Fruit & Your Face ♥

The best thing for your skin, especially the skin on your face, is something 100% natural.  You need something gentle and effective, something that won't irritate your skin, and something that can help prevent skin issues in the future.  You also need something full of vitamins, minerals, and natural moisturizing properties.

It's really (really!) hard to find products that are completely natural, with nothing man-made in them at all.  But there's one thing you can always count on to help revive that natural beauty inside of you -- fruit!

There are plenty of ways to use fresh fruit to get great skin right at home, and you don't need anything else other than what's probably already sitting in your cupboards and fridge.  Here I'll make a quick and simple list of fruits and which skin types & conditions they are best used for:

Acne

Lemons

Apples

Strawberries

Grapefruit

Kiwi

Dry Skin

Bananas

Guava

Olives

Melons

Discoloration / Dark Circles

Tomatoes

Grapes

Orange

Tangerine

Wrinkles / Sagging

Any Citrus fruit

Papayas

Blueberries

Pineapples

These fruits all contain antioxidant properties, and also can help naturally cleanse and refresh your skin.  Another reason these fruits are great for your skin's health is because they contain alpha-hydroxy acids.  Find out why AHA's are good for your skin here.  For more information on how these fruits and others are helpful for your skin, check out this article from DivaVillage.

For some awesome home-made facial recipes using all natural ingredients like fresh fruit, check out these articles:

Exfoliating Grapefruit Facewash
Refreshing Banana & Orange Face Mask
Cucumber & Melon Face Mask
Deep Cleansing Lemon Face Scrub

Have fun and stay cute ♥ xoxo

Using hemp & hemp seed oil to vastly improve your skin's health!

No, I am not exaggerating when I say you can "vastly" improve your skin's health using hemp products and extracts!  There are many products made using hemp oils and hemp seed oils that are used for severely dry skin, as well as skin conditions like eczema, excessive acne problems, and problems with blotchy skin.

There have been testimonials of people for years and years (since it became legal to grow the crop again in Canada in 1998, anyway.)  of people that have had fantastic results with hemp seed oil and hemp oil.

The craziest part about it though, is that when you search the internet far and wide, you can only find very minimal negative reviews of hemp seed oil products, and it's almost ALWAYS by someone who's a puff-chested anti-drug that can't muster the brain cells to tell the difference between hemp and cannabis.

I won't go into all the hemp plant's many other uses that could not only enrich our lives, but stimulate a dying economy, so instead I'll just focus on it's great uses in the beauty world.  I wrote a helpful article on using hemp oil &  hemp seed oil at home yourself to greatly improve the health of your hair and skin.  You can read it here.  If you're interested in what popular high-rated products use hemp seed oil and/or hemp oil as a main ingredient, here are a few:

Body lotion and bath products from Yaoh! Organic Products
Hempz Haircare Products (AMAZING products.)
Good ol' Burts Bees hemp Res-Q lip balm
GiGi Hemp Skincare Products  (Ultra-moisturizing wax & lotions)

There's plenty of simple ways to use the extracts and oils of the hemp plant right in your own home to get great results.  If you've got a skin, hair, or other condition and it's possible to cure it with hemp oils and extracts, shouldn't you give it a try?

Yes, that is a hemp wiimote. Stay cute, smart, & green! ♥ xoxo

Great & cheap beauty buys that don't suck! ♥

So, yeah, it's tough to buy all the cool stuff that I want, what with the economy in shambles and all.  Luckily, there are a few companies that continuously pump out the quality products at a wallet-friendly price.  Cosmetic & skincare companies like e.l.f, Rimmel, and Alba consistently keep my attention with new good quality, affordable stuff.  Here, I'll name and briefly discuss a few of the very best beauty buys I've been able to find...


Cosmetics

e.l.f Luscious Liquid Lipstick
(Favorite shade: Ruby Slipper)

They smell nice, they go on glossy and smooth, and they last a surprisingly long time.  The applicator is a sponge type point that filters slow shots of liquid lip color up from the tube and through the soft sponge.  It's unique, it's good quality, and it's CHEAP.  Yeah, I mean cheap.

Price: $1.00







Rimmel Lasting Finish (16hr) Foundation
(Favorite shade: True Nude)

This is another great find, a long lasting foundation for under $10.00.  I use the 10 dollar mark on foundations, because the quality for me seems to halt at 10 dollars.  It doesn't get any better after that mark, and all the rest of the money you pay for a brand over that is just fluff name-spank that I don't care about at all.

Rimmel is a drugstore beauty brand, and it's a great one.  I own this foundation and I still buy it every time I run out.  It's thick and creamy, and it stays on for a while.  Sure, 16 hours is a pretty big push, but I have experience with it lasting over 6 hours without even fading, so that's pretty darn good.

Price:  $7.29




Application

e.l.f Kabuki Brush

I own this brush.  It's awesome.  Like most Kabuki brushes, the way the bristles are set up has a lot to do with how the handle is shaped.  Kabuki brushes boast the ability to cover huge areas of your face as flawlessly as possible, and a small stocky handle makes it easier to apply using this big fan-type brush.  It's a high quality brush for an incredible price.

Price:  $5.00





e.l.f Sugar Kiss Eyelash Curly Tool

A high quality eyelash curler that's not put together like any other cheap curler.  It doesn't squeak, the handles are soft and easy to use, and it has no harsh tug.  It's a great find, and certainly a great buy.

Price: $1.00









Skincare

Alba Deep Sea Face Mask

I have to say that this face mask is one of my favorites.  That's saying a LOT for me, because I'm a huge advocate of DIY beauty routines at home.  The face masks that work the best (and are obviously the most natural and best for your skin) can be made at home, where you know EXACTLY what's going onto (and into) your skin.  This is one of the few product exceptions, mainly because it's got so many goodies from the sea in it.

Price: $7.65

Freeman's Beautiful Face Peel-Off Masque

(Favorite: Cucumber)

This is another great face mask that goes above and beyond when it comes to end-result and price.  It's cheap, and it's got lots of natural goodies inside, which makes me not hate it.  Also, it smells GREAT, and leaves your skin completely smooth with a light fragrance.

Price: $3.99









Well that's about it for my great beauty buy post...there's lots more that I've found, so stay tuned.  Happy shopping!  ♥