Have you ever looked at the back of a beauty product and tried to read the ingredients?
It can feel like you’re trying to decipher one of Einstein’s equations. At one stage in my life I was pretty ignorant about the ingredients that go into skincare and beauty products; I just cared about whether they worked or not. Although I’m more savvy when it comes to what I should and shouldn’t be putting into my body, there are still times when I look at a ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ product and have to Google the name of some ingredient I can barely pronounce.
Globally, the beauty industry is worth billions of dollars, which isn’t terribly surprisingly considering how much most of us love to preen ourselves. But you may be surprised to find that some companies marketing themselves as being natural and even healthy, are often packed full of dangerous chemicals, and even dead animals parts. In addition, some companies continue to test their products on defenseless animals. That’s not a pocket that I want to help line.
You may also want to take a good look in your makeup bag if you have allergies. Makeup can contain gluten, soy and other allergenic ingredients that are harmful to some, causing a range of such symptoms as sneezing, dry skin, rashes, watery eyes and even breakouts. Some individuals who are allergic to their beauty products can also experience severe headaches.
You don’t have to ditch makeup entirely; instead, you may want to consider making your own beauty products at home from none other than food. Yep, that’s right, your fridge can now become a part of your beauty regime. You no longer have to fork out a small fortune on makeup when you can make it from the contents of your kitchen in a matter of minutes at a fraction of the cost. It’s much better for your body than relying on chemically-produced products to make you look and feel good. Alternatively, if you don’t wish to get a little dirty in the kitchen there are some great brands that are following suit and using fruits and other foods in their products. Companies like Juice Beauty and Antipodes are using real fruit and essential oils in their products while 100 Percent Pure is creating beauty products, including mascara from real fruit and other natural foods.
And it was only late last year that self-taught makeup artist Raychel Newton hit the headlines for sharing a YouTube video of her putting on make-up with food. She used honey as a base before applying cacao powder as an eyeshadow, contoured with a Snickers bar and used flour to highlight.
So, let’s meet the 7 new foods that you’ll be welcoming into your makeup bag this year aka Edible Makeup:
1. Coconut
You probably won’t be surprised to see coconut on this list. I mean, we’ve been raving about the benefits of coconut in skincare for some time now, so why not use it in makeup, too? Coconut oil makes a perfect substitute for your favorite plain lip gloss. Not only will it add a touch of glamour to your pout but it will also add a clear sheen.
2. Beetroot
I love a bright, bold, statement lip. Sometimes, when you’re feeling a bit glum just popping on some lipstick can do wonders to brighten your mood. But I find lipstick also really dries my lips out, and as someone with a highly sensitive pout, I have to be careful to use only natural ingredients to make sure my lips don’t end up itchy and irritated. Beets are the perfect food to create a bold lip. You only have to slice one open to see their wonderful pink hue! To try it out, simply take a beetroot chunk and brush it across your mouth, building the layers up if you want a deeper, bolder shade. Beetroot can also work as a natural blush but you have to be careful as it can become streaky. And if you’re a fan of all things pink, why not use a makeup brush to create a pink, winged eyeliner?
3. Blackberries + Raspberries
You only have to eat blackberries and raspberries to see how much they stain your fingers, so it makes sense that their powerful hue could be used for a natural makeup. Both of these berries can be used to make lip stains, blusher and even a pretty eye-shadow. You can use fresh or thaw some that are frozen, crushing them a little to release some of their natural juice and rubbing it across the lips to create a natural lip stain. If you’re looking for a lighter shade you could try strawberries, too. Your lips won’t be sticky with product and they won’t become dry after a few hours. Plus using berries adds a little dose of antioxidants onto the skin.
Looking to darken your lashes and even brows? Use a dark fruit like blackberries and, again, mash them to release some of their natural juice and using a make-up brush or even a cotton pad work the stain through your lashes and brow hair to add some color.
4. Cherries
I always used a cherry scented lip-balm when I was younger simply because it smelled delicious and I was prone to licking my lips quite frequently for a little taste of cherry goodness. (I’ve since learned this results in actually eating your lip-balm and no longer do this.) It also made my lips look like Snow White’s. Cherries can be used much the same way as berries, although cherries tend to have more of a red tone than blackberries, so it serves as a really good blush if you want to add a little color to your cheeks. Remember to rub the juice in circular motions to really work it into the skin so that you don’t end up with bright red cartoonish cheeks.
5. Lucuma Powder
Lucuma powder has such a delicate shade it’s no wonder its being used to set makeup, as a highlighter and as part of a foundation. If you’re wanting to get a warmer skin tone, mix both lucuma power and cacao together to create a light powdered foundation that will give you a glow and surprisingly good coverage. Lucuma can also be used to highlight the eyelids thanks to it’s light shade, and as a highlighter for more cheekbone definition.
6. Spirulina
You may struggle to drink green algae, but spirulina can create a beautiful look when it comes down to your eyelids. To make an eye shadow, mix spirulina powder with water to make a dark green eye-shadow, or mix it with coconut oil or shea butter to create a creamier eye-shadow that you can gradually build up. You can also use it as an eyeliner by using a smaller brush to paint the spirulina mixture across your lids for a feline look.
Not much of a green fan? Turn your spirulina powder black by mixing it with a darker fruit such as blackberry juice, and then add coconut oil, letting it harden. When it is a firm paste, use a small make-up brush to make a natural eyeliner, or if you like your statement brows, why not use it to darken them, too?
7. Cacao Powder
Not only does cacao smell sinfully good, it also is a great base for a lot of beauty products. You can use cacao as a natural eye-shadow by either wetting the eyelid with a liquid such as honey or water and then using a brush to apply cacao powder to the lid for a bold color or alternatively you could use a make-up brush and dip it into water and then directly into the cacao, tapping off excess power, to start off with a more subtle shade.
Fancy looking sun-kissed and golden? Raw cacao serves as a brilliant bronzer. Simply use a bronzer/blusher brush, dip it into some cacao and then tap off excess powder before sweeping it across your cheeks. If you’d like to build up a sun-kissed look, why not use one of the above fruit-based blushers and use cacao to finish off the look? You could also mix cacao powder with some coconut oil for a tinted moisturizer. The cacao will work in place of bronzer and a thin layer will give your skin the boost of color it needs, but remember to use it sparingly to prevent having your face turn a different shade from the rest of your body!
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