Weekend Scrub !

Natural Facial Cleansing Scrub Recipe —powered by eHow.com

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Love Your Hands!

We use our hands as a means of expression whether it is to touch someone or to gesture even without thinking. It is only right that one of the most useful parts of our body be taken care of with daily moisturizing. If you happen to run out of moisturizer just remember you can improvise by utilizing products in your home. Check out this great video demonstrating how olive oil can be used as a great moisturizer. Watch!





Home Remedy for Cracked Hands —powered by eHow.com


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Supermodel Tid Bits!

Miranda Kerr

Supermodel Beauty Tips

• Super model beauty tips stress on the proper use of foundation. And the secret to it is to find one that is the closest to your natural skin tone. A lighter shade will give you an ashen look while a darker one will make you look painted.
• Use Vaseline Intensive Care lotion for dark under eye circles -( let me know how that works for you)
• Preparation H works great for puffiness around the eyes -( I can vouch for this)
• Super model beauty tips insist on the lip liner to give a definite shape to the lips
• Ever wondered how those reed-thin super models get those awesome cleavages without push-up bras? The secret is tape, pulled tightly around the body just below the chest.
• Super model beauty tips advise on the use of Epsom salts to soften the skin and also as an exfoliating agent. Fine Epsom Salt mixed with your cleanser will wipe away all traces of make-up and when added to your conditioner and warmed, gives that extra bounce and volume to limp hair.

Enjoy bringing out the Supermodel in You!

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Men Science : Skincare Tip!

Climatic changes calls for an adjustment to skin care especially when it comes to moisturizer. Men are not exempt from this process as they are faced with same issues women face.Can we say "no" to ashy skin! Black men who suffer from dry skin tend to have ashy skin or grey appearance. That is why it is important to moisturize the skin , keeping away from long hot showers which are tempting as the time gets colder. Here  are some tips that will help you say "bye bye" to dry skin and hello to smooth skin.

• Take lukewarm showers as hot showers tends to pull the moisture out of the skin.
•  Wash with a gentle liquid cleanser instead of bar soap.
• Put on an active moisturizer within 5 minutes of stepping out of the shower - this will help to lock moisture in the skin as the pores are open and will promote a smoother appearance.
• Use an oil-free moisturizer that contains nutrients like Aloe, Hyaluronic Acid, Squalene and Vitamins A, D, and E, and don’t forget about the delicate area around your eyes.

Hope these tips will help banish your dry skin.

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DIY Eye Mask

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When you think of an eye mask you automatically think about relaxation and rest.There are many different eye masks on the market, gel based to satin masks. I came up with a very innovative mask which utilizes cucumber and potatoes which help reduce puffiness. For creativity we will use coffee filters as the base to create this wonderful mask.

 after the break find out how to create this eye mask with simple ingredients.

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Keeping it youthful !

Keeping your makeup fresh and youthful can never be a bad thing. A fresh face can never be deemed a thing of the past so it is always great to know how to keep things fresh. Here are a few tips to keeping your look youthful.

• Skip the Powder - Adding powder can make the skin look a bit too matte or dull and can tend to come across as cakey. Instead try using a liquid foundation as it allows the skin to shine through.

• Use Cream a cream blush - Using a cream blush adds a glow to the cheeks and gives a more youthfulness.

• Curl Your lashes - Curling your lashes makes your eyes appear larger and more open, is a great way to make you look younger.

• Wear plumping lip gloss - Having full glossy lips makes them look younger not to mention kissable. Avoid dark glosses as they can tend to make your lips appear smaller.

• Wing your liner - Wearing a winged liner will help you lift and open your eyes especially if you have droopy eyelids.

• Wear light Shimmer Shadow - Applying a light shimmer shadow near the tear ducts of the eye and a hint below the brow will do much to open up the eye and give your eyes a fresh look. Just remember to keep the placement of the shimmer to a minimum only using it at specific areas.

Hope these tips will help to freshen up your look, not to forget to use concealer to cover up dark under eye circles to give you an automatic fresh look.

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Men Science - Shaving Tips!

Proper wet shaving techniques, quality products and post-shaving skin care can help you look and feel your best and help avoid razor burn & razor bumps. To get that smooth finish to your face check out these helpful tips to get your shave on!

1. Your Beard should be wet!

One of the keys to getting a great shave without the razor burns is to have a wet beard. facial hair will absorb around 30% of the moisture which will allow for easier shaving as the hair swells and gets softened by the moisture. A great time to shave is after a shower or if that is not possible rinse with warm water to prep the skin. This is a technique that barbers use, never shave cold or apply products to dry skin as this can lead to razor burns.


after the break check out what to look for in shaving creams!

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Streaky Tan Solutions !

As the months get cooler many of us turn to spray tanning to keep that Summer glow in the cooler months. Spray tanning especially if you are a do it yourself kind of girl can be tricky especially if you messed your application which resulted in you looking streaky.
So if you experienced zebra like outcomes with your tan here are a couple of tips that might save the day.


Tip1. To remove streaks
A great way to remove streaks is to  use a lemon wedge or a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide, and gently rub into your skin. 


Tip 2. Cover them Up
Use a liquid compact foundation that is a bit on the heavier side that will give you more coverage. Use a brush and apply it and it should even out your face and eliminate the streaky look. Tweet

Easy Clay Mask!

After spending the weekend shooting" how to" videos on facial masks I decided to try out the clay mask recipe to see how it really felt. I must say after mixing in the clay with the apple cider and applying it to my face. it went on cool and then it started to tighten and it felt as if something was pulling on  my skin. This is a normal when using clay masks as it deep cleans the pores.
After leaving it on for 10 minutes I rinsed with warm water which revealed soft and glowing skin. If you are interested here's what you need to have your own clay experience.

This Indian Healing Clay mask which retails for $8.99 for a 1lb at your local health food store works wonders.

This clay facial recipe is quick to whip up, all you have to do is mix equal parts of the clay with the cider vinegar or water and apply it to your face . You can leave it on for 10 -15 minutes then rinse well with warm water. Isn't great that we can have spa recreate spa quality masks at home! 

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Olive Oil a Natural Makeup Remover

A great natural and healthy ingredient that can be used to remove your makeup is olive oil. All you have to do is raid your kitchen cupboard get out your olive oil and start out by adding a few drops to your cotton ball and start to wipe your makeup off. If your like me and want to take the plunge just pour a tablespoon into your palms and start to apply it to your face and then remove with a warm towel or even a baby wipe. You will find that oils work better then liquid cleansers as it is able to break down the oils in your makeup better than water based products. Tweet

Dry Skin Tips!

As the days get cooler we have to take certain steps to ensure that our skin will remain hydrated and well protected. Here are a few tips you can bear in mind to keep your skin in great shape.


      Keep water lukewarm 

• Using hot water especially in the cooler months can dry out your skin as it robs the skin of moisture. A better option is to shower with lukewarm water. Be wary of hot tubs as the chemicals in addition to the heat can dry out the skin.
• The same applies to when washing your hands, if your skin turns res the water is simply too hot.

  Moisturize after showering

• The best time to moisturize your skin is right after your shower, your pores are open and the product will be absorbed easily into the skin.

  Exfoliate weekly

• Moisturizer is more effective on exfoliated skin as the dead skin cells have been removed, it allows the moisturizer to be more effective.

 Skip drying soaps

• Soaps can be drying instead you can use creamy cleansers that contain glycerin or petrolatum.

Hope these tips will be helpful as it gets cooler, remember to drink your water to keep your hydration levels up.

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Yeast Mask for Oily Skin!

Isn't it comforting to know that we can just take a peek in our cupboards and use the ingredients we have available to make a really effective mask. Today we are looking at this fabulous yeast mask for those of you who have oily skin or experience an increase in oil production with the cooler months. Remember even though the weather gets cooler we have to focus on moisturizing our skin as the drier our skin becomes it will start to overproduce oil to compensate for the dryness, thus resulting in unwanted oily skin. This recipe is quite simple here goes...

Yeast Mask recipe:

• 1 tbsp active yeast
• 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 tbsp yogurt

Prep:

Mix the ingredients to get a muddy paste, if the mask gets too thick keep adding lemon or yogurt.

Application:

Apply the mask on your face leaving it until it dries out.Then in a circular motion, scrub to remove the mask from your face. You can do this mask every 2 days if you have excessively oily skin.

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Extractor Tips!

We have all been told that if we can avoid picking our " pimplette" as I call them we can avoid major scarring in the long run. Many times I have failed to follow this advice, it's like something takes over and I just want to touch it. Do you ever get that feeling? Well for those of us that simply can't resist touching them here are some tips for using an extractor safely to get those unruly girls out.


Tip 1  
Disinfect the extractor with some rubbing alcohol and wash your face and hands before proceeding with any extractions.


Tip2 
It's best to do extractions after you've washed or steamed your face (be careful not to get too close to the steam or you'll risk broken capillaries) so the gunk inside is softened and more ready to be squeezed out.


More helpful tips after the break

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Skin Glam!

Power facialist Kate Somerville  gives us some tips for glowing skin to have that red carpet radiance. Here's what she suggests


1.Plan ahead - start a regimen 3 months in advance if you know you have a special event coming up, otherwise 1 month is fine. Use an antioxidant with peptides to boost collagen nightly and be sure to exfoliate twice a week.

2. Try on a yogurt mask 
You can apply 3 teaspoons of Greek yogurt around your face and let it work for five minutes before rinsing. Somerville says "the lactose in the yogurt leaves the skin polished and smooth". Try this a few days before a big night out, plus it is really inexpensive.


3. Paste, no poking
Sometimes we face last minute eruptions. Somerville suggests massaging the blemish (or your whole face if you have oily skin) with a paste of brewer's yeast and water. Let it dry for 10 minutes. "It contains vitamin B and chromium, which speed healing."





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Source: Instyle Magazine March 2011 pg334 Tweet

Getting it Even!

I have been on a mission exploring alternative ways of treating the skin, to see if I would get better results while keeping it natural. Many of us suffer from discoloration >myself included, whether it is due to hyper pigmentation from the sun or spots from blemishes. Here are natural approaches you can take to lighten and even out your skin.


Lemon Juice
 The acidity found in lemons can help to maintain the PH levels of the skin. The citric acid in the lemons help to lighten your skin naturally. Start out by applying the lemon juice to your skin and let it sit for awhile and then rinse. Remember to wash off the lemon juice before going out in the sun as it can ruin your skin tone..


Oatmeal
Oatmeal is another ingredient that is good to even out skin tone as it acts as an exfoliating agent, that breaks up the dirt and removes the dead skin cells that have built up. To get the oatmeal ready add some honey to the oatmeal and mix into a paste then apply it to your skin, leaving it there for a  few minutes before rubbing with your fingers. After this is done, rinse your face, moisturize and add sunscreen .


More natural ways to even your skin after the break.

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Skin Care Update!

This is an insider peek into my skin ritual of getting my "mask on" so to speak. I decided to exfoliate after cleansing with my Oils (  Oil Cleansing Method) to revive my skin. I then applied my Queen Helen mask which helps to further pull out the impurities out of my skin. Normally after using this mask I tend to have a minor breakout as the impurities surface. So if you look at your skin and it looks a bit dull it is an indication it is time for some polishing, so get out your scrubs and get to work and finish off with a great mask! Tweet

Removing Makeup The natural way!

I have been going through a phase of taking a more natural approach to my skin care to see if it would make a difference in the overall health of my skin. Since I have been trying the OCM (Oil Cleansing Method) I decide to explore the natural options for makeup removal. Let's explore together these approaches to see which one would work best for you.

Yogurt, believe it or not makes a great makeup remover, by spreading plain yogurt on the face it helps to lift the makeup off the skin. Some people prefer to use yogurt as a cleanser because even though some products claim to be natural or organic, sometimes they are not. Have some yogurt today, on the face!

Yes, banana is great for your skin! All you have to do is mash a ripened banana it into a paste and this can be used to remove makeup and dirt from the skin. To improve the consistency of the paste you can add a drop of milk to adjust the texture. Try using it as a mask as well, leaving it on for about 8 to 10 minutes then remove with a  warm wash cloth. Mashed bananas not only remove the makeup but it helps to soften the skin, the milk is a big plus as well.


Find out more after the break.

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Oil Cleansing Method Update!

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It has been a little over a month now on the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) and I am happy to say that I am seeing great results. I have been going through breakouts  and have been trying various regimens to see which would improve my condition. I had first started by doing cleansing with castor oil 75% and Grapeseed oil 25% ratio. I then moisturized with Grapeseed oil. It was working as the Castor oil works as a cleanser and penetrates the pores while the Grapeseed oil nourishes the skin.After a time I noticed that my skin was clearing up but was a little dry.


I then decided to make an adjustment as I realised I needed to use a more moisturizing oil in the mix so i added Olive oil. The Grapeseed oil though great , gets absorbed into the skin quickly and so it leaves the skin without enough moisture.


Find out the adjusted regimen and a video after the break

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Skin Care For MEN!

Skin care regimens are not only for women, men have skin too!. Here are some helpful tips for men to incorporate in their daily routine.


Tip #1 - Clean Your Face 


 I know it sounds basic but it is one that men tend to forget. Taking the time to wash your face twice a day will keep your skin clean clear and vibrant.


Tip#2 - Determine your Skin Type


Just like women , men have a skin type as well and to select the best regimen knowing ones skin type is of utmost importance. You can have normal , dry, oily or combination skin. If you use the wrong product it can actually make your skin look worse.


More tips after the break !



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Facial Mask Tip!

The weekend is here and I know some of us might have parties or some other summer events to attend. I just wanted to share a personal tip. Whenever I am going out I tend to prep by putting on a face mask. It helps to tighten the pores and brighten up the skin so that when the makeup is applied my face looks really fresh...

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