A portable custom cosmetic pigment dispenser creates a cosmetic pigment mixture that closely matches a person's skin color. The device is constructed with a color sensor at one end that scans the skin and records color values in a color space. A processor converts the color values into a colorspace. In one example, a user is presented with a sample of the color as determined by the processor and has an opportunity to accept or modify the color. Specific quantities of colored pigment are selected based on the corresponding weightings in the color space.