How do you make your own make up?

Image Credit: istockphoto.com

I'm often asked how I make my own make up. The answer is simple. It's like making cookies or a cake from scratch. You purchase the ingredients, you formulate a recipe, you make it, and you try it out. Then you tweak it god knows how many times, and finally come up with a finished product that you're satisfied with. That's just the very basics. Add into that hours upon hours of research, testing different ingredients, and the failures when it doesn't go right. Then you have to find containers, make labels, open a shop, make promotional materials, and hit the streets and the social networks with it. I'm currently in the stage of getting my product out there and to do that I've sent out tons of free samples. In all it's probably cost me about $500 out of my own pocket to get started. Now the metaphorical ball is just barely starting to roll and my business is picking up.

I have no problem giving out information on how I make the products. I do, however, have a problem with giving out my supplier information and detailed descriptions of how I make my products. I have spent countless hours reading information on formulating, running a business, selling products, blogging, and tons of other things in an attempt to learn myself. With all the time and money I've invested in my business, I think it a rite of passage for anyone who wants to start their own. I do understand I will have competition no matter what I do. I just don't want to give out information that could put someone in direct competition with my business. It has taken a lot for me to get where I am and I would appreciate it if people would, respectfully, not as me those questions as I can't answer them.

There's still more to hand making cosmetics. You need a sanitary location, (I have a room specifically for my business), lots of gloves, and the intelligence to realize you're making something that people will use on their bodies and it needs to be free from any contamination. I take great pride in my work and I sincerely enjoy my customers. I hope that will show as my business continues to grow.