WINTER FEET

So my mom called me about a week ago frantically and wanted to know if I had a quick fix for her cracking feet. Hers are to the point where they crack and bleed, and she has a hard time walking on them. So here I was thinking I'm sooo glad I don't have feet like that! Little did I realize that I've been neglecting mine! I was mortified at the condition they were in! The sad thing is, I was just for a pedicure a couple of weeks ago. So either, I have gross feet, or they didn't do a very good job where I went! (I'm thinking that I should blame someone else for this one)

Haha... I knew you all wanted to see my scaly dragon feet so here they are! GROSS HEY!?!? I figured I'm going to try different things. I blended some coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and grapeseed oil into a lotion (that smells so good, I'm tempted to lick it out of the container) And I'm going to try just regular lotion, Nivea something... And see what works the best. I'm also going to use a homemade scrub on my feet everyday for some exfoliation and see if that helps. In a week I'll re post and see if its made a difference, and which foot has improved the most.
The lotion I made (more like a body butter) was so easy to make. I melted coconut oil (because its obviously hard) added sweet almond oil, and a little bit of grapeseed oil. I used an electric stick blender and blended the crap out of the products, poured them into a container and put in the refrigerator to harden. I actually leave it in there so it stays solid. Now the cool thing about this is, it melts into an oil when applied to the skin! Its like magic! I just put it on cause it feels neat. I've even got obsessed with putting it on my face (before I touch my feet of course). It makes my skin feel so soft and hydrated! My face did start to break out a bit. I have no idea if this was the cause, so I might have to test it out again, because It made my makeup just glide on my face! I think I should actually go put a mask on (I'm going to do the Baking Soda Mask, from an earlier post) And then get ready! I hope you all have a wonderful day! If you've tried any of my masks or anything I'd appreciate the feedback on how its working in your beauty routine!

Beauty tips!

Well ladies (and possibly gents), I've been kind of in a bit of a beauty rut lately. I just haven't felt like being creative and trying new things! I think I should maybe try going to bed at night, so that I don't feel like somebody stuck me in a gunny sack and beat me with a stick every day!

Now I know we all have our little tricks of the trade, and I was thinking it would be kinda cool to see what you guys use in your beauty routines! Make sure you leave a comment so we can all see and perhaps come up with some neat little beauty musts!

I have to say, my Tomato & Honey mask is still my favorite for its pore tightening abilities!

Best Thing for your skin!

You all know I've been trying to watch what I eat, but on top of that I've been making sure to drink my 8 glasses of water a day, (which now actually turns into about 10-12) I just grab a glass of water when I'm feeling like snacking and my skin is thanking me. I feel like I'm flushing all those toxins out of my body, and its making me glow! I love it! So I guess the best way to keep that youthful skin is to keep the water flowing!

I know this is kind of a lame post today, but I figured a lame one was better than no post! (plus I'm actually doing school like I'm supposed to be!)

I'll make sure I have a good one for tomorrow to make up for it!

A Brand New Me

This year I didn't make any New Years resolutions because I never stick to them anyways. About a week ago I finally decided that it was time to lose some weight! Now I know sometimes we all struggle with this (especially me), diets never seem to work, and we get frustrated eating cabbage soup, or celery sticks for a complete month and then give up. The key to losing weight and keeping it of is not to deprive yourself, but to eat with moderation in mind.

Most of you who know me know I spend an infinite amount of time in camp having someone else do all of my cooking. Most of these people are lazy and think that even the lettuce should be deep fried. Its so much easier to have the chicken wings, and hot dogs, and fries rather than salad, but its taken its toll.

I'm ready to get healthy, and I figure the best way to do that is to make sure that I'm not alone in doing it. I started entering my meals into www.myfitnesspal.com and its coming along great! (Thanks to my wonderful sister-in-law for sharing this with me) Its so much easier to know what kind of calories, fat and carbohydrates your consuming rather than guessing at the nutritional value of what your eating. So far this week, I've lost about 5 lbs, and I'm super excited! Its the motivation to keep me going! Now the goal is to just change your lifestyle and become more health conscious. This website has places where you can discuss your struggles with others, find recipes that are healthy alternatives, and tools to help you track your journey. I thought that I would share this with all of you so that you can either use it to help you get to your ideal weight, or to just help yourself become healthier (because isn't that what we all want?)

If you've been putting off doing it, lets do this together and support each other in reaching our goals! Because sometimes its easier to have an "accountability partner" rather than trying to do it yourself!

Tropical Body Scrub

So a couple of you have asked for the recipes for the things I make. I made a body scrub yesterday and it was absolutely YUMMY!

Here is the Recipe:

50 ml of coconut oil (melted)
80 ml grapeseed oil
50 ml sweet almond oil
20 drops vanilla essential oil
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/4 Cup salt

Melt the coconut oil in the microwave, add the other oils, and vanilla oil. Blend with a stick blender and put aside to cool. In a bowl mix your sugars and salt together. Gradually add the oil, mixing after each addition until you have a nice texture and all the oil is soaked into the sugars. Transfer to a container, and place in your shower!

This smelled like fresh baking while I was putting it on! The sad thing was, is I did my legs twice because it smelt so good! I even used it on my face! Now if you're going to use it on your face as well, make sure you don't scrub it as hard as you would your legs! The skin on the face is more delicate, so scrub with care (and enjoy the silky smooth feeling after!!)

Happy Showering!

EGG WHITE DELIGHT!

Now I know yesterdays topic was supposed to be about egg whites, but I really just got lazy, and didn't feel like trying it out! So here it is:

With your leftover egg whites, whip them up into a foam, and spread under your eyes (or on your whole face) and let it dry, wash it off and voila it feels like you've had a little lift! (Too bad it wasn't permanent!)

I read somewhere a little while ago (can't remember where) that you can put the egg whites on and apply makeup over it to keep that firm look all day long, so that's what I did this morning!
Can you tell which eye has the egg whites under it? Make sure to leave a comment on what you think and I'll let you all know if you were right tomorrow!

Hope you all have a wonderful start to the week! Stay gorgeous!

HAIR REMOVAL

So awhile ago I found this little product on Ebay. Its a hair removal tool! How you ask? Its quit simple (a little tricky to use at first) you bend it, put it up to your face, and twist, and the spring grabs the hairs and pulls them out! I find its quicker than tweezing and it hurt less than waxing.

I decided to test it out on my side burns, and it cleaned up the area pretty good! It got a bit red after, but that's normal after yanking your hair out!


The reason I figured I would test this out is because I'm sick of my foundation clumping on the hair and never actually getting onto my face, which made me look like a 5 year old who was playing in her (or his) moms makeup! I found after that the makeup went on smoother, and it just looked and felt better! My only dilemma now is that I need to find some motivation to do the other side!

You can pick one of these up on ebay for 99 cents which is pretty darn cheap, and it actually does a pretty good job!

Feed Your Soul!

I'm challenging/encouraging each and every one of you this week to make a donation to an organization to help the Haitian people! It doesn't have to be thousands, or hundreds of dollars. It can be as much as $5.00, but if everyone in the world donated something, just imagine the ground we could cover in helping rebuild this impoverished country!

Last night I watched the Canada for Haiti benefit concert, as well as the American benefit. My heart just went out to all of those people of Haiti who have lost loved ones, and that have no place to go. I'm proud to say that Canadians raised 9.4 million dollars which will be matched by the government to help send aid down there! Way to go!

Some places you can go to donate are:

www.canadaforhaiti.com
www.redcross.ca
www.freethechildren.com
www.unicef.org

There area ton more but those are the main ones!

I'm not only proud of us Canadians, but I'm proud of everyone globally for coming together, united as one, to help with the devastation in Haiti. The generosity that has been demonstrated over the last week is unbelievable! Its such a blessing to know that there is so much good in the world still!

Remember. A difference in this world starts with you!

BREAKFAST FOR YOUR HAIR

Todays fix is for your dry hair. I've been noticing lately that its so hard to brush my hair after I get out of the shower! (Might have something to do with not getting a haircut on a regular basis) I whipped up a egg yolk and oil mixture:

2 Egg yolks
1 Tbsp olive oil

I got in the shower and wet my hair, applied the mixture and let it sit for about 5 mins while I used my body scrub, brushed my teeth, shaved my legs (you know... usual shower stuff) I rinsed the mixture out and shampooed my hair (twice) and then put conditioner in my hair. I always leave my conditioner in for 1 or two minutes before I wash it out so it has time to penetrate the hair. I find this has a better effect than washing it out immediatly. And I always give my hair a shot of cold water before I get out of the shower for help with that extra shine! (just make sure its your head under the stream of water or you're in for a rather nasty surprise)

After I towel dryed my hair I found that the brush ran through it rather easily!! YAY!! Once I blow dryed it, I found that it had an incredible sheen! It was a total boost for my dull locks! I'm going to add this one once a week to my beauty routine! Its definatly a keeper!

If you try this, make sure to keep the egg whites, because tomorrows tip is going to utilize them! Waste not want not!

INNER BEAUTY = OUTER BEAUTY

Good Morning my Fearless Followers!

Today's post is a little different! Its BREAKFAST! Smoothies are a way to for a quick pick me up in the morning! And they are healthy! So its win win!

If you want to add other things to it, GREAT! Depending on your dietary needs you can add spinach, carrots, celery, oranges... All you need to do is to make it your own!


Tropical Goodness:

1 Cup Frozen fruit (peaches, strawberries, pineapple, honeydew)
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Fruit Juice (grape & apple blend)
1 Tsp Flaxseed Oil
1/2 Tsp Coconut Oil
1/8 Cup Water


Blend well with a stick blender, or any kind of blender. Pour into a pretty glass and enjoy!

Now I know your probably wondering about the last couple ingredients, so here is the low down!

Flaxseed Oil: It just so happens to boggle my mind how the things that are good for you taste so bad, and the bad things... they just taste SOOO good! Don't add much of this oil, because it doesn't have the most pleasant taste (and we're trying to start your morning off right... not screw it up!). There a milling reasons for you to use this oil (the Omega 6&9 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals... etc.) Other than the fact of being good for you, it helps lower cholesterol, and blood pressure, and in some studies its even though to help reduce cancers! The key to "outer beauty" is "inner beauty" and you are what you eat!


Coconut Oil: I used a virgin coconut oil! Almost 50% of the fatty acid in this product is lauric acid. Lauric acid is the primary ingredient in breast milk (which we all know is good for you) It helps keep you healthy by fighting bacteria, fungi, and helps get rid of that bad bad yeast! Now, there is a ton of negative media towards this, but in recent studies its becoming a "wonder oil". It may be a little higher in fat, but its all that good fat for you! And the number one reason to add this is because the smell alone will take you back to a tropical place with an incredibly hot cabana boy bringing you drinks in coconuts with little umbrellas... ahhhh....

Now, the other ingredients in this smoothie are pretty straight forward! If you haven't heard of milk, fruit, or juice, its about time you crawled out from underneath that rock!


The breakdown on this in terms of Nutritional Value is:

Calories--275
Carbs--28g
Fat--15g
Protein--7g
Calcium 19%
Iron 6%

These numbers are according to the food calculator on myfitnesspal.com. This is a great tool for weight loss or just tracking your nutrition, and the best part about it... It is FREE!

Tomato & Honey Mask

I tested this mask out last night before I went to bed, and loved it so much, its back on my face first thing this morning!

Now you're probably thinking that smearing tomatoes on your face sounds rather unappealing, but I'm here to tell you that tomatoes are good for things other than your backyard BBQ!!

Tomatoes are loaded with vitamins and minerals (especially Vitamin C&A) Not only is it going to save you doing the infamous shake and swallow of traditional horse pills (to get your dose daily vitamins) but its going to make you on average be healthier! Anyways, enough lecturing this morning! Tomatoes have this fabulous cooling element which smooth skin, while at the same time zapping those pesky black heads (because it is a natural astringent)!! The Vitamin C&A help to brighten that dull skin, and help restore that youthful skin we are all in search of!

Now I briefly mentioned honey yesterday, but I think I should actually go into what it does for you! Honey contains gluconic acid (Don't worry! This acid is perfectly safe). Gluconic acid helps to loosen bonds between dead skin cells, which in turn is going to make it easier to sluff off dead skin cells. YAY!! Honey also helps keep moisture in your skin which can help restore and increase elasticity and stimulate collagen production (say buh bye to those fine lines) So if you're ever in the mood to create a new face mask, don't forget to add a little sweetness!

I absolutely love this mask! The feeling is fresh and has a tingly quality to it. When I washed it off, I noticed the my pores appeared tighter, and I've been testing every product from here to kingdom come (commercial products).... which kinda makes me mad, because I've had a tomato in my refrigerator for years!! It goes on virtually clear, which means you can stand in your living room window drinking your morning coffee and not scare small children passing by!

The recipe I used was:

1/4 Cup tomato (I cut the inside of it out and mushed it up)
3/4 tsp. honey

Mix, Apply, Leave on for 30 minutes to an hour. (Break to do what you need to do) Wash it off with lukewarm water and then finish off with a splash of cold to tighten those pores a little more. Now go face the day with that wonderful glow that all the other women out there will be envious of! (too bad they didn't know their little beauty fix was in bottom of the fridge!)

Tumeric & Honey Surprise!!

Good morning fans (AKA.. Natasha)

Today's trial was a Tumeric and honey face mask! It would look much better if I actually smeared it on my face evenly! But I'm obviously not a paid professional, so its just going to have to do!

Now, I've been reading about all the wonderful uses for Tumeric. Its supposed to help prevent cancer, treat acne, eczema and prevents dry skin, can even out your skin tone and color, and my personal favorite... Reduces hair growth! So I figured that this was going to be a fantastic face mask! Plus we all know that honey makes your skin nice and soft!

The texture of this mask was wonderful, it looked like shimmery gold!(and I'm a big fan of anything shiny!) It was kind of sticky to apply, and the tumeric made it feel like I was getting an exfoliation while I was applying it as well, so I was uber excited! I left this mask on for 18 minutes while I wandered around my room making my bed, cleaning the sink, folding laundry etc... It didn't crack or come off and it just felt wonderful.

When the time came to take it off I figured I would jump in the shower (because one needs to do that once in awhile) and rinse it off. While in there I used my body scrub (posted below) and did the normal showery things... I started drying off my face and noticed that the towel was covered in yellow! Now you can imagine the thoughts going through my head! OMG... I'd better not look like Big Bird! So I quickly toweled off, and ran to the mirror. I was HORRIFIED! I looked like I had a yellow goatee! (not only that, it had ran down my entire neck) I just had to snap a picture for you!

Hopefully by now you've composed yourself, and are finished laughing...!! My fix was some Aveno Skin Brightening Daily Scrub and I quickly applied it to my face and gave it a good scrub and I'm proud to say, I no longer looked like big bird!

Now as ridiculous as this sounds, I'll probably test this one out again! (I'll just remember to slather the scrub on while I'm still in the shower) I found that it actually made my skin quit soft. I'm not sure if this was the scrub, or the actual mask, so I'll have to do some more research! But I will keep you posted. So if you're as curious as I was (and actually try this), make sure you don't use this if you're heading out to an important function, or plan on going out in public immediately after using it!

Have a wonderful day, and stay beautiful!

Okay, so today I'm so excited about all the stuff I'm trying I have to indulge and make two posts...

The number one champion today is "BAKING SODA"....

I'm sure most of you have had your parents brush your teeth with it (YUCK!!). But today is the re-invention of this useful little product! Its time to make it a staple in any beauty routine!

Most of us suffer from break outs once in awhile and wonder just how to get that "Movie Star" quality skin. I mean, who wouldn't wish for skin that was just a little bit tighter, a little bit smoother, and a little bit brighter? All you need to do is add a little baking Soda!

Here is the recipe:

2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp water

Mix into a paste, and apply the entire mixture to clean skin. You might feel a slight to moderate stinging (this is normal) depending on the sensitivity of your skin. I feel it in the corners of my nose most (which doesn't surprise me, because every time I go for a facial, they tell me that's the biggest problem on my face)... moving on. Put a towel under your head, and lay down with the mask on for 10 mins (it can make a bit of a mess when it dries) After your 10 mins, wash off with lukewarm water. I always stand in the mirror and smile and watch as it cracks and starts to flake off (its my quirky little habit) and it just amuses me! If you plan on doing this, make sure to stand over the sink, otherwise you're going to be doing some housework, and that doesn't sound like much fun to me! Pat dry, and follow with your favorite moisturizer!



Make sure you use this every other day and enjoy a new product that's quick, simple and most of all "Cost Effective"! (I see your husbands, boyfriends, and bank accounts smiling already!

*On another note, if you feel an intense burning while doing this, make sure you wash it off immediately*

Oh and PPS... Seeing as how you have to leave it on for 10 mins, You might want to check out my previous post, and kill two birds with one stone!

So I thought this week would be a wonderful week to find some things in your own refrigerator that would make a great alternative to pricey products, with the added benefit that they're natural, and most likely chemical free! The other plus side to it is that you'll save a pile of money that you can spend on other things (shoes and accessories)

Today's topic: Rejuvenated Eyes!

We've all tried the cucumber's and the silly little masks that you put in the freezer, but I just recently heard about tea bags! I know, I'm probably behind the times, so I just had to try it!

All you need to do is boil some water and steep 2 black tea bags (early grey). Once you've steeped the tea bags, rinse the tea bags off with cold water (so you don't burn your eyes), place the tea bags on your eyes for 10 minutes, and Voila! You feel refreshed and ready to go!

I used chai tea, because its all I had and it seemed to work just fine!

I personally wouldn't recommend this as at night, because I don't want to be "bright eyed and bushy tailed" (haha yes... I just said that) as I'm trying to fall asleep. But it would be a great thing to do in the morning to start your day right, and surprise surprise you have a wonderful cup of tea waiting for you after your done!

The reason this works so well is because black tea contains tenons and caffeine, and as I discussed in a previous blog, caffeine is a vascular restrictor, so it helps just tighten things up and make you look like a greater version of your fabulous self!

So kick back, and take 10 mins for yourself!

Homemade Body Scrub!

So today I made some body scrub!! And my skin feels so good after using it!

It is made up of a bunch of different oils and some sugar, and I threw in some coffee and blueberry seeds. Every ingredient was chosen for a reason, and I thought I'd share the reasons with you.

Sugar: I used a blend of white and brown sugar (more white than brown) because its more gentle on the skin than salt scrubs, and the brown sugar adds a yummy smell to it

Grapeseed Oil: Contains essential fatty acids, limolic acid (omega-3 essential fatty acid) and is rich in antioxidants. It is also believed that grapseed oil can help protect from sun damage (and we all strive to look younger as we age).

Sweet Almond Oil: This is my favorite carrier oil! It is believed to improve the complexion and add a little glow to dull skin (I agree 100%). It also helps stop itching and inflammation (which in my mind is great product for the winter months)!

Coffee: Helps combat cellulite by redistributing fat cells. It can also help reduce or elininate the apperance of varicose veins because it acts as a vascular restrictor (shrinks blood vessles)

Blueberry Seeds: Just to help with the exfoliating process, and I had some extras lying around, so I thought I'd put them to work!

Ceaderwood Essential Oil: Has a woodsy sweet balsamic aroma. Can be used for the treatment of acne, dandruff, dermatitis and stress.
*avoid use during pregnancy*

Sweet Orange Essential Oil: Has a citrusy, sweet aroma, reminiscent of orange peels. Can be used to help fight the appearance of dull skin.
*most citrus oils are considered to be phototoxic, so avoide direct
sunlight if using this oil!*

I think its appropriate to have a tip of the day! So here it goes!

TIP OF THE DAY:

Stand up straight. This makes you look like you respect yourself, and others will follwo your lead. Plus it has the visual effect of smoothing out any bulges that aren't particularly flattering!

The beginning of the blog!

My Sister-in-law inspired me to start my own blog you can check hers out:

http://www.required2beinspired.blogspot.com/

This is going to be a team effort between myself (Corrine) and my best friend Candice (who doesn't know I actually started this yet)!

We're going to touch on makeup tips, hair styles, and let you know any amazing beauty products that we find or create! I figure this is a great way to inspire myself to get ready every day!