One of the most amusing trends that swings back and forth is the trend of how your skin should look—dewy and moist, or matte and dry (or glittery, if it’s the 90’s). Since I don’t particularly care one way or another (oddly enough, I feel that skin should look like skin, and beyond that I don’t really care), I get a bit of a kick out of noticing popular opinion change. Anyhow, this lovely little lotion type concoction nicely walks that line, lending a bit of glimmer and brightness without staying into glitter or shine territory.
The store bought product this is based on is one manufactured by Benefit cosmetics. I really like a lot of their aesthetic philosophies (generally, brighten, define the brows, and bring out those eyelashes), so I have a handful of their products, and I quite like them. I just don’t always like the price tag for something that is basically just pale pink goo.
I usually can’t be bothered to work out the cost per unit of my various concoctions—most of the time I am perfectly content to know they are infinitely cheaper than the store bought version, and then go on my merry way. This time, however, I did decide to work it out, and I couldn’t believe it. My version costs 0.6% of the cost of the store bought version. That is, if theirs were $100/tube, mine would be $0.60. And that’s without me getting bulk discounts like the make-up manufacturer would. Those margins are downright ridiculous.
Anyhow, this fun little highlighting cream is easy to whip up, and goes a long way. You can layer it for a stronger effect, or blend in a small amount along your brow and cheekbones for a subtle effect (as I prefer to).
I’ve chosen camellia seed oil because it absorbs quickly and easily into the skin, but any other fast-absorbing oil will do as well. You can use oil soluble titanium dioxide if that is what you have on hand, just be sure to add it to the oil phase instead of the water phase.
It’s blended on the right side, but not on the left.
Homemade High Beam Highlighting Creme
4g | 0.14oz emulsifying wax
1g | 0.03g Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)
8g | 0.28oz camellia seed oil
1/8 tsp magnesium stearate (optional)37g | 1.25 fl oz warm water
1/4 tsp titanium dioxide (water dispersible)
¾–1 tsp silver mica
1/16 tsp red iron oxide (I use these tiny measuring spoons for tiny measurements like this)
Speck blue ultramarineBroad spectrum preservative of choice (why?)
Combine the e-wax, Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada), camellia seed oil, and magnesium stearate in a small pan. Melt over low heat.
While the oils are melting dissolve the titanium dioxide in the warm water.
Once the oils have melted, remove them from the heat and set the pan on a cloth oven pad (to insulate it from cooling too quickly when set on the counter). Slowly whisk in the water/titanium dioxide mixture. Once they have emulsified, blend in the mica and oxides. You’re aiming for a very pale pinkish colour with just a hint of colour—test it on your skin as you go and see what you think. I am always amazed at the power of oxides to colour lotions and what not, so work slowly and carefully.
When you’ve arrived at a colour you like, stir in the preservative and decant into a container of your choice. I have found that lip gloss containers that have a wand attached to the cap are just perfect, but if you can’t find one of those (I only know of one supplier, and they are located in Calgary), a small glass jar or vial works fairly well when paired with a little brush for application.
This is fantastic. I agree with you. I love the manufactured product, but not the price tag. Thank you. A few months ago, you actually provided a link to the online store where you purchase most of your ingredients from. I cannot find it, even though I wrote it down somewhere. If you have time, could you please let me know? There’s a few recipes of yours that I would like to attempt to reproduce. Thanks so much. You’re like our fairy godmother slash makeup chemist. Enjoy your day!!! 🙂
I think the website you want, Amy, is newdirectionsaromatics.com, which ships to both Canada and the U.S. The other site she uses is Saffire Blue (saffireblue.ca), which is primarily Canadian. If you’re in the U.S., Brambleberry (brambleberry.com) has lots of soap making and pigment supplies, and Mountain Rose Herbs (mountainroseherbs.com) has great herbs and essential oils (although the selection at New Directions is mindboggling).
Thanks, Annie—you’re right, those are my fave sites 😉
Annie and Marie, Thank you SO much. I will be making a purchase tomorrow morning. Wish me luck with attempting my very first diy skin care product. This, your a snow white lip stain, the summer spritz spray and the chai soap. There’s just so many. I truly wished that I lived closer to you so that I could hire you to help get me started in the right direction! I’m both very excited and very nervous all at the same time. Have you ever thought of doing a video tutorial? I’m a visual learner. That’s an understatement. Lol.
Anyway, thank you for always providing us with excellent products that are really pretty and/or useful. You’re awesome!!
Exciting! I’m really excited to hear how everything goes for you 🙂 I’m sure you’ll have tons of fun! Just work slowly, and start small, and you can’t go too far wrong. I’d recommend starting with something simple—out of the things you mentioned, the Snow White Lip Stain is definitely the easiest. If you can make hot cocoa from a packet, you can make the lip stain.
I have thought about doing videos, and even filmed a semi-professional one a few months ago. It’s just that… writing and developing and everything takes up so much time as it is, and video editing is 10x (100x?!) more time consuming. I’d really love to, and it’s definitely still on the table, but if I really want to get into that I might have to dial back the number of entries I publish each week. We’ll see!
Thanks for reading and DIYing! I love it 😀
It looks like all the ingredient stuff has been solved… but just a hint—stay tuned for even more make-up entries, goodies, and guides!
This is really cool! I have all the ingredients on hand, so I may make this tomorrow.
I’m thrilled to hear it! Have you had the chance to give it a go yet?
I believe it is the same supplier I use because the labels are exactly the same and I’ve seen the labels in other posts. It’s New Directions Aromatics
You are 100% correct, Natalie! Thanks 🙂
Hey Marie, if I wanted to use this to brighten my under eye area, what colors do you recommend? Thanks!!
I wouldn’t recommend this for the under-eye as it’s very likely to crease quite readily.
In the general world of colour correction, pink-y/red hues are usually used for under-eye circles on fairer complexions, and more peachy colours are used for darker complexions. I’d probably confirm that with a makeup artist type source, though! I have been loving Robert Welsh’s videos on YouTube recently!
Yes; and Angie Bautista has some awesome YouTubes on the color wheel. 3 or 4 very solid videos that teach all about color!
Sorry this was to Amy, but then I realized you had a huge thing right above this as to where the ingredients came from. Amy, just google in the name of the place and you’ll get the address
😛 You can also just click the links in the box! Funny how invisible that big box can be 😛
By emulsifying wax, do you mean bees wax??
No, Patty, I really do mean emulsifying wax 🙂 It’s a waxy type substance (generally made from stearic acid and cetyl alcohol) that makes emulsifying oil and water totally foolproof. You cannot switch the two!
P.S. I second everything Amy said. I love the Ooh La Lift, but hate shelling out for it.
No kidding, haha. Also, I just looked up Ooh La Lift, and it looks to be exactly the same as High Beam (with maybe a little more titanium dioxide for a bit more whiteness/opacity). Looks like you may never have to buy it again!
Would this work for the inner corners of the eyes to help brighten them up and give a more awake look?
Absolutely, though I actually prefer my brightlighter for that purpose 🙂
I guess I’m just going to have to make them both! Thanks!
Haha, I know exactly what you mean 😉
Hi Marie. Discovered your blog some 6 weeks ago….verdict, I’m hooked. I absolutely love your creams soaps serums balms etc etc. Could you please post a recipe for a cleansing cream for mature skin & an Aftershave Balm for my son. I live in sunny South Africa where the climate is extremely harsh on the skin. I simply love your Argan Oil Serum, my skin just drinks it in. There is so much out there on the www I’ve tried some real nasty DIY skin care recipes …but I know if find it on your blog I’m never disappointed. Keep up the good work, I look forward to all your posts. Regards Lynn
Aww, I’m so thrilled to hear you love my blog, Lynn 🙂 It’s always nice to hear all the time, effort, and money I sink into my entries is appreciated! I have added the cleansing cream and aftershave balm to my to-do list, but at this point in time they are scheduled into January (I have been working very hard to get ahead of Christmas and other holiday stuff as that is a very busy time!).
I am so jealous of your beautiful climate! Our climate is harsh on skin as well, but it is also harsh on being able to feel my toes and going outside 😛 So, at least you know all my DIY’s are formulated for dry, dry weather! And I’m always glad to have another argan oil convert 🙂
Thanks so much for reading and for the support, I really appreciate it! And thanks for the ideas—I love ’em 🙂
your blog is lovely! i use benefit high beam every single day – i can’t wait to try this!!!!
Thanks Jennifer! I think it’ll work well for you 🙂 If you like your high beam on the brighter side, just use a bit more titanium dioxide, and if you like it more glittery, just up the amount of mica. Easy peasy!
Hey again Marie,
I’m going to make this highlighter cream and I wondered to use instead of emulcifying wax BTMS-50 for a lighter version. What do you think ? Also I’m not so fair skin.
Any suggestions for iron oxides I should use ?
Hi Georgia! I’ve never used emulsifying wax BTMS-50, so I can’t comment on it, but as long as it is a complete emulsifying wax you should be fine.
If you’re not as pale as I am, I’d start by just making the recipe as it is. It’s quite versatile and needs to be layered up quite a lot to appear very white on the skin. If that’s too bright, give it to a pasty friend and make another batch halving the titanium dioxide.
Have fun!
Hi there. I love your blog and often check out your updates. I am also stubbornly DIY but not quite so talented with the makeup side of things. Anyway I have a question for you.
I recently made the most amazing caffeine eye serum and thought to myself, the only thing missing from this is a little light refelction. I know you often make similar things. How do I blend in the mica and titanium dioxide so that it stays suspended in the liquid? I have similar trouble tinting lip balms. I have to keep stirring them until they are almost set or the mica drops to the bottom. I also had the same trouble with a clay deodorant.
I would love to hear your feedback on this
Holly
Hi Holly! Thanks so much for reading & DIYing with me 🙂
You’ll need to add some viscosity (just as you do by letting the lip balm or deodorant cool a bit before pouring) to your serum to help the mica & TD suspend. I’d recommend using water dispersable TD to encourage it to dissolve a bit and stay suspended better. Guar gum or xantham gum should do the trick, though you may find you still have to shake the mixture a bit before application to re-distribute the particles unless you want to go for a jello-like texture.
Any suggestions for a substitute oil for camellia seed? I have many other carrier oils, just not that one 😉
Hi Michelle! You will want something that absorbs really quickly—check out my article on carrier oil subs for some ideas 🙂
Thanks so much for creating this website! I’ve been playing with the idea of creating my own makeup for over a year now and am finally ready to “take the plunge” with the information that you have provided 😉 I have all the ingredients except red and blue oxides. Do you have any suggestions for substitutes? Thanks so much!
Hi Pat! There really aren’t any good subs for the oxides as they are such potent, reliable pigments. Unlike plant based extracts they hold their colour over time and work in both oil and water based concoctions. If you want to make your own cosmetics they are 100% necessary, so you may as well invest in the primary colours sooner rather than later 🙂
You can probably get away with making this highlighter just straight-up white, though 😉
I made this with golden mica and added a bit of aloe vera gel to the recipe you have provided and it is the perfect primer for my neutral complexion . Thanks so much for this recipe .
Wonderful, I’m so glad it’s working for you!