How to Apply False Lashes! The Easy Way

How to Look MORE Beautiful

HOW TO Get Your Teens to Use Their SKINCARE!!

DIY Acne Fighting Face Polish!

Happy 2016 everyone! I hope you're all doing well! I wanted to start the year off with a deep cleansing polish that will help fight acne and lift dark spots effectively and naturally. This treatment is gentle enough to use on all types of skin, but please remember that lemons naturally contain active acids and can irritate/break down the skin if used in excess or incorrectly! Exfoliation like this should only be done 1x a week for normal/dry skin and 2x a week for oily skin. I love you all and enjoy :)

You will need 2 ingredients-

1 large lemon & baking soda

Why Baking Soda?

Sugar based scrubs can be too abrasive for visible/active acne, and in fact can break open the lesions and spread bacteria around the face. Baking soda is a fine powder that is effective and gentle in removing dead skin cells, reducing oil within the skin, removing blackheads and fading dark spots.

Why Lemon Juice?

Lemons contain natural acids (citric acid) that help to break down the dead layers of the skin, which then sends the message to create new skin cells, thus speeding up the natural renewal process! Lemons also contain vitamin C with helps to lift dark spotting, stimulate collagen production and tone/tighten the skin. 

...

Cut the lemon into 1/4 pieces

Spoon 1 tablespoon of baking soda into a small bowl

Squeeze 1/4 of the lemon into the baking soda

Mix thoroughly with a small spoon (the mixture will foam up) and then allow it to settle

Apply the paste to your face (or any affected areas) and let it sit for 5 minutes. It is normal for the mixture to tingle due to the reaction between the lemon juice and baking soda. After the 5 minutes is up, wet your hands and gently scrub the mixture in a circular motion around the face. Rinse away with cool water, pat dry and apply moisturizer!

How to Get a SMOOTH Bikini & Brazilian Shave!

One of the most frequently asked questions that I get from my male and female clients is "how do I shave my bikini/brazilian area AND avoid getting razor bumps and/or ingrown hairs?". Ironically it has absolutely nothing to do with your razor or how expensive it is. Getting a smooth bikini/brazilian area has everything to do with what you do before and after! Here are some tips for a smooth shave this summer (if you are not interested in waxing or laser hair removal)!

#1. Exfoliate

24 hours prior to shaving, gently exfoliate the area with a non oil based product! Oil will occlude the skin/follicles and cause bumps and breakouts. I like to use aloe leaf gel (in place of oil) and brown sugar (because it is less abrasive than granulated white sugar)!

#2. Trim

The hair should be no longer than 1/4 of an inch and no shorter than 1/16 of an inch! Hair any longer will cause you to go over that area multiple times which will then irritate the skin and cause razor burn. Hair any shorter will be pulled backwards/tugged on by the razor, which can then result in ingrown hairs and irritation.

#3. Apply Heat

Haven't you seen vintage barber shop photos with steamed towels wrapped around the men's faces? 10 minutes prior to shaving, apply a steamed towel to the targeted area! This will soften the hair and open up the follicle, allowing for a better shave. Avoid applying any heat after shaving.

#4. Lube

Yes... I said lube! Shaving cream (for the most part) is formulated for use on/around external areas! Ladies, this can actually disrupt the feminine PH with all of the dyes, fillers and fragrances. However, lubricants are specifically formulated for those private areas and are silicone based which gives the perfect amount of glide. A tiny amount goes a very long way and can be used for any other areas you would like to shave!

Don't have time for a hot towel? Use a warming sensation lube in the shower, it will do the same thing!

#5. Use Your Hands

Holding the area taut is an absolute must! It will give you more control of the razor and help avoid cutting the skin or irritation! 

#6. The Right Razor

Whether or not you shave against the grain of the hair or with, a fresh and sharp razor will make a world of difference! Avoid cheap disposable ones because you get what you pay for.

#7. Tone Up

Applying an after shave liquid to the area will help keep pores clear of dirt/oils, prevent bumps, redness, ingrown hairs and ensure the area remains even and smooth. Apply daily after showering! I have used Tend Skin for years and it works really great for shaving and waxing! I also use it spot treat any breakouts I get on my face :)  

Click Here to see Tend Skin products!

#8. Exfoliate More!

1-2 days after shaving gently exfoliate the area with a wash cloth! Doing this consistently between shaving will help keep dead skin from building up over the hair follicles and forcing the hair to grow downward (which is how ingrown hairs are formed). 

#9. Protect

If the areas that you intend to shave will be exposed to the sun this summer then they must be protected by a sunblock! Shaving is a form of exfoliation which exposes unprotected fresh skin to the sun! Zinc based blocks are usually broad spectrum so they will protect you from UVA and UVB rays as well as help minimize redness and irritation. 

Homemade Cinnamon Lip Plumper!

I love to do this treatment before a night out! It plumps my lips without over drying them or costing me 30 dollars a tube. Prior to applying the plumping balm I like to exfoliate my lips to help the effects of the cinnamon. If you have chapped lips or cold sores then avoid this treatment all together, it can irritate the area and make things worse.

What You Will Need-

1/4 tsp of cinnamon

1/4 tsp of vaseline

1 drop of peppermint essential oil or a pinch of crushed candy cane

1/4 tsp of sugar

1/4 tsp of coconut oil

In a small cup, mix together the coconut oil and sugar until a smooth paste. Apply to lips, lightly scrub left to right in a circular motion and remove with a warm/damp towel.

In a small cup, mix together the cinnamon, vaseline and peppermint oil until a smooth paste. Apply to lips and gently rub the mixture in for 60 seconds. Leave it on for up to 10 minutes! 

After leaving the mixture on for about 10 minutes, remove with a warm/damp towel (gently blotting) and apply a moisturizing lip balm.

  It's been about 2 hours since I did this treatment and my lips are still plump :) be sure to try it out!

Clairol Shine Happy Review

Lately my hair has been looking/feeling dry and dull so I decided to try an at home clear shine treatment! When I went to Ulta there weren't very many options unfortunately so I grabbed the Clairol Shine Happy and a mini Not Your Mothers Intensive Hair Care Treatment (just in case). All in all I spent about 10 dollars! 

Now, for those of you that are unfamiliar with clear gloss treatments, they usually contain a small amount of peroxide in order to penetrate the cuticle of the hair (for longer lasting shine). This means that it could potentially lighten your hair a small amount, so keep that in mind when choosing the right products for your hair (I will list some peroxide free gloss treatments at the end). I think that it "brightened" my hair but it's hard to tell whether it's from that or just the shine!

The directions say not to wash your hair immediately prior to using the treatment because you want to have some of the natural oils to help protect your scalp (I imagine it's because of the small amount of peroxide). I rinsed my hair with warm water, towel dried until just damp, mixed the solutions together, applied roots to ends and then left in in for about 10 minutes! When I washed the treatment out, I used cold water and then applied a generous amount of the NYM's conditioning treatment. You can either use a wash-out conditioner or a leave-in! Here were my results- 

Note: I know my hair appears to be a different color in the after shot, but it's only from the difference in lighting! 

Gloss Treatments That Will Not Change Your Hair Color

John Frieda Liquid Shine Clear Glaze

Ultimate Shine Luminous Clear Glaze