homemade bronzer

Posted on June 9th, 2013 by mountain girl  |  11 Comments »

I’ve been having a lot of fun playing around with homemade makeup recipes.  Some have worked pretty well, others not so great.  One that I’ve been really happy with is my homemade bronzer.

I found the basic ingredient combo here, and it’s so easy.  Of course, it’s also completely natural and good for your skin. My thought is that those popular antioxidants in chocolate that are so great for you internally might also be good for your skin externally. Of course, that’s just my own personal theory (one of many).

You can adjust all the ingredients until you have a shade that suits you, but I make mine something like this.

Mix together:

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

a pinch or two of arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)

a few drops of lavender essential oil (optional)

The arrowroot softens it and makes it go on smoother, and it also lightens the shade if you use enough.  Cocoa creates an earthy depth and the cinnamon adds a bit more rosiness.

My mixture was a little grainy, so I found that running it through a blender (or even a hand-held sieve or sifter) smoothed it out nicely.

If you add the essential oil, you can pack it into an empty makeup compact for a more controlled application.  It also works fine as a loose powder without the oil.

I use it on my cheeks, nose, eyes and forehead–anywhere the sun would naturally hit.   These photos aren’t great–they were taken early in the morning under my bathroom light–but I think you can see the bronze effect.  I don’t naturally have much color in my face without it.

Girl overboard.

My favorite thing about this bronzer is that it makes you smell like chocolate, and that’s such a great way to start your day.  Even better, if you get stranded on a desert island with only your makeup, you can eat it and maybe survive till the next ship comes in.  Definitely a multitasking product.

11 Responses to “homemade bronzer”

  1. Mom & Dad says on :

    What a beautiful face – Makayla LOVED the poses 🙂 A beautiful daughter & mom 🙂 Luv u lots!/mom

  2. mountain girl says on :

    Awwww…thanks! Love YOU guys lots!

  3. Hannah says on :

    love the pics! haha we say the same thing about coconut oil… cook with it, moisturize your hair, face, body, condition your wooden spoos, and it can even keep you alive on a deserted island!

  4. mountain girl says on :

    Haha! This isn’t quite as versatile as coconut oil, I have to admit!

  5. Lisa Coffee says on :

    You are adorable. I’ll have to try this bronzer, although truth be told, I don’t even wash my face daily. Hmm, maybe I”ll start there 🙂

    I just caught up on your doings and seeings of the last few weeks and goodness girl, I had no idea you came from such a large family. Major props to your Momma for birthing such a handsome lot. Really, 11 of you! Wow! Glad your trip home was full of love and laughter.

  6. mountain girl says on :

    You’d probably be ok not washing this off your face! I totally get that, especially when the babes are pulling you into bed and you have to somehow stay awake till they nurse to sleep, just so you can wash your face.
    And yes, we are quite a huge family…and it was so much fun to be altogether again. Thanks for stopping by–I need to pay your blog a visit, too!

  7. jodi says on :

    This is so awesome, for so many reasons! I love seeing your face 🙂 and I’m so excited to try this!

  8. mountain girl says on :

    🙂 Hope you like it!

  9. Melissa says on :

    Well…this could be a problem…wear or eat my makeup….hmmm…..

  10. mountain girl says on :

    At least it’s low cal, right? 🙂

  11. Poco Mountain Girl » Blog Archive » a morning routine: two versions says on :

    […] palette that I love. I sweep on a couple of coats of this nice cheap mascara from Walmart. I brush cocoa powder bronzer all over my face, and spritz it […]