D.I.Y. Tip of the Week - Protein Mask for your Hair

I love to repost fun things that I read about online... and I thought this was a great tip to share with all of you.  Use this recipe to battle those bad hair days... with ingredients you can find in your kitchen.

Hair is made up of proteins, which can break up from exposure to the sun, harsh chemicals and crazy conditions... so what better way to strengthen your strands than to put some of that protein back in to it.

What you'll need:
2 eggs
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup olive oil

What you need to do:
1.  Beat the egss until they become frothy and add in the olive oil.
2.  Whisk until it's fully blended together and add in the yogurt, mixing until it's a creamy consistency.  Then add the honey.
3.  Comb out any knots and tangles in your hair, and spread the mixture from your roots to your ends, combing it through.
4.  Wrap your hair in a warm towel and leave for twenty to thirty minutes before you rinse it out and shampoo.

In my opinion - this beats using Mayonaise and having the smell linger in your hair.  :)

This tip was provided by self.com

D.I.Y. - 4 Simple Steps to a Refreshing Face Mask (Perfect for those days when you are feeling tired)

Have you been waking up with a dull, tired looking complexion?  Have you been experiencing nights with little to no sleep and feel like you need a little boost to get your day started.  Sometimes your skin may just need a little pick-me-up to get it going.  I LOVE reading SELF Magazine...  for all of its awesome beauty advice, and I stumbled upon this article that I wanted to share with all of my friends. :)

The Beauty News writer Pia Bhattacharya writes about her experiences and an old remedy for that tired, dull looking complexion blues.  The verbiage in quotes was taken directly from the SELF site - word for word and exact spelling.

"My grandmother loves this recipe for giving skin a jump start on it's dullest days.  What was her secret, powerful ingredient?  
Mint!  When applied to your skin, mint is soothing, cooling and great for cleansing.  It can help remove the toughest blackheads and leave skin softer and clearer--not to mention oh so refreshed!"


What you'll need:
2 large cucumbers (chopped)
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (chopped very finely)
2 tbsp. plain unflavored yogurt
1 tbsp. lemon juice

What to do:
1. Peel the cucumbers and pulse them in a food processor or blender until they become a smooth consistency.  Strain the pureed cucumber through a paper towel to remove all the excess water.
2. Mix the cucumber, mint, yogurt and lemon juice in the food processor and pulse until fully combined.
3. Store your mint mask in a jar and keep refrigerated until you're ready to use it. Before you do, microwave it for 1 minute (or heat on stovetop until lukewarm).
4. Apply to cleansed skin (works best after a hot shower) and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and you'll have fresh, supple skin!

I did a little research so that I would have some cool information for all of you.  

Cucumbers:  The benefits of Cucumbers are endless when it comes to skin.  It is known to give you "happy skin".  Cucumber helps in the soothing and softening of your skin (which is why you see so many people use them on the eyelids in spas) and this soothing will instantly relax you - calming your thoughts and giving you instant rejuvenation.  Who would have thought this interesting looking vegetable would do so much?

The cucumber also has many useful ingredients that can assist in treating many skin problems.  When you are out shopping for skin care, you will notice that this very reasonably price vegetable has become a part of daily beauty products like face packs, facials, and other items used to benefit your skin.  Due to its cooling effect it can be termed as the magic wand for all skin problems (don't quote me on this one).  The cleaning and cleansing property helps your skin tremendously by making it soft and supple... encouraging a healthy glow and giving you a refreshed appearance.  The regular intake of cucumber juice is very useful both internally and externally. :)

Mint:  Mint is not only an aromatic ingredient that enhances your senses... it can soothe the senses and provide a pleasant scent to a variety of products for daily use.  It can also give you a refreshing feeling and offer "pick me up" qualities that can awake the senses.  Mint also has benefits that go beyond its aroma... it can actually improve skin's condition.

Many people do not know that many beauty products will contain mint in them.  Chances are that you will find it labeled with "menthe".  What makes this so beneficial you might be asking?  Mint has the ability to act as an anti-pruritic agent.  That means that its juice can soothe and calm skin that's itchy or infected.  It has even been told that it can be used to heal bites from mosquitoes, wasps and bees.  Mint contains Vitamin A, which helps to strengthen skin tissue and help reduce oily skin as well.  

There are so many "home remedies" with regard to mint.  There are an abundance of people who rub mint oil on their face to prevent pimples from popping up or to treat wounds and rashes.  Mint oil has served as a natural astringent, and people have been using this product to treat like problems for a long time.  Mint's high content of salicylic acid is very helpful for treating inflammations such as acne.  The acid, which is found naturally in mint, is an active ingredient used in many skin care products.  What does salicylic acid do?  It loosens up dead skin cells, allowing them to shed easier.  This helps with preventing your pores from clogging up and resulting in fewer pimples and clearer skin.  There are many different benefits for Mint - not only for skin care (or your afternoon Mojito cocktail... hehe!), but studies have been indicating that the nutrient perillyl alcohol (which is in mint) have been linked with preventing formation of skin cancer cells.  

I hope you found this information useful...  I surely did.  Go and give your face and skin a rejuvenating treatment and experience the benefits of using  ingredients from our kitchens.  Now - mind you, this is just research that I have come across. :)  Many of the information you see has been due to other websites or blogs.  

Please note that all the information listed is taken off of other websites for your own use.  I am not liable for any reactions you may experience due to using any of these products and was not compensated in any way to discuss or post about this.  Use at your own discretion. :)

An affordable alternative to Makeup Remover Wipes - Same Quality, Better Price Tag

I am all about saving a dime and this simple tip will save you quite a bit when it comes to Makeup Remover Wipes. :)

Makeup Remover Wipes are so convenient when taking off your makeup.  Instead of using a cotton ball or cotton pad and makeup remover... this cool invention allows you to have a wipe with makeup remover on it and it covers your entire face when your need to remove your makeup from that day.  The downfall is that this darn things can be pricey... and although they are totally worth every penny, being a mommy on a budget - I just couldn't justify paying the cost that they are sold for.

The wipes pictured above from MAC are quite popular in the cosmetic industry 

and have been my favorite for years.  

The bulk pack which includes 100 wipes costs $26.00.  

The regular sized pack with 45 wipes are $18.00

(Photo from maccosmetics.com)

After trying different techniques - I discovered this way was the most affordable and still allowed me to use my favorite makeup remover and I wanted to share this technique with you.  It is my own little DIY and is so worth the cost.

I started by purchasing baby wipes in bulk - I first purchased them from Costco and brought the Kirkland Signature brand.  That ran me approximately $20.00 for a box of 10 packs of wipes.  Each pack had 100 wipes.  I do not use this brand any longer because I share the bulk wipes with the twins... and they had a minor reaction to them (you know babies and sensitive skin) so I changed the brand.  Plus, I did notice that this particular wipes (though the cloth was awesome) the solution did contribute to my face drying out.  I now use Parent's Choice brand wipes (found at my local Walmart) which comes with over 700 wipes (approx. 8 packs) for $11.00 and I can buy them in "Sensitive" and/or "Fragrance Free".  Since I have the option of selecting which type of wipe I want (sensitive, fragrance free, scented "which I do not recommend" or soft cotton cloth) I can control my skin reactions and easily change up the brand or the type of wipe without putting a big dent in my pocket book.  Then I paired them with one of my favorite makeup removers...  Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover and the rest is history.

Watch my video (below) to get all the details and start saving you some moolah so you can spend it on more makeup :)  Now - not only do I share the big box of wipes with my kids... I also have a very inexpensive alternative to such an expensive brand name.

When the costs are averaged... here is the break down.

Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover - 5.5 FL.oz = $7.00 - $9.00 at your local CVS, Walgreens, Walmart... pretty much any drugstore has them.  You can make approximately 4-5 packs of wipes with each bottle depending on the amount you want to use to saturate the wipes.

Parent's Choice Baby Wipes - 704 wipes total ( 8 packs total ) = $10.00 - $13.00 at your local Walmart.

One wipe packet with makeup remover added... averages out to approximately:  $4.00 (that is the high amount)

This is totally worth it and I love that I am saving so much money.  So - watch the video below and I will tell you exactly what I do. :)  Happy Makeup Removing to all of you.

I am not affiliated or compensated in anyway to mention any of the products listed above.  

This is my own opinion and this post and video is for informational purposes only.   

I am not liable for any reactions that anyone may have when trying this technique mentioned here.

My take on a Lux Addiction Case - I did it all by myself. :)

As promised - here are a few photos of my cell phone case that I made today.

I didn't take any photos of it on my phone because it was still drying.  But - so far so good, it has withstood me dropping it several times... and tugging on it too.  Most of the products I got was from Walmart and the clear case I got from Ebay.  I love crafts and there are always ways to D.I.Y.

If you want to save yourself sticky glued together fingers and the few hours of work... you can purchase a real lux addiction case at http://www.luxaddiction.com.  I don't own one - but those I know that do love theirs.  I'm pretty thrifty - so I'll stick to my D.I.Y. one. :)

Have an awesome weekend.
xoxo,
Honey