First of all, things you will need are a microwave-safe glass jar for melting the balm, an oven mitt, some broken blush, ground into a coarse powder, something to stir the hot mixture with (I used the handle of my lip brush), some lip balm (have more than one tube on hand in case you want to make the mixture more sheer), and something to store your finished lipstick in. I had a couple of small lip balm jars on hand. You can order these online or find them at some craft stores. Other options are model paint pots (cleaned and sanitized, of course).

The first step is to twist the lip balm so that it’s fully extended from the tube and either break or cut it off at the base. Place the tube of lip balm in the glass container (see photos 2 and 3). Place the container into the microwave and microwave it on high for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds check the balm to see if it is melted. If not, mash the balm a bit with your stir stick and place it into the microwave for another 30 seconds. Repeat the microwaving and checking process until the balm is completely melted (see photo 4). The glass jar will likely get hot, so use the oven mitt to handle it. Also, you want the balm to be fully melted, no globs or lumps, but don’t let it boil, you just want it melted and warm enough that it is smooth and doesn’t start to harden as soon as you take it out of the microwave.

Next, dump the ground blush into the melted balm mixture (see photo 5). Using your stir stick, completely mix the solution. It shouldn’t take too long if your balm is still in a fully liquid state. You want the blush to be fully dissolved in the balm (see photos 6 and 7).

Finally, prepare the lip pots by placing them on a sheet of paper or cloth in case some of the mixture spills over. Using the oven mitt because the glass container is likely still hot, carefully pour the mixture into the pot until it is almost but not quite at the top. You can use a funnel for this step if you want, but I found I didn’t need one. Don’t touch the jar at this point, and leave it uncovered for at least an hour so the lipstick will cool and harden.

Voilá! Your own homemade lipstick. It’s nice to have found something useful to do with broken blush rather than just throw it away. I could also see how this could get really addicting if you wanted to get really creative with colors and sheens. I chose regular old Chapstick to make my lipstick since I like more of a velvet/matte finish, but if you wanted something with more shine, you could find a lip balm that had more of a shiny/moisturizing component to it. Have fun!