Pigment Color Recipes

Update 1/05/20... Dead links have been repaired or removed. 

The recipes here were made in 2010 & 2011 (and compiled from 4 entries) so all the pigments used to make them are not available, such as those using TKB Trading's now discontinued Pops! pigments. TKB now has other pigments that are comparable to those but you can find more suggestions in my entry Alternatives to TKB's discontinued Pops.  

The Conservatorie, listed as TC, is no longer an existing store. Coastal Scents no longer sells loose pigments. 

And here an additional disclaimer is needed: My purposes in making these was for use in nail polish specifically so every pigment may not be safe for other uses such as eye-shadows- please make sure that if you intend to remake one, you check on this (TKB lists uses on each pigment in their store). TKB also has an extensive collection of color recipes on their website.

What I have for you here are color recipes I whipped up from both TKB Trading and Coastal Scents pigments using the 5 spoon set TKB Trading sells for this purpose. I won’t claim that these are “outstanding” but they are definitely different, although many look far better dry than they ended up looking in nail polish. In the case of “In the Mood” and “Red Violet” I didn’t apparently keep track of the exact amounts used but at least put them in order of least to greatest.

In each picture is the recipe from above, small finger sample ala TKB Trading and a swatch in polish below that. I am still not pleased with what was supposed to be a polish swatch on these pictures so I'm adding a pic of my index card swatches. The color turned out a little better.

O- “Fairy Kisses”

3 dash (TKB) Pearl White

2 dash (CS) Blue Claret Pearl

2 dash (TKB) Raspberry Pop

1 dash “Red-Violet”

P- “Lavender”

Equal parts (TKB) Raspberry Pop & (TKB) Blueberry Pop

pinch of (CS) Metallic Red Raisin

4 pinches (TKB) Raspberry Pop

R- “Majestic”

2 dash (CS) Majestic Green

1 dash (TKB) Colorona Dark Blue

1 dash (TKB) Blueberry Pop

1 dash (TKB) True Green

K- “Red-Violet”

(CS) Antique Red

(TKB) Grape Pop

(TKB) Bishops Violet

(TKB) Hilite Violet

V- Vixen

2 dash (TKB) Scarlett O’Hara

2 smidgen (TKB) Grape Pop

U- “Concord”

2 smidgen (TKB) Grape Pop

5 smidgen (TKB) Deep Blue

W- “Seafoam”

1 dash, 1 smidgen (TKB) Apple Green Pop

1 pinch (TKB) Pisces Blue

X- “Butterscotch”

2 dash, 2 smidgen, 3 pinch (TKB) Lemon Drop Pop

3 smidgen (CS) Met. Rustic Gold

Y- “Grace”

2 pinch (CS) Chrome Carmine

1 dash, 1 pinch (TKB) Scarlett O’Hara

Z- “In the Mood”

(TKB) Colorona Blue

(CS) Metallic Pixie Purple

(TKB) Deep Blue

(TKB) Blueberry Pop

More color recipes made from both TKB Trading and Coastal Scents pigments in addition to some eyeshadow sets, L.A. Colors Tease Collection and Almay Trio for Greens.

(from Tease collection)

(from Trio for Greens)


Color Recipes below


II- “Coral”
2x LAC pink eyeshadow (from Tease collection)
2 pinch (CS) Duocrome Red Orange
2 pinch (TKB) Sparkle Rose
2 pinch (TKB) Lemon Drop Pop


JJ- “Shimmering” 

Almay dark green eyeshadow (from Trio for Greens)
2 drop (TKB) Pisces Blue
2 pinch (TKB) Emerald
1 tad (TKB) Apple Green Pop
1 tad (CS) Crystal Ice
2 smidgen, 2 drop (TKB) Hilite Green


KK- “Princess”
4 dash (CS) Blue Claret Pearl
4 dash (TKB) Scarlett O’Hara
1 smidgen (CS) Cerise Flambe
1 smidgen (CS) Crystal Ice
1 smidgen (TKB) Hilite Red
1 drop (CS) Sparkle Gold
2 smidgen (CS) Hot Side Pink


LL- “Forest”
2x LAC-A (green) (from Tease collection)
2 pinch, 2 drop (TKB) Apple Green Pop
3 dash Blackstar Green
1 smidgen (TKB) Green Apple
2 drop (CS) Majestic Green
1 drop (CS) Paradise Diamond Pearl


MM- “Echo”
1 dash (TKB) Pisces Blue
2 pinch (TKB) Apple Green Pop
4 dash (TKB) Blueberry Pop


NN- “Spring Thing”
Almay-A (light green) (from Trio for Greens)
3 dash (TKB) Green Apple
4 dash (CS) Summit Turquoise


OO- “Hilite Lime”
2 drop, I dash (TKB) Hilite Green
2 drop, 1 dash (TKB) Hilite Gold


PP- “Hilite Peri”
2 dash (TKB) Hilite Violet
2 dash (TKB) Hilite Blue


QQ- “Hilite Pink”
1 dash (TKB) Hilite Violet
1 dash, 1 drop (TKB) Hilite Red





AA- “Lawless”
Maybelline “Lawless” eyeshadow. Closest current color would be Maybelline Expert Wear Singles in Antique Jade
1 dash (CS) Ultra Shimmer
1 dash Blackstar Green
1 dash (TKB) Hilite Green
1 pinch (TKB) Blueberry Pop
3 pinch (CS) Summit Turquoise
1 dash, 1 pinch (TKB) Indian Blue
2 pinch (TKB) Apple Green Pop


BB- “Sparkling”
(CS) “Colleen’s Dream” eyeshadow, (sample size)
1 tad (TKB) Sparkle Blue
2 smidgen (CS) Cellini Red


CC- “Twinkle Twinkle”
1 dash (CS) Crystal Ice
3 tad (CS) Cellini Red
1 tad, I dash (TKB) Libra Blues


DD- “Burnished”
3 tad (TKB) Umber
3 smidgen (CS) Cellini Red
1 tad (CS) Paradise Star Gold
2 dash (TKB) Strawberry Pop


EE- “Fusion”
2 tad (CS) Gemtone Topaz
2 pinch (CS) Gold Rush


FF- “Blood Diamonds”
2 tad (TKB) Deep Russet
1 tad, 2 pinch (TKB) Red Basics
2 smidgen (CS) Crystal Ice
1 smidgen (CS) Pearlescent Fire
2 smidgen (CS) Cellini Red


GG- “Indian Ocean”
LAC blue eyeshadow (from Tease collection)
1 pinch (TKB) Pisces Blue
5 pinch (TKB) Capricorn Sea
1 smidgen (CS) Crystal Ice
1 smidgen (CS) Gold Rush


HH- “Wild Plum”
Almay dark purple eyeshadow (from Trio for Greens)
1 tad (TKB) Grape Pop
3 dash (TKB) Grape Parfait
1 drop (CS) Paradise Diamond Pearl
2 smidgen (TKB) Blueberry Pop
1 drop (CS) Crystal Ice
2 drop (TKB) Hilite Blue
2 smidgen (TKB) Scarlett O’Hara


RR- “Creamcicle”
2x LAC-B (orange, from Tease collection)
1 tad (CS) Metallic Rustic Gold
4 pinch (TKB) Strawberry Pop
4 smidgen (TKB) Hilite Copper
2 pinch (TKB) Tangerine Pop

SS- “Blackstar Turquoise”
3 tad TKB Black mica
2 tad (CS) Summit Turquoise
2 smidgen (CS) Ocean Blue Glitter
1 smidgen (CS) Emerald Glitter

TT- "Blackstar Purple"
3 tad TKB Black mica
2 tad (TKB) Hilite Violet
2 smidgen, 1 drop (CS) Purple Punch Glitter

The ones below were made in small batches because I know I'm not great at it and I don't like waste- so I used only the "drop" spoon for them, signified by "d". Pictures in dry form coming for the following (but you can see them in polish in my Franken Book, slightly modified. The number before the recipe is the polish #

#542 Recipe F3: 

4d TKB True Green 

2d TKB True Blue 

2d CS Summit Turquoise, 

2d TKB Black Mica 

2d TKB Aqua Sparks 

2d TKB Blue Sparks

#543 Recipe B3: 

6d TKB Deep Blue 

4d TKB Aqua Sparks 

2d TKB Lavender Luz

#544 Recipe J3: 

4d TKB Umber 

1d TC Supernova Red (substitute TKB Hilite Red) 

1d TKB Marinda Star

#545 Recipe D3: 

6d TKB Australian Amber 

2d TKB Bronze Reflecks 

2d TKB Hilite Orange 

2d TKB Copper Sparks

#546 Recipe C3: 

8d TC Primrose 

4d TKB Marinda Star 

2d TKB Hilite Red 

2d TKB Hilite Copper

#547 Recipe K3: 

3d TKB Libra (New formulation, discontinued) 

6d TC Midori Blue 

1d TKB Black Mica 

2d TCP DCP Purple (substitute TKB Purple Sparks) 

1d YMC purple flake sample (substitute TKB Fairy Violet) 

1d TKB Hilite Violet 

4d TKB Travel to Neptune

#548 Recipe G3: 

6d TKB True Yellow 

2d TKB True Green 

2d Anna's Art Asylum #462805 (substitute a Blue/Yellow color shifter)

#549 Recipe XX: 

6d TC Ruby Red 

2d TCP DCP Deep Purple (substitute TKB Purple Sparks) 

2d TKB Hilite Violet 

2d YMC purple flake sample (substitute TKB Fairy Violet)

#550 Recipe L:

modified "Twinkle" recipe, added:

1 tad TC Hot Pink

1d TKB Cherika Moon

#551 Recipe H3: 

3d TKB True Green, 

1d TKB Travel to Earth 

2d TKB Shanira Sun 

2d CS Sparkle Blue

#552 Recipe N3: 

3d TKB Cerise Flambe 

1d TKB Gold Dust 

1d TKB Gold Sparks 

1d CS Paradise Rose Sky

#553 Recipe ZZ: 

6d TKB Libra (New Formulation, discontinued) 

4d TKB Blue Sparks 

1d TKB Fairy Violet

#554 Recipe VV: 

6d TKB Cellini Red 

4d TKB Blue Sparks 

2d TC Supernova Blue (substitute Hilite Blue)

#555 Recipe M3: 

6d CS Blushing Pink 

1d TC Midori Blue 

1d CS Sparkle Blue

#556 Recipe I3: 

3d TC Primrose 

4d TC Hot Pink 

1d TKB Seawitch Green 

1d TKB Green Sparks 

1d TKB Shanira Sun

#557 Recipe A3: 

6d TC Peach Sunset 

2d TKB Hilite Red 

2d TCP DCP Ruby Red (substitute TKB Red Sparks) 

4d TKB Siren Red 

4d TKB Burning Leaves Reflecks

2d TKB Sparkle Rose 

2d TKB Crescent Crimson

#558 Recipe E3: 

4d TKB Cellini Red 

2d TKB Midnight Blue 

1d TKB Hilite Blue

#559 Recipe LL: 

4d TKB Pennsylavania Green 

4d CS Sparkle Blue 

? CS Summit Turquoise

#560 Recipe O3: 

3d CS Paradise Shimmer Tan

1d TKB Copper Sparks

1d TKB Passion Orange

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