Sunday 22 September 2013

Life Hack: Make Your Own All Natural, Homemade Makeup!

This is a recipe that I have personally used and can say, with all of my confidence, that it works like a charm! So I've decided to share this low cost, beneficial recipe for a bronzer/contour powder with you guys, before you go out and buy an expensive one containing all of those nasty ingredients =D
Ingredients; 
- Cinnamon (good to prevent and get rid of blackheads)
- Nutmeg
- Cocoa
- Baby powder, or powdered sugar.
- Use essential oil for a pressed powder.

Directions; 
Surprisingly, this is very simple to make and I really cannot give you exact measurements for your skin tone.
1) Mix one tablespoon baby powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and one tablespoon nutmeg.
2) Add in as much cocoa as you need to get your perfect shade. I personally use a little less than one tablespoon.
3) If you'd like a pressed powder, add 10 to 15 drops of essential oil. I would recommend using rose or lavender essential oil.
Voila! Done. Wasn't that easy?

Tip* If you have sensitive skin, I would reccomend taking the cinnamon out of the recipe. It won't change the powder much except that it might be less "sparkly."
Feel free to comment below on how this recipe worked for you! I'd love to hear =D
Have a wonderful Sunday, beauties!



Saturday 21 September 2013

How to Make a Homemade Facial Mist!

I was doing some research on facial sprays and I thought, "Why not combine all of the beneficial properties in facial sprays using only natural, simple ingredient?" So here it is, guys. Knock yourselves out and enjoy beautiful skin!

Ingredients;
- Lemons 
- Oranges 
- Dried Chamomile 
- Rose or Lavender Essential oil 
- Two cups water


Directions; 
1) Place the cut lemons, oranges, and dried chamomile in a large bowl.
2) Boil the two cups of water.
3) Place the two cups of boiled water in the bowl with all the ingredients. Add a few drops of lavender or rose essential oil (this is optional). 
4) Leave the bowl overnight.
5) Strain the mixture and pour (using a funnel) into a spritzer bottle. 
Voila! You have your own homemade facial mist!

Tip* It is best to use this spray in the morning and night twice a day for perfect results!
Tip* You can add infuse rose petals as well for extra benefits! 
Tip* I just thought of this, but why not add a tea bag in there and infuse it for five minutes? I would recommend one of the following;
- Chamomile tea
- Green tea
- Rosehip tea

Enjoy beautiful skin, lovelies!

Tuesday 10 September 2013

Natural Treatments for Dry Skin!

Itchy and dry skin can be very unpleasant, especially if you don't have very oily skin to begin with and winter weather just decides to come along (I'm from Canada, eh). It's very important to have "strong" skin, because it is what protects you from many environmental factors, disease-causing bacteria, and it makes you look pretty if well taken care of.
So what can you do to prevent and treat dry skin? Easy. Just read below ;)


Five Skin Sins That Cause Dry Skin
1) Winter weather - The most wonderful time of the year. Where all the moisture is sucked out of the air and you're left with wonderfully dry skin. I really can't tell you a way to avoid it, unless you got enough money to travel to Florida every winter.. But I can tell you this. MOISTURIZE.
2) Drying off with a towel - Too harsh. Too harsh. Too harsh. If you dry your skin off with a towel right after you take a shower, it strips away your skin's moisture. So try to do a little bit of air drying, please =D
3) Hot Showers - I'm personally guilty of this skin sin. I know it feels awesome just standing in a hot shower, but it really does not do any good for your skin. The natural oil in your skin dries out more quickly when you take hot showers. Try to minimize shower time to 5 minutes, which is enough time to get yourself considerably clean, and use lukewarm water if possible.
4) Heating and air conditioning - Just like winter weather, these two things strip away the moisture from the air in your home and can cause dry skin. My advice? Either turn it down and save some energy or moisturize just like you would in the winter =D
5) Bad soaps - Some soaps just strip away moisture and make you feel like some kind of reptile. Try not to use harsh soaps and shorten your showers. I personally use baby soap because it's so gentle for the skin and gets the job done.

Treatments for Dry Skin
1) Almond oil - This is such a fantastic oil, I feel like a mention it in every single post (I probably do). It moisturizes like crazy and doesn't clog pores. If you'd like to see more benefits of almond oil, click here.
2) Olive oil and Papaya - Olive oil is a wonderful product for the skin, and so inexpensive. The combination of olive oil and papaya as a sort of skin mask for your face or body is wonderful for treating dry skin. You can make a face mask out of this and leave it on for about a half hour.
3) Rosehip oil - Loaded with a ton of benefits for the skin while giving it moisture, this oil is packed with vitamin C and leaves you with a nice complexion. Again, one of my favorite oils next to almond. If you'd like to see its benefits, click here.
4) Jojoba oil - A little bit of this oil goes a long way. Jojoba oil moisturizes skin without clogging pores and is very inexpensive considering you only need a little bit each time you use it.
5) Milk and honey face wash, body wash, "whatever you please" wash - I use this every night and it tastes delicious and works wonders for the skin. Immediately after using it, my skin is as soft as a baby's. Use two tablespoons of honey in a cup of warm milk, and just use it as a facial wash. This wash disinfects as well as moisturizes and softens skin.

Monday 9 September 2013

Natural and Homemade Treatments for Dry Hair!

Yes ladies and gentlemen, it's that time of year again. The season where all the moisture is sucked out of the air, your skin and your hair. I've personally always had trouble with dry hair during the winter and the static electricity is horrible and literally makes my hair float like I'm being hung upside down. But no worries, there are many natural and homemade solutions for this problem. The sad thing is that so many people are unaware of it! I've listed a few homemade remedies that really help regain that moisture in your hair in an all natural, inexpensive way!


Five ways to regain moisture in your hair
1) Egg yolks and olive oil
-  Take one egg yolk and mix it with 1/4 cup of olive oil.
- Apply generously onto hair and scalp and leave on for 30 minutes.
- Wash off with shampoo.
2) Honey, almond oil and rosemary oil
- Mix two tablespoons of honey, one teaspoon of rosemary oil, and 1/4 cup of almond oil.
- Apply generously to hair and leave on for 30 minutes.
- Wash off with shampoo.
3) Safflower Oil
- Massage safflower oil generously onto your hair and on your scalp.
- Leave on for 30 minutes and shampoo as you normally would.
4) Plain Yogurt and Egg
- Take 1/4 cup of plain yogurt and beat one egg into it.
- Apply onto hair and leave in for 30 minutes.
- Rinse off with warm water or shampoo as you normally would if all of it is not coming out.
The fat in the yogurt will moisturize hair and the lactic acid will strip away any dirt.
5) Castor oil, baby shampoo, and apple cider vinegar 
- Mix one tablespoon castor oil with one teaspoon apple cider vinegar and two tablespoons of baby shampoo.
- Lather onto hair and scalp generously. This will treat dry scalp and hair!

TIP* It is best to use these recipes on your hair about two times a week for best results.

On top of adding moisture to your hair, these methods also create a nice shine, keep hair strong and healthy, prevent breakage and even promote hair growth!
Also, feel free to leave comments down below to tell everyone how well any of these recipes worked for you!

Have a lovely day =D

Sunday 8 September 2013

Get Silky and Healthy Hair With This One Ingredient!

Moroccans have been known to use Argan oil for centuries from head to foot (skin, hair, etc), but today it is most popularly used for hair. This miraculous oil can be used to style your hair, to protect it from heat styling, and to boost hair growth and keep it healthy.


Ways to Use Argan Oil for the Hair
1) Styling - When you place a little bit of Argan oil in your hair, it can reveal a nice shine and reduce frizziness. Remember, don't put TOO much because it will weigh your hair down. You can also add Argan oil before curling hair to make shiny and more voluminous curls!
2) Heat Protector - If you place a little bit of Argan oil on your hair before blow drying, straightening, or curling, this will reduce the damage to your hair dramatically (as well as get rid of frizziness).
3) Hair Growth - Argan oil has been known to prevent breakage and promote hair growth. So you can use Argan as a hair growth treatment by rubbing Argan oil generously all over your hair and scalp once a week for an hour and washing it off with shampoo and an apple cider vinegar mixture (100mL of apple cider vinegar per 1L of water). You can see the benefits of apple cider vinegar here.
4) Treatment for Scalp - Argan oil can be used to treat many scalp conditions such as dandruff, seborrhea, dermatitis, itchy scalp and oily scalp. To get effective treatment, massage Argan oil onto your scalp for five minutes 2-3 times a week.
5) Put Argan oil in your shampoo or conditioner - I would prefer placing a bit of Argan oil in my conditioner because this may do more benefit for your hair. This will give you all the benefits of Argan oil without having to go through the process of making a hair mask and washing it off!

Five Benefits of Argan Oil for the Hair
1) Promotes hair growth
2) Hydrates and moisturizes
3) Packed full of essential fatty acids and anti-oxidants
4) Prevents breakage and hair loss 
5) Protects hair from extreme heat due to styling


Saturday 7 September 2013

Purify Skin and Clear Acne With This One Ingredient!

Most people don't know that many of their common kitchen foods could benefit your beauty astoundingly. This is one of the most common kitchen items, in my experience, that is so underused for your beauty and your health that it amazes me that people don't know what they're missing.
Cinnamon is a popular homemade remedy for treating colds and clearing up acne very effectively and in my personal experience, it's been a lifesaver. I've been struggling with blackheads for some time and using the cinnamon skin mask has really helped more than any other product I've used, and I know a lot of people that can say the same. Now I've gotten lazy and the blackheads are coming back a little, so I'll be going back to my "cinnamon routine" once again. But really, give it a try and I promise you won't forget it.


Instructions for achieving the health benefits of cinnamon
- Add cinnamon to homemade dessert recipes or cook quinoa pudding (I will be adding another post soon with the recipe for this marvelous, healthy dessert) and sprinkle cinnamon on it.
- Add peanut butter to apple slices and sprinkle some cinnamon on it as a small snack.
- If you're brave, ingest 1 teaspoon of cinnamon per day. Don't be like her. It will have a very harsh taste, so I'd recommend mixing it with some form of drink.

Instructions for putting cinnamon on your skin
- Mix one teaspoon cinnamon with 3 tablespoons of honey. This makes a quick face mask that will help get rid of blackheads!
TIP* Don't leave the cinnamon mask on for over 30 min as it may irritate skin.
TIP* Don't add more cinnamon than honey. Again, it will irritate your skin. Sometimes too much is not good (like makeup).

Eight Benefits of cinnamon for your health and your beauty! 
1) Helps reduce cellulite with daily use - Mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon with 3 tablespoons honey and rub it on the affected area. To make this even more effective, add half a teaspoon of coffee grounds for the added caffeine which is proven to help reduce cellulite as well!
2) Gets rid of blackheads with daily use - Blackheads occur when there is an oil-buildup on your skin and gets trapped in your pores. This is most common in your T-zone. Make a face wash using 1/2 cup of boiled milk mixed with 5 teaspoons cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of honey and use this every night after steaming your face to open your pores. This will get rid of blackheads effectively and quickly.  
3) Helps lower cholesterol - Cinnamon has been proven to help lower LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Take one teaspoon of cinnamon a day along with a healthy diet to see results!
4) Treats Acne - Because cinnamon is anti-inflammatory, stimulates the flow of blood to the skin, and is anti-bacterial and anti-viral, it is an effective method for treating acne.
5) Plumps skin - By applying cinnamon to the skin, it brings blood to the surface of the skin making it seem more full and vibrant. This is good for an anti-aging effect.
6) Treats Eczema - Cinnamon has been proven to treat eczema. Add a mix of two tablespoons honey and 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the affected area and you should see results in a week. (Notice how I use different amounts of honey and cinnamon in this combinations for each recipe. Follow these well because it's meant to have a stronger effect for certain treatments.)
7) Decreases inflammation - Cinnamon helps calm down swelled areas by reducing the release of arachidonic acid from cell membranes. This has an anti-inflammatory effect.  
8) Smelling cinnamon helps boost brain function - It's been proving that taking a whiff of cinnamon (don't get it in your nose) can help stimulate brain function and make you think more clearly. I just thought I should put this in since I know this can be useful for school ;D
 

Monday 2 September 2013

Lavender Essential Oil ~ Forever a Natural Beauty

Lavender has a fresh and sweet aroma that has been long used in the production of perfume and other fragrances and can also be used in aromatherapy. The proven benefits of lavender aromatherapy are relaxation and reduction in anxiety and stress.


But along with aromatherapy uses, lavender oil may also be applied directly on the skin to treat minor burns, insect bites and even aid in maintaining your natural beauty due to the following
FOUR Benefits of Lavender Essential oil; 
1) Anti-inflammatory - This is a wonderful property for an essential oil to have. If you are having trouble with your skin's complexion or are having some acne problems, dilute 1/3 lavender essential oil with 2/3 almond or olive oil and apply directly on the skin. This will reduce redness, inflammation, while soothing and calming your skin.
2) Anti-viral and anti-bacterial - This property of lavender oil helps prevent and treat acne while soothes if applied directly onto the skin. You can also use a few drops of lavender oil in a vaporizer filled with water which helps aid a sore throat or a simple cold.
3) Reduces scarring - Lavender oil reduces the buildup of scar tissue when applied to a new minor cut as well as reducing the appearance of scars when used on a daily basis.
4) Increases blood circulation - Lavender essential oil has the ability to increase circulation on the surface of the skin when applied directly. What this does is give your skin a nice fresh glow and slows down the aging process. Use this as a daily body moisturizer by mixing lavender oil with 1/4 jojoba oil, 2/4 (1/2) almond oil and 1/4 lavender oil.

WARNING* Never apply lavender oil directly on the skin by itself. Mix it with at least 1/2 of another base such as almond or olive oil and then apply on the skin. I recommend 1/3 lavender and 2/3 base oil.