Natural Makeup

Every girl decides to start wearing makeup at some point in her life. I didn’t start applying makeup until I was fourteen, but every girl’s different. Lots of girls decide to start wearing makeup earlier than that and others choose to wait longer than I did.

One day I was looking in my makeup bag and I realized that a lot of my makeup contained yucky chemicals. I couldn’t believe what a chemical bomb my makeup bag was! Now, I’m on a mission to change that. I’m going to start buying natural makeup because it’s so much healthier and way better for my skin.

 Here’s the 411 on harmful chemicals found in popular makeup brands: You wouldn’t even believe what’s in your makeup! Some of the ingredients have ridiculously long names and are hard to pronounce! To name a few…

1. Parabens are used to give items a longer shelf life. They can cause allergic reactions and skin rashes. Parabens are banned in Japan and Sweden, and are currently under review in the UK.

2. Formaldehyde is another chemical used in makeup products. This chemical can cause allergic reactions, contact dermatitis, headaches, depression, fatigue, dizziness, and immune dysfunction. It also irritates mucous membranes, damages eyes, and has been linked to joint + chest pain. This chemical is also cancer causing. Formaldehyde is banned in Europe! I wonder why.

3. Diethanolamine (DEA), triethanolamine (TEA), amonoethanolamine (MEA) can disrupt hormones, cause liver and kidney cancer, and irritate skin. It’s also corrosive to eyes and could cause contact dermatitis. These chemicals are currently under review in the USA, UK, and Europe.

4. Propylene/Butylene Glycol (PG) has these possible side effects: brain, kidney, and liver abnormalities, throat and respiratory irritation, depression of the central nervous system, brain damage, skin rashes, and dermatitis. This chemical is banned in Europe.

As you can see, makeup containing these ingredients could be very harmful to your health! I’ve only just scratched the surface in this post! There are so many other reasons why you shouldn’t be applying these toxins to your skin!

Natural makeup is more expensive, but wouldn’t you rather spend extra money on makeup now instead of having to deal with and spend money on fixing health issues in the future? Since, natural makeup is pricy; it’s going to take me awhile to change the contents of my makeup bag. As I continue to add to my natural makeup bag, I’ll let you know what I think of each product after I try it.

Every girl is a natural beauty and doesn’t need to wear makeup to be pretty. So, the upcoming natural makeup posts are for those of you who have decided to start enhancing your natural beauty with makeup.

Photo Credit: www.ecoglominerals.com

Natural Remedy for Dry Hair

Dealing with a head of dry, frizzy hair is the worst! It’s a total pain, right?! Heat tools, exposure to wind + sun, products, and blow drying can all lead to a dry hair nightmare!

This may sound weird but guess what can remedy your dry hair? Vinegar! It’s an amazing cleanser and conditioner that will restore your hair’s natural shine! I used vinegar on my hair and now its so soft, super shiny, and tangle-free! Vinegar is great for removing product buildup and cleansing the skin on your scalp! Awesome, right?!

I tried out two different types of vinegar; apple cider and white. I’m not going lie, the apple cider vinegar has a very strong smell to it. If you can’t tolerate the smell, I would suggest using white vinegar instead. I did prefer using the apple cider vinegar, because I felt that I got better results. White vinegar will still hydrate, soften, and add shine to your hair. I just found it to not be as effective as the apple cider vinegar, but it doesn't smell. So, it’s up to you, both will re-hydrate your hair.

Here’s info on the vinegar treatment: Mix equal parts apple cider vinegar and water together in a small cup. I have long, thick hair and used ¼ cup of each. So, use more or less depending on your hair type. Shampoo your hair first and rinse well. Then, soak your ends in the mixture for about 1 minute. After the minute is up, tilt your head back, and slowly pour the mixture over the top of your hair, letting it run down your shaft. Let the mixture do it’s magic for 3-5 minutes, and then rinse it out. You can skip conditioning because the vinegar will take care of that for you. My hair feels so much healthier and renewed after using this treatment!

Note: Be careful not to get it in your eyes! It will burn! Make sure you keep your head tilted back when pouring mixture to help ensure that you don’t get it in your eyes.

Photo credit: skincare.allwomenstalk.com

Awesome Avocados

Smooth, creamy, green deliciousness! That’s what comes to mind when I think of avocados. Why should you eat them? Well, for one thing avocados can help you to lose weight! How? Well, one of these little green guys contains healthy amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps to keep that digestive system running smoothly. The soluble fiber slows down the breakdown of carbs , keeping you feeling full and satisfied for a longer period of time. Guess what else this fruit is good for? Healthy skin! Every girl wants to have a healthy skin tone! The B vits and vitamin E in avocados will give you a glowing complexion! The B vits will also help out your metabolism!

How do you eat an avocado? Well, a lot of people like to add avocado to their salad or some even like it plain. I LOVE eating mine in the form of guacamole with organic corn chips or a pile of baby carrots. Buying my guacamole pre-made saves me a lot of time and makes it a quick go to snack when I need something fast.

Try to include them in your daily diet and you’ll reap the rewards!

Photo Credit: athleanx.com

Room Decor: Cube Vase

Want to make a big impact in your room with only a few bucks? Get a cube vase and arrange some pretty flowers from the craft store into it. This adds a pop of color to your space and only costs a few dollars. I picked up my cube at the craft store, but you should be able to find one at other stores since they seem to be really trendy right now. This is an easy way to play with color in your room!

Yoga How To: Downward Dog

I’m totally crazy about downward-facing dog!  I always try to incorporate this pose into my yoga practice because it stretches out my legs, which feels sooo good! This pose is also a great shoulder stretcher! Just grab a yoga mat, throw on some comfy clothes, and I’ll teach you how to do it!

 1. To start this pose, get down on your hands and knees. You want your knees to be directly below your hips. Position your hands slightly in front of your shoulders. Spread out your fingers and curl your toes under.

2. Exhale and push your knees off the floor, raise those hips! Start to straighten your legs. Keep your arms straight and hands flat on the floor. Rotate your shoulder blades away from your head. Your head should hang parallel to your arms. Keep your eyes focused on the center of your stomach.

3. Keep your tailbone pointed toward the ceiling. Your body should now look like an inverted “V”.

4. Hold for 30 seconds to two minutes. Only hold the pose for as long as you feel comfortable. If you feel any pain in your shoulders or wrists, stop and come out of the pose.

5. To come out of downward dog, exhale and slowly bring your knees to the ground. Then go into Child’s Pose; forehead on the ground, arms under your shoulders, palms facing up. Come out of Child’s Pose whenever you feel like it.

I hope you’ll give downward dog a try! You’ll get super relaxed shoulders and your legs will feel amazing!

DIY Book Box

Check out this book box! Cute, right? I made a few of these with some friends awhile back and thought it was totally worth sharing! One of my fav parts about this project was picking out the pretty paper. Trying to coordinate the colored felt, cute stickers, and beautiful ribbon was fun too! Another thing that’s really cool about this project is that each box comes out with its own unique look depending on what kind of paper and other materials you choose to use.

I actually keep all of my earrings in one of the book boxes I created. I think it’s such a cool way to store your little things! I’ve gifted a couple of these boxes to friends/family and they just absolutely loved them! It’s such a unique handmade gift!

Making one of these was simple and something that’s easy for you to pull off at home.  It only took me around 30 min. to create one box! Amazing, huh?! I got the project idea off of this website: http://www.dickblick.com/lesson-plans/recycled-book-boxes/   I thought the boxes they created needed a face lift and a touch of femininity. I just followed their instructions, but picked out more attractive paper and decorated mine with pretty stuff. I also painted my “pages” silver instead of gold. I thought it added a more stylish, modern look and brightened up the box.

So give this quick and easy project a try! You’ll be glad you did! 

Pretty Quote

Well said and so totally true!

Goodbye Pimples!

Pimples…those annoying bumps that every girl’s gotta deal with. Want to get rid of yours fast? Try using tea tree oil. It’s an awesome antiseptic, antibacterial, and antifungal.

Whenever I have a pimple on my face, I use tea tree to get rid of it. Just put a drop of the oil on a q-tip and gently dab it onto your pimple. The oil will soak deep into your pores and kill bacteria while eliminating dead skin cells. Applying it to the inflamed area will also reduce inflammation, clean the area of excess oil, and prevent the pimples from coming back. It’s all natural, which is a total bonus!

Give this effective method a try and you’ll be ditching those pimps in no time flat!

Please read the Important Note below!

Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/Tea-Tree-100-Pure-Essential/dp/B000W3XG1K

If you don’t want to get it online, check out your local health food store to see if they carry this essential oil.

Important Note: This is a spot treatment, meaning you should only use it if you have one or a few pimples that you wish to treat. Do not rub the oil all over your face as the oil is extremely potent. Do not use the tea tree oil internally. It should only be used topically.

Photo Credit: www.toenailfungustreating.com