Making Make-Up

Before I write about the Battle of the Bulge, otherwise known as a throwdown between two restaurants undertaken by a friend and me, I thought I'd take a moment and talk about some make-up I made.

The recipe called for:

• 1 ounce beeswax


• 4.5 ounces jojoba oil


• 4-5 tsp mineral mica

When looking for the color of mica to use, I was a bit overwhelmed. I'm looking to eventually make a foundation to wear daily as opposed to the schlack I currently use. What's in that stuff anyway? And why do I love it so? Because I do.

First, you melt the beeswax.

I was home alone that day, and so pulled out a Native-American sushi dish to keep me company. There's a grocery store in town that sells the most random things. They were also selling canisters with old photos of cowboys cooking alongside a chuck wagon. Yes, I bought all of them. I don't know what it is about them, but I have a tendency to buy old photos in whatever capacity they're presented to me. They're just... timeless. This guy was breathing when it was originally taken. And I like having those moments of life surrounding me, even though they're long gone.

But in this case, I bought them because I have a thing for those chiefs. Is this what they call "prairie fever"?

Watch the beeswax melt until they look like a pair of eyes. This bee apparently had a lazy eye from the looks of the melting.

Can I ask a question? Who, in their right mind, would want a photo of themselves on a serving dish 100 years from now. How embarrassing. Do I need to stipulate that in a will or something? "In case of mass-marketing of my face, please use image attached."

Because you know this is the photo they'd choose.

Can you imagine serving a nice chicken piccata on this lovely creature? I know it would help with many people's diets, that's for sure.

Okay, back to the make-up. Pour in the jojoba oil.

It will cause the beeswax to seize up a bit, so just continue stirring until it's all nicely melted again.

And, lastly, dump in the mica. I'd recommend keeping it on the heat until pouring into the tubes, because the beeswax does solidify quickly.

I've made quite a few tube of chapstick (which can also be used as blush) and what I'm currently calling "bronzer". I'm not yet ready to use it only as a foundation. My umbilical cord to thick, plastered war paint has not been severed. One day, though, I will break free. To know that only three ingredients are on my face at any given time sounds really lovely.

We're off to picnic amongst hoop dresses and war uniforms today. Hope the weather holds out.

Until next time!

Eat your heart out, Cleopatra

Since I had started making my own soap, I'd also been thinking of expanding the home-ec project into other areas of skin care. Namely: make-up, face wash, and moisturizer. My 8th grade science teacher kept coming back to me, "Skin is your largest organ. Skin is your largest organ, Carolyn. CAROLYN!" ..at which point I would wipe away drool and immediately ask my neighbor for some CornNuts.

What.

I'm hungry when waking up from a nap.



Luckily R agreed that this was important, as there was going to be an initial cost. More than I thought, in fact. But after crunching some numbers, the total amount of product easily exceeds what we would get pre-packaged at the store for the same amount, and with higher quality ingredients.

First up is the almond meal facial scrub recipe I found:

• 4 tbls almond meal


• 1 tsp jojoba oil


• 2 tbls honey

That's it.



There's something so intoxicating about putting honey on my skin. It's like I'm channeling Cleopatra, who used honey on her entire body.

Hell, I'd even settle for Elizabeth Taylor's skin at this point. After she married Richard Burton.

The second time.



I tripled this recipe so as not to have to make it every other day and will admit that it's not the easiest to apply. Honestly, it's downright messy.

But it did take the 7 layers of foundation off without a hitch and my skin doesn't even feel dry. In fact, it's not oily either.

So far so good. We'll see about the homemade foundation, though. I'm predicting that I'll soon be asked to star in the sequel to Killer Clowns from Outer Space.

Stay tuned.