Homemade Eyeliner
A zero waste, 5-minute recipe for homemade eyeliner that is nontoxic, simple to make, affordable, and long-lasting!
Active Time5 minutes mins
Keyword: 5-minute, almonds, black, burnt, DIY, easy to make, eye, eyeliner, homemade, makeup, mortar and pestle, nontoxic, nuts, recipe, simple, zero waste
Cost: C-h-e-a-p!...how much do five almonds cost?
Common sense! (Pick a safe location since you will be working with a flame. The steps of this recipe are best completed by an adult.)
Source of flame (ex: stove top or lighter)
Skewer or knife to hold burning almonds
Fine mesh sieve (abbreviated as f.m.s.)
Spoon or other utensil for pushing the almonds through the f.m.s.
Mortor and pestle
Small container for storage
- 2 to 10 almonds (or however many you want to use; allow for more time for each additional almond you burn)
Get set up! Place your f.m.s. above your mortar. Next, skewer one almond with a sharp skewer or knife and hold it above the f.m.s.
Light the whole almond on fire (while still holding it above the f.m.s. and mortar to catch any falling ash). Let it burn through completely (about 3-5 minutes). Do not rush this. The best results come when your almond has burned through COMPLETELY.
Once your almond has burned through COMPLETELY, unskewer it and let it rest in the f.m.s. Use a spoon or other utensil to push the burnt almond ash through the f.m.s. and into the mortar. If you followed Step 2 and did not rush things, this should be very easy. The burnt almond will fall apart into ash with little effort.
Repeat steps 1-3 with however many almonds you wish to use. Honestly, two almonds can last me weeks on end. Don't feel like you have to make a ton in order to have enough eyeliner!
One you have burnt all your almonds and have pushed them through your f.m.s. and into the mortar, remove your f.m.s. and set it aside. Now is the fun part! Grind, baby, grind! Use your pestle to grind the ash into a fine powder (about 2 minutes). I know I am done when the powder is extremely fine but also "sticks" together a little. (Note: It will not be like powdered sugar or flour that flies up in your face should a gust of wind blow past.)
Now you are done!! How easy was that?! All you have left is to transfer the ash powder into your dry storage container of choice and clean up!
HOW TO USE:
I like to wet my eyeliner brush slighly before gently dipping it into my container. A little goes a long way, so start off with a small amount and build to your liking.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
- What should I do if my almonds won't stay lit? --> Sometimes I have to light my almonds multiple times/in different places along the body of the almond. There is no particular method to do this; just work towards your end goal of the almond being COMPLETELY burnt. Nothing fancy here!
- Can I add oil to the ash to make the consistency more like that of liquid eyeliner? --> I have experimented with adding an eye-safe oil to my ash. I found it was too tricky to get the amount "just right." I either ended up with a mixture that was still dry or a mixture that was too oily. The latter made the eyeliner seem to "slide" off my eyes. For me, it works best to just use the "wet your eyeliner brush first" method before applying.
- Does the eyeliner get moldly or go bad? --> I have never experienced any adverse reactions to using my eyeliner or noticed any gross stuff growing in it, so I would say no? I am also only making about a month or two's supply at a time. I suppose results could vary if you made a year's worth at a time. However, we are basically talking about soot, so I would venture to say you do not have to be concerned with mold or the eyeliner going "bad." If in doubt, throw the ash in your compost and make a new batch. Worse-case scenario, you wasted...five almonds. ?
- Does the eyeliner come off easily or do I need to scrub? --> What is so intriguing to me about this recipe is that, even though this eyeliner stays on SO well throughout the day (regardless of humidity!), it wipes off with just water. How can it do this? No clue, but I have never needed to scrub my eyelids to get my homemade eyeliner off!