do-it-yourself sugar scrub if you didn't know from earlier posts, this christmas was my second DIY christmas. since i have so many family members, what i end up doing is making a lot of the same things for several people. like this sugar scrub for the ladies! this stuff is a great exfoliator, smells and feels and looks so good, and contains ingredients that are amazingly healthy for your skin. it is totally non-toxic; you could even EAT it! though i would recommend not eating it, since it is mainly just sugar. just take a taste after you make it; i did! (super yummy! hehe.) this is so easy to make, and is such a great gift. and look how pretty! i love 'em. the blue is an almond scent, then we have grapefruit and lemon. up there in the top right photo, the cream color is also almond. Sugar Scrub what scents could you add? try these essential oils: almond, juniper, cinnamon, ginger, guava, peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, lavendar, rose, orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, or tangerine.
Best Beauty Products 2012 - Best Makeup Products 2012 Known for their durability (think two weeks or more without chipping), gel manicures are the newest nail craze. At the salon, a gel will run you $50 to $75, but now DIY kits and polishes are popping up for much less. Typically sold with an LED light (to "set" your manicure) or an adhesive base coat, at-home gels promise to last the standard 14 days and save you money in the long run. Unlike most salon gel manis, Nutra Nail Gel Perfect ($11.99, at Rite Aid stores) uses an activator base coat instead of an LED light to help create a shiny, solid finish. The LED lamp included with the SensatioNail By Nailene Invincible Gel Polish Starter Kit ($60, at Walmart stores) explains the hefty price tag. 10 of the Best Drug Store Beauty Buys I have an apology to make: I used to be one of those girls behind the makeup counter of a big, fancy department store selling you over-priced beauty products. While I won’t say which brand I worked for, I can tell you that my uniform consisted of all black and way too much makeup. Hey, it was the 90’s, after all. Well, I’m here to make amends. The beauty industry is full of people pushing products that they don’t stand behind 100%. Also, celebrities rarely endorse products because, like the rest of us, they aren’t always picture perfect and no cosmetic company wants to be represented by someone who actually looks like the rest of us common folk. So, to make up for the error in my ways, I am sharing ten of my all-time favorite drug store beauty buys with you. (Part 2 of this series can be seen here: 10 More of the Best Drug Store Beauty Buys) L’Oréal Volumnious Mascara in Carbon Black I have been using this mascara for over 15 years now. Nicole Nail Polish by OPI Wet ‘n’ Wild Eyeliner
Beauty Tips Use toothpaste on yellow nails. This usually happens when you let nail polish stay on your nails for very long and when you’ve used cheap nail polish. Whiten them all up by rubbing toothpaste to remove the stains. You can also add a few drops of lemon for extra whitening, it’s a natural bleaching agent. See other uses of lemon with this POST. Use suntan oil to treat damaged hair. Treat burns with milk. Powder Your Roots If by any chance you have no chance to jump into the shower and you need to look your best. Cure Calluses with Vaseline or petroleum jelly It’s very unsightly to see hard calluses on your feet especially when you’ve been wearing closed shoes for a long time. Spot-Treat Smudges I find cotton tips very usual for this. Super-Glue a Nail Yikes! Buff with Baking Soda I’ve laughed at that episode in Friends when Ross went to a self-tanning sauna and got disastrous results. Use Toothpaste on a Zit Use just a pea-size amount. Technorati Tags: beauty tips
DIY - MAKE YOUR OWN WAX FOR HAIR REMOVAL I was chatting with someone on my flight back from my vacation. She lived in another country where salons are hard to come by or if they are around, they aren't very good. So, sometimes a girl has got to depend on herself. You can make one on your own so easily. So when I described it to her, she loved it and she said I just have to put it up online. So here goes: Wax recipe Ingredients 2 cups sugar ¼ cup water ¼ cup lemon juice Method Pour the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan, and heat it over a low flame. How do you know it is done? Take a glass of water and put a drop of wax into it. Benefits of making your own WAX: 1. Waxing strips: We used to do this in college all the time. NOTE: The inner facing fabric of the jeans should be the one touching your skin otherwise if you use the opposite side, your skin will probably get blue with the denim color. Waxing technique Test the temperature before applying the wax to your skin. Benefits of Waxing 1.
DIY - MAKE YOUR OWN WAX FOR HAIR REMOVAL | Fashion I was chatting with someone on my flight back from my vacation. She lived in another country where salons are hard to come by or if they are around, they aren't very good. So, sometimes a girl has got to depend on herself. Wax recipe Ingredients 2 cups sugar ¼ cup water ¼ cup lemon juice Method Pour the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan, and heat it over a low flame. How do you know it is done? Take a glass of water and put a drop of wax into it. Benefits of making your own WAX: 1. Waxing strips: We used to do this in college all the time. NOTE: The inner facing fabric of the jeans should be the one touching your skin otherwise if you use the opposite side, your skin will probably get blue with the denim color. Waxing technique Test the temperature before applying the wax to your skin. Benefits of Waxing 1.
Five Beauty Tricks to Do with a Toothbrush Beauty magazines love to tell readers about all the high-tech tools that one simply must have in one’s makeup bag. Lash separators, blending spatulas, and cuticle scissors may come in handy sometimes, but it’s natural to want something a little more multipurpose. The hardest-working, most versatile, and most sorely unsung hero of the makeup case isn’t some expensive specialized implement; it’s a toothbrush. A plain, medium-bristled toothbrush is the only thing you need to always look well-tressed, and it works so much magic with your hair and brows, your teeth might get a little jealous. Smooth Flyaways Spritz a few sprays of light-hold hairspray or a shine spray (try Bumble and bumble Shine On (and On) Finishing Spray, $25 at Bumbleandbumble.com) onto the bristles and use it to smooth down those wispies at the hairline. Apply Dry Shampoo Dry shampoo is great for absorbing oil and giving hair a little lift without washing and restyling. Touch Up Roots Get Some Lift Tame Unruly Brows
DIY Beauty Products Let's keep things simple this week. When it comes to personal-care products, we are big believers in streamlining what you use—see "Eight Products You Think You Need But Don't" for a refresher—buying less in general, and getting creative. We have both always loved experimenting in our kitchens and our bathrooms, checking ingredients in products we love, isolating the main ones, and then trying them on their own. Sometimes it works: A favorite hair leave-in contained aloe, for example, so one day we tried aloe alone and found that, lo and behold, it worked just fine on its own. And sometimes it didn't. Over the years we have tried dozens of DIY beauty recipes to find ones we like—and that work. Simple body scrub Honey face wash We already told you about our new favorite homemade face wash last week but here's the recipe: In the palm of your hand, combine a tablespoon of raw, unfiltered honey with a half a tablespoon of baking soda, mix it together, and apply to damp skin. Perfume Shave oil
The Complete Guide to Waxing for Beginners Nothing beats waxing for smooth, hair-free skin all summer long. Because waxing removes hair at the root the results are more effective and last longer than shaving. If you're tired of shaving every day, waxing may be for you -- but it can be intimidating for beginners. No worries, we're here to guide you every step of the way! Should I Wax at Home or Leave it to Professionals? It is up to you to decide whether you're going to go to a professional or do it yourself. Beauty expert Alexis Wolfer, founder of TheBeautyBean.com, recommends at-home waxers start with their legs: "You can see what you're doing best and the risk of screwing it up is minimal at most." Once your skin is clean and dry and your wax is at the right temperature Wolfer recommends you, "apply the wax in the direction of the hair growth and then pull it out in the opposite direction." What is a bikini wax? A "French" wax removes a little more than the American, but does not include hair removal from your backside.
5 Relaxing, Rejuvenating Bath Recipes - Perfect Alternatives to Bubbles So, by now you’ve probably come to terms with bubble baths not necessarily being the healthiest , most nourishing alternative for your skin. C’est la vie, crunchy people. C’est la vie. Life goes on, and in much more luxurious, relaxing ways. Here are your 5 ideas to turn your bathtime into a grown-up spa fit for a queen. Or you. Each of them serve a beautifying purpose, and each of them are (of course) environmentally friendly and 100% natural. If it was good enough for Cleopatra, it's good enough for you. You may have heard of Cleopatra. As cliche as it may sound, bathing in milk and honey is a fantastic way to get soft, supple skin – all over your body. The key is to use full-fat milk (or powdered milk) and pure honey. How to take a milk and honey bath: Pour 1-2 cups of milk (or 1/2 c. full-fat powdered milk) and 1/2 c. honey under running, warm water. For full effect, brush your skin lightly and in circular motions with a dry brush or a washcloth before getting in the bathtub.
Dorm Room Spa: 3 Easy DIY Beauty Recipes to Try Photo Credit It’s that taxing in-between time of the semester again – spring break is over, papers and projects are coming due, and finals are looming ahead. It’s clear that college students are stressed right now, and with that stress comes the need for relaxation. Of course, as college students, we can’t all afford to shell out for a trip to a high-end spa. 1. Photo Credit Olive oil isn’t just for cooking — it’s great for your hair, too! To give your hair a conditioning treatment, massage about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into your hair and scalp. Next, take a warm, damp towel and wrap it around your head and treated hair (“turban” it). Finally, rinse out the olive oil with shampoo. 2. This DIY mask, made of nutmeg, honey, and cinnamon, is calming and soothing for stressed-out skin – in addition, it smells absolutely amazing! The secret? To create the mask, mix 2 tablespoons of honey with a teaspoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of nutmeg. 3. Photo Credit Your Thoughts?
A Cup O' Joe: DIY Facial Scrub The following article was written by PETA intern Sofia Hueter. Many of us are accustomed to the daily ritual of guzzling cup after cup of coffee to stay awake because it is so ingrained in our society that habitually drinking something with caffeine in it every few hours is the best way to fight fatigue. Caffeine does, in fact, help to ward off our lingering morning drowsiness, but drinking coffee, though often delicious and enjoyable, is not the only way to get the caffeine fix that your body craves. Did you know that your body can absorb caffeine through the skin? In addition to giving you a pick-me-up, coffee has other benefits. Cup O’ Joe Facial Scrub 4 Tbsp. olive oil 6 Tbsp. coffee grounds* Container for finished product Mix the coffee grounds and olive oil. *Note: The coffee grounds should be very fine because you will be rubbing them onto your skin. The coffee will exfoliate your skin while the olive oil provides a good source of moisture to keep your skin soft and hydrated.
Easy At Home Teeth Whitening for Any Budget | The Budget Diet One of the most common complaints that people have about their teeth is that they’re discolored. So many things can affect the color of the teeth. Drinking soda, wine, coffee, smoking, and eating highly pigmented foods can all result in the yellowish tinge that everyone hates. If a person has some extra money to spend, they could always visit their dentist for a quick whitening treatment. Are There Low Cost Ways to Whiten My Teeth? Two great products for at-home teeth whitening are hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. How to Whiten Your Teeth at Home: To whiten your smile, swap your normal mouthwash with hydrogen peroxide or mix it 1/2 & 1/2 with the mouthwash. Right after rinsing, brush your teeth using a baking soda/toothpaste mixture. Remember to do the two step whitening process once a week until you have reached the results you want. If done too often, this treatment will wear down the enamel on your teeth and make you more susceptible to cavities.