These DIY eyeshadows will give you a Simmering Shimmer

Light someone’s fire with this eyeshadow recipe

Looking to give yourself an absolutely smouldering look? A blazing gaze to melt everyone’s hearts? We have just what you need! Simmering Shimmer is a trio of homemade eyeshadows that will give you the PERFECT smoky eye! 

When developing this eyeshadow recipe, we knew we had to master two important factors. First, the powder base must provide good coverage and hold well. You don’t want to look like a panda because your shadow is sprinkling off your lids all day. Second, we had to get the hues right, meaning party time for micas and oxides! Our R&D department covered every surface of our lab (and their hands) with sparkling dust while working to find the perfect coordinating shades. 

We’re very proud of the result: a trio of DIY eyeshadows that will give you a Simmering Shimmer… the smoky eye par excellence!

How to make your own eyeshadow

Ingredients

Powder base

• 3.4 g (68%) magnesium stearate
• 0.8 g (16%) mica powder
• 0.8 g (16%) titanium dioxide

Moonless Midnight (to make one eyeshadow)

• 0.8 g (21.6%) powder base
• 2.5 g (67.6%) black oxide
• 0.2 g (5.4%) vegetable glycerin
• 0.2 g (5.4%) jojoba oil

Cocoa Comet (to make one eyeshadow)

• 0.5 g (14.7%) powder base
• 2 g (58.8%) brown oxide
• 0.5 g (14.7%) cocoa powder
• 0.2 g (5.9%) vegetable glycerin
• 0.2 g (5.9%) jojoba oil

Sweet Sunbeam (to make one eyeshadow)

• 0.4 g (16%) powder base
• 0.7 g (28%) summer sand mica
• 1 g (40%) gold leaf mica
• 0.2 g (8%) vegetable glycerin
• 0.2 g (8%) jojoba oil

Tools

• Scale, accurate to 0.1 g
• Two pipettes
• A few ramekins

• Pigment blender

• Three hinged plastic containers
• Small stainless steel bowl
• A few spoons
• Loonie
• A spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol
• Plastic pot (7 ml)

Good to know!

• Magnesium stearate has adhesive properties and gives your DIY eyeshadow staying power.
• Mica powder smooths application and leaves a silky finish. 
• Titanium dioxide provides good coverage.
• Vegetable glycerin also helps improve staying power.
• Jojoba oil acts as an emollient and helps make the powder compact. It can be replaced by the same quantity of olive squalane or caprylis oil.
• Spraying alcohol on the surface of your homemade eyeshadow helps keep the powder compact and yields a lovely smooth surface.
• The powder base recipe yields enough to make all three shades and then some! Store the remainder for future use. It should keep for about six months, stored in a cool, dry place away from light. We recommend making all three shades if you’re going for smoky eye make-up, but you can of course just make one or two!

Steps to follow

1. Prepare and disinfect your equipment and workspace. Don’t forget to disinfect your loonie!
2. Weigh the titanium dioxide, mica powder, and magnesium stearate in a small bowl. Mix with a spoon.
3. Weigh the powder base necessary for your desired shade in the lid of the pigment blender. Transfer the remainder of the powder base to the plastic pot and set it aside for your next shade or for a future eyeshadow recipe!
4. Weigh the pigments for your chosen shade in the lid of the pigment blender.
5. Holding the pigment blender with the blades pointed upwards, mix for about 20 seconds while shaking the blender. Repeat this process three or four times in total, scraping the powders off the blades and off the walls of the lid before each mixing. This will help yield an even shade. 
6. Remove the lid and scrape the powder off the walls again. Weigh the glycerin and jojoba oil using a pipette, again directly in the lid of the pigment blender. Mix again for about 20 seconds while shaking the blender. Repeat this process three or four times in total. Scrape the powders off the blades and the walls of the lid between each mixing.
7. Remove a small quantity of the mixture and place a thin layer in the hinged container. 
8. Compact the layer with the loonie, which should now be fully dry after you cleaned it with alcohol in step 1. Just set the coin on the layer of powder and gently press down. Continue until the layer is firmly compacted. Then, carefully tilt the eyeshadow container and allow the loonie to fall into your palm.
9. Add another thin layer of eyeshadow and repeat the compacting process. Continue until the container is full.
10. Give the surface of your homemade eyeshadow two spritzes of alcohol. You’re done!

Use and conservation

To use your homemade eyeshadows, take up some powder with an eyeshadow brush and apply to your eyelids. We recommend applying them in a gradient, by applying the lightest shade to the inner corner of your eyelid, the middle shade in the centre of your eyelid, and the darkest in the outer corner. Blend well between each shade.

When made in optimal sanitary conditions, these eyeshadows will keep for at least six months. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct light. Remember to close the lids between each use.