By My Own Hand
+ Historic Clothing and Textile Research + Artworks + Miscellany + Personal +
A plausibly period lip makeup
What is it?
A sort of colored lip balm. An infusion of alkanet or madder root (this provides the color), in an oily base, with some wax to stabilize it. Lipsticks and lipglosses are still made essentially this way today, but the pigments and tints have changed.
What does it look like on?
It makes the lips ever so slightly redder, and softer. It gives a very natural, no-makeup look to the modern eye. Because the tint does stain the skin of the lips slightly (as with berry juice or other no-makeup methods), successive applications will cause the lips to appear redder and redder, but this never has the harsh effect of a modern lipstick.
Well, then, how do you make it?
Ingredients:
- alkanet or madder root (alkanet gives a pink-red and madder gives an orange-red in oil)
- almond, olive, or some other smooth medium weight vegetable oil
- beeswax or other food-safe, non-petroleum wax
- optional ingredients:
- a flavor or scent, such as peppermint, vanilla, or lemon oil-based food flavoring
- cocoa butter or lanolin for extra softening (these may require that you flavor the balm)
Equipment:
- a glass measuring cup
- a small glass or ceramic double boiler or bain-marie (you may substitute a tempered glass measuring cup in the microwave for a stovetop double boiler, but it must be watched closely)
- a metal, fine mesh strainer (plastic may melt, and WILL stain)
- measuring spoons (for measuring finished balm into jars)
- several small sterile jars with screw on or snap on lids
This recipe makes about 2/3 of a cup of balm. Amounts are approximate.
- Measure out 1/3 cup of oil.
- Heat the oil in the double boiler on medium heat until it is about the temperature of a hot cup of tea (or microwave in the measuring cup for 40 seconds, check and microwave again in 5 second increments if necessary). You want the oil to be very warm, but not hot enough to cook the coloring agent or damage its color while it infuses.
- Once the oil is hot, add the madder or alkanet root. These should be broken up into small pieces (not powdered), but it takes less alkanet than madder (1:3 oil to root for alkanet, nearly 1:2 for madder) to get a satisfactory tint. Stir in the root fragments. Turn down the heat under the double boiler to a low medium (for microwave technique, turn on your regular oven and set the measuring cup in a pan over the heat vent or on the stovetop to warm it - don't microwave it with the coloring agent in the oil).
- Steep the root in the oil, stirring occasionally, until the color is very strong, keeping the oil consistently warm. This can take an hour or two for a good color. Add more root if you do not achieve good color after a couple of hours, and repeat. Alkanet should give you almost a dark purple, madder should give a deep orangy red.
- Once you have achieved a good, strong color, strain. Put back into the double boiler (or measuring cup), and add about 1/4 cup of the wax, in small pieces. If you want to add a softening agent and a scent, add these now - 1 tablespoon of lanolin and/or cocoa butter and a few drops of flavor (to taste).
- Stir until smooth and well mixed, strain again and measure into the jars.
I've made this and I loved it so much that I practically stopped wearing modern lipstick at all for a few years (then I started officework agian and makeup made me look 'more professional' argh.) it's very simple and cheap to make, and you can make extra and keep it in the freezer. It keeps forever that way. If you need extra moisturizer, and you aren't allergic to Lanolin, you can add that to it as well, but it isn't necessary. Also, if you do add that, you NEED to scent it or you will suffer from sheepy lips ;) I used peppermint oil when I was using Lanolin in my liptint, and it was still a bit sheepy.
Another thing to know is that while Alkanet is fugitive when infused in water or alcohol, it is d*mn near indelible when infused in oil. I have a chemise around here somewhere from 10 years ago that's been washed HUNDREDS of times (it's been in my loaner stash for over five years) that has a fairly intense alkanet lip balm stain right between the boobies. Oh, yes, it melts easily. And if you've tucked a pot into your cleavage and aren't paying attention, your little pot will drip its contents onto your clothes and skin. Hence the boobie stain...