You probably saw my last post on making eyeshadow, but have you ever wanted to design your own diy eyeshadow palette? I know I have! But I wanted to make something that was manageable but still looks gorgeous.
So I came up with this DIY cream eyeshadow recipe and figured out a way to use it to create 3 unique, yet cohesive shades to use in a palette.
Introduction
The first time I tried to make a pressed powder, I used oil to bind the powders together. At first, that seemed to work but then they started to crumble. It was a nightmare!
I noticed that other recipes were using rubbing alcohol. Great! But who wants to put that on their eyes? Not me, that’s for certain.
So when someone suggested using a small amount of cream to hold it all together, it just made so much sense.
If this is your first time making a pressed eyeshadow palette, you may find it easier to have a go at making some individual ones first.
There’s no shame in starting out small. I definitely made a single shade with this recipe first to make sure it worked out okay. Although palettes are made in a very similar way, it’s way easier to concentrate on one color at a time.
Once you get the hang of this recipe, it’s actually pretty straightforward. Time-consuming, yeah, but well worth it!
The Emulsion
If you’ve made an emulsion, or if you’ve followed any of my homemade face creams or body lotion recipes then you’re one step ahead. You’ll notice this is a pretty basic emulsion, if only a little glycerine heavy.
Glycine is a great humectant, which means it attracts water to your product. This keeps the cream rich, creamy, and wet. Nobody wants their cream eyeshadow drying out.
I tried the recipe out using a cream with a low humectant percentage and I ended up with an eye shadow that was very crumbly and lacked vibrancy.
If you want to save time and already have a simple cream made up, you can always substitute it for this instead. Be sure it does have some form of humectant (e.g. glycerin).
Important: If you’re substituting any ingredients here make sure that they are safe for your eyes. You should also be aware that the quantity required may differ from our recipe depending on the consistency of your chosen cream.
Vibrancy is important in a cream eyeshadow, but the texture is also vital, we’re looking for a consistency of wet sand. But more on this in my recipe below.
Colors Using Mica & Oxides
You can use whatever micas and/or oxides your heart desires. We used a combination of white mica, gold mica bronze mica, and brown oxide for this recipe. But get creative and use whatever you like!
Measurements of pigments here are just a guide. Not all micas and oxides are the same and will vary in vibrancy.
It’s important to get a feel for your micas. Start with my measurements, and see how they work for you. Then make adjustments to suit your own needs.
There’s a huge range of micas to choose from and experiment with. I found it great fun trying out different colors and shades to see which I preferred.
I settled upon making a light beige/brown shade palette as I have a pale complexion so natural colors are best for me. I created my shades using a mixture of white mica, gold mica, and bronze mica.
I used a little brown oxide in some of my shades too. Bear in mind that if you are using oxide, it should be treated slightly differently to mica. A little goes a long way so make sure you only add a tiny amount at a time and keep checking the color as you go.
When creating your shades, it does take a lot of guesswork as it completely depends on what colors you have chosen, what your skin tone is, and what your preferences are. This is why I have been a bit vague with how much mica/ oxide to add at each stage. My advice would be to go slowly, keep adding a little at a time and make sure to check it on your wrist at each stage.
What I did notice during my color experimentation is that my finished colors looked much lighter on the skin than in the palette. So, as I have mentioned above, it’s key to keep trying them out along the way.
The Powdered Base
I chose to use Zinc Oxide in my base as it has a slightly sticky texture making it ideal for eyeshadow as it provides better coverage and sticks well to the eyelid.
I also added magnesium stearate into the base recipe to help with adhesion too. Magnesium stearate also gives the eye shadow a lovely feel and helps it to glide when applying.
If you do not have any magnesium stearate, you could use arrowroot powder instead, although this will alter the texture a bit.
In order to add a bit of shimmer, I used Sericite Mica in the base, which adds a silky feel and can reduce the appearance of wrinkles and lines.
The final ingredient in my base is Kaolin Clay which has a creamy texture that helps when it comes to the pressing of the eyeshadow.
Kaolin clay is also full of minerals which makes it a great choice for your skin. It can be substituted for Bentonite Clay too if you would prefer.
DIY Cream Eyeshadow Palette
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Equipment
- Spoon
- Piece of lace (optional)
Ingredients
Emulsion Base (Cream)
- 32.5 grams Distilled Water
- 5 grams Glycerine
- 7.5 grams Sunflower Oil
- 4.5 grams Emulsifying Wax NF
- 0.5 grams Preservative
- Cosmetic Jar (to store)
Powdered Base
- 11.5 grams Zinc Oxide
- 2.7 grams Magnesium Stearate
- 3.3 grams Sericite Mica
- 1.3 grams Kaolin Clay
- Mica Powders
- Cosmetic Jar (to store)
Palette
- 3 Compartment Eyeshadow Palette (empty, to store our shades)
Video
Instructions
Making The Emulsion Base
- Place the glycerine and water into a heat proof container.32.5 grams Distilled Water, 5 grams Glycerine
- Put the sunflower oil and emulsifying wax into a separate heat proof container, then gently heat the oil and wax in a microwave or water bath until melted. You will also need to warm the water/glycerine to a touch warm temperature, so that when we mix the two it does not solidify the wax right away.7.5 grams Sunflower Oil, 4.5 grams Emulsifying Wax NF
- Now that your wax has melted and the water part has been warmed you can go ahead and combine them. Pour the water into the melted oils, then stir the mixture until it has begun to thicken and has cooled below 50c
- Add your preservative and mix well.0.5 grams Preservative
- Place your cream into a clean, suitable container ready for use.Cosmetic Jar
Making The Powdered Base
- Put the zinc oxide, magnesium stearate, sericite mica, and kaolin clay into the coffee grinder and grind for approximately 30 seconds.11.5 grams Zinc Oxide, 2.7 grams Magnesium Stearate, 3.3 grams Sericite Mica, 1.3 grams Kaolin Clay
- Pour the mixture into a container with a lid. This is the base for your eyeshadow and can be kept for around six months.Cosmetic Jar
Putting Together The Palette
- Take 1 tsp of the base that you have just made and put it into the grinder.
- Add 3 tsp of mica to your base and blitz it for 30 seconds. This will be your first and lightest shade of the palette. You may want to test the color/shade by smudging a little on the inside of your wrist.Mica Powders
- Remove 1/3 from the grinder and place into a container, this is your first shade.
- For your second shade, add either some more of the same color mica, or a little of another color to the mixture that is leftover in the grinder. Blitz again and then check the color on your wrist.
- Remove 1/2 of the contents from the grinder and place it in another container, this is your second shade.Cosmetic Jar
- For your final shade, once again add either some more of the same color mica, or a little of another color to the mixture that is leftover in the grinder. Grind together again and then check the color on your wrist.
- Remove the rest of the mixture from the grinder and place into another container, this is your third shade.By doing this 3 times we end up with 3 cohesive (yet different) colors that can be used easily together on the eyelid
- Now it’s time to add your cream. You will need to add approximately ¼ tsp to each of your shades, but add a little at a time until you reach the texture of wet sand.
- Half fill the first palette with the lightest color, press down firmly, top up and press again. Then repeat the process with your other shades.3 Compartment Eyeshadow Palette
- Blow away the debris and clean up with a cotton swab for a nice finish. You can also place lace over the pallet and press down leaving a nice pattern on top.
Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. That’s a lot of steps. While I agree that it is time-consuming, and the number of ingredients can make this craft a little difficult. But when you get the hang of it, It’s super easy. You’ll be mixing up colors like there’s no tomorrow.
It’s also worth mentioning that you don’t have to turn these into a palette. You can just make one shade if you want. You can also use whatever mica you like! Start with blue, make the next shade purple with some red, and then add some yellow to round your last shade out into something a little more neutral.
Your creativity is your only limit here, explore your micas and see what wonderful shades you can come up with! Then drop me a comment below to let me know how you got on with your diy eyeshadow palette.
That’s all I have time for today. I’ll be back soon with another tried and tested craft!
Your posts are amazing! Thank you for sharing them.