3D printed your own lipstick mould.

I wanted to restore and depot an old lipstick back in its original packaging.

Material needed – Lipstick mould, lipstick + bullet, spoon, knife or some together way to get the lipstick out of the bullet, Vaseline, hair straightener or candle, warming pad (optional) and towel as it can get messy.

Step 1: Modelling and Printing

First I modelled the mould based on the dimensions of the lipstick I had.
The lipstick bullet measured roughly 12.2mm in diameter and I created a round edge for the lipstick itself.

I then 3D printed the 2 halves in PLA using a 3D printer (in my case it was an Ultimaker 2). I printed it on the high settings in Cura (Uiltimaker’s slicer software) to have a smooth surface finish. I have included my moulds for you to use if you would like.

In my models you can see there was some burnt filament appearing however it did not affect the mould or the surface finish.

Step 2: Depotting and Moulding

The next step was to depot the lipstick out of the tube, in my case Ruby
Woo. I used a knife and tried to get every last bit of lipstick out of the tube. I placed all of it in a spoon. Next I smeared some Vaseline onto the mould to create a smooth surface and lubricate the mould.

I then added a little bit of Vaseline into the spoon, in my case it was a bit much, next time I would add less in the beginning.

The next step is to melt and mi the lipstick and Vaseline together. I placed the spoon on my hair straightener but using a candle could also work. Mix it till you get an even consistency. Once you are happy with the constancy and it’s fully melted. Pour the lipstick mixture as quick as possible into the closed mould. If anything crusts up scrap it off and melt it again. To further ensure that the lipstick formed nicely I placed the plastic mould in a warming pad to help it get the shape properly. Finally let it cool down for a while, I let it sit for a couple of hours and then placed it in the fridge till the next day.

Step 3: Yay Lipstick

After patiently waiting for the lipstick to firm up again carefully open
the mould, if you are lucky there won’t be any spillage otherwise you might look like mine as I was impatient. Carefully remove the lipstick from the mould and push it into the empty bullet. Bam you have a newly forged lipstick.

Personally I am not super happy with the new constancy but I am very happy with the mould itself. Please not do not heat the plastic mould in the microwave or some other way to much as it would melt the plastic and will make it hard to open. Also the red of the lipstick did stain the mould which could be an issue if you wanted to use the same mould again for a lighter colour.