Homemade brush cleaner

Why buy expensive brush cleaner when you can make your own! Use this favorite recipe to get all the grime off your make up brushes and they will smell so good too!



 Brush Cleaner

1 cup distilled water
2T. rubbing alcohol
1T. baby shampoo


fill a shallow bowl with the cleanser and swirl the brush all around. Let it sit for a bit and then rinse it in clean water. I like to fill another bowl with water and let the brush soak for a few minutes. Then wipe off the brush on a clean paper towel and air dry!

Holiday Gift Guide

Hi Everyone ~ I wanted to pass along some great holiday gift item picks. You can give these gifts to your mom, a teacher, a friend, a sister, daughter, babysitter or anyone on your gift list.

First up ~  Ciate Nailpolish gift set… who doesn't like a new set of nailpolish. This pick is adorable in individual ornaments, so you could give someone the whole kit, or separate them and pair it with another small gift such as a candle or a lipgloss and you have 6 difference gifts!

Lip gloss ~ a great stocking stuffer! My pick is the Lancome Juicy Tubes

Perfume ~ I love buying the roller ball sets, they are cheaper, and are so much more convenient. You can try out multiple fragrances for half the price of a full size bottle. It is also nice that you can throw them on your purse too! My pick is the Marc Jacobs Trio Set

Candles ~ This is so hard to pick one, there are SO many kinds of candles I like. But since this is a Holiday gift guide, I am going to pick a beautiful and festive candle, and that is Nest Holiday Scented Candle. It is a classy, gorgeous, festive and smells of the holidays.

Hand Cream sets or Bath and body sets… my pick is… Philosophy The cookie exchange, how adorable and fitting for the season,  who doesn't like to smell like frosting :)! As a girl who likes to bake a lot  ~ I know I would find this gift so "SWEET."

My hand cream/ lip balm pick is Bliss Mistle toe musts… How cute is this hand cream / lip balm duo! Great products for on your bedside table, moisturize your hands and lips before bed!

Hope this was helpful, have fun shopping! Happy Holidays!

Natural Beauty tricks

I have really gotten into the natural side of beauty, products in my pantry that can produce results even better than high end skin care products. It is also nice to know you are using natural products free of all the yucky chemicals.

Apple Cider Vinegar is a great toner for the skin, it is antibacterial and will balance the skins PH level, it is also great to use it full strength when you have an active break out. Coconut oil is also a wonderful spot treatment for acne. I know, why would you put oil on acne?  It works, trust me. I have a post on Coconut Oil.. read that for more information.

 Baking Soda is wonderful for exfoliating the skin. Mix it with your favorite cleanser or make a paste with some water and scrub the dead skin away.

For a nice body scrub, mix some sea salt along with baby oil and brown sugar. Scrub away for a spa like shower experience at a fraction of the price!



Your next beauty treatment is just as far as your pantry!

Worth The Hype ~ Beauty Blender

The Beauty Blender, my new favorite thing.  If you have not heard of it, it is a cute pink sponge used to apply your make up. The smaller pointy side is great for patting in your concealer while the bigger side is great for applying your foundation. The trick is to wet the sponge, squeeze the excess water, (the sponge will then double in size) and apply your make - up with the damp sponge. The result is a nice airbrushed finish.

I bought this sponge at Sephora over the summer, and wasn't expecting to love it as much as I do. I reach for it everyday and it is worth the money. My only suggestion is that when you wash it after every use, use a bar of white dove soap. Beauty Blender sells a cleanser, however the dove soap gets it just as clean, smells nice and is cheaper!

Raw Honey for your face!

Raw Honey... not your typical honey that comes in the little squeeze bear that has goopy, processed, thick, sticky honey. Raw Honey in it's unprocessed form, I am obsessed. I put it in my tea, give the kids a spoonful for their cough, spread it on my toast, ahh..  as it melts I spread a little almond butter ( when my son with allergies is at school) and sprinkle some cinnamon, pure YUM. But aside from eating it, Raw Honey is amazing for your skin.  It is naturally PH balanced you can use it as a cleanser mixed with a little water, or apply it as a mask.  It is super hydrating.  Raw Honey also is great for acne and enlarged pores, rosacea, eczema, hyperpigmentation, sensitive, mature, dull and lifeless skin. Honey is a natural antiseptic and is antimicrobial. It heals cuts and burns by killing bacteria, It also contains gluconic acid that brightens the complexion. 

 If you don't want to spread honey all over your face look for products with honey in them! 

Fall Nails

The fall and winter nail colors have some gorgeous shades. This season, the on trend colors are beautiful and deep colors of blood red, grey, navy blue, burnt orange, teal, nude, chocolate brown and purple. I always think it's fun when you pick a color and paint one nail on each hand a different shade. My choice will be a chocolate brown with navy on the ring fingers.

I love the color above ~ it is butter London's "la moss'', it is a nice vampy dark red wine color that is perfect for the winter. I especially love butter nail polish because they are free of 3. That means free of formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP.  If you would like to try butter London, there is a promo code at www.skinstore.com for 20% off! Use code SEP20

I  can't wait to pick up some other colors to add to my collection such as Nars "seize the night falls" Orly, "prelude to a kiss", Laura Merciers ''cocoa suede''.


Hope you are enjoying the season!

Curling Irons

Before curling your hair you must choose what type of look you want to achieve. If you want big loose effortless curls, you need a big 1 to 1 1/2 inch curling iron.  Wrap the hair away from the face in big sections, spraying each section with a setting spray. If you want to have loose waves or even tight curls you can use a curling wand. Again sectioning the hair, bigger sections for looser waves and smaller pieces for a tighter curl.  The picture on the left is the result of a curling wand, where on the right is from a curling iron.

Just a note, the curling wand is clampless. It will get very hot and you need to use a glove. I bake and cook all the time but my burn marks on my wrist are from my curling wand! Learn from me and always wear your glove!

You don' t need to buy the most expensive curling wand out there. Here is my suggestion for a fair priced wand.  It is the Remmington Styling wand. The curling iron I that own and LOVE is by Hot Tools.

Hope this post is somewhat helpful, remember you can brush through the curls to give a softer look and  always finish with your favorite polish to give the curls shine and some hold and control. When I use my curling wand I like to run a product through that will give some hold, texture and body. I always reach for ~
Redken Wool Shake.

Spray with some hairspray for extra hold if needed.

Happy Curls!