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 ❤️
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!
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.
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.
Post updated July 2023
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!
Today I’m sharing my first Bee Better 3.0 project; a soft and creamy Shealoe Emulsified Body Butter that’s an evolution on a shea butter and aloe vera heavy formulation I first shared in 2014, and then revised in 2019. This updated 2021 version uses a new emulsifier to create a product that is lighter, softer, smoother, and easier to apply. It’s definitely better, and you should make it 😄
Make it Up: The Essential Guide to DIY Makeup and Skin Care is now available at booksellers all over the world!