by Marie | Jan 17, 2022 | Bee Better, Chewy, Facial Cleansers
Today’s Creamy Clay Balm-to-Milk Cleanser is a Bee Better update to 2016’s Creamy Clay Cleansing Balm. It’s a rich, slippy, gentle facial cleanser that rinses off the skin beautifully. True to the name, it’s creamy and contains a hefty dose of soft white kaolin clay for a wee bit of physical exfoliation and a cleansing experience a bit reminiscent of a clay face mask. This updated version is gentler, fully percentage-ified, and has better rinse-off than its 2016 predecessor.
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by Marie | Jan 10, 2022 | Bee Better, Lip Balm
If you love Burt’s Bees lip balm, you should definitely try this formulation. I’ve been working on this project for months, testing and adjusting and comparing it to the original and circling back and trying again, and I think I’ve gotten really, really close. I wouldn’t call my version completely identical, but it has the lovely slippy/creamy/minty blend that I’ve always loved about Burt’s ❤️
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by Marie | Aug 26, 2021 | Bee Better, Eye Makeup, Other 2021 Favourites
It’s been almost five years since my first book, Make it Up: The Essential Guide to DIY Makeup and Skin Care, was released (!). I’m still really proud of it, but today I want to share an update to the eyeshadow formulation that I think is a pretty big upgrade. It’s part Bee-Bettering, part expansion. We’re making one small ingredient swap to the base and then updating the making process so you can make lots of different colours more easily (and in more reasonable batch sizes). I’ve also worked out exactly what you need to do to press the shadow so you can easily make yourself a beautiful pressed palette 😍 Let’s dive in!
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by Marie | Jul 29, 2021 | Bee Better, Lotion
If you adore the combination of sweet, rich cocoa and intoxicating coffee, this Rich Mocha Body Lotion will be right up your alley ☕️ It stars gorgeous unrefined cocoa butter and espresso-coloured, ultra-fragrant coffee oil—you’ll be tempted to taste it, which I don’t recommend but would definitely understand! This formulation is a Bee-Bettering of a February 2015 project, incorporating lessons and some new ingredients from the intervening 6.5 years.
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by Marie | Jul 8, 2021 | Bee Better, Best of 2021, Body & Massage Oils, Other 2021 Favourites, Projects with Videos
Today I’m sharing a Bee-Bettering of one of my most popular formulations on YouTube; my Luminous Summer Body Oil. The original formulation is almost exactly four years old, published on July 6, 2017 (!). I’d made shimmer oils before the 2017 version; the general formulation outline is mostly liquid oils and emollients + enough shimmery mica to get the desired level of shimmer and colour on the skin. It’s definitely a simple enough concept, though there’s plenty of room for refinement.
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by Marie | Feb 15, 2021 | Bee Better, Best of 2021, Other 2021 Favourites, Projects with Videos, Shampoo
Today I’m sharing my first shampoo bar Bee Better project—this More Mango Sulfate-Free Shampoo Bar is an update on the Mango Mango Shampoo Bar I shared in March 2019 (almost exactly two years ago!). In writing, the differences between this updated formulation and its 2019 predecessor aren’t massive, but I find the differences between the finished products to be very pronounced. These updated bars are easier to make, harder throughout use (and therefore longer-lasting), and it’s much easier to create a smooth, lovely-looking bar with this formulation. Hooray!
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