Tag: BEAUTY DIY

DIY: Cellulite Scrub

Published on by Lee1 Comment

While cellulite is largely genetic, most forms are caused by a combination of poor circulation, fat pockets (that’s why you’ll see cellulite on your butt, thighs, and sometimes even arms), and female hormones. But here’s the thing: just because your limbs are long and lean doesn’t mean that this is a post to skip. In fact, it can happen to you (read all about that here from our friends at Beauty Banter).

As we’ve shared, avoiding certain foods can help. Sarah from Beauty Banter also shares, “Exercise is a must. Hydration is essential. But treating the affected area consistently and vigorously is really your best bet. Commit to six weeks of two to three treatments a week. Combine your treatments with exercise, better diet (low in sugars and processed foods), and tons of water.

While there is no topical cure for cellulite, scrubs and creams with effective ingredients will help to diminish its appearance. Caffeine is considered the Holy Grail ingredient for anti-cellulite. So, naturally, this scrub is essentially coffee grinds. It’s easy to make, simple to apply, and affordable—especially compared with those costly medical-grade creams and treatments.

This scrub has the ability to subtly reduce the appearance of cellulite. And, bonus, it leaves skin soft and hydrated. But beware, while skin will look gorgeous, your tub or shower won’t—it will most likely resemble the inside of a coffee maker. Fret not, a quick rinse and wipe-down will clean the basin. Just be careful not to slip.” Read on for the step-by-step instructions and benefits of this DIY scrub.

What You’ll Need:
Coffee grinds (caffeinated)
Juniper oil
Coconut oil

Benefits of the Ingredients:
– Fresh coffee grinds (caffeinated)—Caffeine can immediately diminish the appearance of cellulite by stimulating blood flow, toning and tightening the area. The grinds are also rich in antioxidants (which aid in releasing toxins).
– Juniper oil—A berry that increases circulation and energizes the underactive tissues.
– Coconut oil—Hydrates, smoothes, and helps your skin absorb the caffeine and juniper.

Directions:
Combine 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 20-30 drops of essential juniper oil in a bowl. Mix in about 1/2 cup of fresh caffeinated coffee grinds until the grinds are completely soaked with the oils. You’ll want this scrub to be grind-heavy, so if it’s feeling too watery, add more grinds. There are no exact measurements, so feel free to play around, but these are good jumping-off points.

Take into the bathroom (I highly suggest doing this in the bath or tub, prior to turning on the water) and firmly rub into affected areas using circular scrubbing motions.

Continue for at least five minutes. Then rinse and pat dry. Feel free to apply pure coconut oil to moisturize and soothe the skin (and massage that in too).

Note: Apply to affected areas two to three times a week. For quicker results, wrap the scrubbed area (concoction still on) with Saran Wrap to essentially heat the skin. Relax for 15 minutes then remove the wrap and shower.

I suggest making a new batch daily as the caffeine is said to be most effective when coffee grinds are fresh.

This DIY Oil Will Give You The Richest Tan

Published on by Lee1 Comment

While we realize the saying “life is better with a tan”, may be a little OTT, it does make you feel like an absolute goddess. While some beauties can literally spend 20 minutes in the sun and be transformed into a bronzed bombshell, there are some of us who need a little assistance from a trusty tanning oil. We know summer is almost over but for the ones who got that sunshine in their pocket, we decided it was time to check out the best tanning formulas on the market and DIY. And we’re SO impressed with the results!

Our DIY tanning oil gives you the deepest tan without having to spend days in the sun and leaving your piggy-bank empty. Plus it got loads of amazing ingredients that nourish and hydrate your skin at the same time. We’re kinda annoyed we didn’t think of it sooner!

Why you need to DIY your own tanning oil

Yes…. black people and people of color do tan too. So, with that being said, recently me and my beauties were thinking about how we could save money on tanning oils. With research and experimenting, we realized how easy it would be to recreate our fave branded tanning oil at-home, as they’re mostly just a combination of oils. Plus, buying the original oils is often a lot cheaper in the long run, as we tend to go through our branded tanning oil in under a month. Nothing can beat that Floridian sun, haha.

Our DIY tanning oil is also seriously beneficial for your skin; it’s bursting with antioxidants and of course, it’s uber-moisturizing, so while you’re attracting the rays, you’re also rejuvenating your skin. Plus, the healthier and more hydrated the skin, the deeper the tan will be and the longer it will last. Here’s what you need:

Ingredients 

3 tablespoons of vitamin E Oil or carrot seed oil
½ cup of Jojoba oil
½ cup of Grapeseed oil
½ cup of Coconut oil
Optional: A bronzed shimmer eyeshadow or highlighter

Mix the oil together in a bowl (try to use cold pressed organic oils), then using a funnel dispense the mixture into a spray bottle. If you want to amp up your glow, you can also break a bronze highlighter into the mixture. Shake well before use and apply onto your skin, once you’ve applied sunscreen.

But NEVER forget SPF…

We cannot stress enough how important SPF is whenever you’re in the sun. If your skin is left unprotected, you can damage your skin and increase the risk of premature aging, dark spots and hyperpigmentation, and increase your risk of getting skin cancer. So before you apply your DIY oil, you need to apply a lot of SPF, and then apply even more. We recommend at least a factor 30 to be reapplied every 2 hours as a minimum, as we tend to apply it much more sparingly than is done during lab testing so an SPF 30 will offer you only SPF 15 in most cases.” If you have fair skin, make sure you apply factor 50 – and yes, you can still tan through SPF (we know because we use factor 50 every weekend)!

Now, go and enjoy every second of that beautiful sun!

Let us know if you guys try this DIY tanning oil in the comments below.

The Celebrity DIY Facial That Will Cost You Less Than $1

Published on by Lee1 Comment

The facial in question is an ice bath – yes, we’re serious! We’ve got to admit we were a little shocked when we heard just how many celebs do this before a big event. But seeing as it’s definitely the cheapest of all the celebrity facial trends, we thought we should look into it. And let us tell you the benefits are MAJOR. Just take a look at the Victoria’s Secret Angels to see the results, because word on the street is they all gave themselves an ice bath before the big show. This slightly crazy facial gives your skin an instant glow, shrinks the size of your pores, and tones your skin. Honestly, the next time you’re getting ready for an event and you want to look snatched AF, do this before you start your skin and beauty prep.

So how exactly does it work?

All you have to do is fill a large bowl with ice and then add enough water so that all of the cubes are submerged. Then scoop the water into your hands and splash it onto your face for 30 seconds. We swear this feels harsher on your hands than it does on your face – it’s actually SO refreshing. The cool water constricts the skin’s circulation by reducing the natural heat in the skin, which instantly tightens your pores, reduces any puffiness, and revitalizes your skin.  It’ll also appear to smooth fine lines and wrinkles while making your skin look more firm. But we wouldn’t recommend giving yourself an ice bath every day (tempting, we know!), as it’s such a powerful treatment it could actually damage the capillaries if it’s done too frequently. We’d suggest it just for special occasions and events, or if you’re doing a runway show!

Ice Cube DIY

For those of you not quite brave enough to give yourself an ice facial just yet, then this ice cube DIY is an ideal alternative. All you have to do whisk together 3 tablespoons of honey and 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and then pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze overnight. In the morning, massage the ice cubes onto your face until they dissolve and then wash your face with cool water – this will give intense hydration, toning, and nourishment.

Another super easy ice cube DIY is to simply add a drop of your favorite essential oil into each ice cube before you freeze it. You can then use these ice cubes individually or as part of your larger ice bath facial.

Let us know if you’re brave enough to try it in the comments below!

One Thing You Never Thought Of Doing With Oil

Published on by Lee2 Comments

It sounds extra AF, but swishing oil around your mouth might just be the best thing for your health and skin, seriously! The idea comes from ancient Ayurvedic medicine and involves taking a tablespoon of oil and swishing it around your mouth like mouthwash, for twenty minutes. Believe it or not, this detoxifying method actually has a ton of health benefits that improve oral health, and it can even improve acne, whiten your teeth, help with headaches, and detox your entire body.

How To Do Oil Pulling:

On an empty stomach – first thing in the morning is the best time – swish a tablespoon of oil around your mouth for twenty minutes (at least ten minutes if you’re in a hurry). Our preference is coconut oil, because obvs we have a ton lying around and it’s also antibacterial, but you can also use sesame, olive or sunflower oil. Initially, it might feel a little gross, but persist, and like us, you might even end up enjoying the experience! It should always be done on an empty stomach, so wait at least four hours after eating, and an hour after drinking.

Whatever you do, don’t swallow the oil; otherwise, you’ll basically allow all the toxins that have been drawn out to go into your stomach. Once you’ve swished for 15-20 minutes, spit it out in your bin. You can do almost anything (except speak) while you do this, but keep an eye on the time, as if you do it much longer than 20 minutes, it’s possible that the toxins could be reabsorbed into your body. Rinse your mouth with warm water or salt water, and brush your teeth.

How Oil Pulling Works:

how oil pulling works

It’s quite gross to think about, but your mouth is filled with bacteria, fungi, toxins, and plaque. Oil pulling literally cleanses your mouth by drawing out all the toxins from your gums and teeth, before they’re able to spread to the rest of your body.

Why Oil Pulling is Awesome:

Who’d have thought that you can forego a ton of expensive beauty products simply by following this daily ritual? Oil pulling is an amazing way to improve your health and detox your body, skin, and gums. Though there’s yet to be significant research into oil pulling, promising results have been found, and many doctors recommend it – apparently, Gwyneth Paltrow and Shailene Woodley are fans. Here’re just some of the amazing benefits:

Skin-clearing: Catching out nasty toxins before they reach the rest of your body has a huge impact on your skin. The same way washing your skin gets rid of surface bacteria, oil pulling gets rid of bacteria that causes skin problems before they have a chance to take hold. Reports have shown that oil pulling for a month has helped improve acne and eczema.

Teeth whitening and fresh breath: Oil pulling can remove surface stains from your teeth, and because the fats in oil can dissolve plaque, it prevents plaque build-up and reduces the risk of tooth cavities for an extra white smile. The removal of bacteria from your mouth also results in fresher breath throughout the day.

Detoxes your body: The mouth is our gateway to the majority of substances in our body, by removing bacteria from the mouth before it has a chance to reach the rest of your body it majorly impacts on your health.

Increases energy: Our immune system works 24/7 to eliminate toxic waste from the body. By getting rid of these nasty toxins at the source before your body has to, it saves precious energy to be spent on other activities.

Reduces headaches and hangovers: We’ll be honest, anything that promises to cure a hangover is worth trying; the process of oil pulling will remove alcohol toxins still lurking in your body from the night before, helping you and your body feel much better. Headaches and migraines can be a reaction to your body being under toxic stress; so extract the toxins, reduce the stress!

Why Coconut Oil is Our FAVE:

We’ve found that coconut oil, (try to use 100% raw organic cold-pressed coconut oil) is the best oil to use. Not only is it easy to find and inexpensive, but it’s also by far the best tasting of the bunch. Coconut oil also contains lauric acid that has antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties, while Vitamin E is rich in antioxidants and it’s antibacterial. If you’re going to have oil in your mouth for twenty minutes, it should at least taste okay!

Oil pulling can easily become part of your morning routine: swish while you shower and tone, or while you get dressed and scroll your Insta feed. If you’re at home, take advantage of the period after lunch before dinner and swish on an empty stomach while you watch TV.

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?