10 Beauty Tricks You Can Get Out Of Baby Power

Baby power isn't just for babies anymore. It's easy to get, inexpensive, very versatile and an emergency must-have! There are many ways to use baby power besides for the bebe's bootay!

Here are 10 tips and tricks you can use baby power for your beauty emergencies:


1. Dry Shampoo
Maybe it's your lazy day, out of your favorite dry shampoo, or maybe you've ban yourself from purchasing anything beauty related. Like me, in that case, baby power to the rescue! All you need to do is sprinkle it onto your hairline and thoroughly brush your hair. I personally like to keep the power on my hair for a few minutes while I do my make up. So the baby power can absorb as much oil and smelliness, before brushing it out!

2. Vavavoom Lashes 
Sometimes we just need a little enhancement. Besides brows and SPF, lashes are a must for me! Since I'm not blessed with long and full eyelashes, this was my little beauty trick and secret for longer lashes in middle school. My trick in keeping it easy-peesy is to use a disposable or old mascara ward to coat your lashes. Then apply mascara. You can repeat the two easy steps as often as you would like, however it is best to wait until your mascara is completely dry. A little goes a long way (trust me, you do not want baby power in your eyes).

3. Setting Make-up
Once again a little goes a long way. Baby power is white, so to keep it translucent, you must go light. Not only does baby power help set your make-up, but it also absorbs any excess oil to keep you from looking oily.

4. Waxing
To all my DIY waxers out there. Please, please, please cleanse your skin first and dust some baby power in the area that you want wax. Baby power creates a barrier between your skin and wax, allowing the wax to have a better grip on your hair. Meaning less pain and smoother skin!

5. Deodorant
Not sure about using baby power for deodorant, but if it works for babies and it absorbs excess oil and funk...why not? It's in case of an emergency, no judgement, sometimes a girl just gotta do what a girl's got to (when Target it closed).

6. Seal your lips
I normally skip this step in my daily make-up routine. However it's a step you don't want to miss if you want your lipstick to last. Although I don't really do this on a daily, it's great for special occasions (even if it's just drinks after work). To help make your lipstick last; just apply your lipstick, cover your lips with tissue paper, and pat some baby power on them.


7. Removing oil & grease stains
As an esthetician, I'm always working with all kinds of oils. Whether it's me being clumsy or simply preforming a treatment, I always find myself in spots of oil.  Many times the stain wouldn't wash off or it's on something I can't just throw into the washer. When that happens, I would pat some baby power on the spots and let it sit for a bit before dusting it off. Sometimes you have to pat baby power a few times, rise with dish soap, and launder as normal.


8. Prevent chafing
Say no to thighs or bra chafing! Sprinkle some between your thighs before heading out for a running or simply on a hot sunny day. To prevent bra chafing, I suggest rubbing some onto you skin before and sprinkle some ontoyour bra for extra prevention and protection.

9. Removing sand
Remember when you were small and your parents would tell you to go wash the sand off your feet? But by the time you got to the car your feet and legs seem to be covered in sand...again. Then your parents would make you sit at the edge of the car's foot guard and just dust it off with towels and hurting you in the process? Well, to avoid the traumatic experience is to bring baby power with you the next time you're at the beach. All you need is baby power in your hands to rub the sand off your body!

10. Panty-holes
I'm not sure who's still wearing pant-holes besides Kate Middleton and grandmas...but if you do, make sure you rub some baby power on your feet before slipping on your panty-holes. Baby power will soak up the excess oils that your feet naturally produces, preventing fungal infections. Baby power also helps you slip into your panty-holes a lot easier.

Kitchen Beauty: All Your Beauty Needs From Your Very Own Kitchen

Fridge:
Eggs
Egg whites help tone and even tighten the skin.
Cucumber
Cucumbers are great as eye pads, but can also be used in masques since it's very soothing and healing. I like keeping several cut up cucumbers in the freezer, so that it's always fresh and cold (warm cucumbers...ehhh, no thanks).
Avocado
Avocados aren't just great for guacamole or yummy avocado ice cream. Avocados have vitamins A and C, which is great for dry and sensitive skin! Vitamin A and C is a must have for healthy and glowy skin.
Yogurt
Have sensitive skin? Yogurt is a gentle and natural cleanser!
Milk
Milk is my go-to emergency beauty freak out! My skin is very reactive and sometimes the only thing that will calm my skin is milk. I mean, freaking Cleopatra took milk bathes for a reason! Cleopatra wasn't far fetch for believing that bathing in milk will result to eternal beauty and youth. Milk is actually very beneficial! It's soothing, rebuilds collagen, and gently exfoliates dead skin cells. Plus it can be found in every gorcery store, it's inexpensive, and its multi-usage and purpose makes it a must have in the kitchen!
Lemon
Lemon is all about lightening and brightening. Lemon can be used to help lighten dark spots and hyperpigmentation. Lemon can be used in a homemade masque with honey and yogurt or as a lemon scrub with sugar.
Aloe vera
Aloe vera my grandma's holy grail! My grandma is obsessed with aloe vera, she drinks it, eats it, and puts it on her skin. Any skin problem that my family has, her solution is to put aloe vera on it. Then she heads to the back yard to get us a stem of aloe vera. Gotta love my grandma!
Potatoes
Potatoes are literally the greatest things on earth. I mean you can make french fries, hash browns, mash potatoes, and many many more. But did you know that potatoes are also amazing for puffy eyes and even oily skin? Not only does it help reduce puffiness, but it also absorbs oil from your skin! Maybe that's why McDonald's fries are so good...
Pineapple
Pineapple has enzymatic properties that are like little Pac Man eating away dead skin cells.
Papaya 
Like pineapple, papayas are used as exfoliates and are often found in popular facial peels!
Ice cubes
Ice, ice baby! Ice cubes are soothing and calming. It's great for acne and shrinking pores.

Pantry:
Sugar
I love anything sweet. So it's a given that I also love sugar scrubs. I honestly use sugar in most of my at home beauty treatments. For instance, I use sugar with lemon to scrub my nails so that it can help lighten the stains that I acquire from wear nail polish all year long. I also use it with honey and lemon as a mini at-home facial scrub. Or with coconut oil for a body scrub! It's a staple in the kitchen as will as in my beauty treatments.
Baking Soda
I got baking soda, I got baking soda! Baking soda is often used as a spot treatment for acne. Just mix it with a little honey and apply it to any blemish and watch it go bye-bye! Baking soda is also used as a scrub or masque to exfoliate dead skin cells, leaving your skin softer and brighter.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal has healing, soothing and exfoliating proporties. Which is often used in facial or body masques.
Tea
Tea contains antioxidant and is anti-inflammatory. Tea bags aren't just used for your tea! Tea bags can be used for puffy eyes or tea can be used as cold compresses for a puffy face. So save them tea bags!
Honey
Honey does great things to the skin. It has a toning, healing, smoothing, tightening, and hydrating effects. Plus it's great with tea! Honey is also used in scrubs and masque to give it a thick constancy.
Coconut oil
Who doesn't love coconut oil nowadays?! It's hyped up for a reason! It's used in oil pulling (don't even get me started on that!), hair treatment, scrubs, make up remover, and as a moistuerizer. Although I would caution to to use coconut oil as a facial cleanser or make-up remover due to the fact that it may cause blemishes or maybe reactions to certain skin types, it's great in moderation and simply just listen to your skin! Your skin knows what it wants and likes.

DIY Sugar Kiss Scrub XOXX

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and while you are stressing out about booking a mani-pedi and wax appointments. Don't forget that your face needs some extra loving too! Have no fear (for an esthetician is here), there's no need to book another appointment this time. Instead, try out my DIY facial scrub! No worries, everything you need can be found and created in your very kitchen.  XX

Sugar Kiss Scrub Recipe:
1 cup sugar (brown sugar works too, but I prefer granulated sugar)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1-2 drops vanilla extract or your choice of essential oil
1 teaspoon Honey (optional)

Directions:
1. Microwave the coconut oil for 45 second if it's in solid form
2. Add sugar
3. Mix the vanilla oil into the coconut oil and sugar. If you like honey with your scrub, be sure to mix it with vanilla extract/essential oil before adding it into the mix--it'll clump up otherwise!
4. Cleanse your face to wash away dirt, oil, and bacteria
5. Apply the DIY Sugar Kiss Scrub and scrub-bah-dub
6. After a few minutes you can rinse off and pat your pretty face dry and apply your moisturizer or you can give your face some more loving with my DIY Chocolate Facial (don't worry you and lick the spoon or your face after).
5. Now, just sit back and relax with your boo thang, girlfriends, or Netflix.

P.S. This recipe can be shared with your boo, girls, or you can give yourself a body treatment! Trust me, it's a lot. But why not treat yo self?

What's your favorite Valentine's Day beauty treatment? XOXX

Beauty Tip: Plucker Up and Protect Your Lips!

Happy Sunday!

I'm sure that a lot of us are guilty with neglecting our lips. We think that smearing on lip balm is enough to keep them moisturized and protected, while lathering and treating everything around our face from cleansers, exfoliants, serums, moisturizers and SPF. But sadly, our lips rarely get that much loving. Protecting your lips is important, because it's expose to harsh and unpredictable weather, and dun...dun...dun...sunlight! Our lips also has a very thin protective layer and can easily crack from lack of care, which can be very painful and may lead to infection! Plus, what's the point of applying lipstick if your lips are dry and flaky?

Here are my steps on obtaining soft, smooth, and healthy lips:

1. Cleanse

Cleanse, cleanse, cleanse! I know, I know, you know, but believe it or not, cleansing one's lip is often forgotten! I normally just take a cotton pad, dab Image Skincare's Vital C Cleanser and add some water (of course you can just cleanse your lips as you're washing your face). What I love about this cleanser is that it's creamy, ultra-hydrating, and paraben free! 

2. Refine & moisturize

Grab your old toothbrush (or a mascara wand), Vaseline and just move your toothbrush in circular motion until you effectively remove the majority of the dead skin cells or until it feels soft enough for you! If you're not busy, lazy, or just in need of some extra lip loving. Mix some brown sugar, honey, and coconut oil to get a deep exfoliation! Both are excellent for exfoliating and moisturizing your lips! 

Tip: If you're traveling or feeling like "ain't nobody got time for that", I recommend getting a lip scrub. There are many lip scrubs out there, but I love Burt's Bee Soothing Lip Balm with Eucalyptus and Menthol. It's not often used as a lip scrub, but it's amazing and I always feel like the product is bead-y enough to use as a go-to exfoliant! It's also inexpensive and you don't have to worry about contaminating it with your fingers, which I appreciate and love!

3. Protect

This is something a lot of people forget! We protect our face from sun exposure, but don't realize that our lips needs a little SPF loving too! To protect my lips from sun damage and well moisturized, my go-to SPF lip balm is Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15. 

4. Put on your favorite fall lipstick 
Ahh! Isn't this the fun part? My two favorite fall lipstick is Chanel Rouge Allure Adorable (what's more adorable about this lipstick is that my adorable 79 year old grandma gave me this!) and YSL Rouge Volupté Forbidden Burgundy. Chanel Rouge Allure Adorable is more natural and I normally grab this lipstick when I'm in a rush or just want a little color. YSL Rouge Volupté Forbidden Burgundy is POP POP POP! It's my go-to when I feel a little down or a night out in the city with my girls!

Xoxx

Heather

DIY Chocolate Facial

Chocolate facials are full of antioxidants, which helps repair your skin cells, hydrate, soothe, and increase plumpness and firmness to your skin! For a little help on sloughing off that dead skin cells of yours, just add a little bit of oatmeal to your chocolate facial masque and voilà! Oatmeal also helps fights dryness, is very soothing to the skin, gentle exfoliant, and acts as a natural defense for your skin!

Now, don't forget to lick your face or the bowl when you're done! Seriously, not only is this chocolate facial beneficial for your skin, but it's also a great cure for PMS, mood-swings, and for satisfying that chocolate craving! Dessert and a more radiant, glowing, and hydrated skin? Yes, please!

(My lovely model AKA birthday girl!)

What you'll need: 

1/2 cup milk or dark chocolate chips (preferably dark chocolate)

1/4 cup heavy cream (for dry skin, I recommend coconut oil)

1 oz oatmeal

1 tbsp honey 

Directions: 

1) Melt the chocolate chips

2) Mix all the ingredients together

3) Apply Chocolate Masque (make sure your skin is freshly cleansed before applying)

4) Enjoy for 15-20 minutes (like watch an episode of your favorite TV show on Netflix)

5) To remove, pat gently with a warm towel to dry 

6) Follow up with your favorites: serum, eye creme, and then moisturizer/spf

Xo, 

Heather