DIY Glitter MAC Lipsticks

You've probably seen these sparkly glitter MAC lipsticks on Instagram and Pinterest. At first sight, almost all of us think this is a cool new collection (preferably named Unicornland), and are then disheartened to find out these are DIY. I really wanted to make some for decorative purposes, but did not want to buy 20 different supplies to make them, so I went the easy route, and the results turned out to be pretty fabulous!

If you would like to make your own using just three things, read on for instructions! Please keep in mind these lipsticks are for decorative purposes only, and cannot be used on the lips. I do hope someone actually comes out with usable ones, but until then, all we can do is display them and swoon!

Things you will need:

- An old MAC lipstick you no longer have any use for. I used MAC Party Line (lilac glitter), Shy Girl (orange glitter), Hot Gossip (purple glitter), and Lickable (pink glitter). Try to use Cremesheen or other cream finishes as the glitter tends to stick to these immediately. Matte would be the worst option.

- Glitter of any sort (craft glitter, nail glitter, loose glitter...). 

- A spatula of any sort to sprinkle the glitter with. I used an old crystal nail file.

Step 1:

Set your materials out on a paper you can throw away. Turn the lipstick all the way up.

Step 2:

Use your preferred spatula or tool to slowly sprinkle the glitter onto the lipstick. Start with the sides first, then proceed to the slanted top part. Turn the lipstick upside-down occasionally to get rid of excess glitter. You can also rotate the lipstick to shed off excess sparkles. DO NOT blow on the lipstick, you'll end up with a glittery mess and most of the glitter from your lipstick will fly off, so you'll have to do the sprinkling all over again.

Step 3:

Once the entire lipstick is coated in glitter, do a second layer to cover up any areas missing glitter. Keep in mind the actual lipstick colour will show through a little, so don't worry if your lipstick isn't 100% coated with glitter. Clean up the transparent holder so that the lipstick mechanism doesn't get ruined. Then twist the lipstick in and out.

Step 4:

Repeat the previous steps using your next lipstick.

That's it! You now have a small army of beautiful glitter lipsticks. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

- Coordinate your glitter colour and lipstick colour. I made the mistake of using a dark lipstick with my beautiful lilac glitter. The result might have been better if I had chosen a lighter shade.

- Use cream lipsticks. If you absolutely must use matte, apply a very light layer of Vaseline around it, heat the lipstick very slightly, then do the steps.

- The finer the glitter, the better.

- Sweep the glitter from your paper into the glitter pot to minimize waste.

- You will inevitably be covered in specks of glitter after this, so don't do this if you need to be out as soon as you're done.

- You don't need glue for this. You'll see how easy it is to get the glitter to stick once you start.

I hope these instructions were helpful to you. Have fun making these and enjoy your new sparkly display pieces! If you do this project, tag me (@lipflation) in your Instagram photo, I would LOVE to see different versions!