Best DIY Beauty of 2013

Hey, guys! You probably know by now that I love the world of fashion and beauty. However, I take an extremely frugal approach to it. My blog's entire purpose was to motivate women, like me, who don't have much money for it all. Just because you can't prance around in Prada or play around with the latest MAC product, doesn't mean you have to give up. I think moms are the biggest victim to this misconception and thus mom jeans and pony tails were created. Don't get me wrong, I love a good pair of sweatpants but we don't have to be limited to that. As it turns out, beauty DIY-style can be a great solution to low funds. These recipes are just as good (if not better) at meeting your needs, but best of all, it's at a fraction of the cost! So since we are at the start of 2014, I thought it would be a great time to do a roundup of my DIY beauty posts from 2013.

This year has brought some amazing beauty recipes and they have completely changed the way I look at skin and hair care. I have never thought of myself as "granola" but we go through life being conditioned to think that fancy brands and complex ingredients are the things that make a product the best. (I'm in the middle of a Mad Men marathon, I know where that started!) Ingredients from the kitchen are not what most of us think of when we think "beauty products" but I've come to find that they can actually be the best when you want results. So break out your inner "hippy"; it's time for us to simplify, ladies! I'm dusting off all of these posts from the year to re-share them with you so you can get to the kitchen and start creating! 

1. No Poo Method

This has been my greatest find this year. I'll even dare to go so far as to say it has changed my life. For women, hair can be a huge burden and can make or break the kind of day you're going to have. With No Poo, "bad hair days" are a thing of the past!

2. DIY Zit Zapper: Aspirin and Lemon Juice Mask

This mask, for me, is more of a spot treatment. The ingredients in this will clear up any breakout in 24 hours. Got a special occasion? Don't let a breakout ruin it! You can clear it up with 2 simple and inexpensive ingredients.

3. DIY Foot Soak: Get Rid of Cracked Feet in 15 Minutes

This foot soak is especially good for those dry winter months. 15 minutes in this soak will take your feet from dry and cracked to soft and smooth. Even better? You probably already have all of the ingredients on hand!

4. Coconut Oil Hair Mask

This mask can bring your hair back from the dead! Not only does it help with the look and feel, it can help your hair's long-term health. This, again, is especially good for dry weather when we're battling static. No funny concoctions; all you need is coconut oil to say farewell to frizz and split ends forever!

5. Orange Juice Face Mask

This mask is great for brightening your skin and for reducing your pores. It's ingredients can exfoliate as well as deep clean and the results are immediate.

6. Honey Face Mask
This is my favorite face mask of all; it makes your skin glow! This mask will brighten your skin and lighten dark spots. The ingredients have antibacterial properties too, so it can also help with breakouts. My skin always appears rejuvenated, evened out and feels so smooth afterwards.





I really hope you give some of these a try! I promise that you will be pleasantly surprised and will never spend $30 on some cleanser/serum/treatment ever again! The individual ingredients in these masks have so many different properties and do things that commercial products just can't do. You could even create your own recipe by mixing and matching what you already have on hand! There are many, many more DIY options out there that I want to check out; dry shampoo, toner and makeup remover just to name a few. I look forward to sharing those with you in 2014! In the meantime, have fun with these and good luck!

Get Ready With Me: Filming Makeup

Hey, guys! I promised a "Get Ready With Me" and today it's here! You've seen my makeup products and now you get to see how I use them. Now, although the products I featured previously were for everyday wear, this routine is not. At the time I was getting ready to film a video on my makeup brushes so this look is for days when I am filming.

You're probably wondering what the difference is. Well typically, in pictures or on camera, makeup for the "real world" doesn't show up quite the same. Often times it can make you look washed out. I'm sure you've had experience with that; makeup looks fabulous, you take some pictures, and then you end up looking like a ghost and you're wondering what the heck happened. To look "normal" on camera, you have to make a couple tweaks. 

For the most part, I battle this by just using a heavier hand when applying my makeup. I apply it in the same way, I just use a little more of it. I still use most of the same products from my everyday look as well, but the Revlon PhotoReady line is wonderful for pictures. The finish isn't "dewy" exactly, but it does give you a natural looking sheen so you look more like a human instead of a cake-faced ghost. (Yeah, that's a real thing.) If you're noticing a white cast on your face or you're looking washed out in pictures, I definitely recommend the PhotoReady products.

So, I hope this turns out to be helpful to all of you who have those makeup troubles in pictures and video. I've included a couple tricks of the trade but being that this was my first on-screen makeup routine, it's a little patchy. Bear with me! I would love some input from you guys with experience. Tips or tricks for filming these would be mucho appreciated! Leave me some advice in the comments! As always, if you enjoyed this, don't be afraid to show me a little love by giving it a thumbs up. If you're not already, don't forget to subscribe to my channel annnnd I'll see you guys next time. Enjoy!

Don't forget to watch in HD!

Sweatin' With No Poo

Hey, guys! I'm sure most of you have seen my post on No 'Poo method. Most of you have probably been referred here from that post. It has gotten such a great reception and I am thrilled with how many people are interested in taking a more natural approach to caring for their hair! But, as I always say, we're all different and that means No 'Poo has to somehow fit into our various needs.

Now I will very honestly admit, I do not workout or exercise near as much as I should....or at all, if I'm being really honest. I know, I know. I should definitely be taking better care of my body. But, I know many of you do and you have a daily exercise regime that No Poo has to factor into.

The Nose Knows...or Does It?

Hey, guys! I have yet another post to answer one of your commonly heard No Poo questions! 

Today I'm targeting your concerns about smell. More specifically, the smell of your hair while using the No Poo method. I especially want to address this for anyone who is hesitant to venture into No Poo because of these particular uncertainties. Trust me, I understand the hesitation. When I used to purchase traditional shampoo and conditioners, I would often choose what I bought based on how it smelled. Seems trivial, I know. But that's how I did it. When you aren't using those traditional products on your hair anymore though, how does that effect it's smell?

My Everyday Makeup Products | Part 3: Face

It's here, the final video in my 3 part everyday makeup series! First was coverage, second was eyes, and today is face. 

Yes, smarty pants, all makeup products go on your face, that's true. But this post  is specifically geared more toward the blushes and bronzers and such. It's a bit more than just those 2 products though because on an average day, I do highlight and contour my face. Obviously on a more special occasion there's a bit more of that but I always try to do a little in my day-to-day makeup routine because....well....I personally think it's just fun! I think it's amazing how you can alter your entire face shape and layout with just a couple tricks of the hand. Just think, a little bit of shading and highlighting can make you look completely different! Some people think that can be misleading or deceiving and you should just be happy with what you've been given naturally but you could really turn that into an entire debate, that I don't care to get into. Yes, you should be happy with the skin you're in but that doesn't mean you can't still have fun with it! And for me, it's just fun! It's just like painting or drawing; it's an art! As most things, to each their own...

So, if you're like me and you have fun with your makeup, this post is for you. My plan of attack is to next feature my brushes and also, my makeup routine. You've seen the products and now I want share how I use them. The brushes should be easy enough to share but as for my makeup routine, we'll see. I haven't yet done a makeup tutorial so figuring out how to best go about that is new. Also, just putting that out there like that is nerve wracking for me for some reason. It's not so different from what I've already done but it just seems like I'm putting myself out there even more so. It's silly, I know. But don't worry, I have full confidence that I can overcome my weird bought of awkwardness and post it like a champ. :)

So for now, I hope you enjoy part 3. Don't forget to watch part 1 and part 2, if you haven't already. Also, be sure to check out my brushes and makeup routine. If you find this video helpful, remember to give it a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe to my channel! I've made it really simple for you; just click on the handy dandy subscribe button at the end of the video. I super-duper appreciate it! ;) Enjoy, guys!

I Want: Fashion Favs

It's a fashion post! Ahhh! I know, I know, I have gone a reeeally long time without a fashion post. I have definitely been on a beauty kick and have been focusing more on growing my YouTube channel lately. Also, it has been waaay too cold for me to get outside to shoot some outfits. Know what the high is here tomorrow? 1! No, that's not a typo. It's going to be 1 whole degree. I don't know how these other girls do it; standing out in the snow in a skirt! I salute you, fellow fashion bloggers! So for today, this big baby is sharing some fashion favorites I'd really love to add to my closet.

The Best of Beauty 2013

The new year is here, it's 2014! Which doesn't feel right to me because for some reason it still feels like 2012. It doesn't even feel like it should be 2013, yet 2014 is here. Odd, I know. But regardless of my wonky internal clock, we're in the year 2014! So to give 2013 a good send off, Kallie from But First, Coffee and I have teamed up together to bring you our favorite beauty products of the year.

You guys probably already know Kallie by now; we've worked together to bring you some fun videos before. I always say this, but I absolutely love watching Kallie! She is the reason I ventured into YouTube and making videos; because she is just that darn good! She's so gorgeous, fun to watch and I always learn a lot from her. Some of my most favorite products I owe to her for recommending them. Case in point: you need to go check her out!

So the best of 2013 is a roundup of all the beauty products I have loved this year. There's a little bit of everything; makeup, skincare, hair care, you name it. Trust me, I had a lot of trouble narrowing down products to mention but these are the best of the best. I didn't try to find just any product to fill a category; these are here because they're genuinely my loves!


 As always, if you enjoyed this video, please remember to give it a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe to my channel! I've made it really simple for you; just click on the lovely little subscribe button at the end of the video. I super-duper appreciate it! And don't forget to go check out Kallie's Favorites of 2013! She had a lot of great favorites and they were all different than mine. That means you get a double dose of great products to discover! Enjoy, guys!