Learn how to make natural foundation at home using clean ingredients. These DIY liquid and pressed powder recipes are skin-friendly, customizable, and easy—even for beginners.
If you’ve ever tried to make your own foundation, you know it’s not as simple as mixing a few powders together and calling it a day. I started out thinking I’d whip up a creamy, natural foundation using some oils, waxes, and aloe vera—but let’s just say, things didn’t go as planned.
What’s In This Post:
The Experiment:
• First Attempt: The Cream Conundrum
• Second Attempt: Simpler Is Better
• The Final Step: Pressed Powder Foundation Perfection
• What I Learned
The Recipe:
• What’s in This Foundation (and Why It Works)
• Meet the Shades
• DIY Foundation Shade Recipes
• Want Liquid or Pressed Foundation? Here’s How to Use Your Pigment Blend
• Ready to Dive In?
First Attempt: The Cream Conundrum
I had high hopes for a cream foundation. I created a lotion-based recipe using jojoba oil, emulsifying wax, aloe vera, and pigments—blending carefully and dreaming of a silky, smooth finish. But each attempt brought its own frustration. The first batch separated. The second looked beautiful—until I added the pigments, and it turned chunky on my skin. The third? It started off promising, but once the pigments went in, the whole emulsion fell apart. Clumps, separation… more trial than triumph. It worked—until it didn’t.
But one thing did go right in all of this: I created a custom pigment blend with our DIY Mineral Makeup Base that matched my skin tone perfectly. I used natural iron oxides and ultramarines, carefully measuring and mixing until I had a soft, porcelain shade I loved.
Even when the base recipe failed, I could reuse that same shade in each new version I tried—cream, liquid, or powder. Having a ready-to-go pigment blend saved so much time and helped me stay consistent as I kept testing.
Second Attempt: Simpler Is Better
Eventually, I went back to the simple solution I’ve been recommending for years—just mixing my custom pigment blend with jojoba oil. And you know what? It still works. Like really works.
It goes on light, feels gentle on my sensitive skin, and gives a dewy finish. It’s not heavy or cakey—just natural coverage that lets your skin breathe.
The Final Step: Pressed Powder Foundation Perfection
To cut the shine and give me more coverage options, I pressed my custom pigment blend into one of our cosmetic tins with just a few drops of jojoba oil. Now I use the liquid version as a base I love—and the pressed powder to build coverage and reduce shine (while still keeping that natural glow).
What I Learned
- Sometimes simple really is best.
- Blending your own pigments means you can get a just-right match for your skin tone—and having a custom shade blend on hand is a game changer. It makes it easy to tweak new recipes, build a matching pressed powder, or whip up another batch when you run out.
- And with natural ingredients, you can get that polished, glowy look—without irritating your skin.
What’s in This Foundation (and Why It Works)
Jojoba Oil: This lightweight oil closely mimics your skin’s natural sebum, so it blends beautifully and won’t clog pores. It’s moisturizing but not greasy—perfect for sensitive skin.
DIY Mineral Makeup Base: A blend of skin-safe powders like kaolin clay and mica that helps soften pigment intensity, improves texture, and gives your foundation a smooth finish.
Pigment Powders: Iron oxides and ultramarines are natural pigments that give you the color. By adjusting yellow, red, blue, and green tones, you can create your perfect match.
👉 Get all your natural makeup ingredients here.
Want to Try It?
Start with one of my premade shade blends—tested, tweaked, and beginner-friendly. These blends are a great starting point, whether you lean warm, cool, or somewhere in between.
Each one is designed to be easily customized. You can tweak the shade by adding a pinch more red, yellow, or blue to match your skin tone perfectly. Whether you want a dewy liquid foundation or a soft pressed powder, these blends give you a natural finish that feels as good as it looks.
And hey—if I figured it out after all those flops, you totally can too. 💛
✨ Meet the Shades
Now that you know how it works, let’s find your match! I created 6 custom shade blends to help you get started—each one can be worn as-is or tweaked to perfectly suit your skin tone. Whether you’re creating a liquid, a pressed powder, or both, start here:
- Porcelain Glow – For very fair skin with neutral undertones
- Soft Sand – For fair to light skin with subtle warmth
- Warm Linen – For light-to-medium skin with golden undertones
- Golden Almond – For medium skin tones with warm or olive undertones
- Amber Bronze – For tan skin tones with golden or neutral undertones
- Rich Mocha – For deeper skin tones with warm or neutral undertones
🎉 DIY Foundation Shade Recipes
Here are the 6 pigment blends I created as a starting point. Each one is designed to match a range of natural skin tones and can be customized to suit your unique shade. These recipes make larger batches—perfect for storing your premade blend and using it across multiple DIY foundation recipes.
If you’ve made our DIY Mineral Foundation before, these are the same tested shades—just scaled up so you can mix once and use them again and again.
Simply add the ingredients together and mix until thoroughly blended. Pigment powders tend to clump so I like to mix my DIY makeup in a coffee grinder I use only for DIY products. You can also use a pestle and mortar or just a spoon – but be sure to mix thoroughly.
Test the shade on your jawline in natural light, then tweak it as needed. You can also combine shades.
My skin tone changes from winter to summer so I made a batch of Porcelain Glow and Soft Sand. I use half of each shade to match my skin tone for the summer months. In the winter I use 3/4 Porcelain Glow and 1/4 Soft Sand.
Shade 1: Porcelain Glow
A cool-to-neutral fair shade with a gentle balance of undertones. Great for skin that burns easily and has pink or ivory undertones.
Pigment Blend
- 1/8 tsp (0.5g) tsp yellow iron oxide
- 1/32 tsp (0.1g) Red Iron Oxide
- 1/32 tsp (0.087g)Blue Ultramarine
- 2 1/2 tsp (6g) DIY Mineral Makeup Powder
Test it and tweak it:
| If your skin… | Try adjusting with… |
|---|---|
| Has a more yellow tone | ➕ A pinch more yellow iron oxide |
| Looks more pink or rosy | ➕ A tiny bit more red iron oxide |
| Feels too cool or muted | ➖ Reduce blue ultramarine slightly |
| Feels too dark or heavy | ➕ A touch of base without pigment or white mica |
Shade 2: Soft Sand
A light, neutral-toned shade with subtle warmth—great for fair to light complexions that tan slightly and don’t lean strongly pink or yellow.
Pigment Blend:
- ¼ tsp (1g) Yellow Iron Oxide
- 1/16 tsp (0.2g) Red Iron Oxide
- 1/16 tsp (0.175g) Blue Ultramarine
- 2½ tsp (6g) DIY Mineral Makeup Base
Test it and tweak it:
| If your skin… | Try adjusting with… |
|---|---|
| Has a more golden/yellow tone | ➕ A tiny bit more yellow iron oxide |
| Has a cool or pink undertone | ➕ A pinch more red iron oxide |
| Looks dull or slightly gray | ➖ Reduce blue ultramarine slightly |
| Needs to be brighter/lighter | ➕ A bit of white mica or base without pigment |
Shade 3: Warm Linen
A medium shade with warm undertones, ideal for light-to-medium skin tones with golden or olive undertones that tan easily without burning.
Pigment Blend:
- ½ tsp (2g) Yellow Iron Oxide
- 1/8 tsp (0.4g) Red Iron Oxide
- 1/8 tsp (0.35g) Blue Ultramarine
- 2½ tsp (6g) DIY Mineral Makeup Base
Test it and tweak it:
| If your skin… | Try adjusting with… |
|---|---|
| Has a more golden/yellow tone | ➕ A pinch more yellow iron oxide |
| Leans slightly rosy or neutral | ➕ A bit more red iron oxide |
| Feels too muted or cool | ➖ Remove or reduce blue ultramarine |
| Looks too warm or olive | ➕ Add a touch of red + a drop of base without pigment |
Shade 4: Golden Almond
A warm medium-tan shade, perfect for medium skin tones with golden, olive, or warm undertones.
Pigment Blend:
- ½ tsp (2g) Yellow Iron Oxide
- ¼ tsp (0.8g) Red Iron Oxide
- ⅛ tsp (0.35g) Blue Ultramarine
- ⅛ tsp (0.35g) Green Chromium Oxide
- 2½ tsp (6g) DIY Mineral Makeup Base
Test it and tweak it:
| If your skin… | Try adjusting with… |
|---|---|
| Leans more olive | ➕ A touch more green chromium oxide |
| Appears warmer or golden | ➕ More yellow iron oxide |
| Needs more balance or richness | ➕ A bit more red iron oxide |
| Feels slightly gray or dull | ➖ Reduce blue ultramarine |
| Looks too dark | ➕ Add some base without pigment or white mica |
Shade 5: Amber Bronze
A rich tan shade with warm depth, designed for medium-tan to tan skin tones with golden or neutral undertones.
Pigment Blend:
- ¾ tsp (3g) Yellow Iron Oxide
- ½ tsp (1.6g) Red Iron Oxide
- ¼ tsp (0.7g) Blue Ultramarine
- ¼ tsp (0.7g) Green Chromium Oxide
- 1/8 tsp (0.175g) Black Iron Oxide
- 2½ tsp (6g) DIY Mineral Makeup Base
Test it and tweak it:
| If your skin… | Try adjusting with… |
|---|---|
| Has golden or peach undertones | ➕ Add a touch more yellow or red iron oxide |
| Appears more olive or neutral | ➕ Increase green chromium oxide slightly |
| Needs more depth or contrast | ➕ A pinch more black iron oxide |
| Feels too muted or flat | ➖ Reduce green and blue slightly |
| Looks too dark | ➕ Lighten with base or white mica |
Shade 6: Rich Mocha
A deep, warm-toned shade for rich skin tones with golden or neutral undertones. This balanced formula builds coverage while maintaining vibrancy and richness without appearing ashy.
Pigment Blend:
- ¾ tsp (3g) Yellow Iron Oxide
1/2 tsp (1.6g) Red Iron Oxide
1/4 tsp (0.7g) Blue Ultramarine
1/4 tsp (0.7g) Green Chromium Oxide
1/4 tsp (0.35g) Black Iron Oxide
2½ tsp (6g) DIY Mineral Makeup Base
Test it and tweak it:
| If your skin… | Try adjusting with… |
|---|---|
| Has warm golden or red undertones | ➕ More red or yellow iron oxide |
| Leans more neutral or olive | ➕ A bit more green chromium oxide |
| Needs deeper richness | ➕ A touch more black iron oxide |
| Appears too cool or muted | ➖ Reduce blue or green slightly |
| Looks too dark | ➕ Add base or white mica to soften |
💄 Want Liquid or Pressed Foundation? Here’s How to Use Your Pigment Blend
Once you’ve made your perfect shade, you can leave it as is for a loose powder or turn it into a liquid or pressed powder.o make a liquid foundation: In a small liquid measuring cup, mix together your jojoba oil and pigment shade. To make a liquid foundation: In a small liquid measuring cup, mix together your jojoba oil and pigment shade.
To Make A Liquid Foundation:
In a small liquid measuring cup, mix together your jojoba oil and pigment shade.
Light/Sheer Coverage → Start with ½ tsp pigment blend
Medium Coverage → Use ¾ tsp
Fuller Coverage → You can try 1 tsp, but test it—too much pigment can make it cakey or streaky Pour your mixture into a container. To use apply to skin and blend for a glowy beautiful finish.
Pour your mixture into a container. To use apply to skin and blend for a glowy beautiful finish.
To Make A Pressed Powder:
- Mix 1 tsp premixed pigment blend with jojoba oil one drop at a time, until it holds together when pressed (like damp sand).
- Spoon the mixture into a clean tin.
- Press firmly with the back of a sppon until smooth and flat.
- Let sit uncovered for 24 hours to set. Use a brush to apply.
Ready to Dive In?
🧴 Want More DIY Makeup Recipes?
Grab my free DIY Natural Makeup Cheat Sheet to explore more ways to customize your foundation, blush, eyeshadow, and beyond. It’s the perfect companion for your natural beauty journey.
👉 [Download the Free Cheat Sheet]
🛍️ Ready to Make It?
You can find all the ingredients I used—like the pigment powders, mineral makeup base, and jojoba oil—in our shop.
👉 [Shop DIY Makeup Ingredients]