Melting lipsticks

The other day I asked you lovely readers on my Facebook page and Twitter if you had any experience with those meltdown lipstick moulds. It seems no one had used them before, and searching them online, it seemed a bit pointless to buy one to use once, and then just have it. Sitting there. Taking up space. So instead I decided to melt these down and pour the new color into an old lip pot container, which worked out great!

Luckily Lydia of The Vintage Mama suggested I use a double boiler, so the lipstick wouldn't burn. Since I don't have a set just for double boiling, I just heated water in a medium saucepan to a simmer, and placed the cut off lipstick bits in a smaller pan, and put that among the water, heating it. Worked like a charm!

The lipsticks I chose were all in red-ish, some too matte, some too dark, and most just didn't wear well enough. I also added the remainder of the lip pot, so the result was a nice, berry color with a summery sheen. Since I'll need a lip brush to apply the new color, it'll stay at home, and I'll have one lipstick in my purse, nice and simple!

.....Later edit: Tips from readers! (Because you guys are awesome).....

.....Mix with chapstick or cocoa butter for a sheer lipcolor.....

.....Pour mixture into chapstic tube, mint tin, or empty makeup pallets.....

.....Line the pan and spatula in foil, making cleanup much, much easier.....

.....For a "lipstick", create a tube by wrapping foil around a dowel or other cylinder, and pour liquid inside. Freeze it, remove the foil, then stick it in a lipstick tube.....