DIY: Treating Sun Spots Naturally

Hey everyone! I have another DIY for you today. This is a special request from one of our readers. If any of you want to see something in particular, just leave me a comment below or on Facebook. 

Age Spots are an annoyance for many people. Age spots are also called Liver spots, Sun spots, or  Lentigines. They are generally caused by repeated sun damage to the skins surface, but can also be caused by impaired liver function or nutritional deficiencies. 

Age Spots appear on the skin as flat, yellow or brown discolorations and are usually harmless. The are most commonly seen in people over the age of 40. 


Here are a 4 ways to treat these at home:

Lemon Sugar Scrub

Gethelponline.org

Things You'll Need:

• Lemon juice
• White granulated sugar
• Small bowl
• Cotton ball
• Cool water
• Soft towel

1. Pour 1 Tbsp of Lemon Juice into a small bowl. 

2. Add 1/2 tsp of granulated sugar to the bowl and whisk together.

3. Once combined, dab a cotton ball into the mixture and apply to your sun spots. 

4. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. 

5. Rinse with cool water, pat dry with a towel, and apply a moisturizer. 

•  Repeat once a week until  sun spots fade.
• The acid in the lemon will fade the spot while the sugar exfoliates the skin. 

Apple Cider Vinegar and Onion: 

beautywingman.com

1. Finally chop 1 small onion. Use a strainer or cheese cloth to push out the juices from the onion.

2. Place in a small bowl with with and equal amount of Apple Cider Vinegar. Mix.

3. Dab on skin with cotton ball. Leave on for at least 30 minutes. 

• Repeat daily until sun spot is gone. 

Castor Oil:

Phrophro.com

1. Simply rub Castor oil onto the age spots in the morning and at night. 

• Spots should be greatly improved in 1 month. 

Aloe Vera Gel:

errormark.com

1. Simply rub onto area twice daily. 

• Improvements should be seen in 1 month. 

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DIY: Sugar Hand Scrub

I have seen this bouncing around Pinterest for a while now and decided to give it a try. I am getting closer to 30 and want to make sure I am taking proper care of my skin, so I am trying a few new things. Like the tips from my post DIY for Younger Looking Hands found HERE! 

Lets jump right into it. 

What you need:

1. Dawn with Olay Hand Renewal. 
2. Small container
3. Sugar

I got the Dawn and the container from the Dollar Tree for $1 each. 

1. You need to have 2/3 parts sugar to 1/3 parts of Dawn hand renewal dish soap. 

• I used 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 a cup of Dawn. 

 2. First put your sugar in your container and add the Dawn. 

 3. Then just mix it all together. 

4. Feel free to add more sugar or Dawn until you get the consistency that you want. I like mine on the thicker side so I added another 1/4 cup of sugar. 

 5. As you can see the sugar really dulled down the color. Since this is Cucumber Melon scented (One of my all time favorites), I wanted to maintain the color. To do this I added 1 drop of food color. This is completely optional. It will not stain your hands. If you follow our facebook page then you know I love me some color. :) 

My Impression:

I couldn't wait so I dove right into trying this as soon as I had it stirred up. I feel like it does a pretty good job. My hands feel a lot softer and smoother. The only thing I feel that it is missing is a moisturizer. I think I will try and see if I can add some vitamin E oil or coco butter to it. If I can wash it off and feel super moisturized I will be excited.  However I suppose moisture and soap just may not go very well, but I'll give it a go any way. 

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DIY: Makeup Brush Cleaning Spray

Today I have another DIY for you. If you use brushes regularly as part of your makeup routine, then you know how much of a pain they can be to clean. I try to clean my brushes once a week, but they take 2 days to dry, because they are very dense.  So, if I have something planned for the weekend then this is what I use to hold me over until I can give them a thorough cleaning. 

What you will need:

1. Small spray bottle
2. Distilled or filtered water
3. Isopropyl Alcohol (Regular rubbing alcohol)
4. Baby Shampoo/wash

This is an eyeball game. What I mean is that because there are many shapes and sizes to these small spray bottles, I can't give an exact measurement for each product being used. So Just fill your spray bottle up to the same spot with the same product no matter what the size of your spray bottle. I do recommend using a smaller sized one though. 

1. Fill your bottle to where mine is filled with Rubbing Alcohol. It does not have to be exact, just close. 

2. Now fill the bottle up to the shoulders with Distilled or Filtered water. 

3. Take your Baby Shampoo, and fill up the rest of the bottle to the lower neck. 

4. Now place the spray cap back on and then tilt it from side to side gently. This will help the products mix equally. 

5. Now to try it out. I placed a paper towel on my makeup stand and grabbed one of my dirty shadow brushes.  You can see all of the blackish shadow buildup on it. 

6. Next, I just applied a few sprays of the cleaner. You can see the bubbly goodness on the bristles and the brush. 

7.  Then I gently wiped it on the paper towel, until the brush was clean and the eye shadow was gone. 

I am so sorry that in this picture the brush tip is blurry. I did not realize it was not focused until later. I promise though that the brush is clean. You can tell the bristles are brown again. lol

 Okay, once you have cleaned your brush, you are going to need to let it dry again before using. It will only take a couple of hours. Much better then 2 days! I recommend using this after you are finished applying your makeup for the day. That way they will be clean for the next day. 

I really like this cleaner for a few reasons. One is because it does not contain acids like store bought cleaners. That makes this formula really gentle on your brushes as well as your face.  The other reason is because it can really save you in a time crunch. After a week of use I do not like to use my foundation brushes because I feel like the results are not as good, due to the build up of foundation. Using this helps me be able to go a few days longer. Lastly, I love that the alcohol kills any bacteria on them. 

Now with that said, I do not recommend using this as permanent method for cleaning your brushes. After a while germs and dirt get into your brushes. When you rub them on your skin for a prolonged amount of time it can lead to acne. So please do continue to wash your brushes at least once a month. If you need a DIY to make that process easier check out our DIY Brush Cleaning Tray HERE! Its a cheap and easy tutorial. 

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Get Rid of Acne Redness and Scaring Fast

If you suffer from Acne Redness, you know how hard it can be to get rid of. They also take a toll on self confidence. Often covering scaring and redness from acne can be hard. 

Here are a few tips to help:

1. Egg Whites: 

Photo: strivetosimplify.com

-Cleans your face and dry first.

-Then dab egg whites over problem areas with a cotton ball. 

-Leave on your face for a few hours or over night for best results. 

2. Ice:

Photo: newserenityspa.com

-You can use Ice to sooth irritated skin and shrink pores. 

-Wrap ice cubes in a paper towel and hold on acne a couple of times a day. 

-Do not use for more then 10 minutes at a time to prevent frostbite. 

3. Vinegar/Lemon Juice: 

Photo: feminiya.com

- Will remove the redness and decrease the size of the blemish.

-Apply vinegar, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to a cotton ball and dab onto face.

-Repeate 2-3 times a day.

4. Tooth Paste:

Photo: kissthechaos.com

-Will dry out blemishes and reduce redness. 

- Apply a small amount over the blemish and leave on over night.

-Only use basic white toothpaste. Not the gel kind. 

5. Aspirin:

Photo: i.telegraph.co.uk

- Crush 1 aspirin with a small amount of water to form a paste. 

- Apply to blemish. 

- Rinse after 1 minute. 

6. Baking Soda: 

Photo: grime-scrubbers.com

- This trick will work with dark spots, blemishes, and acne marks. 

- Start with a clean dry face. 

- Take 1/2 a Tsp of baking soda and 1/2 a Tsp of distilled water. 

- Mix them together in a small bowl to form a paste. 

- Apply to problem areas.

- Wash after 5 minutes. 

I hope these tips help get your skin in order. Thanks for reading! 

Reminder: Don't miss out on our Makeup Giveaway. We have 9 great items for 1 lucky person to win!  Please click on the image below to check out how to enter. Its super easy :)

How to Correctly Apply Concealer

Some of you might already know this tip, but I know I have some readers that are new to makeup. So if you're new then this is for you. 

Lets start with the very basics:

Photo: Maybelline.com

*This by far is my favorite brand of concealer!!!

- When picking your concealer be sure to pick a shade that is 1 or 2 shades lighter then your skin tone. 

- The only exception to the rule is when you have a blemish. In that case you should use a shade that matches your tone for the best coverage. Also you will apply concealer to a blemish after you use your foundation so you want it to match your foundation. 

- Most women will need a yellow based concealer for the best coverage. Not pink. The exception to the rule is people with dark skin, they will need an orange based concealer. 

- Always test your concealer under your ear on your neck. Again, you are looking for a shade that is 1-2 shades lighter then your own. 


Okay now that you have the basics, lets move on to applying it:

- This is probably the most important part. 

- You need to apply your concealer in a upside down triangle under your eye. This extends the color to your cheek bone, giving you a more natural look. 

-If you apply it just under your eye, you will only draw attention to your under eye area because the concealer will act like a highlighter. 

- Also you want to apply under eye concealer BEFORE you apply your foundation. This will also give you more natural look. 

- Don't be afraid to try it out. I know you will love the difference. 

Reminder: Don't miss out on our Makeup Giveaway. We have 9 great items for 1 lucky person to win!  Please click on the image below to check out how to enter. Its super easy :)

Thanks for stopping by :)

DIY for Younger Looking Hands.

Hey everyone! Today we are gonna tangle dry hands. One of my viewers reached out and asked me to see if I could find a remedy for helping make hands look younger. After some research I came up with this. I hope it helps.  Also, if there is anything specific you guys would like to see just leave a comment down below.  

What ages our hands?

Our hands are always exposed to the elements. Because of this they often give away our age before anything else. There are many reasons our hands age, the biggest is sun damage. Over exposure to sun light and chemicals (bleach, dish soap, cleaning sprays) , cause severe drying of the skin on our hands. This can also lead to dark spots, wrinkles, and prominent veins. 

The way to battle aging hands is to develop a good skin care regimen and stick to it. This will help maintain the hands fullness and thickness better over time. 

What age should I start?

The answer is now! It does not matter if you are 22 or 42. Our hands begin to look aged in our late 20's however most women do not notice visibly until they are in their 40's. Because of this many will not treat them until their 40's. 

Photo: Starblaze.com

By starting a regimen early you will be able to better prepare your hands to look younger longer. As you can see in the image above Madonnas hands give away her age, while facial plastic surgery has helped to maintain her youthful appearance. 

Madonna is not the only one to make this oversight. I, along with most women often do not pay attention to my hands until they are all ready dry. Then I coat up with moisturizer and forget them until the next time they bother me. 

Here is what you'll need:

1. Sunscreen

2. Retinol Cream

3. Moisturizer

4. Cotton gloves

1. Wear sunscreen:

Apply to your hands daily. The sun is responsible for more then 90% of the damage your skin will have, especially wrinkles. This is really important for when you are driving. Try to pick up a small bottle on sale to keep in your car. 

Photo: Uh.edu

2. Exfoliate:

Use a hand scrub at least twice a week to exfoliate your hands. This will remove the dead layer of skin on top and make your skin glow. 

Photo: Crafthubs.com

• You can make your own hand scrub by combining sugar and lemon juice. I would stay away from salt as it is drying to the skin. 

3. Wear Gloves:

Always wear rubber gloves when cleaning. Over time the chemicals will do a number on your hands. Even when you are just washing the dishes.  Dish washing liquid is very hard on the skin and keeping your nails in water for prolonged amounts of time, will cause them to become brittle. 

Photo: Popsugar.com

4. Moisturize and Retinol:

This is the most important part. You need to use a heavy moisturizer on your hands nightly along with a retinol cream. Cover this with a pair of cotton gloves and go to sleep. Remove in the morning and rub any remaining lotion into your hands. 

Through out the day apply lotion after washing your hands. If they are really dried out, try using a bit of vitamin E oil. 

Photo:eletunk.com

And that's it. If you incorporate these steps into your daily routine your hands will age slower and look younger longer. Try to remember that your hands are just as important as your face.

Reminder: Don't miss out on our Makeup Giveaway. We have 9 great items for 1 lucky person to win!  Please click on the image below to check out how to enter. Its super easy :)

DIY: Double Duty Whipped Coconut Oil

Hey everyone! I have another DIY for you.

A few days ago I posted about Taming Unruly Tangled Hair.  This post is similar to that one. The exception being that not only is this a pre-shampoo conditioning treatment but it can also double as a body cream. I am always up for a double duty product. 

I just whipped up a fresh batch and thought I would share it with you guys. Its such an easy and fun recipe. You can choose what ingredients will work the best for your hair care needs. So feel free to play with it until you get it the way you want.  

To make this particular recipe you will need:

 - Coconut Oil

 - Olive Oil

 -Castor Oil

 -Vitamin E Oil

Before we begin I would like to tell you the benefits of using each of these ingredients in this whipped coconut oil recipe. 

1. Vitamin E Oil: 

-Promotes hair growth by stimulating your scalps capillaries to increase circulation. Thus, it increases hair growth. 

-Vitamin E Oil also helps prevent pre-mature graying. It increases the amount of antioxidants on the scalp and that slows the aging process.

-It also prevents split ends, makes your hair shine, while also improving the quality and texture of your hair. 

2. Olive Oil:

-  Promotes hair growth.

- Prevents and cures hair loss. 

- Nourishes scalp by moisturizing and healing dry scaly scalp.

- Makes hair soft and shiny. 

- Has antibacterial/anti-fungal properties that help fight common hair and scalp problems. 

- For any of you with school aged children, Olive Oil can help prevent head lice. 

3. Castor Oil-

- Increases hair growth because it contains Ricinoleic acid and Omega 6 essential fatty acid. Which increases blood circulation to the scalp and increases the growth of hair from the follicles. 

-  Fights scalp infections and dandruff with antibacterial/anti-fungal properties. 

- Prevents balding.

- Prevents split ends through moisturizing. 

4. Coconut Oil:

-  Prevents hair loss. 

- Prevents protein damage.

- Coconut Oil is rich in lauric acid, has a high affinity for hair protein, and easily penetrates inside the hair shaft.

- Coconut oil has a high moisture retaining capacity, keeping hair moist and soft, which prevents breakage of hair.

- It prevents baldness and gray hair. 

Many of these have the same healing properties, so don't feel like you have to use them all. I choose too because I had them on hand and figure it couldn't hurt. 

You can also add an essential oil if you have one on hand to give the whipped coconut oil any fragrance you want. I didn't have any so I chose to use 1 tablespoon of my Herbal Essences conditioner. I love the smell and I just added enough to give the whipped oil a nice scent. 

Now that you know all the benefits of each oil here is the tutorial:

Double Duty Whipped Coconut Oil:

Supplies:

The small cup just has some Herbal Essences conditioner in it. 

I bought this air-tight container at the Dollar Tree. This is a big container and you can use a smaller one. I use this whipped Coconut oil a lot so I like having a bunch on hand. 

1. Scoop out your desired amount of Coconut Oil and place it in your mixer. I used 2 cups of Coconut Oil. If you want to make a smaller batch just use 1 cup.  You can mix this by hand but be prepared to spend around 5-10 minutes mixing by hand. 

- Also, you want to have your coconut oil at room temperature for this recipe. It cannot be in a liquid or hard solid state. 

2. Add 1 Tsp each of Olive Oil, Vitamin Oil, and Castor Oil to your mixing bowl.  This amount is still fine if you are only using 1 cup of Coconut Oil. 

This is when I added the 1 Tablespoon of Herbal Essences hair conditioner. If you want to use conditioner add it now also. 

3.  If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer use your whipping blade. If not, regular beater blades will work on a hand held mixer. I used the highest setting on my mixer (10) and mixed for 2 minutes until I saw the coconut oil mixture begin to form whips and it appeared fluffy.  Depending on your mixer it could take less or more time to finish. 

- Be sure to scrape your bowl about half way through, to insure that you have all the ingredients incorporated. The coconut oil likes to hug the side of the bowl when you first put it in.

- This is what it should look like when its done.

4. Now take a spatula and transfer the Whipped Coconut Oil to your container. 

- It comes out so fluffy. I just love it!

- Try not to over fill your container. You don't want it to get all over the lid when you close it or you will have a big mess over time. 

- It will melt very rapidly once it touches your hands. So there is never a need to heat it up. In a few days it will harden slightly, that is normal and it is still safe to use. 

- This is great for dry skin on the elbows and ankles, as well as any where else you want to use it.  A little goes along way for a moisturizer and I find that this form makes it easier to apply as a hair conditioning treatment as well. 

For a hair treatment:

1.  Apply from roots down, paying special attention to the end of your hair. 

2. Cover your hair with a shower cap or saran wrap. 

3. You can either leave it on your hair over night and wash it out with shampoo in the morning or you can apply heat for 5-10 minutes with a blow dryer and then wash it out after. Either way you will get fantastic results. 

P.S. After filling my container up I had a good bit of the Whipped Coconut Oil on the beater blade and on the sides of the bowl. Since I hate to waste anything, I went ahead and took it all off by hand and applied it as a treatment last night. So if you are like me this is an option for you.  My hair is very soft and shiny today. :)


Reminder: Don't miss out on our Makeup Giveaway. We have 9 great items for 1 lucky person to win!  Please click on the image below to check out how to enter. Its super easy :)

Thanks for stopping by and reading. I hope you will give this treatment a try and that you love it as much as I do!