Whether you're exploring natural alternatives or starting your own makeup line, making blush is much like cooking. You combine your ingredients and follow the instructions. It may take some trial and error to make the color and consistency you want, but the process isn't complicated.
The most inexpensive method to make blush is with colorful fruits and vegetables. Beets, peaches, carrots, strawberries, and many other foods are good sources for pigment. Using liquid mashed or juiced from the foods, you can mix different colors until you find the right shade.
Add several drops of liquid to a teaspoon of rice flour. Spread on a plate and allow to dry. The result is a powdered form of blush.
Remember that if you are allergic to a food, your skin may react badly to it. If you are unsure you can test the food on a small area of skin, like the back of your hand, and wait 24 hours. If there is no reaction, it is probably safe to use on your face.
To create a cheek stain, which is like a liquid blush, use vegetable gylcerin heated over boiling water with beetroot. The result is a thin, heavily pigmented liquid. Spread over your cheeks sparingly or dilute with moisturizer.
To make a cream blush, you can add your rice flour blush to a moisturizer or cream. Simply mix your dry blush with the cream until you have reached the desired consistency and color. For a made-from-scratch alternative, use olive oil instead of moisturizer. Typically, cream blushes wear longer and better, especially on dry skin.
You can also make blush with chemical pigments purchased in bulk. You can find suppliers online or through catalogs who have all the elements found in store-bought blush. You can make blush from scratch, follow a formula, or purchase a pre-made cosmetic kit.
A cosmetic kit is a good way for beginners to start. It includes all the ingredients you need, as well as containers for your finished product. The kits themselves can be a little expensive, but cost per yield is comparable or lower to store-bought cosmetics.
Formulas are basically cosmetic recipes. If you have experience making cosmetics, and already know your way around the chemical ingredients, you may find that using a formula works for you. You can also change the formula to suit your preferences. Read the formula carefully before ordering — you made need extra equipment such as a thermometer or a small scale to follow it precisely.