It's pretty much unavoidable that whatever you slather on those luscious lips of yours is inevitably going to be ingested and absorbed into your skin. So, petroleum byproducts, synthetic colors and fragrances, animal derivatives (as well as products tested on our animal friends) and other chemicals - not so pretty. What's utterly beautiful, however, is this oh-so-simple DIY moisturizing, glistening lip balm made from four natural ingredients, one of which capitalizes on the vibrant hues of Autumn. We recently touted the wonders of the Fall-ubiquitous cranberry in Craving Cranberries, and now we're toting around this lipgloss everywhere we go as a testament to how crave-worthy it really is.

What You'll Need:

• 12 Fresh Cranberries
• 1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil (any Vegetable Oil will work)
• 1 Teaspoon Honey
• 2 Drops Vitamin E (or one capsule)
• 1 Cheese Cloth
• 1 Tiny Tin of Your Own Choosing

What To Do:

1. Heat up the Cranberries, Oil, Honey and Vitamin E on the stovetop, bringing it to a boil
2. Crush up the Cranberries with a wooden spoon until the color has turned to your lip-stain liking
3. Let it cool for ten minutes and then strain through Cheese Cloth to get out the Cranberry bits
4. Let it cool again - but not too long - and then spoon it into your Tin

And into the purse it goes, the best lip gloss. Remember: this recipe can be amended to include any seasonal fruit, all hues considered. And, though it may be a smidgen early to say so, we're thinking this product has the word "gift" written all over it. 

image: Helga Weber