Category: BEAUTY DIY

How To Kick Your Chocolate Cravings With Something Better!

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Chocolate is everyone ultimate bae, but lets not deny that it’s not great for our health, and definitely not our skin. So, in my continual efforts to be healthier and control my cravings, I switched to cacao, and I’m not mad at it. It tastes like dark chocolate which isn’t my favorite kinda chocolate but still feels like I’m getting a hit of sweetness, but it’s actually a superfood that’s bursting with antioxidants. And no – it’s not a typo, and it’s definitely not the same as cocoa…

Cacao VS Cocoa

Cacao (pronounced CU-Cow) is a raw powder, derived from the unroasted cocoa beans found most commonly in areas of South America and Ghana. What makes it different to cocoa, is cocoa has been roasted at a high temperature, which reduces the enzyme content and decreases its nutritional content as much as 90%. Cocoa powder is then often processed with sugar and other chemicals, which is what dehydrates your body and can trigger breakouts. Cacao retains all these beauty-boosting enzymes and is free of any refined sugar, here’s how it works:

For your skin: When applied onto your skin, cacao will give you an even complexion and a stunning glow as it increases blood flow and hydrates your skin. It’s ideal for any acne sufferers as its full of fatty acids and raw enzymes that boost skin cell renewal helping you get rid of any acne scars. As its high in antioxidants and vitamin C, it fights sign of premature aging while keeping your skin looking firm and youthful.

For your hair: If you incorporate cacao into your weekly diet, your mane will seriously thank you – we’re talking major volume and extra glossy locks. This is because cacao increases blood circulation, boosting growth while strengthening each strand of hair, helping to keep split ends at bay.

For your body: Love to sprinkle cacao nibs (think of them like chocolate chips, but instead they’re cacao) into our yogurt, smoothie, and porridge, as it lowers your blood pressure and reduces your risk of heart disease, not to mention it helps detoxify your body. It’s a serious mood booster too and actually releases the same gooey brain chemicals as when you’re falling in love. It’s packed with other minerals as well, like iron, magnesium, and calcium.

Favorite Cacao Recipes:

You can buy cacao as a powder or as nibs, either online or at your local health food store. We like this Raw Organic Cacao Powder from Amazon, $14.

Vegan Cacao smoothie
For the perfect post-gym or afternoon refuel, blend together 1 1/2 cups of almond milk, one banana, 1 tablespoon of oats, 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of raw cacao. Serve over ice and enjoy.

Cacao Fudge
This sweet treat is actually super nourishing for both your skin and your hair. In a food processor, blend together 4 tablespoons of almond butter with 4 tablespoons of coconut oil. Then add 2 tablespoons of raw cacao, 4 tablespoons of raw honey, and a pinch of sea salt. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and pop it into the freezer for an hour, then break it into pieces and enjoy!

Cacao mask
This mask is amazing for acne-prone sufferers or anyone who wants a quick glow, as the cucumber will instantly brighten the skin and the cacao is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. Start by mashing 1 avocado in a bowl until smooth, then stir in 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of cacao until well combined. Squeeze the juice of 3 to 4 slices of cucumber, ensuring the seeds make it into the mixture. Apply to your face, leaving it for 20 minutes before you rinse it off with warm water.

Let me know if you’ve already tried cacao in the comments below.

And also, what do you guys want to be officially called? Comment down below and head over to @BeautyLeeBar Instagram for more fun and cute posts!

5 Miracle Foods That Will Help You Detox – Fast!

Published on by Lee1 Comment

As much as we all love a burger, we know it’s not going to help us get that glossy skin and beautiful mane we lust after. Sure, now and again it’s no harm, but no matter how much money you spend on miracle products, if you’re not taking care of what you put into your body, your newest potion is never going to reach its full potential. These five superfoods, however, will make you feel beautiful from the inside out and I swear in just a week, we’ve been able to notice a difference in our hair and our skin. Plus, by eating healthy you’ll have more than just extra energy and great hair, your concentration and mood will improve too. These five ingredients are so good you’ll want to bathe in them – and btw, I have the recipes so that you can:

Chia Seeds – The Glow-Getter 

Don’t be fooled by their size, these tiny seeds are literally full of beauty-boosting minerals and antioxidants. They’re super high in Omega 3, so they’ll give you the ultimate glow while reducing any inflammation or dryness. The amazing seeds also increase your blood circulation, thereby giving you more even skin. You can sprinkle the seeds on pretty much anything, from your yogurts and smoothies to your salads. I love mixing them with almond milk and honey for a delicious breakfast snack with fruit.

Chia Seed and Lavender Face Mask DIY:
My favorite Chia Seed DIY will gently exfoliate your skin leaving you feeling baby soft with a J Lo glow. Mix 2 teaspoons of Chia Seeds with 4 tablespoons of water, then add 2 drops of lavender oil. Massage it onto your face and leave the mix on your skin for 10 minutes, then just wash away with warm water.

Medjool Dates – Acne Banisher, Youth Booster

Medjool Dates are desert plants, originally from the Middle East. Most Medjool Date Palm Trees sold in Florida come from California fruit producers that are selling off the older, less productive cultivars to make room for newer, better fruiting cultivars. Plus, there aren’t well adapted here because it rains more in Florida than California. Dates (the fruit) can be produced in North Florida and South East US if planted correctly. It is best to choose cultivars that are more tolerant of humidity and rain.

Luckily, Target sells Medjool– I’m obsessed! But, not just because they’re mega tasty, they’re also a rich source of fiber, which will support your metabolism and help you debloat. In the Middle East, some like to use them to break their fast during Ramadan, as they’re great energy boosters – making them an ideal snack (just stick to a few though as they’re high in sugar). Medjool Dates are also a great source of copper, which helps your body absorb more iron allowing your skin to produce more collagen. Dates can even help reduce redness and will work as an anti-inflammatory, so if you’re acne-prone, ditch the crisps and grab a date!

Medjool Date and Honey Mask DIY:
De-pit 3 to 4 dates and blend with 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey (both rich in vitamin B) to formulate a thick paste. Spread this mix on your face and leave for 10 minutes before washing away with water. Your face will feel SO smooth.

Avocado – The Hair Helper

Avocados aren’t just for your breakfast Insta Story, they’re a beauty miracle ingredient too! Avocados are full of fatty acids and proteins, and whether you use them on your hair as a mask or you just eat them on toast, they’ll give your locks killer shine – Adriana Lima swears by it. The vitamin B and E content will also strengthen your hair follicles and help the strands remain strong and healthy, preventing split ends from forming.

Avocado and Coconut Hair Mask:
For the ultimate hair mask, mash one ripe avocado (if you have shorter hair you can use half and eat the other), and mix it with one egg yolk and two tablespoons of coconut oil. Massage it into your hair (from root to tip) and then wash it off 20 minutes later. Just make sure you shampoo your hair thoroughly or you could get a little oily at the roots.

Lemons – The Detox Queen

Whenever you ask a model how they start their day, I swear the answer will be with a cup of hot water and lemon. Lemon is an incredible detoxifier and cleans your digestive system so that your liver can eliminate waste more efficiently. It also boosts your lymphatic drainage, which will help get rid of any puffiness around your eyes and toxins from your body. And the best thing about a detox drink is that it can seriously help clear up your skin, so say hello to that glow!

Lemon, Honey, and Green Tea Face Mask: 
This face mask will revitalize your skin and cleanse your pores, leaving your skin super radiant. Mix the juice of half a lemon with 1 teaspoon of honey and the contents of one green tea bag (brew the tea first, and then take the leaves from the tea bag). Apply it your face and wash it off 15 minutes later with warm water.

Figs – The Beauty All-rounder

Figs don’t get the hype they deserve but we love them! Just like lemons, they’re an incredible detoxifier as the seeds inside the fruit will help cleanse the digestive tract of mucus and toxins. This is so important as when it’s blocked, it prevents essential nutrients getting into your skin. It’s also full of antioxidants that help fight free radicals, which cause fine lines and wrinkles to form. A great source of vitamins C and B6, figs can help even out your skin tone and regulate hormone activity, combatting breakouts. I love to snack on them, but make sure you limit your intake to just a couple as they’re high in sugar.

Fig and Oatmeal Mask 
For an amazing exfoliator, blend 5 figs with a teaspoon of powdered oatmeal and a teaspoon of milk. Once a smooth paste is formed, massage it into your skin, leave it for 15 minutes and wash it off with warm water and a soft washcloth.

Let me know if you have any other fav healthy foods that are also great for DIYs!

Sipping Pretty: Infused Water Recipes

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Aside from coming across as beautiful, drinkable works of art, infused waters have a subtly sweet taste and a cleansing effect on your body that is equal parts refreshing and healthy. From time to time, I find myself making a large pitcher of lemon cucumber mint water and drinking it for a week. And after embarking on a recent “pinge” on Pinterest, I discovered a few other infused water recipes that I was eager to try. I gave them a go and were pleased to find that they tasted as lovely as they looked. Here are the four infused water recipes I created (and couldn’t get enough of)…

  • orange + lemon + lime
  • lemon + raspberry + mint
  • lemon + cucumber + mint
  • blackberry + cherry + lime

To make any of these recipes, all you have to do is slice the fruit you want to use and drop them into your water. You can start drinking it right away, but you might not notice the flavors until it infuses for a few hours (four hours achieves the most potent flavor). I like to let my waters sit overnight in the fridge, and if I’m using a recipe that calls for lemon I will squeeze half a lemon straight into the water for a little detox boost. As long as you keep your water refrigerated, the fruit should stay fresh. If you are filling your pitcher with water throughout the week, keep in mind that it will dilute the flavor each time you refill. I would recommend drinking your water within 3-5 days and making a new batch once you notice that fruit has started to soften or turn your water cloudy. Which infused water recipe will you try first? Leave your questions and comments below! And if you liked this post, be sure to take a peek at my detox diary for all the details about my first juice cleanse. xx

Rose Honey Brown Sugar Lip Scrub

Published on by Lee5 Comments

Hi loves!! If your lips tend to go through the motions with the seasons and have been dry lately then DIY Rose Honey Brown Sugar Lip Scrub is for you. Let’s get right to it …

Morning everyone! Erin here!! A little kitchen beauty sesh kinda makes the perfect Sunday morning activity! Just me?! I whipped up this yummy (yes, I tasted it just to check, or as my mom used to say, to make sure it wasn’t poison, lol) rose honey brown sugar lip scrub on a Sunday morning while watching Food Network and I had to share it with you!

Let’s break down the ingredients:

  • Brown sugar – acts as a gentle exfoliator because of its grainy texture
  • Honey – honey is a natural humectant so it’s actually adding moisture
  • Olive oil – adds moisture to bind the ingredients
  • Rose essential oil – because IMO, anything rose is a big YES

So why would you want to exfoliate your lips? A few obvious reasons – it gets rid of dry skin, and makes your lips softer. A reason not so obvious? It helps your nourishing lip products penetrate better! If you’re gonna spend on those, let’s makes sure they are the most effective they can be, right?!

Rose Honey Lip Scrub Recipe

  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup olive or coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 10 drops rose essential oil

I personally LOVE the smell of rose, but if you’re not so into it, customize this scrub with mint or lavender oil instead of rose, or maybe adding lemon zest would be your jam?

The most amazing thing about this scrub (besides the soft lips!) is that it can double as a body scrub if you whip up a double batch! I added some dried rose petals into the body scrub just because it’s pretty and a little more luxurious, then put it in a bigger tin for the shower. Incorporate the lip scrub into your nightly routine – leave it by the sink and use it before you put on your nighttime lip product and hop into bed… and by all means, friends don’t let friends have sandpaper lips, so pass on a jar to your bestie, okay?!

xo