Creating a Matte Brown Liquid Lipstick Color

To create a matte brown shade for your liquid lipstick by mixing colors, the staff's suggestion of using yellow, red, and blue lake colors is correct. Lake colors are suitable pigments for lipstick formulations.

Here are some examples of lake colors you can use:

• Yellow Lake: Such as FD&C Yellow No.5 Lake EasyMix™ or ReadyMix™ FD&C Yellow No.5 Lake (Oil Based).
• Red Lake: Such as D&C Red No.21 Al Lake or D&C Red No.34 Ca Lake.
• Blue Lake: Such as FD&C Blue No.2 Lake.

These pigments are typically dispersed in the oil phase of your liquid lipstick formulation. Some types, like the EasyMix or ReadyMix versions, are pre-dispersed or treated to make them easier to mix without needing grinding.

How to Mix Colors:

1. Start with your base color. This could be yellow or red, depending on whether you want a warmer or cooler brown.
2. Gradually add small amounts of the other two colors (red/yellow and blue).
3. Mix thoroughly after each addition.
4. Test the color mixture in a small amount of your liquid lipstick base to see the true shade, as the base can affect the final color.
5. Continue adding and mixing until you achieve the desired brown tone.

The exact ratio of yellow, red, and blue will vary depending on the specific pigments used and the exact shade of brown you want to achieve. It requires some experimentation.

The typical usage rate for pigments in lipstick is around 3%, but you can adjust this based on how intense you want the color to be.