slightly off. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to calm your unruly winter’s hair.

• Wet hair. Hm. Maybe not the best option and especially not during freezing winter days. But if your hair is wet, it will definitely not be static. You can try wetting a wooden comb and running it through your hair, which might calm that frizz a little bit.
• Like I mentioned above, your hair can get static if the pH value is too high. Your hair should, in it’s normal state, be around have a pH-level of about 4,5-5,5. Baking soda has a pH level of about 9, which is why, when doing the no ‘poo or baking soda hair wash, it needs to be counter balanced with apple cider vinegar, which has the perfect pH level for your hair. My assumption is that I used too little apple cider vinegar when doing the no ‘poo hair wash, which caused the static hair. An apple cider vinegar rinse can be done after any hair wash if you are having troubles with static hair (or, if you just want shiny soft hair….). Mix 1 part ACV with about 9 parts water. You can even try a bit more ACV if you don’t feel like this helps.
• Conditioning your hair can help, or making a leave-in conditioner with a little bit of conditioner that you dilute with water in a spray bottle. (PS: I just found this adorable photo tutorial on how to make your own leave-in conditioner, I kind of fell in love with her).
• You can try to weigh down your hair with some products. This can be vegetable oil (suggestions: coconut or argan oil, though anything works), glycerin, aloe vera, a good hair wax. Just take a little bit in the palm of your hands and run it along the lengths of your hair (especially with oil and glycerin, make sure you take just a few drops). You can also combine the two tips above by mixing some oil or any of the other ingredients into your conditioner washing your hair.

These are some of the things that I find helpful to prevent frizzy hair. Plus, using these ingredients will also make your hair soft and shiny and nice. Win-win! Yay!

What do you do to prevent static hair? Or do you even share this problem with me?

Sources and help: Ehow, No poo – vi som inte använder shampoo

The Swedish blogosphere has lately been filled with pictures of long-haired girls who want even longer hair, and use castor oil to get it. Before and after pictures, where their hair has grown 4 times as much as it usually does, have convinced readers and more bloggers to run straight to the pharmacy.

So what’s up with castor oil anyway? Why is it better than other oils? Is it better than other oils? Let me break it down for you, and explain how you should use it in your hair like the Swedish bloggers and on your face using the oil cleansing method or OCM.

Castor oil is a vegetable oil that comes from the castor bean.  This oil differs from other oils in that it is really thick and slow-running. Castor oil has a great many fantastic properties; not only does it have antibacterial properties, it is also cleansing for your skin, and can even help heal the skin!

The uses for castor oil seem to be almost endless. Let me share my 7 favourites, starting with the amazing:

1. The oil cleansing method (OCM)

When I started this blog, I figured that one of the things I would write about first was the oil cleansing method. This was, almost to the day, 2 years ago. What has happened? I have no idea. But now it’s time.

OCM is the process of washing your face with vegetable oil, one of which is castor oil. It’s a great way of washing your face and clearing it of any blemishes; if you use this method a couple of times a week, you will definitely soon see a clear difference with more radiant, smooth skin.

How it works

The thought of using oils to clear your skin of blemishes can seem counter-intuitive – isn’t it oily skin that gives you acne in the first place? That’s true, and that is exactly why you need to supply oil to the skin. The reason why your skin gets blemished is that it produces excess oil. So, if you provide your skin with external oil, it will not need to produce as much oil. Which leads to clear skin. It’s as simple as that.

OCM is, however, not only for those with oily skin. Anybody will benefit from using OCM, because you can make your own personal blend of castor oil and another vegetable oil, that will be perfect for you whether you have dry skin or problem skin.

How to do it

When using OCM, there is no need to wash off any makeup, not even waterproof mascara. The oils will take care of that!

First, get your castor oil. Then, get another vegetable oil. Olive oil is, as always, great. Other oils you can use include (but are not limited to) sunflower seed, jojoba oil, avocado oil, canola oil or grapeseed oil. Then, get a washcloth. Then, go into your bathroom. Then, you’re ready to go!

Now you mix your castor oil with other oil. The amount of castor oil in the blend should be relative to your skin type. Here’s something to start with.

Oily skin equal parts castor oil and vegetable oil
Balanced skin 1 part castor oil to 2 parts vegetable oil
Dry skin 1 part castor oil to 3 parts olive oil

This is something to go by, but once you get the hang of OCM, try a few different ratios to find what’s perfect for you. Either, you can pre-mix a bottle of castor oil and vegetable oil, or mix it in your hands each time. When you have found the ratio that you love, get a bottle and mark with lines up to where the castor oil goes and the vegetable oil goes – and you’ll never have to measure again! Now, here’s how you do the OCM, step by step:

1. Pour a generous amount of oil into the palm of your hand (I’d say at least 1 or 2 tablespoons).
2. Apply the oil to your unwashed face and massage it carefully for about 5 minutes so that the oil is well absorbed into the skin.
3. Turn on your faucet and get some hot water. The water should be really hot, but not so hot that you’re scalding yourself of course.
4. Soak your washcloth in the running water, wring it out slightly and apply it to your face.
5. Leave it on just for a minute or so, or until the washcloth is cold
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5, once or twice.
7. Scrub your face lightly with the washcloth
8. Splash some cold water in your face or use a facial toner. This will close the pores that were just opened by the hot water.
9. If you have dry skin or just feel like it you can apply a little bit of OCM oil to your face and neck.

This can be done once every day, although most people find it enough to use twice or three times a week.

Warning: The first weeks there might be a little bit of acne breakout when you’re using OCM. This is normal, as the skin is trying to adapt to this new method and will try to get rid of nasty stuff. Just hold on tight, keep doing OCM and after not too long your face will have cleared up, smoother and more perfect than you could ever imagine!

For references and other cool stuff, check out this Pinterest  board that I created solely for this purpose with lots of info about OCM: The wonders of castor oil.

2. Makeup remover

If you find that OCM takes to long, or if you don’t want to do it every day, you can still use castor oil as a make up remover. Either 100% castor oil or half castor oil and half olive oil is great. Just apply some oil to a cotton ball or q-tip and swipe off the make-up.

3. Hair growth

To get your hair to grow faster, you need to do a hair oiling a couple of times every week with castor oil. Apply some to the scalp, leave on for at least 30 minutes and then wash off. The result is long, thick, shiny hair. It will also prevent hair loss. If you like you can also apply some to the lengths while your at it. Again, if you find that castor oil is too thick, add a bit of some other vegetable oil to it (olive or coconut for instance) – up to 50%.
Tip! To remove the castor oil from your hair: if you use shampoo, apply the shampoo before wetting the hair. The same goes with the conditioner onlymethod.

4. Darkening hair

Using castor oil will make your hair just the slightest bit darker. So if you want darker hair, you’re going to love using castor oil on your scalp!

5. Eyelashes

But this doesn’t only work on the hair on your head! No, applying castor oil to your eyelashes or even eyebrows will also result in long, thick lashes and brows. Maybe you want a thicker beard? Works just as well! This is great to do before going to bed and leaving on over night. Or, when doing the oil cleansing method, make sure your eyelashes get some of that oil as well. Just avoid contact with eyes if possible!
Tip! Wash out an old mascara brush and use it to apply the castor oil. You can even pour some castor oil into the clean mascara container and apply just like you would do with mascara.

6. Scar healing

The healing properties of castor oil means that it can be used on scars to help them heal. According to  skinverse, castor oil can even help heal internal scars such as scars from surgery. You can also apply castor oil on cuts or burns to help them heal fast.

7. Mole and wart removal

Applying some castor oil to warts, liver spots or moles will over time help you get rid of them. If you apply some every night, you should see progress already after a few weeks, and after 2-3 months the whole thing will be gone, says skinverse.

Not bad, huh? To see some of my inspiration for this article and to get some more information about castor oil and how to use it, visit my Pinterest  board: The wonders of castor oil.

Also, do check out the bath candy thingies over at crunchy betty. I’m sort of proud of them, and Leslie has only improved them.

For a good while, I’ve been longing for a creamy, soft, nice smelling, chemical free body butter. I’ve been both drooling for and disgusted by the ones that Body Shop makes – they look and smell so incredibly fantastic, but then you turn to the ingredient list and find silicones, perfume, PEG and all kinds of nasties. But if you have to make something right, you have to make it yourself, I suppose.

So a few days back, just as I was going to start experimenting with nothing to go after, somebody in the best no ‘poo-group on facebook (it’s in swedish though, sorry!) posted a link to this recipe at Rawmazing. Just what I needed!

So what is a body butter anyway? Unlike body lotion and body cream, body butter contains no water, only fats (and silicones, perfume and PEG, apparently….) Body butters are great to use on any skin type but they come especially in handy now in the cold winter time when your skin gets really dry.

So now I had something to go by. I made some alterations to the recipe, and I ended up with a recipe that looked like this:

• 2 tbs solid shea butter
• 1 tbs mint infused coconut oil
• 1 tbs olive oil
• dried rose petals, fresh rosemary
• 1 ml vitamin E (or 1 capsule)
• about 7 drops each of lime essential oil and lavender essential oil

Variations: You don’t need the vitamin E but it increases the shelf life and is great for dry skin. Instead of olive oil you can use any other vegetable oil that you like. In Rawmazing’s recipe they used almond oil, I can imagine that avocado, jojoba or apricot oil would be divine! For essential oils and herbs, take anything you like the smell of (and they are completely optional)

Some months back, I prepared a mint infused coconut oil that I was planning on using for a hair mask. I haven’t gotten around to doing that yet, so I figured I could just as well use some of it for this body butter. Making a herbal oil is very simple. You can follow the instructions here.Or you can just leave this step out as it takes some preparation.

Here’s how you make the body butter:

1. start by melting the shea butter and coconut oil in a double boiler. The coconut oil can be solid or runny, it’s all the same, just try to find some unraffined coconut oil/fat.
2. Add in the vegetable oil and if you like, some fresh or dried herbs. If you are using herbs, heat the mixture for about 20 minutes, then strain carefully and don’t forget to squeeze out the last of the oil from the herbs. If not, move on to the next step as soon as the butters have melted.
   
3. Remove from heat, and let cool. When the mixture is 30C or cooler, you can add the essential oils and vitamin E.
4. Whip the butter until it gets thick and fluffy. You’ll need to do this for at least 5-10 minutes. If it’s feeling hopeless, let the batch cool for a bit longer until it’s starting to solidify, then try again.
5. Use a spatula to put the body butter in jars.

Et voilà! Nothing left to do but to use and adore this body butter! Creamy, decadent and just fantastic. And so easy to make! The consistency is still very thick, I think next time I’ll experiment with adding a wee bit more oil and less shea butter, but that’s mostly just my own taste.

Next time, I’ll try to make something like the Body Shop’s candied ginger body butter, the smell is just fantastic! Until then, I have this gorgeous lime-lavender smelling body butter with rose and rosemary!
If you’d make a body butter, what smells would you like to use?

And what's the deal about castor oil anyway?

So check back for this and much much more! And don’t forget to like and follow!

But all this healthy eating has gotten me thinking about how this diet will affect my skin. So I did a bit of research about which nutrients are needed for health and beautiful skin and hair. Here are some of the most important ones.

1. Water Yeah, I know I’m a bore, but this need to be repeated; you need to drink water. Not coffee, not tea, not juice. Plain ol’ H20, nothing else. Water keeps the cells hydrated, and helps get the good stuff in and the bad stuff out. Result? Clear, radiant, smooth skin. Now there’s a miracle cure for you, and can you believe – it’s free!
Green tea is also a good choice due to it’s high amount of antioxidants (we’ll get to those) and other great nutrients. But remember that green tea, just like coffee and black tea, contains caffeine/teine, meaning it leaves your body dehydrated. So even though a cup of tea contains lots of water, you’ll need to drink another glass of water for each cup of tea, to keep you body from dehydrating.

2. Vitamin A aids the collagen production, which leads to smooth, clear and young-looking skin. It can also help against sun damaged skin.
Good sources of vitamin A include dairy products, egg, carrot, sweet potato, spinach, tomato and broccoli.   

3. Vitamin C also stimulates collagen production, which improves the skin’s elasticity.  Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which prevents damage from free radicals. It also protects the skin against UVA/UVB rays.
Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, bell peppers, sweet potato, spinach, tomato and strawberries. 

4. Vitamin E moisturizes the skin, leaving it clear and smooth and helps scars healing. Vitamin E is an antioxidant just as vitamin C.
Vitamin E can be found in nuts, whole grains and avocado. 

5. Zinc is a very important mineral for skin and hair. In fact, many cases of acne is actually caused by zinc deficiency! Zinc heals scars and prevents wrinkles.
Zinc can be found in oysters and red meat, especially lamb, beef and liver. Vegetarian zinc sources include seeds (especially sesame, pumpkin and sunflower), nuts, beans and blackcurrant. 

6. Omega–3 I’m sure you’ve heard by now of the importance of getting enough omega 3 in you diet, and have seen all the zillions of supplements you can take. There’s another fatty acid called omega 6 which is just as important as omega 3 (actually literally, as the two need to balance each other out for a healthy body), but most people get enough omega 6 in their diet already (and mostly too much), so no need to worry about not getting enough of that. Omega 3 are essential fatty acids that will reduce inflammation in the body, meaning fewer breakouts. Also, omega 3 provides a bit of sun protection. Good sources of omega 3 include fat fish such as salmon or anchovies, flax seed, walnuts and soybeans.

So, what did we learn from this? Well, mostly all vitamins are good for your skin. I know we all want to hear about the miraculous little exotic fruit that grows deep in the rainforest that will cure all your skin problems in one… But the extremely boring truth is, the best way to get beautiful skin and hair is to keep a well-balanced diet with many fruits and vegetables and drink lots of water.  Eat some fish a couple of times a week, and if you’re a vegetarian or other wise afraid you won’t get enough nutrients, you could consider taking some omega 3, zinc and iron supplement. It’s kind of a win-win situation – you will feel better, and look better at the same time!

Sources: Face value by Gregory Landsman, www.myhomemadebeauty.com

Do you know why babies have such clear, smooth skin? It’s because all of their porridge goes in their face and not in their mouths!

Okay, maybe not, but I can assure you that getting a bit of oatmeal porridge in your face does not do any harm – au contraire, mon frére! I’m sure you’ve heard of how healthy it is to eat your oats. But did you know this about oats and skin care?

• Oatmeal has anti-inflammatory properties and is perfect for most skin types, even the most sensitive skin
• Oatmeal contains saponins, a cleansing agent, and can therefore be used as a mild soap
• Oatmeal is moisturizing and helps remove dead skin cells.
• Oatmeal can help treat acne, eczema, rosacea and rashes
• Oatmeal can helps relieve symptoms of aging skin

Not bad, huh? And to think all this time we have wasted our oats for eating! Using oatmeal in skin and hair care is just as easy as cooking porridge…. Come to think of it, it’s easier.

The only thing you need to do to get started is to make some oat flour (or buy some straight from the shop). To make oat flour, just take some oat groats or rolled oats and run them in a blender or food processor or even mortar. And there you have it – a fine powder that can be used on you skin and in your hair! Now you can get started on all these different ways of using oats in skin and hair care.

 1. Face wash

Being very mild, but yet cleansing, oatmeal is a great ingredient in a face wash. Here’s a few suggestions. These work for any skin type, especially dry, irritated or sensitive skin.

The super-easy
Mix 1 tbs of oat flour with 2 tbs of hot water. Apply to face and rinse with warm water

The good morning face wash
2 tbs oat flour
2 tsp honey
1 tbs milk
Combine all ingredients. Apply to  face and neck, leave on for a few minutes if you like and then rinse.

3 tbs oat flour
2 tbs warm water
2 tbs rice flour
1 tsp glycerin (optional)
1 tbs aloe vera (optional)

2. Oat milk

Many vegans choose to substitute cows milk with oat milk, which you can nowadays find in any larger grocery store.  However, oat milk is basically just oats soaked in water, and it’s really easy to make yourself. Here’s a recipe to enjoy as a milk substitute – or better yet, use it as a face toner! Keep a small bottle in your fridge and apply with a cotton pad after a face wash. You can also use this as a cleanser and wash it off with water. Very refreshing, and your face will be smooth, soft and healthy looking!

2.5 dl (1 cup) organic ground oats
1 liter (1 quart) water (if using only as a toner, you can use distilled water to increase the shelf life)
3 tbs carrier oil

Mix the ingredients well in a blender. Using a cheese cloth or sieve, strain mixture to get rid of any large pieces of oat. Store in the fridge for a few days. (You can also freeze these into ice cubes for later use)

If using oat groats, you’ll need to soak the oats overnight first. Here’s a recipe for oat milk using whole oats.

3. Scrubs
Oat flour can be used in face and body scrubs to buff your face for a clean, soft finish. Here’s a few real easy ones:

Mild face scrub
Mix 1 part oatmeal flour with 1 part carrier oil (such as olive), wash off with warm water. Finish with some oat milk toner.

Oatmeal body scrub
Mix equal parts of olive oil and sugar with a bit of a carrier oil. Use as a body scrub instead of soap, wash with warm water. You’ll probably not need to moisturize after using this scrub.

4. Dry shampoo
If you have blonde hair, ground oats is a fantastic dry shampoo. Just rub some over your scalp, and brush excess oats out with a boar bristle brush.

5. Oat bran bath
Put about 1 dl (0.5 cup) of oat groans or rolled oats in some cloth and tie it up to make a small bag. Put this in your bath tub or in your foot bath. Press the bag a bit until the oatmeal “milk” comes out. You can also use this bag instead of soap on your body or face. It will give a light scrubbing and cleanse your skin and pores.

Click here to see all posts about making your own makeup

If you could have an eyeshadow in any color you liked, what would it be? Take a moment to think about that, right now. Because here’s your chance to win your very own customized makeup. In this giveaway, I am going to make one eyeshadow and one blush according to the winner’s wish!

In addition, one of the two lucky winner will also receive a 6-piece set of Eco Tools cosmetic brushes. These brushes have soft bristles made from synthetic taklon and gorgeous bamboo handles. I personally use EcoTools brushes for almost all of my makeup applications and I’ve been very happy with them, as am I sure you will be too.
The set includes a blush brush, eye shading brush, angled eyeliner brush, concealer brush and a lash and brow groomer. In addition, the set also includes a makeup case made out of hemp and cotton, where you can store the brushes and a whole bunch of makeup. You can read more about the set here.

1st prize: One mineral eyeshadow in the color of your choosing, approximately 10 ml. Plus a set of EcoTools cosmetic brushes.
2nd prize:  One mineral blush/bronzer, approx. 10 ml.

Before you enter, please keep a couple of things in mind.

• The products that you can win in this giveaway are homemade and even though the ingredients I use are cosmetic grade ingredients, they do not have any kind of cosmetic certification.
• I will do my best to make colors as close to your wishes as possible, but I do not guarantee that they are exactly what  you wish for.
• The second prize of a customized blush does not include any kind of application brush.

To enter the giveaway, you only need to do one thing. Imagine the shade of color that you would like to have on your eyes and cheeks, and explain them. Should the eyeshadow be bright pink or deep forest green? Sparkly or matte, light or strong color? Would you like a bright red blush that goes perfectly with your 50′s style red dotted dress or something closer to a bronzer for that sun kissed look? Be as specific as possible, and if you have a picture of the color or of somebody wearing your dream eyeshadow, you’re more than welcome to post links.

That’s all you need to do for one entry in the giveaway. For additional entries, do one or more of the following:

• Like Hildablue on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Hildablue by rss feed  or email subscription (follow the link at the bottom of the right sidebar)
• Subscribe to the Hildablue recipes by rss feed  or email subscription (you’ll find the link on Hildablue recipes in the right side bar)
• Follow @hilda_blue on twitter
• Tweet about the giveaway using this tweet or your own:
  Enter #giveaway to #win homemade mineral eyeshadow or blush customized in shade of your choosing! http://bit.ly/sluotI via @hilda_blue

You can have as many entries as you like (up to the six possible), but make sure that you post each action as a separate comment. Simply post a comment saying that you’re like facebook page, follow the tweets or subscribe to the posts. If you already follow/like, you’re also welcome to count that as an entry,

This giveaway is open to participants worldwide and closes on December 4th, 2011. The winners will be selected using random.org and notified by email. Good luck!

Click here to see all posts in the homemade makeup post series

Playing around with micas and shimmering eyeshadows is fun enough, but here comes the true challenge: making mineral foundation. By making your own homemade mineral foundation you’ll save big bucks, as store-bought mineral foundations can be rather expensive. Plus, you have the opportunity to get the exact shade that suits your skin color! Once you get the formula right, you can make a huge batch that you can keep forever (and when I say forever, I mean forever. This will never go off)

First, we need to make a white base. Here’s one recipe that I’ve been very happy with.

1 tbs titanium dioxide
1 tsp zink oxide
2 ml (1/2 tsp) magnesium stearate
4 ml (3/4 tsp) sericite mica

Combine all ingredients using a wooden grill skewer or chop stick. Using a fine sieve such as a tea strainer, sift the mixture once or twice.

After that we’ll make a color base. If you have fair skin, start with this color blend.

1 tsp yellow iron oxide
0.5 ml red iron oxide
0.5 ml blue ultramarine

Take a small ziplock bag, mortar or coffee grinder (you should use this grinder only for the makeup however), add all ingredients and start grinding away until the colors are completely mixed. If using a ziplock back, just rub the closed bag between your fingers or palms, crushing the powder and making sure it’s all mixed and ground up. I personally like the ziplock bag even though some people don’t think it grinds the color well enough.

And this is where it gets exciting! You’ll want this to be as close to your natural skin color as possible and therefore you might need to add more of one ingredient or another until you find something that goes with your own skin tone.  First, mix the base with the color and see how it looks on your skin.

1 tbs white base
1/2 tsp color base

If the color looks nice, good for you! If you find it’s too light, just add a pinch of the color blend, if the color is too strong for you, add some of the white base.

If the color is off, you’ll need to grind in more color. Add more of one or the other of the above, or try adding a pinch of brown if you have that at hand and feel the foundation needs more red.
Use very small amounts at a time, and write down what you do so that you can do it again next time. A cosmetics scale that can measure very small weights is quite handy at this point. Remember to always grind in the added color very well before trying it on your skin, other wise it will not give a true picture of what the makeup looks like.

To apply the makeup, I suggest using a large kabuki brush. Pour a small amount of the powder into the lid, and swirl around in it a bit with the brush. Tap the brush to remove excess powder, and then apply to your face using small circular motions.

This might take a while to master fully, but I assure you it will be very rewarding. If you need a break, try some of these other (easier) recipes for your skin:

Primer / Veil

A mineral veil is a powder that is applied on top of your foundation, to make the color longer lasting and keep your face matte all day. These veils can be rather expensive but they are really easy to make yourself. If you look at Bare Escentuals mineral veil for instance, only contains cornstarch, zinc stearate and magnesium stearate. So here’s my recipe for a really simple veil, that can also be used as a primer before applying the foundation.

1/2 tsp each of cornstarch, rice flour and magnesium stearate
(1/4 tsp of mineral foundation)

Run all the ingredients through a fine sieve a couple of times. You can add some foundation if you want to give the veil a light tint.

Concealers

When those nasty zits show up, sometimes a light foundation just isn’t enough. When making your foundation, save some to make a separate concealer that you can apply with a small brush or a cotton swab.

Green concealer for zits or red skin

2-3 tsp white base
1 tsp yellow iron oxide
1 ml blue ultramarine
0.5 ml red iron oxide

Good luck experimenting! And remember to check back in a few days time for the giveaway where you can enter to win your very own customized mineral makeup plus a lovely set of EcoTools brushes!