Apple Cider Vinegar for the hair

I have been rinsing out my hair after shampooing with an equal part mixture of Apple Cider Vinegar and water then conditioning as usual. I have to say, I do believe it smooths out the hair and gives great shine. One night I said to Eddie " does my hair look shiny?" he replied with an enthusiastic "yes!" I then began to tell him my secret. " I put NO shine serum in and I rinsed with apple cider vingear." He was very surprised!

Apple Cider Vinegar is great for many purposes, but in this post I am focusing on the benefits it gives to the hair. When used as a rinse, the apple cider vinegar will balance the hairs PH and also get out the oil and grime. It smooths the cuticle and leaves the hair very smooth, soft and shiny.  It also helps with dandruff, so if you are looking for a natural way to control that, I would recommend trying this method. Purchase a high quality ACV, raw and organic.

The easiest way to do this is to get a spray bottle, fill it with one tablespoon  ACV and 2 cups of water, and shake it up. After shampooing and rinsing the hair, spray the ACV mixture all over your scalp and hair. Leave it in for a few minutes and rinse out. Apply your conditioner as usual. Do this a few times a week!

Feel and see the difference!

Save or Splurge!!!!

Hey Everyone! I wanted to share a dupe for the Nars Orgasm/ South Beach Blush and bronzer and the e.l.f. version.  If you want to spurge for the Nars thats great, but if you want to save, then the e.l.f. would be a good option. The Nars orgasm blush is a little more pink toned and sparkly than the one in the e.l.f. duo. The e.l.f. shade is more peach toned and has a powder like finish. The e.l.f. bronzer is very pigmented shade, but good for darker skin tones and good for contouring. The Nars is more sheer and comes off a more satin finish where as the e.l.f. is more of a powder finish. It is a personal choice which one to choose, I really love the orgasm blush, I love the color and the shimmer however, the bronzer is a bit too dark for my fair faced skin. For the money difference, I would go with the elf, and just also buy an Orgasm single blush and the cost will still be less than the Nars duo!

 The Nars Orgasm/ South Beach Blush and bronzer duo is $45 while the e.l.f. studio conturing blush and bronzer is guess how much... drum roll please....... $3.00! Sounds like a great deal to me!

Cupcake Mask

 I am so into these DIY facials. I love to know what specific ingredients are doing to my skin and it's fun to make. All the ingredients are fresh and yes, another use for my coconut oil! This delicious Cocoa face mask literally smells like chocolate cake batter on your face and looks like it too. Your kids may be tempted to eat it, you may be too! I won't tell, I promise.

 The ingredients in this face mask have lots of benefits for your skin, try this mask out and I guarantee your face will feel so soft and smooth after you rinse it off.

Benefits of honey to the skin:

• moisturizing
• antibacterial, anti fungal
• suitable for sensitive skin
• helps with acne
• naturally cleans your skin

Benefits of Coconut oil for skin:

•  antibacterial
• anti fungal
• moisturizer
• helps with wrinkles and acne
• antimicrobial

Benefits of Cocoa to skin:

• full of antioxidants 
• helps with sun damage 
• anti aging

How to make this YUMMY facial:

2 T. Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 T. melted coconut oil

1 T. Raw Honey

Mix together and apply to the face. Enjoy the delicious smell, throw in a load of laundry, scare the kids,  ( my kids barley react anymore!)  watch some Bravo,  time yourself to  see what all you can do in the 15 to 20 minutes that is is working wonders on your face, then rinse off. Follow up with a moisturizer.

You are welcome. Enjoy!

COCO CRAZY!

My Love of Coconut is making my family a bit concerned. I think it started when my teenage daughter caught me in the pantry one evening rubbing coconut oil in my hair, and then I proceeded to put it on my arms too... I didn't know she was there, and then we both busted out laughing.  She knows I'm crazy, I know I'm crazy and we can have a laugh about it. Hey, its so good for the skin and the hair and I smelled like a tropical vacation, awesome!

I drink coconut water, eat coconut chips, use coconut oil spread in place of butter on my toast,  add it in my smoothies, the list goes on and on ~yes, I'm coco crazy!

 Let's get into the benefits of this little jar of magic. Coconut oil is not just for cooking ~the oil is a wonderful moisturizer for the hair and body with antioxidant Vitamin E and lauric acid.  It is one of the worlds  most nourishing  super foods.   There are many ways to use coconut oil in your beauty routine, and one jar can replace a lot of different products!

• use it as a mask on the ends of your hair at night before bed, washing it out in the morning very thoroughly
• replace your make up remover ~ Use the oil to take off your make up, I keep a jar under my sink. great for eye make up!
• use it as a lip conditioner
• a body lotion
• to soften your cuticles.
• suffer from canker sores? a dab will speed up the healing process.
• add some to your toothpaste to shine up your teeth.

Enjoy your new found friend :) Be sure to buy EXTRA VIRGIN!

ZAP that Zit

I know some of you out there believe in the old toothpaste trick ~ Sleeping with the white paste on your pesky little zit and it will dry it out by morning. While toothpaste will be sure to dry out your skin and possibly dry out that pimple, toothpaste is made for the teeth not the skin! It will irritate your skin causing more redness and dryness and then you will have more problems than you started with.

Turn to a product that will clear it up the correct way, a product that is made for your skin.  Try a spot treatment. Spot treatments can be very effective in getting down to the bacteria in the layers of your skin that cause the pimple.

If you want to go the natural route, I have often applied straight tea tree oil to the irritated area, and that seems to work well. (If you don't wan't to use straight tee tree oil add some aloe vera gel to it).

 But one of my favorite products from Lush contains tea tree oil as well as some other great herbal ingredients including thyme and rosemary as well as grape juice. It is called Grease Lightning and one bottle will last you forever and you can apply it under your make up throughout the day because it is clear.

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Another spot treatment that I have used forever and my teenage daughter uses it as well, is Mario Badescu's drying lotion. It contains salicylic acid as well as calamine and camphor. This is actually always in my medicine cabinet, I use it on mosquito bites as well! It really soothes and takes the itch out!
 Just remember to NOT mix this product together. The liquid separates from the pink calamine looking part and you just dip a q-tip in the solution and take straight out and apply. My daughter and I always laugh at each other because we both look hilarious with light pink dots all over our face before bed :)

*A great drug store alternative is the Clean and Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment. It has salicylic acid and it is a gel formula and you can conceal over top of it.

Matte Powder and Bronzer!

 This Cargo Hybrid Touch up Powder has been a staple in my easy 5 minute make up routine.

After applying my BB cream, I swirl this genius powder together, brush it over my whole face, apply a little

blush, mascara, lip gloss and DONE.

It sets your bb cream, tinted moisturizer or foundation and gives a bronze glow to the skin, all in one step.
 It comes with a  medium shade matte powder and a perfect shade of bronzer with a beautiful sheen. It gives
a sun kissed look to the face all while absorbing excess oil and shine.

Great to carry in your purse for a mid day touch up. 

 This is a great product that I am sure you will enjoy. A setting powder plus bronzer in one, YES, PLEASE!

June Favorites

Hey Everyone! I can't believe it is already July! Why oh Why does the summer go by so super fast!
 I wanted to share some of my favorite hair and body products that I have tried for the month of June.



The TIGI S Factor Diamond Dreams Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner, it smells nice and makes the hair really shiny and soft.

Pacifica  Tuscan Blood Orange Body Wash  It smells so good and it is sulfate

free! It is rich and creamy with lots of lather. It is very moisturizing, and I love to follow 

up with the Blood Orange body butter.

Elizabeth Arden 8 hour Cream

This is a cult favorite and I really can't believe it has taken me this long to buy it myself. I bought the

fragrance free version since many complain about the smell. This skin protectant is going to be a staple for me. It is amazing, it really does work. I put it all over my lips, hands and feet before bed and it has made a world of a difference. It has multiple uses, click the link above and read all about it. 

Chanel Inimitable Mascara 

The best ever. Adore. Move over DiorShow. Nuff Said.