Today’s DIY is inspired by a product sold by a well-known natural cosmetic brand. A simple base of beeswax, castor oil, and coconut oil is heavily laced with a blend of shimmery micas to create a creamy highlighter that’s brilliant for illuminating cheekbones, brow bones, and anything else that could use a bit of eye-catching shimmer. It gives a subtle, buildable shimmer that’s beautiful as part of a full makeup look or as a stand-alone bit of brightness, and you can customize the colour to be perfect for your skin tone—or to have an entire arsenal of highlighters!
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The majority of the base is castor oil and coconut oil, with just a touch (4%) of beeswax. I thought I’d need more beeswax—quite a lot more. Early versions were less cream and more rock-solid. I trialed the first version in Instagram live and it was so solid popped straight out the jar when I tried to apply it! I couldn’t even apply it like a crayon 😝 That first version had 25% beeswax, would would usually make a fairly soft balm, but with all the mica in here I didn’t need anything close to that much hardening. After the definitely-not 25% version I tried 16%, 8%, and then 4%. The 8% version wasn’t bad at all, and you might prefer it if you live somewhere quite hot (take 2% off each the castor and coconut oils to make room for the other 4% of beeswax), but I ended up liking the 4% version best.
Mica-wise, I chose a blend of a soft gold and a silver-white mica for a warm champagne-y highlight. You could definitely mix up the mica to suit what you have and suit your complexion; the champagne blend should work well for many skin tones, but I’m imagining some more bronzey, coppery, or golden ones would also be stunning. If you have quite cool undertones something more strongly silver would also be stunning, or you might like to incorporate a bit of pink for a slightly pearly effect. The sky—and your mica collection—are the limit!
The making part is very simple—almost everything is heated, and then you’ll stir in a tiny amount of vitamin E before popping the mixture into your jar. It’ll never get very liquidy thanks to the high powder content, so you’ll want to work quickly if you want a smooth top. I’d also recommend using a scale accurate to 0.01g given the small batch size—scaling it up to suit a less precise scale is a bit crazy as this 5g (0.18oz) is still a huge amount of product. You can read about the scales I’m using here.
Once you’re done you’ll have a pot of firm-yet-creamy luminizer that can be easy massaged into cheekbones, brow bones, the inner eye, your cupid’s bow, and anywhere else you please (try your collarbones for a night out!). I have been loving wearing this lately and I hope you will, too.
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Cream Luminizer
Heated phase
1.625g | 32.5% castor oil (USA / Canada)
1.5g | 30% virgin coconut oil
0.2g | 4% beeswax (USA / Canada)
0.75g | 15% gold mica
0.75g | 15% silver mica
0.15g | 3% silica microspheres (USA / Canada)Cool down phase
0.025g | 0.5% Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)Prepare a water bath by bringing about 3cm/1″ of water to a bare simmer over low to medium-low heat in a wide, flat-bottomed sauté pan.
Weigh the heated phase ingredients into a small heat-resistant glass measuring cup. Place the measuring cup in your prepared water bath to melt everything through.
After about 20–30 minutes everything should be completely melted through. Remove the water bath from the heat, remove the measuring cup from the water bath, and dry it off with a dish towel. Stir with a flexible silicone spatula to incorporate.
Quickly add the cool down phase, stir to combine, and transfer to a small 5g jar to set up. Once it’s set up, you’re done! To use, blend a small amount into brow bones, cheek bones, and any other part of the face that could use a bit of extra shimmer.
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this luminizer is 100% oil based, it does not require a broad-spectrum preservative (broad spectrum preservatives ward off microbial growth, and microbes require water to live—no water, no microbes!). Kept reasonably cool and dry, it should last at least a year before any of the oils go rancid. If you notice it starts to smell like old nuts or crayons, that’s a sign that the oils have begun to oxidize; chuck it out and make a fresh batch if that happens.
Substitutions
As always, be aware that making substitutions will change the final product. While these swaps won’t break the recipe, you will get a different final product than I did.
- As I’ve provided this recipe in percentages as well as grams you can easily calculate it to any size using a simple spreadsheet as I’ve explained in this post. As written in grams this recipe will make 5g.
- To learn more about the ingredients used in this recipe, including why they’re included and what you can substitute them with, please visit the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia. It doesn’t have everything in it yet, but there’s lots of good information there! If I have not given a specific substitution suggestion in this list please look up the ingredient in the encyclopedia before asking.
- I do not recommend swapping out the castor oil.
- You can use refined or virgin coconut oil.
- Babassu oil will work in place of the coconut oil.
- You can use refined or unrefined beeswax. I do not recommend substituting the beeswax.
- You can use whatever blend of micas you like at 30%.
- Sericite mica will make an ok alternative for silica microspheres.
Hello
Is’t beeswax to heavy? What about using cety alchool for a more powdery finish? Iam just thinking if is possible…
I don’t find it to be heavy here at all—it’s creamy! But I do also have this formula 🙂
I had some total fun with this using some green and silver mica for a 1970’s themed party. Getting my groove on! Very versatile recipe!
OOooh yeah! That sounds amazing 😀
Would this base be suitable for a solid cream eyeshadow formula?
It would depend on your standards for wear time. If you don’t care about creasing, sure—there’s no safety issues. Otherwise, I’m very proud of this formulation 🙂
Is the gold mica you use the same brand as the silver mica? The link right now for the gold mica goes to something other than mica powder. Thanks!
I believe the two I used were both from New Directions Aromatics, and both were discontinued a while ago. I’d recommend checking TKB Trading if you’re in the USA and YellowBee if you’re in Canada 🙂 Both have great mica selections!
Thanks!
Greetings from (momentarily sunny) Seattle!
Do you think this formula is stiff enough to work in a lip balm or little deodorant type container? Should I up the beeswax a titch?
Thanks for being such an inspiration.
Hey Heather! While I think the formula itself would be firm enough for a lip balm tube I think you will encounter issues with it solidifying down the side of the tube as you pour—the high mica content in this tends to mean it sets up faster than you’d expect. You can certainly try it, but it can be challenging to get it into a pot, let alone a lip balm tube. Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making 🙂
Funny you posted this – I was in Sephora the other day looking at a luminiser, perusing the ingredients and thinking hmmm for the $58 price tag for 5g I should be able to make this. And look what pops up! Perfect. And so simple. This is getting made as soon as Inget home from work. Can see some fun playing with a few shades.
I know the feeling! I’ve sampled the product that inspired this formula in boutiques before and knew it had to be a DIY 😀 I hope you love it! Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making 🙂
Hi Marie! I’m sorry about the offtopic, but do you have any recipe for a creamy clay mask? Something that could work after a gentle aha peel. I’ve tried many of your excellent masks and searched through recipe index a few months. I’m considering zinc & clay anti acne lotion but a premixed base like the pink herbs & honey mask would be nice and more preservable. I love the concept there and the mask felt great on it’s one. Oleogel with some kaolin could also work as a base. What do you think? I’m currently using this one: https://frantsila.com/en/product/rejuvenating-herbal-claymask/
Good afternoon Johanna!
Personally, I wouldn’t be using a clay mask after a AHA peel. Even with my acne. I find that using something like this is more hydrating and helps to sooth the skin. If you are super keen on a clay mask, I would suggest using this as your liquid with a wee bit of kaolin clay and applying. Keep it gentle!
Thank you for your answer, Barb! I use the sheet mask twice a week, it’s nice. I’ve tried many combinations (with ahas) and I definitevly need some kind of emulsion with some nourishing oils (~20 %) after the ahas and sheet mask has failed for me in this purpose as it is only an “essence”…I totally get your idea of hydrating mask, it just don’t work for me as a
post aha mask. I’m following 7 skin method twice daily anyway so sheet hasn’t that huge impact for me.
I’m looking for an o/w emulsion mask with a small (~5-10 %) amount of zinc oxide/calsium carbonate/kaolin. This one was quite nice: https://formulabotanica.com/xyliance-emulsifier/
What is my best option for this, Barb? Is Marie’s zinc & clay emulsion possible to preserve? If it is, I would adjust it and add those high end oils and co2 extracts to get the vitamins and moisture I need. It should also be quite thin as I wear it a couple of hours. I’ve tried to make this work with many combinations – with no luck. Clay is so hard to add into an premade lotion without separation…I’ve wasted many ingredients and time in this project. Any ideas, anyone?
Ho Johanna,
Creating a clay mask and preserving it is a very difficult feat. My only suggestion is to create your powder portion and your liquid portion in separate containers and mix as needed. This way you need not worry about preserving your clays, separation or the like. Your liquid portion of the masks you preserve as recommended! Let me put it this way, it is totally possible to preserve a clay based mask, but it is never something I have had success with. I tried various preservatives, and various ingredients, but with no success.
As for which mask to make, that is up to your and your skin. My skin is not a fan of zinc, and at the end of the day, it boils down to what works for you. That’s what DIY is all about. Trail and error.
Hi! Can I use this recipe for cream bronzer/contour or blush? Thanks!
You can definitely adapt this base to be many different things by just adjusting the colour by using different micas. I even tried it as an eyeshadow, though that creased fiercely! Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making
Hi Marie and bees! Greetings from sunny finland 😀
Could this formula be used for cream bronzer / contour or blush? I really liked this recipe and the feeling it left on the skin 🙂
Thanks!
Hello from the Chicago airport! You can definitely adapt this base to be many different things by just adjusting the colour by using different micas. I even tried it as an eyeshadow, though that creased fiercely! Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making 🙂
I’ve now made three different colors. Such a wonderful recipe! Thank you so much for it!
Comes together super easily and is so adaptable. Since buying your book I make all my make up and love it. Never going back! Thank you for all the effort and love you put in your recipes.
All the best from Austria!
Good afternoon Danica!
Oh I would love to see your shades! Fancy sharing them on #humblebeeandme on Instagram!
How do you all get it all into the pot before it solidifies? Mine keeps getting stuck to the side of the bowl as I pour.
What mica and colours are safe for my eyes?
Thanks 🙂
I start to make body wash liquid soap so I want to add stearic acid, how can add it .?
I also want to creamy body wash so what should I add need in?
everybody give me some advice. Thanks
Hello AyeMyat!
Have you checked out this formula or this creamy one?
I loved this one Marie, thank you. Have you considered a touch of cera belina to make it more of a gel?
Also, for those having a hard time pouring, my trick: use mini tins. I have a cast iron crepe pan. Using your 0.1g scale, weigh the ingredients directly into the mini tin. Place the cast iron on gentle heat with the tin on top. Watch carefully and stir well once melted to combine.
OOooh, I love BOTH of these ideas! Thank you so much for sharing and happy making!
Good afternoon Good Taters!
The only answer I can give to your first question is that Marie has a lot of experience pouring makeup products and that practice makes perfect! If you find that your product sticks to the side of your beaker/container whilst pouring, these are my handy little tricks; I make sure that my beaker remains warm during pouring and/or use smaller beakers!
To answer your second question about eye safe micas, be sure to purchase cosmetic micas or a declaration along the lines of: “EU Regulation: Approved for use in all cosmetics without restriction.”
Would adding zinc oxide to this for a sort of eye shadow sunscreen product work? Or would it totally throw off the formula?
Hello Jessica!
Please read this article. Marie at this moment in time, along with all reputable formulators, all back the same idea. Homemade sunscreen in any form, is not a good idea.
Thank you Barb for pointing me direction. Forgive me for being indefinitive. I totally agree. Premixed bases are the way to go, never tried to preserve clay mask…:d I have found about the right ratios for my post aha mask (mentioned earlier) but I’ve obviously struggled with the consistency the past couple of years, even with emulsfier. Any of these trials are nothing compared to commercial ones I’ve tried.
A small question: Do you think this formula is safe considering the amount of clay and water? https://www.humblebeeandme.com/zinc-clay-anti-acne-lotion/ Trials and errors shall continue, and asking some help every ones in a while. Thank you for being you and have a great day! 🙂
I remember when I made that lotion I didn’t have any issues with it noticeably spoiling quickly; you could likely further improve its chances of surviving well by baking the clay at 200°F for a while beforehand, including a chelator, and considering using a stronger preservative than liquid germall plus (germaben comes to mind). Best of luck and happy making!
Hi Marie, I have found it confusing trying to buy silica microspheres, is silica the same as silica microspheres? They are both also called silicon dioxide and are SiO2, but I was wondering if they are the same because I can buy 100g for $6.6 AUD on New Directions but the same amount for $42 AUD on Heirloom Body Care, thank you!
It can be—sort of like how something labelled “flour” could be pastry flour (or some other kind of flour). You’ll want to cross-check the documentation on the size of the bits of silica—I’d use TKB’s documentation as your starting reference 🙂 Happy making!
I completely forget about this comment until just recently and just wanted to say thank you for a good particle size guide from TKB! it was difficult to find relevant/accurate information online, but the silica from New Directions is within the range given by the TKB product so I’ll try it out! thank you again! 🙂
OOooh awesome! I hope it’s brilliant ❤️ Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making 🙂
Hola, no consigo Mica sericita ni sílice, puedo no ponerla y sustituirla por arcilla o algo más? Gracias
Hey there! I just got your book. Super excited! I wanted to ask you about your highlighter recipe, whether you can see tiny flecks of shimmer or sparkle in bright sunlight. I’ve been searching high and low for one that is just a sheen with no noticeable particles. I’ve seen some commercial ones that fit the bill. Do you know if they use a particular kind of mica that is finer? Or maybe it’s another ingredient all together? =)
The amount of sparkle vs. shimmer you get is really going to depend on the particle size of the mica you use, with larger particles being more obvious and smaller ones being more subtle. I found the micas I used in this to be more on the sheen side of things. If you’re shopping at TKB Trading, be sure to look under the “Details” tab on their micas for the particle size. You can see that this one has a particle size in the 10-60 µm range, while this one is much larger at 20-200 µm. The larger one will be much more glitter-like than the smaller one. Other suppliers might share this information in the COA, or you might have to ask. The mica I used for this luminizer is 10-60 µm, and it’s more of a sheen than a glitter look—watch the video to see it in action 🙂
May i know what are that causes if the ants are attracted to the products?
I’d assume it’s because a product is a source of calories/nutrition?
Hello, hope all is well. Is there another place other than Windypoint where I can purchase silica microspheres? It looks like they no longer have it.
Bummer for us Canadians :/ I don’t know of another Canadian source; the US source linked here is great though!
What about adding fragrance?
You could, I suppose, but why? I personally would not want fragrance in something I tend to apply close to my eyes. Please read through my FAQ 🙂
Also why is silica microspheres unavailable in Canada? What can we use instead?
I have no idea why silica microspheres are unavailable in Canada. Substitutions are covered in the substitutions list, please read it 🙂
I think I can use Stericite mica as an alternative to silica.
However, what type of gold mica are you using, as the link doesn’t work?
It was a pretty regular gold mica—any gold-ish mica from any DIY supplier will likely work 🙂
I made several highlighters some time ago and this has become my trusted highlighter during winter. It smells so nice, is crazy easy to use and isn’t too sparkly for my taste. I included some silver glitter too. I used almond oil instead of castor oil (I didn’t have it). I’m thinking of making a new one with gold, copper or bronze!
(I can’t believe how silly and pointless my ealier questions were. I’m sorry! Your and Barb’s tips are just valuable. And yay, problem solved thanks to trial and error. And also thanks to your creamy clay mask formulas and mattifying & airbrushing product (matte moisturizer).