Andy Clarke, a makeup artist in Fairfield, Connecticut, says “You probably grow these plants in your garden. Use chamomile (the German chamomile is wonderful): crush into a paste with a mortar and pestle, or steep tea. Reduce liquid. Make a base of French lavendar to revive skin. Add peppermint leaves to cool. Rosemary or Australian tea tree oil make an antiseptic formula. A few drops of any sweet oil, like almond, jojoba are good, or add glycerine into rosewater. Add Vitamins A, C and E for a treatment foundation. To match skin colors, use zinc oxides (also good for sun block). Designer foundations can’t beat your fresh, natural makeover-perfect blends. Buy ingredients from a wholesale beauty supply. Some people avoid titanium dioxide because it may be a carcinogen.”
Cara Paik, a UK beauty consultant, recommends the kitchen blender for a quick mix of fashion color: “Mixing natural pastes and oils is awesome, but sometimes what I want isn’t in season. Start with hypoallergenic cream base. Use different colors of mica, depending on your skin color. Splendid Gold mica and neutrals work well for light skin. Of course, mix deep colors for darker skin tones. Aloe vera—squeezed directly from an aloe plant with aroma water—smoothes the mixture. Add rich oils. Mix the cream base with dry ingredients. Use a masher, actually. Fold the ingredients into your blender. In 3-4 minutes, you have whipped foundation! This kind of product costs so much at your retail store. Put into a glass jar and refrigerate. Make sure to write your recipe down to the last detail. You may also make a dry foundation by combining minerals with corn or tapioca starch. Spend money on brushes!”
