Mix Up a Brand-New Lipstick in Minutes! Here’s How.

When it comes to lipstick, we’ve tried ’em all. From super bold and matte to semi-sheer and neutral, we have something for every mood we’re in. But you know how, on certain occasions, the existing shades in your kit just don’t seem to cut it? And you can’t find the exact color you want, at that moment? Well, it’s time to get creative. It’s so easy! Just take out your tubes and start mixing! Think about it like this—you can instantly double (or triple) the scope of your palette if you start blending. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, either. A custom in-between shade might be just what you’ve been craving.

1: Choose two (or three or four) lippies that you want to mix.

2: Use a small palette knife or plastic knife to scrape or slice off a small amount of each color and dab onto a makeup palette or a small dish.

3: Blend with a clean lip brush until you’re happy with the shade.

4: Got a winner? Load it into a small, empty close-top makeup pot (an empty, clean eye shadow or eye cream container is perfect!).

And that’s pretty much it. There are no limits, and experimenting is the fun part! Try mixing similar shades together for slight variation, use a neutral tan or white to take one of your favorite bold lipsticks down a notch, or mix a bit of vampy red or black into a lighter hue to deepen it. We tested out several combinations using Inglot Cosmetics Lipsticks and came up with three favorites, shown below. Use these as a jumping-off point, or come up with a totally original combo.

(Shown in above tutorial with Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Brush #010  & Z-Palette Small Palette in Leopard)
All lipsticks from Inglot Cosmetics, $13 each | shop all shades

Combo 1: Bright Orange + Sand = Poppy

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A fiery orange lip will always make your pout the center of attention. If you want a similarly warm shade that’s not quite as showy, mix orange with your favorite beige to bring the intensity down a notch. And this doesn’t just work with red—try beige or tan hues with reds, vampy burgundies, and purples. You can’t go wrong.  

We used: 103 Cream + 404 Matte

Combo 2: White + Deep Berry = Muted Mulberry

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You can never go wrong with a deep berry shade. But add in a little white and—voilà—the shade becomes a little less intimidating, and a perfect everyday go-to for fall.

We used: 228 Cream + 132 Cream

Combo 3: Bright Red + Sky Blue = Bold Purple

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This is classic color wheel stuff. We love the idea of blending red and a soft indigo to get a cool purple-blue. And if you needed an excuse to add a blue tube to your stash, now you have one: it’s always ideal for mixing and layering.

We used: 408 Matte + 290 Cream

Any lipstick color combos you swear by? Did you discover a new go-to custom shade? Post your pics and ideas in the comments!