Welcome to Humblebee & Me!
I’m Marie—the “me” in Humblebee & Me. I love to make things—cosmetics, soaps, lotions, lip balms, and most of all… messes. I’m on a journey to ditch shop-bought body products and cosmetics and swap them for homemade, high-quality alternatives. I post new projects twice a week (every Monday and Thursday), and I’ve already got over 1200 formulas up here for you to look at, plus an extensive FAQ and an Encyclopedia full of information on the ingredients I use. I’d love it if you DIYed with me!
As seen on…
New Projects
Almond Oat Emulsified Body Butter
We're continuing our Almond Oat theme today with this perfect-for-autumn Almond Oat Emulsified Body Butter ❤️ Silky almond oil and rich shea butter star in the oil phase, with moisturizing and soothing oaty goodness from colloidal oatmeal and hydrolyzed...
Ten pieces of equipment for new formulators: Part 1
As a new formulator, buying ingredients is probably the most exciting type of shopping (there are so many new and promising ingredients!)—but don't overlook your equipment shopping list! After all, you'll need some tools to turn your new ingredients into all kinds of...
Wedding Cake Bath Bombs
These sparkly, fizzy bath treats were inspired by a best friend's wedding cake ❤️ She asked for bath bombs as part of her wedding gift, and I thought making some that "matched" her wedding cake would be fun 😄 The resulting bath bombs aren't a...
Candlelight Christmas Soap
It's time for our second Christmas soap (and Christmas theme) of 2021: Candlelight Christmas Soap. It's a warm, rich soap that I designed to look like a glowing candle and smell like cozy, fireside cuddles. Let's get started! Want to watch this project instead of...
Long-Wear Cream Eyeliner
Today I'm sharing a formulation I have been working on for months—a Long-Wear Cream Eyeliner. It goes on like a dream, wears beautifully, and easily holds its own when compared to products like Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner and KVD's Tattoo Waterproof Liquid...
Frosted Cranberry Christmas Soap
Welcome to the first 2021 Humblebee & Me holiday project—Frosted Cranberry Christmas Soap! Every year I select two wintery, Christmassy themes and create a collection of highly giftable DIYs around those themes. This year, Frosted Cranberry is one of those themes...
8 mistakes most new formulators make
Humblebee & Me's tenth birthday was last week, and it's got me thinking about all the things I've learned about making and formulating since I started making things over a decade ago. Today I thought I'd look at eight of the most common mistakes beginners...
Kombo Shea Butter Balm
Today's creation is an ultra-crunchy, five-ingredient Kombo Shea Butter Balm. I decided to call it a "butter balm" because it's got the skin feel of a body butter, but an in-the-tin feel that's much closer to that of a balm. It's a rich brown colour thanks to...
Super Simple All Natural Lotion: Follow-Up Q&A
Welcome to the Q&A follow-up post for my Super Simple Natural Lotion formulation! Today I'm tackling some of the questions I got about this formulation that were not answered in the original blog post or video. Can you add goat milk powder? How about using a...
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My Most Popular Posts
Conditioning Super Nourishing Hair Balm
One of the first recipes I ever shared on Humblebee & Me was for a "Super Nourishing Hair Balm", all the way back in October of 2011. I'd actually made the balm months earlier, before I'd launched the blog, and had been testing it all summer and fall before I...
Soothing Oat Bath and Body Oil
This soothing oat bath and body oil was born from a recipe request from Claudia, who loves Aveeno's Skin Relief Shower and Bath Oil. She said that it was fantastic for dry winter skin and even helped with her son's eczema. Taking a look at the ingredients, first first...
Orange Abyssinian Overnight Balm
This juicy, honey-hued Orange Abyssinian Overnight Balm is utterly lovely. It has an almost unbelievable dry finish, leaving skin hydrated, but not greasy. It smells of pure, juicy oranges with the slightest hint of sweet, floral Tahitian gardenias. It's smooth and...
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Lotion
To me, macadamia nuts will forever evoke memories of Hawaii. I was last there with my family when I was seventeen, and I remember picking up a bag of some chocolate covered macadamia nuts in the airport on our way home. Those nuggets of chocolatey goodness were...
Vegan Citrus Lip Butter
Ever since I made my Chocolate Lip Butter I've been completely smitten with it, so naturally I want more of it in all kinds of different variations. I've been wishing for a citrussy lip treat for ages, but since citrus essential oils are photosensitizing, I've never...
Rose Gold Facial Serum
Last week I was watching a makeup tutorial with Adele's makeup artist, Michael Ashton, and as he was prepping his beautiful model's skin, he used two products that really intrigued me. One was a fancy-sounding French facial serum; Decleor's Aromessence Rose D'Orient...
Luxury Facial Serum
The amount of money some shop-bought natural skincare products sell for never ceases to amaze me. You'd think I'd be used to seeing price tags north of $150 for a few tablespoons of something, but I'm not. I'm perpetually astonished to find a blend of oils or a simple...
Chocolate Lip Butter
Out of all the things I've made that I have to frequently remind myself not to eat, this Chocolate Lip Butter is pretty high up that list. It smells downright delicious, and leaves my lips oh-so wonderfully soft and hydrated. And did I mention that it smells exactly...
Pomegranate Primrose Summer Facial Serum
My new Pomegranate Primrose Summer Facial Serum is a fantastic way to lighten up your skin care routine for warmer days (I'm calling it my PrimPom Serum for short, ha!). It is silky and light, absorbing into your skin quickly and leaving it beautifully hydrated, and...