Homemade Hairspray

In my last post I mentioned that a good way to save money is to make your own beauty supplies.  Here's one that I found on Pinterest and just recently started making and using.  It's a very inexpensive and easy-to-make hairspray.  I am very pleased with how well it works.  I really wasn't sure what to expect the first time I made it.
 

Homemade Alcohol-Free Hairspray
found on whole new mom

Ingredients:

• 1 cup filtered water
• 4 tsp. sugar
• 5-6 drops essential oils (I used a combination orange and peppermint oils)

Directions:

1. Heat water to boiling
2. Remove from heat and stir in sugar until dissolved
3. Allow to cool and use a funnel to pour it into an empty hairspray bottle.  Add essential oils, screw lid on and shake well to combine.
4. Use as you'd normally use hairspray.

That's it!  Simple, cheap, and I'm hoping that no longer using hairspray full of alcohol will be much better for my hair.  I'm not sure about that yet; I just made my second batch of this, and I'm still using regular shampoo and gel in my hair, so I know that's a factor.  I do have a couple recipes for hair gel pinned, but I haven't gotten around to trying them yet.

I'm really liking the scent of the orange and peppermint oils, but you can use the essential oils you like.  The scent is subtle but nice, and a huge improvement over the overpowering scents of most hairsprays you can buy, unless you buy the unscented.  Why do the people who make hairsprays, shampoos, conditioners and the like think they need to have a strong annoying scent? 

Ideally, this should also be stored in a glass bottle instead of any old hairspray bottle, but I am currently using what I had on hand.  Good thing I don't always throw empty bottles into the recycle bin because I 'might need them' someday!  If I continue to make this - and I see no reason not to - I will probably look for a glass spray bottle to use.

Are there any DIY beauty products you make and use?  Do they work as well or better than the products you used to buy?

Review: TRESemmé Naturals

Last September I got my hair cut - shorter, layered, really cute.  My hair was in pretty good shape then, or so the stylist told me.  Not too long after that, I started using TRESemmé Naturals shampoo and conditioner.  The people at the haircut places always try to encourage me to buy the products they sell.  Are they really that much better than what I can get in the store?  I couldn't bring myself to pay that much, so I decided to look for some better products at the store, and I decided to try the TRESemmé Naturals.

These products are:

• Formulated with USDA certified organic extracts like Aloe Vera and Avocado, your hair is incredibly soft and more manageable.
• Hypoallergenic, dye-free and color-safe, this gentle conditioner is great for all hair types.
• Protects your hair from damage and breakage with naturally derived polymers.
• Leaves hair looking shinier and feeling 10X stronger after just one use*.
• Now get natural benefits along with the gorgeous style you trust from TRESemmé.

The bottle says - Lower Sulfates, No Dyes, Used by Professionals, Nourishing Moisture.

I figured these products would be a step up from what I had been using, usually whatever was on sale and I could get the best deal on.  Well, guess what - these supposedly professional-quality products are not a step up.  What this 'Nourishing Moisture' shampoo and conditioner has done is dry my hair out completely.  Last time I got my hair cut, the stylist mentioned it, and I thought it was really odd - because just a few short months ago my hair had been fine - and now I was using better products and even conditioning my hair regularly, something I had never done because I never had problems with tangles, so I figured I didn't really need it.

So I didn't pay close attention to what she'd said, except to be sure to continue using the conditioner every time I washed my hair and sometimes when I didn't wash it.  Then yesterday I went and got a trim and the girl who cut my hair this time also told me that it was extremely dry - so dry with so much breakage that she asked if I put it in a ponytail a lot.  Uh, no - my layers aren't long enough for me to get it into a ponytail.  Blow drying?  Nope, never blow dry.

I hate to say that a shampoo and conditioner that are supposed to moisturize my hair and protect it against damage and breakage, leaving it healthy, soft and vibrant, actually caused damage to my hair - but since my hair was in decent shape before I started using them and now it's so bad, I can't help but come to that conclusion.  At the very least, these products did not deliver on any of the promises implied by the bottle and/or the TRESemmé website.

I bought the Cost Cutter products yesterday.  They were buy one get one 50% off, so they weren't too bad.  My stylist said they're good, and she uses them every day.  So I'll be using them, and we'll see what they say next time I go in to get my hair trimmed.  I will NOT by buying TRESemmé products again.  In fact, I have at least one unopened bottle of conditioner around here - I'll be taking that one back for a refund.

Note: this is not a paid review, neither did I receive any free products.  I actually bought and paid for these products.  I am disappointed.

Review and Giveaway: #EclosBeauty Products

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of éclos Skin Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
 
I recently had the opportunity to try éclos Skin Care  products.  I received a kit which included the following products:

• Facial Cleanser Skin Prep -removes makeup and daily debris, helping to refresh skin and purify pores.
• Cellular Activator Face Serum - nourishes skin cells, promotes collagen production and
  stimulates the growth of connective tissue, helps visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and protects against environmental damage.
• Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream - revitalizes skin stem cells, helping to tighten sagging skin and postpone wrinkles, helps skin to repair itself, protects against aging free radicals, slowing the signs of aging.
• Restorative Eye Cream - visibly reduces fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and increases moisture content to delicate eye area.
• Instant Radiance Facial Scrub - exfoliates dry, dull dead skin cells and enhances cell turnover and prepares the skin to better absorb the treatment products.
• Skin Renewal Clay Mask - cleanses skin, absorbs impurities, and helps unclog pores.
• éclos Terry Cloth Head Band - to keep hair out of face while using the products.

Sounds like a lot of products, I know, but you don't use every product every day.  You use the scrub every other day and the mask twice a week. I used the products for 1 week.  Here I am Before and After:

Before Monday morning before cleansing	After The following Monday after cleansing and applying serum, moisturizer, and eye cream

You will not see a picture of me with the clay mask because - if you ever want to see what you'll look like when the wrinkles really do set in, try one of these masks.  It's scary!  I'm sure it does what it's supposed to do, but by the time it dries and everything tightens up, you're ready to wash it off!  At least I was.
 
I really loved the idea of these products.  They feature Apple Stem Cells extracted from a rare Swiss apple, the Uttwiler Spätlauber, along with vitamins and anti-oxidants.  These stem cells have shown tremendous ability to stimulate skin stem cells, encouraging aging skin to behave like younger skin and helping minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and tired skin. Skin can look up to 15 years younger.  Sounds great, right?  I really wanted this stuff to work for me.

I absolutely love that the products do not contain parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes, or petro-chemicals.  They are natural products with highend spa feel, and results, at mass-market prices.  They're available Nationwide at food, drug and mass stores, including Target, Ulta, Duane Reade, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Fred Meyer, and the prices really are reasonable.

I liked the feel of the products and the natural smell.  Each of the éclos products is scented with a clean and fresh blend of all-natural essential oils including rosewood, ylang ylang, palmarosa, cardamom, and geranium.  However, I started to notice a slight burning when I applied the serum and moisturizer, and by the middle of the week. my face was extremely dry.  I could not get enough of the moisturizer on my face to take away the dryness.  It didn't just feel dry, it looked super dry.  After using the éclos Skin Care  products for the week - after I had run out of the moisturizer - I went back to using my regular products, and it took until the middle of the next week before I had to stop applying moisturizer several times a day to get rid of the dryness.  I may buy some of the Eye Cream and possibly the Serum, because I like the idea of using natural products directly on my skin,  and hopefully I can get some of the benefits from those, but I am going to have to keep using my regular moisturizer.

I have not closely examined my before and after pictures to see if there was a reduction of the fine lines around my eyes - but I did really like the Restorative Eye Cream.  I have been looking for another good one ever since they stopped making/selling the one I had been using.  Based on clinical studies, 100% of the women using these products saw a reduction in wrinkle appearance within 2 weeks, and most of the fine lines I'm seeing on my face are around my eyes. 
 
If you'd like to try these products for yourself - maybe they'll work for you - I have a one of the same kits I received to give away.  To enter all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me which product in the kit you are most excited to try.  Contest is open to U.S. residents only, and I will take entries until Friday June 8, 2012.  Good luck!  And if you win, be sure to come back and let me know how the products work for you.

Win a Las Vegas Spa Weekend

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bloom.com for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

How does an all expenses paid trip to Las Vegas for you and 3 of your girlfriends, complete with massages, facials, and beauty treatments, sound?  Awesome, right?  It's easy to enter.  Simply join Bloom.com - for FREE.  Then get extra entries by inviting your friends.  You get an extra entry for every friend who accepts your invitation and joins.  And for every friend who joins and places an order, you get a $25 credit to your account - with no limits.

What is Bloom.com?  It's a social beauty network helping women find and buy the right beauty products.  When you join you'll create your own beauty bio that includes things like skin type and complexion, hair and eye color, hair length, etc.  You can also choose from different beauty concerns and categories to get information  that interests you.  Bloom.com will then be able to give you personalized recommendations from the 10,000 items available from over 150 top brands.  And, you can connect with other Bloom users who are using the products and read reviews from users.  So much nicer than standing in the beauty aisle in the store and wondering which product to buy, if a certain product is worth the extra money, or if I can get by with the cheapest one or the one without the annoying fragrance.  (except I won't ever be buying the product with the annoying fragrance)  I checked just one category - Daytime Moisturizers - and got several suggestions, including Best 4 You on a Budget (do they know me, or what?) and Best Natural 4 You.  Each item also lists product information that includes a description and full ingredients.  If only there was a way to smell them...
 
Purchases come with free gifts - I'd guess product samples based on your personalized recommendations, but that's just my guess - and 10% back in Bloom Dollars which can be applied to future orders.  Be sure to enter coupon code 30BACK, and you'll get an additional 20% back on your first purchase - 30% back!
 
All products come with a 365 Try It Love It Guarantee.  That means that if you are unsatisfied—for ANY reason—with a product you’ve purchased from Bloom, they’ll happily give you a refund within 1 year of your purchase date (not including any original shipping).  All they ask in return is that you share why your product didn’t work out, so they can pass it along to the other women of Bloom.   How awesome is that?  Not only do they work to match you up with the best products for your skin, hair, and style, but if the products aren't right, you don't have to keep them - while having to find and buy something else.
 
For your own personalized beauty recommendations and a chance to Win a spa vacation for 4 girlfriends! be sure to sign up for your own free account on Bloom.com and invite all your friends to join, too.  Good luck!
 

Do You Wear Makeup Every Day?

Image via Wikipedia

Since I'm at home by myself most days, I just don't see any need for make-up.  I've had friends who always had to put on the make-up whether or not they were going anywhere.  Just because.  I tried that for a while, but it didn't last too long.  I guess I'm just too lazy.  Sometimes, when I go out, I'll wear it.  Sometimes I won't.

For people who wear make-up daily, I think organic make up sounds like a good choice, because everything that goes on your skin is absorbed into your body.  I don't think a lot of people think about the health consequences of using chemical-filled products every day, and maybe those consequences aren't immediate, but I bet they multiply over time.

I'm thinking that I may not put make-up on my face every day, but I do use moisturizer on my face and lotion on my body.  That's a lot of skin area absorbing whatever is in those lotions!  I really ought to think about trading them in for some more natural ones.  It's just that I know they're going to cost more, and I'm going to have to convince myself that they're really that much better for me.

Related articles

• We are what we eat. And your skin definitely eats too.. (youngabunga.wordpress.com)
• makeup anonymous, anyone? (nutenasni.wordpress.com)

Look at all These Colors!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of BH Cosmetics. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't really wear makeup very often because usually I'm not going anywhere or seeing anyone - so why bother?  When I'm going out, I'll usually put some on, and last week when I was seeing people every day, I put it on every day.  I wonder if that's what caused my dry skin?

Anyway, I've heard it said that if you're only going to wear one thing, it should be lipstick.  Honestly, I don't get that, and I've never much liked lipstick.  I do wear eyeshadow once in a while, but I've pretty much stuck to the same colors for years.  Nothing too exciting.  It's not that I wouldn't like to try different colors, but I just don't want to spend a lot of money to get all those colors - especially not knowing if they'll be the right colors for me.  I see makeup more as something for dress-up and for fun and not really a huge necessity, so I really can't justify spending a lot on it.

The eyeshadow palettes from BH Cosmetics might just be the answer.  BH Cosmetics makeup palettes offer the most brilliant colors available on the market at low, below wholesale prices!  You can get 120 colors for under $30, and not just any colors but bright highly pigmented colors, bendable with strong staying power.

These would definitely be fun to play with.  Imagine all the color combinations!  With one of these palettes, I might actually end up wearing eyeshadow more often just so I can try them out.  I'd probably start with the 120 Color Palette 1st Edition - just because I don't have many colors at all, and this one offers a bigger variety of colors than the later editions.

Check out BH Cosmetics to find your palette.  Orders ship the same day if ordered before 3pm PST and come with a money back guarantee.

Venetian Carnival Masks

If I asked you where to buy Venetian carnival masks, would you know?  You know the type of masks I'm talking about, beautiful masks once worn in Venice society by noblemen and servants - to keep their identities and activities hidden.  When you think about it, I'm surprised more celebrities don't wear these.  The paparazzi might still be able to take their pictures, but it would be hard to prove who's actually behind that mask.

OK, just a thought.  Maybe nobody still wears these masks while going about their daily business, but they are recognized for their beauty and craftsmanship and are collected for use and display by people who appreciate fine art the world over. And they are still worn during the world famous Carnivale in Venice.

Whatever style of  Venetian Face Masks you're interested in - Bauta, Columbine, Medico Della Peste, or Moretta - you can find them all at 1001 Venetian Masks. Each mask is hand selected and made by Master Artisans and is 100% authentic – no imitations.  1001 Venetian Masks is a family owned business, providing a great selection of Venetian masks and exceptional customer service.  Please be sure to check them out.  These masks are gorgeous!

Thoughts on Coloring

I hate getting home from the store and realizing I forgot something.  If it's something really important, I can usually have Jeffrey stop and pick it up on the way home.  Rarely is it important enough for me to run back over to the store, and often I can just wait until the next time I go shopping.  This isn't really all that important...

Today I was thinking about looking at hair rinses to see if I might want to buy one, but I forgot to look.  I was thinking maybe it would be something I could use between colorings.  I used to color my hair for fun, but now it's because of those gray pigment challenged hairs that keep showing up.  You know they say gray hair is hereditary - you get it from your kids!

At some point in time, I suppose it will be time to forgo the hair color and just go gray gracefully.  I'm not sure when that will be.  When I'm old?  Define old.  When Jeffrey finally goes gray or needs hair loss treatment for men? After all, he is almost 4 years older than I am, so it wouldn't do for me to look older!  When Beth finally grows up, gets married and has a kid of her own, making me a grandma?

Is there ever a good time to stop coloring and just go gray?

Colors for My Toes

I've never been one to wear nail polish much. Once in a while I'll try painting my fingernails, but it always seems that as soon as I get it done I need to do something that will mess them up. I know some people do it, but I haven't found a way to cook, clean, wash dishes, and everything else I do, and have gorgeous nails, too.

So, instead of wearing nail polish on my fingernails, I wear it on my toenails, at least in the summer. I'm not washing dishes with my feet, so it seems to last longer that way, and my toes are far enough away from my eyes that I'm not noticing every little chip.

Some of my favorite colors are getting used up, so I'm going to need to replace them soon. I have a bronze that I really like and a really deep red, too, kind of like the one pictured here. I found this website called Hello Gorgeous! that might be a good place to get some replacements and maybe even some new colors. They have all kinds of brands like Essie, Zoya, and Olan, and their prices are up to 50% off. I admit that I don't know a whole lot about the brands, but I do like savings! Shipping on all orders is $4.95, so the best deal would be to order several at once. I think it would be hard to choose just one, anyway. If I had to choose, though, I might choose the one pictured here - Olan nail polish called Black Forest, or maybe the one called Ginger Snap. I love reading through the names of these polishes. They're so creative.

Anyway, if you want new nail polish, want name brands, and want to save some money off regular store prices, check out Hello Gorgeous!

I Could Use Some Makeup Tips

Since I'm usually home, I don't really bother with wearing makeup. Sometimes when I go out, I don't even put any on. Beth, on the other hand, thinks she needs Make up all the time. She's 17, and she's gorgeous, but she'll never listen to me when I tell her she doesn't need the makeup, and she'll definitely never listen when I tell her I think she's wearing too much or that it doesn't look good. What is it with teenage girls and those raccoon eyes? Can you say too much eyeliner?

Since I don't wear much makeup, I'm certainly not the one she can turn to for makeup tips. Yes, I know it's only my opinion that black-ringed eyes are unattractive, so I am going to send her the link to makeuptip.com. She'd be more likely to follow the instructions there for applying natural looking eyeliner than listen to her mom.

Since I never spent much time learning to apply makeup, I think this site could help me, too. They cover the basics of applying makeup and move on to eyes, cheeks, and lips, and even give some skin care tips. It looks like a great resource for everyday makeup tips and tricks. I might even be able to figure out how to wear that lipstick my husband thinks he likes, and not feel like an idiot doing it.

I Got Naked

A couple years ago, a friend of mine gave me some samples of a natural shampoo she thought I should try. She also gave me a sheet that claimed the ingredients in regular shampoo are really bad for you. I don't remember all the details, and I don't know if I believed it all at the time, but I gave the shampoo a try. The only thing I remember about that shampoo was that the smell was so strong I had trouble breathing, and I did not switch from using my regular shampoo.

Yesterday I received some samples of another natural shampoo to try. I don't really know that shampoo ingredients like DEA, TEA, and Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates, are as bad as some people say, but I believe that using natural ingredients instead has to be better, especially if they work just as well. So, when I received the naked naturals shampoo and conditioner samples, I was ready to give them a try. Not only do they leave out those potentially harmful chemicals, they promise to make your hair stronger and healthier. The secret is a plant protein called Keravis, which is exclusive to the Naked Naturals products. It works at the molecular level, moisturizing the hair follicle and making the hair thicker and stronger.

I used both the shampoo and the conditioner when I took my shower today. I like this a lot better than that last natural shampoo. For one thing, it smells wonderful! There is a lot to be said for not using any synthetic fragrances. The shampoo lathered up nicely and cleaned my hair well. I will be able to wash my hair one more time with the sample I received. I had to use all of the conditioner and really would have liked a little more. I have a lot of hair, and I wasn't quite sure I got the conditioner worked completely through it. Still, my hair is nice and soft today, so it did a good job anyway. I've recently been using natural, plant-based detergents to wash our clothes, and I like the idea of using natural products in my hair and on my skin, too.

Naked Naturals can be purchased at Walgreens or you can Shop Naked and buy them online at the Naked Naturals website.

I Need a New Style

I really need to get a haircut, but I keep putting it off - because I don't know what I want to do. I've been trying to grow my hair out some. For years I had it pretty short. I liked it short. It was usually easy to take care of. But, I have a husband who is the typical guy who likes long hair. And my kids think I should grow my hair, too. So, I try. I know there's more to it than just letting it grow. I really want some kind of style.

My problem is always that I can't find a picture of a hairstyle I might like. Or, if I find a picture, I can't really tell if it will look good on me or not. Today I played around with this online makeover tool at Makeover Solutions. They have a paid version, but I just signed up for the free one. I uploaded the one picture I am allowed with my free account - which I had to go take because I could not find one full face picture of me on my computer. Once the picture was uploaded, they took me through all kinds of steps to define my eyes, lips, and face shape. I had a really hard time with the eyeliner, because I never wear eyeliner and I really don't know where it is supposed to be. Yeah, I'm good.

Once I finally got my picture defined, I started playing with hairstyles, and that's when I noticed that several hairstyles are locked - so only paid members can try them on. Still, the free version has several I can 'try on', so maybe I'll find something I like. There are also quite a few options to 'try on' makeup, eyewear, and accessories. Again, only some of them are available with the free account.

Besides the makeover tool, this site also has hairstyle pictures to browse through. Wish me luck finding the perfect style for me, or at least one I can live with.