Making Make-Up With Crayons

When I was a little girl, I certainly tried to use crayons for make-up. At the time, there was a brand that made eye shadow sticks and lip balms in the shape of crayons, complete with the recognizable wrapper. When I saw pins on Pinterest of make-up diy projects with crayons, I was intrigued and a little creeped out. The idea of eating crayons seemed like a very bad idea. After all, how many times have you had to tell a child not the chew on blue? However, the Crayola brand crayons are non toxic and that makes a very important difference. Most crafters state, and I agree with them, that it is important to stick to a trusted brand that you know is safe. The other ingredients used in this craft are also safe to use.

Vegetable shortening, crayons, and pill organizers are the basic tools needed to make the make-up.

This time of year is a great time to get a variety of fun colors; especially with limited edition boxes. Last year, I was able to find fun Crayola crayons that were made for Halloween. These unique boxes have colors that you won't ordinarily find in the standard Crayola box. The other day, I was able to find a 24 pack for $.50 and the Limited Edition Royal Shades and Diva Fever I was able to purchase two for $3.50.

Most of the tutorials that I found used crayons with either coconut oil, olive oil or petroleum jelly. I chose to use a combination of vegetable shortening, crayon, castor oil and peppermint essential oil.

The first batch that I made, I used 1/2-1 tablespoon of shortening, 1/2 a crayon and a few drops of peppermint essential oil. This mixture is strictly for a lip balm. For lipstick, I used 1 crayon, 1/2-1 teaspoon shortening, a few drops (1/8- 1/4 tsp) of castor oil and a few drops of peppermint essential oil. Finally, for eyeliner, I used the same recipe for lipstick minus the peppermint oil. YOU NEVER WANT PEPPERMINT ESSENTIAL OIL NEAR YOUR EYES.

The pretty reds and pinks I used to make the lip balms.

These darker shades I used to make lipsticks and eyeliners.

Once I chose the colors that I wanted to work with, I made certain that I had all of my ingredients within reach. I also kept paper towels and toothpicks handy.

CAUTION: If you're not old enough to safely try this project, make sure that you are being supervised by an adult. This project involves working with hot wax, pouring the wax into a container requires extra caution to prevent injury.

To begin the project, I set up a double boiler with a small saute pan and a stainless steel measuring cup and I set the temperature on medium low; this brought the water to a simmer. To the measuring cup, I added the shortening. Then, I added the crayon and I used the crayon to stir the shortening until the wax had melted. (It is important that you use a double boiler in this step, as it prevents scorching of the wax. It is a safer and cleaner method.)

When I made the lipsticks and the eyeliner, I placed the entire crayon in with the shortening and used a toothpick to stick the mixture. I never added the peppermint oil to the wax until after I poured the wax into the storage container. This way, the essential oil didn't remain in the measuring cup when I melted the wax for eyeliner, so there was no fear of contamination. Once the wax mixture was poured into the container, I added the castor oil to the lipsticks and I stirred the mixture together with a toothpick.

The container on the left holds the eyeliners and lipsticks. Then container on the right holds the lip balms. The addition of the peppermint essential oil to the lipsticks and balms leaves a nice cooling sensation when applied to the lips. There isn't an exact science to this; I played around with the shortening to wax ratio. For a more shear lip color, I used more shortening than crayon. The difference in ratios changes the outcome.

This was a fun project to do. I really love the colors that I was able to get out of those limited edition boxes! I also combined a few colors to make my own fun shade. With a lot of imagination, you can have tremendous fun with this. Also, because the ingredients are easy to find and are inexpensive, this is a frugal project, too!

Now that this project is done I have more time to work on my quilt project. I've been taking a few minutes each day to do a little more work on the quilt. I will post part 3 of that project soon. Until next time~ Toodahloo!