Let me start by saying… I am not a black eyeliner kinda girl.

For me it has always turned into an over done hooded eye effect that on me, with my big blue eyes, is not really that appealing.  By the end of the day it generally has degenerated to a look that could pass for really bad hangover and a bar fight that led to two black eyes. 

Yeah. 

Not really my cup of tea. 

But after doing a lot of “research” on the internet, I felt like it would be a good starting point.  Create a good black eyeliner and I’d be opening doors of possibilities to other eye makeup extravaganza.  Worst case I’d end up with black fingers and nails for a week and no worse for wear.  So with undaunted determination I dove into the world of “homemade kajal” tutorials and never looked back.

Folks, let me tell you, there are many, MANY kajal/kohl tutorials out there. 

Some are in perfect English, others in broken English, some not even in English (but they have lots of photos so you get the point of the operation going down).  Essentially to make this deeply exotic concoction of blackness you need approximately 8 items. 

A metal plate (preferably one you are not sentimentally attached to, as it’s going to be coated in the stuff on the bottom)
Two metal flat bottom bowls…to place said plate on top of (think bridge over water and you get the idea)
A small metal bowl …you are going to turn into a “stove” (don’t worry it won’t be permanent and is completely cleanable…heh heh heh.)
A burnable item …preferrably non-toxic (this will either be an unwound cotton ball or piece of cotton cloth diped in castor oil, or in my case an almond or a walnut, yep you read that right)
A flame creator…no not like hugging up to your significant other or an x-rated movie (i.e. lighter, match, gas stove lit, etc.)
A scraping item (blunt knife, spoon, metal letter opener.)
An empty makeup pot with lid (suggested type is metal with a well fitted lid, think metal lipgloss container)
Some ghee oil (What?!?!? In leue of ghee you can use coconut oil, shea butter, vegetable shortening, lard, basically any kind of oil that will solidify at room temperature. Yeah internet research intern (Google), good find!! Don’t worry you only need a little)

Once you’ve collected and placed your items in the directed organised fashion, the fun begins.  In a draft-free room, you can now light that burnable item, place it in the “stove” (ensuring flame is touching plate, if not adjust stove height so it is) and walk away!!

Okay just kidding about walking away.

Well at least I couldn’t walk away, seeing as I have two delightfully curious kiddos under 5. (other ladies apparently let their cotton/oil creations burn overnight)

Once you’ve accumulated a nice thick undercoating of soot (please check the plate is cool first) pick the plate up and scrape all that glorious powdery blackness onto a paper.  Word to the wise, do this in a DRAFT-FREE room. Oh I mentioned that already? Imagine how I have forgotten. Since doing this near the window that looks out at that beautiful view of the carribean sounded like such a good idea at first. I must have forgotten that little gem of advice during my experimentation. Didn’t want you to make the same mistake, because it is slightly disasterious if you do.

Gently pick up the paper and fold it lengthwise to get the powder to fall into the center and pour it into your clean dry, airtight pot. Did I mention doing this in a draft-free room?

Yep?

Just checking.

Drop a 1/16 of a teaspoon of chosen oil into pot containing your soot. No it doesn’t have to be exact. You may use more, you may use less. See a tutorial for more specifics.

Now go to town blending with your chosen sacrificial finger tip. Yep. You can say bye to that beautifully cleaned finger for a while.  

Voila!

Eyeliner!! 

As an aside….You will need an eyeliner brush or stick to apply…a q-tip will do in a pinch.

Yes the mixing process will blacken your fingertip, nail and possibly anything else in the vicinity of your speedy attempt at mixing this faster, whilst powdery blackness rains on the countertop of your kitchen.

I may be speaking from experience folks…maybe.

No there is really no other solution I could find, especially NOT those clear plastic disposable glove you happened upon in the storage room…because let’s face it, holes don’t keep stuff out.

Don’t worry though! You will not be left blackened finger forever. It comes off with soap…and time.

It’s only a week of ONE blackened finger tip!!

Geez people where’s your inner drive to succeed at all cost??

Hey whats a little sacrifice in the name of beauty??  Heh heh heh.

And that’s it folks!

It looks quite marvelous actually.  Has me rethinking the whole no black eyeliner thing….maybe…

Have a beautiful day!
Dashaina

I’ve started a new quest!

Yep that’s right, it’s a quest!

Because it is and that’s that.

This quest is to figure out if it’s possible to make all makeup at home with ingredients I ACTUALLY HAVE at home.  I don’t want to buy all kinds of fancy clays and special oils, gels or activated capsules of something.  I want to use stuff I could actually buy at the local stores here and potentially grow myself.

I know it must be possible.

Right??

Personally, I don’t wear makeup often.

There are TONS of questionable chemicals in those sparkly little packages of colour and I have no idea how they will affect my body or health, so yeah, no thanks.

If I do use it, I’ll typcially only partake in a smidgen of mascara and light glazing of tinted lipgloss.  I have an organic mascara and tinted lipgloss that I feel safe enough wearing. But they are expensive and I feel like I should be able to make them myself dangit!!

There are also times where I’d love to slap on a little foundation, add a little colour to my cheeks and eyes.  You know, get prettyfied. 🙂

Just for the heck of it.

Because I can. 😉

Let the quest begin!

Now what can I make first??

Have a beautiful day!
Dashaina