I  bet you’ve got some lipsticks lurking at the back of a drawer that you know are too bright or too dark for you.  You do, don’t you?  Maybe, every so often, you take them out and apply them ever so lightly so you feel like they weren’t a wasted purchase?  Mmm-hmmm. Thought so.

Well, here’s a quick and easy way to put your too bright and too dark lipsticks to better use!  Turn them into lip gloss!

You’ll need your lipstick and something like Vaseline.  I like Alba’s Un-Petroleum jelly because unlike Vaseline it contains no petrolatum (a non renewable resource).

Alba’s product is also more moisturizing!  See this article for why.

You’ll also need a microwave, a small microwavable container (like a ramekin) and a stirring utensil.  A wooden chopstick would be great.

Finally, you’ll need a container (or containers) to put the final product in.  I used sample containers from Alima because I love them so. 

 (Cute, right?)

What do you do?

1) Squeeze some Un-Petroleum Jelly into the microwaveable bowl, eyeballing the amount so that when mashed with lipstick, the gloss will nearly fill your final container.

2.) Heat the Un-Petroleum Jelly for 10 seconds and then see if it’s liquid.  If it’s not,  heat for five more seconds, repeating as needed.

3.) Slice off some lipstick and mash it into the hot liquid, stirring heartily to get it all nicely mixed.

4.) Test a tiny bit (be careful not to burn yourself) and if you want to add more lipstick for greater depth of color, now’s the time.

(Oh and, yes, Observant Reader, this is the hoodie that I dyed with tea and coffee that I’m wearing!  For more on that project, see here.)

4.) Then, when well stirred, scoop the final product into your container(s).

Ta da!  Finished product!

NOTE: For ease of clean up, use a paper towel to wipe out the microwaveable container before you clean it with soap and water.

I love the color I created! It looks much darker in the container than it is actually on.

In addition to putting it on my lips, I used the tiniest bit on my cheeks, instead of blush. (Somehow it’s not sticky!)

Once you do this and create a lip gloss that you love, you’ll find ready made lip glosses seem outrageously expensive.

Here’s your take home visual:

A lip brush will stop your fingers getting messy.  

So, hop to it!  Salvage your lippies, save your lips.  All in five minutes flat!