Let’s just say I am on a budget and leave it at that. Ok? So, you can imagine that after trawling through hours and hours of Youtube video footage (just an average evening in), I came across a video on DIY make-up, I was excited to say the least.
Here was my thought process:
First: “Yay! No more £25 Chanel lipsticks, I shall make my own.” *airpunch*
Then: “…I’ll make some for my friends and family too!”
Then: “…I’ll package it up and give them away as gifts for birthdays and Christmas…”
Then: “…I’ll start my own business and sell them online!”
Then: “…I wonder if I can source packaging, lipstick containers and fancy labels wholesale. Hmm…I might need a loan.”
Finally: “I know, I’ll leave my job, get a loan, hire a team and outsource all of the work abroad. I can live on the beach and spend my time writing poetry, whilst my team get on with all the hard work. This is going to be great!”
And this was all before I had even watched the video.
I have since realised that I am hooked on Youtube videos and in the worst possible way.
These days I find it almost impossible to get through an evening without watching at least 3 hours of ‘Emmy Eats’, ‘Hair advice for afro hair’, ‘Pixiwoo make-up videos’, ‘Life in Korea’, ‘Korean make-up secrets’ and random motivational videos for entrepreneurs. As you can see, it’s a pretty varied selection – this is because what I watch is dependent on my mood and my current obsession. What never seems to change is my love of all things related to DIY, life hacking, money making, money saving, business launching or online marketing.
I am the female version of Del Boy, the eternal optimist with the unquenchable thirst for a new business idea or money making / saving scheme. This is why the internet in general and Youtube in particular, is such a dangerous place for people like me.
DIY Make Up
So, what happened when I watched the DIY lipstick from crayons video? I ended up making some myself…
Lipsticks made from crayons can be as safe (even safer) than the average listpick!
Yes, you read it right. You can make lipsticks from crayons and it is often just as safe as the average lipstick. In fact, non-toxic crayons do not contain the chemicals and parabens usually found in lipsticks. It’s true, the internet said it.
Off to Poundland I went with a shopping list that included non-toxic jumbo crayons in a selection of colours, a silicone ice-cube holder and some Vaseline. I then nipped over to my local afro hair store and bought Shea Butter and Coconut Oil (I figured I could use them on other things if it all went wrong. Go to Youtube for hair care advice using coconut oil and shea butter).
This is what I did after carefully following each step as outlined on Youtube:
Step 1: Turned the stove up to a high heat and filled a pot half way with water
Step 2: Boiled the water then turned it down to a low-medium heat, placing a shatter proof glass jug in the pot.
Step 3: Unwrapped a crayon (red) cut it in half and put it in the jug
Step 4: Added a teaspoon of Vaseline and one of Shea Butter – stirring occasionally
Step 5: Once melted into a thick, coloured liquid, I poured it into a silicone ice-cube holder and put it in the freezer.
Then I waited. It was like Christmas, the business idea I had always wanted, I was going to be the next big thing since Mac…
The result: A weird block of hardened crayon which left a translucent colour on my skin and was hardly noticeable on my lips. #fail (This didn’t happen in the video).
What went wrong:
For those of you interested in actually doing this, I would recommend that you don’t. If you are still keen, my advice would be to include more crayon (maybe a whole crayon) for a darker more noticeable shade – especially if you have dark lips like mine. As a guide, one teaspoon of coconut oil to one inch of crayon will give you a more sheer look. Add crayon and coconut oil as you go and test it on the skin on the back of your hand for consistency and colour.
Have I been put off DIY make-up, hell no! Stay posted as I try to make DIY foundation…
Check out this video for homemade crayon lipsticks: