Since the ancient Egyptians, we've been creating the illusion of dark, sultry eye lashes. There's nothing quite like the pop mascara provides to make already mysterious, gorgeous eyes even more so. But what mascara can contain nowadays tends to put a damper on things: You'll find paraffin, mineral oil, lanolin, linseed oil, castor oil, oil of turpentine, stearic acid, ceresin, gum tragacanth and methyl cellulose - among other chemicals - gracing the ingredient lists of many conventional mascaras. Who wants that getting in their eyes... anyone?

Instead of taking a gamble with this gaggle of potentially harmful ingredients, how about whipping up your own? What if we told you that you could do so with two simple ingredients? Here's how!

What You'll Need

Food-grade activated charcoal tablets

Coconut oil

What To Do

You no doubt have an old mascara tube lying around. A thorough washing with your favorite green soap and awhile to completely dry out will give you the perfect receptacle to house your new homemade mascara. Don't be surprised if it takes some time to really get it washed out, especially if it's been sitting in your cupboard for six years. And pay special attention to the brush, which can house bacteria.

First, measure the volume of your mascara tube by filling it full of water and emptying it into a dish. 2/3 of that amount is what your tube wil hold well.

So, that's how much coconut oil you'll want to pour into a dish.

Break open an activated charcoal capsule and mix it into the coconut oil with a paintbrush. Keep adding charcoal until the mascara is your perfect shade. Keep in mind that once it's black, if you keep adding, your mascara will turn gritty.

Keep mixing, until you're happy with the texture.

Now, using a toothpick and some patience, you can pack the mascara into your tube. Add a little bit through the opening of the tube and then tap the bottom on your counter to pack it in.

Warming the tube a bit between your hands and a little shaking is a good idea to keep things liquidy good when applying.

You're homemade make-up is ready to lavish those lashes. Now how many gals (or guys!) can say they made their own mascara? Add The Best Homemade Eye Cream Ever to the mix and, well, you'll be giving Cleopatra a run for her money.

image: swimparallel