Rummage through your makeup and pick out a pot from an old powder or lotion sample – one that you won’t mind cleaning out. Can’t find one? There’s a space on almost every eye shadow compact with a small applicator brush (looks like this) that almost no one uses. This, my crafty friends, is the perfect spot for lip gloss.

What you’ll need:

• Makeup pot
• Petroleum jelly (or alternatives)
• Old or inexpensive lipstick
• Knife
• Blow-dryer
• Toothpicks

How to do it:

1. Wash a makeup pot with soap and hot water. Dry thoroughly.
2. Scoop about a teaspoon of petroleum jelly into the pot. If you are using the brush space next to an eye shadow, it will likely be less. Use your best judgment.
3. With a knife, cut about 1/4 inch of lipstick and place it directly in the petroleum jelly. The lipstick is mainly for color. Use more or less depending on how opaque you prefer your gloss.
4. Set your blow-dryer on low strength and high heat. Aim the air at the pot with 6 – 12 inches of space between the dryer and the gloss. This is where the tiny bit of patience comes in. Rotate the pot in your fingers as it heats for about 30 seconds, or until the materials begin to melt.
5. Using a toothpick, stir the lipstick into the petroleum jelly. Blow-dry for another 30 seconds, then stir again. Repeat this process until smooth.
6. Place the pot in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
7. Cap it, and you’re done.

By Julia Ivins, Staff Writer

Do you have any DIY lip gloss recipes of your own? Tell us in the comments below, or tweet us at @ruelala.

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