gloss-over

i'm making lotions and lip glosses as christmas presents this year. i love making gifts rather than buying them (it's so fun to do, and way more personal, and usually much cheaper). i will probably post a lotion recipe later. here is a lipgloss recipe:

3Tbsp. grated pure beeswax (i get mine here)
2Tbsp. grape seed oil
1Tbsp. castor oil
6 vitamin e capsules burst
1tsp. pure unrefined shea butter
1/2tsp. colored mica powder
5 drops essential oil (i like peppermint or vanilla)
tiny tupperware containers or special lip gloss containers

put beeswax, oils, vitamin e, and shea butter into a large ziplock bag.
squeeze the air out and seal it.
fill a large sauce pan with water and set it to boil.
hold the sealed ziplock in the water, so that it is submerged but doesn't touch the bottom or sides of the pan. move the bag around gently as the water heats.
about the time the water reaches boiling, the wax and oils should be melted together. remove the bag and contiue to gently slosh the mixture inside.
in about a minute it will start to cool (you can tell because the edges of the mixture will start turning opaque). add the colored mica powder and re-seal the bag. smoosh the powder into the mixture untill it's well mixed.
add the essential oil and smoosh/mix again.
snip a tiny hole in one bottom corner of the ziplock. squeeze the mixture from the hole into your containers.
place containers in the fridge for 5 minutes or until gloss has set.

be careful which essential oils you add. any citrus oil increases sensitivity to sun and can cause sun spots, so it's best to stick to non-citrus oils. also, if you're making gifts, make sure you use ingredients that the person who will recieve the gift is not allergic to. you can substitute olive oil for grape seed oil, and you can leave out the castor oil for a more matte look.

i get all of my ingredients from coastal scents, except for the beeswax which i get from an apiary. i like the quality of their products, and the fact that their products are ethically produced and not animal tested. they have great containers for lipgloss as well.