You can make a simple cream-style face make-up with pantry staples you probably already have on hand. This version uses shortening for slip, cornstarch and flour for body, glycerin to keep the mixture from turning chalky, and food coloring for the shade you want. It is inexpensive, fast to mix, and handy for costume looks when you need basic coverage without buying a full kit.
The texture matters more than people expect. If you dump in too much liquid color at once, the mixture turns streaky and thin, then slides around instead of staying where you put it. Add color a drop at a time and mash it smooth before adding more. That extra 30 seconds saves you from face paint that behaves like tinted frosting, which sounds amusing right up until it reaches your collar.
- 🧰 Materials You'll Need
- 🔧 Tools & Equipment
- 🛠️ How to Make MYO Face Make-Up
- 🎨 Customization Ideas
- 💡 Application Tips
- 🛡️ Safety & Skin Care
- 📦 Storage
- 💸 Estimated Cost
- 🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions about MYO Face Make-Up
- 📌 Love this MYO Face Make-Up? Pin it!
- 🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: MYO Face Make-Up
Materials You’ll Need
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- 5 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon white flour
- 3 to 5 drops glycerin
- Food coloring, as desired
- Cold cream, for skin prep
- Talc powder, for dusting after application
Tools & Equipment
- Small bowl
- Spoon or small spatula
- Measuring spoons
- Clean fingers, sponge, or cosmetic applicator
How to Make MYO Face Make-Up
- Add the shortening, cornstarch, and white flour to a small bowl.
- Mix and mash the ingredients together until they form a smooth, thick base with no dry pockets of starch or flour left behind.
- Add 3 to 5 drops of glycerin and blend again until the mixture becomes creamy and spreadable.
- Add food coloring a drop at a time until you reach the shade you want, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
- Wash the face or skin area where you plan to apply the make-up and dry it thoroughly.
- Rub a thin layer of cold cream into the skin to help protect the face before application.
- Apply the make-up as usual in thin, even layers.
- Dust lightly with talc powder to help keep the make-up from running.
Do not rush the dry-skin step. If the skin is still damp from washing, the oils in the shortening will not grab evenly and the color can separate into patchy spots. Dry skin gives you a smoother layer and makes the final dusting powder actually stick where it should.
Here is the nobody-mentions-this part: food coloring can stain more than skin. It can catch in eyebrows, along the hairline, around cuticles, and on shirt collars if the finish stays tacky. Keep the layer thin, set it well, and wear an old button-front shirt while you apply it so you are not dragging a fresh painted face through a neckline.
Customization Ideas
- Paler costume base: Use minimal food coloring for a light theatrical base you can build on with other Halloween effects.
- Brighter face paint: Increase color slowly, one drop at a time, so the mixture stays thick enough to spread instead of turning runny.
- Small-batch testing: Divide the plain base before coloring if you want more than one shade from the same batch.
- Layered costume effects: Pair it with other spooky finishes from Halloween Make-Up Recipes & Special Effects or add dimension with MYO Fake Blood.
If you split the batch for multiple colors, portion it before adding any dye. Trying to separate colored make-up afterward usually gives you muddy shades, especially once darker colors touch the bowl. That is not dramatic in a good way.
Application Tips
- Use a thin layer first, then build coverage only where you need it. A thick coat creases faster around the nose and mouth.
- Blend edges before dusting with talc powder. Once powdered, the surface grabs and becomes harder to smooth cleanly.
- Keep the mixture away from the eye area. Homemade face make-up is not the place to improvise an eyeliner.
- For costume use, let each section settle briefly before adding more color or topping it with another effect product such as MYO Halloween Make-up.
The finish will feel more like a soft greasepaint than a modern long-wear cream cosmetic. Expect transfer if you rub your face, sweat heavily, or skip the powder. That does not mean the batch failed. It means this formula needs a light hand and realistic expectations.
Safety & Skin Care
Patch test this on a small area before you use it on your face, especially if you react easily to cosmetics, glycerin, powders, or colorants. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends applying a product to a small test spot twice daily for seven to 10 days to check for redness, itching, or swelling before broader use, which is a smart move any time you make a skin product at home. See their patch-testing steps here.
- Use only on intact skin. Do not apply it to broken, irritated, or freshly shaved skin.
- Keep it out of the eyes, inside the nose, and off the lips.
- Wash hands and tools before mixing and applying.
- Do not share the finished make-up or applicators with other people.
- Stop using it immediately if it stings, burns, or causes a rash.
The cold cream step is not decorative fluff. It creates a buffer between the skin and the pigments, and it also makes removal easier later. Skip it and you may need more rubbing to get color off, which irritates skin faster than the make-up itself.
Storage
If you have leftover make-up, place it in a small clean covered container and keep it only briefly. Because this is a homemade cosmetic with no preservative system, make only what you expect to use soon and discard it if the smell, color, or texture changes.
Do not store it in a warm bathroom if you can avoid it. Shortening softens with heat, so a batch that looked firm on the counter can turn oily and separated later. A cool room helps it hold together better between uses.
Estimated Cost
This batch costs very little per use because the formula uses small amounts of pantry ingredients. Based on current big-box pricing for vegetable shortening, the 2 tablespoons of shortening in one batch come to about $0.11 alone, and the remaining starches, flour, glycerin, and coloring add only a modest amount more. Total project cost is estimated at $0.50 or less per batch, depending on the brands you already have on hand.
🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
Frequently Asked Questions about MYO Face Make-Up
No. Keep this mixture away from your eyes. Homemade face make-up is fine for general face painting, but the eye area is too easy to irritate and food coloring is not something you want drifting into your eyes.
Cornstarch helps give the make-up a soft, powdery body, while the white flour adds a little more structure to the paste. Together they thicken the shortening so it spreads like make-up instead of sitting on the skin like straight grease.
The glycerin helps keep the mixture creamier and easier to spread. Start with the lower end of the amount. If you add too much, the make-up can become too slick and start moving around on the skin.
You can, but I would not recommend it. A thin layer of cold cream helps protect the skin and makes the finished make-up easier to remove later. Without it, the color can cling more stubbornly to dry patches and hairline areas.
That usually happens for one of three reasons: the dry ingredients were not fully blended first, too much food coloring went in at once, or the skin was still damp when you applied it. Mix until smooth, color gradually, and apply only to thoroughly dried skin.
Apply it in thin layers and dust it lightly with talc powder after application. If you put it on too heavily, body heat and normal facial movement can make it crease and transfer much faster.
Yes. Make the plain base first, then divide it into smaller bowls before adding food coloring. That keeps each shade cleaner and gives you better control than trying to remix one fully colored batch.
Wipe away the bulk gently with cold cream or another skin-safe cleansing cream, then wash with a mild facial cleanser. Avoid harsh scrubbing, especially around the nose and hairline where pigment tends to hang on a little longer.
Use leftovers quickly and store them in a clean covered container in a cool place. Since this recipe has no preservative system, it is best made in small batches and discarded if it smells off, changes color, or starts separating badly.
📌 Love this MYO Face Make-Up? Pin it!
Did you make one shade for a simple costume base, or split the batch into several colors? Tell us which version you tried and whether the powder finish kept it in place the way you wanted.
🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: MYO Face Make-Up
MYO Face Make-Up
Equipment
Materials
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- 5 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon white flour
- 3 to 5 drops glycerin
- Food coloring as desired
- Cold cream for skin prep
- Talc powder for dusting
Instructions
- Add the shortening, cornstarch, and white flour to a small bowl.
- Mix and mash the ingredients together until smooth and no dry pockets remain.
- Add 3 to 5 drops of glycerin and blend until creamy and spreadable.
- Add food coloring a drop at a time until the desired shade is reached.
- Wash the face or skin area where the make-up will be applied and dry thoroughly.
- Rub a thin layer of cold cream into the skin.
- Apply the make-up as usual in thin, even layers.
- Dust lightly with talc powder to help prevent running.
- https://www.budget101.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/homemade-myo-face-makeup.jpg
- Patch test before broader use, especially on sensitive skin.
- Use only on intact skin.
- Keep away from eyes, inside the nose, and lips.
- Do not share the make-up or applicators.
- Discard leftovers if the smell, color, or texture changes.
