Beauty Time-Yogurt Hair Mask

With summer humidity my hair could use a big a little pick me up.  My go to mask is made up of ingredients I keep in my home making this easy to fix up.  This mask leaves my hair soft, gives a good dose of protein, has cleansing qualities from the essential oil used, the honey adds shine and the citrus helps naturally brighten my locks.  I felt like I had just had a deep conditioning treatment at a professional salon after washing it out of my hair. 

1/4 cup of Greek yogurt

3 drops of tea tree oil

Juice from half a lemon

2 tbsp of coconut oil

1 tbsp of honey

In a blender combine all ingredients until smooth.  Apply to your hair in sections, starting from root to tip. Any remaining mixture concentrate on adding to ends.  Pin hair up, for extra concentration wrap a towel around to help the mixture penetrate your hair.  Allow the mixture to almost feel completely dry (about 30 minutes).  Rinse mixture out of hair, shampoo and condition normally.  Style as usual.

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A Lesson In Contouring

Who knew a simple trick could add definition and shape with a blend of a brush?  Over the years I have loved how adding a contour line to my cheek bone instantly awakens and adds a healthy definition to my face.  You are simply enhancing what you already have, so give it a try!

I pulled ultimate inspiration from this photo of Adele, this truly captures a contour.  The fact she is kissing her Oscar show the contoured line that much more but don't make a kissy face when finding your natural line, it doesn't follow the natural line of your cheekbone.

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She is so gorgeous!!!!!

My beautiful and amazing friend Christa helped me achieve this lovely look, it is simple and fast. Once you learn it, you will have mastered the art

All you need is;

• A blush brush
• A blush or bronzer in a shade a few shades darker than your natural skin tone-We used Studio Finish by MAC

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Start by holding your blush brush near the top of your ear and have it run along your natural cheekbone line.  To help find this natural line, smile slightly.  This is the line you want to follow with your contouring color.  Start near the top of your ear and run your color down along to the apple of your cheek.  As you can see, the look almost appears to be a triangle, the widest part beginning at the ear and running down to the apples of your cheeks.  Blend the color in so it doesn't stand out too much but is still apparent, no point in contouring if you blend it all in. Enjoy the natural enhancement of your features!

An Orange Lip-Spring Trend Alert

I have collected beauty tips and tricks over the years.  I have learned/studied what others do to accomplish a look and on my own tried to make it work for me.  There can be a lot of trial and error (like most things) but if you never try then you will never know.  One of my favorite things to always experiment with are new lipsticks.  I am a firm believer in a new lipstick can change your world.  As someone who likes to be encouraged by trends but be not ruled by them, I want to share with you how to achieve the orange lip that is popping up all over this Spring.  

Picking a shade; Don't be intimidated by the idea of orange, it can be extremely flattering. Find a shade that compliments your skin tone, I am more fair with pink and blue undertones so a warmer orange with red looks best on my skin type.  Unsure of your skin tone? Go into a makeup counter and speak with an artist who can help you determine your best shades.

For this tutorial we used MAC lipstick in So Chaud and MAC lip pencil in What A Blast.  

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Prep lips; apply a moisturizing balm to your lips first, this helps keeps your lips moist and makes your color last longer.  I like to apply a concealer around the edge of lips to help outline them and it naturally enhances the look.  Blend it down into the lips so there is no obvious concealer line.  

Application; We applied this lip by using a lip brush, this offers a bit more control. Start from the center and work your way out to the edges of your lips.

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For a finished look I would add a lip pencil.  If lip liner is not your thing than you can skip this step, I think it completes the look, adding definition which makes your lips appear to be perfect. Apply liner around the edges of your lips. Now go out there with your popped lip and have some fun!

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The lovely and gifted artist Christa W. helped me with this post today. Please contact me for her info, she is a true talent.  My next beauty tutorial will be on how we gave my skin a natural and dewy glow to compliment this lip! 

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Yogurt, Oatmeal and Honey Mask

Just when I thought we had turned a corner to Spring the weather gets chilly again and leaves my skin the driest it has been all winter.  It is no secret that from a young age I have loved applying facials masks and in my adult life I love to make my own.  I swear by this at home facial to bring my skin back to life.  Most of the ingredients are probably in your kitchen right now and combined they moisturize, cleanse, exfoliate and brighten.  The yogurt contains lactic acid, a gentle exfoliant that helps cleanse your pores.  The milk fat in the yogurt and honey contain moisturizers and a nice squirt of lemon adds a little extra Vitamin C to the mix for brightening. While washing off the mask the oatmeal helps rid any dry areas of skin.   This mixture is amazing on your skin and good enough to eat!  Yes, you may eat the leftovers, just allow the oats to sit in the yogurt for a couple of hours!

*If you suffer from sensitive skin omit the lemon, it can increase your chances to burn.

1 tablespoon of greek yogurt

1 tablespoon of honey

1 tablespoon of dry oats

A squeeze from a lemon

Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl.  Apply the mask to your face with your fingertips or wide brush (the brush feels wonderful).  Leave on your face for 15-20 minutes and relax.  Gently wash off the mixture with warm water in a circular motion using a damp wash cloth. Your skin should feel smooth and hydrated.  I follow with a light moisturizer and nothing else to give my face a day off of makeup. 

Other tips to help dry skin;

It's been said before and I'll say it again, water, water and more water.  Hydration starts from within so make sure you are getting at least 8 glasses a day.  Eat nutrient dense fruits and veggies for their health benefits and hydrating qualities.  Sleep is when your body heals, that means everything from the inside out.  Your skin regenerates while you sleep so enjoy some extra zzz when you can!

I hope you enjoy this mask! It is always good to remember to do something nice for yourself.  

Winter Night-time Moisturizer

The weather has been pretty frigid these past few weeks in many places.  I've experienced my own bit of extremes from being out in the cold and coming into my heated apartment which ends up drying out my skin!  My saving grace during these cold months is a combination of ingredients that I keep on hand and yes, a lot of my beauty tips come from ingredients I keep in the kitchen. "You like to nourish from the inside out" is what one of my dear friends told me and it's true! Coconut oil is something I am currently using daily to change things up since I can't have dairy right now.  Adjust the ingredients to your liking, I found this combo works happily on my skin and I wake up glowing.  

1 tsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Argan Oil

2-3 drops of pure essential Lavender Oil

I place all the ingredients in a cupped palm and rub my hands together till combined.  I massage into my face in an upward and circular motion and finish by rubbing into my neck and chest.  Two of the most overlooked spots to moisturizer are our neck and chest, don't forget these places! I finish by taking a little extra coconut oil and rubbing it on my lips and around my eye area.  

I love this combination of ingredients because each one has amazing benefits. Coconut oil acts as a natural exfoliant removing excess dead cells on the surface of your skin while strengthening underlying tissues.  Argan oil helps balance out the oil in the skin while penetrating and moisturizing.  Lavender oil is amazing for clogged pores and the beautiful aroma helps calm my mind before I fall asleep.  

A few notes for anyone interested.  

• The idea might seem crazy to some to put oil on your skin, won't it make you skin more oily?  The truth is that one of the leading causes of breakouts is a lack of moisture. Moisturizing with natural oils will balance out your skins oil level and help you towards a more even complexion.  
• A little bit goes a long way so find the combination that works best for you.  Maybe Argan and Coconut aren't for you, other awesome essential oils to try are Almond, Castor, Olive and Grapeseed.  All of these oils have amazing benefits too and I swap them in from time to time. If the measurements are too high or low for you adjust to your liking.
• When buying these oils be sure to buy 100% pure versions of these, not any blends.  They will cost a bit of money but that's the real deal, you don't want the diluted stuff.  A little bit goes a long way and you would end up spending more on generic night creams.  Be sure to read all of the labels.
• In the spirit of the New Year and trying new things I would say go for it, it's about taking a moment for yourself and indulging.  

I hope you enjoy this and please reach out with any questions or comments!

xxo Lexie