Natural Skincare

To save money these days many are turning back the clock so to speak,
to the times of their mother, grandmothers, great 
grandmothers. Back to the time when skincare began in the kitchen.
Here are 6 do it yourself recipes for natural kitchen you can whip together
with ingredients found in most modern kitchens.
Almond Honey Face Masque
Beat the yolk of 4 eggs with 1 cup of honey. Then mix in 1 cup sweet 
almond oil with 4 ounces blanched and ground almond to make a 
thick paste. Massage into your skin leave on 30 minutes. Wash off
with warm water and pat dry.
For the whole body.
Black Tea Body Masque
1 ¼ cups water
2 black tea bags
1 tablespoon chopped sage leaves
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
½ packet unflavored gelatin
½ teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Bring the water to boil in a saucepan, add the tea bags, sage, thyme. 
Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat 
and cool slightly. Stir in gelatin, honey and almond & peppermint 
extracts. Let sit in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours or until firm. It
should have a gelatinous consistency. Apply to the body, 
smoothing mixture evenly over skin. Double the recipe to do the 
whole body. It makes about 1 cup. Leave on for 15 minutes then
rinse with warm water. After you rinse your body will feel 
toned, refreshed with a smoother, tighter appearance.
The next recipe is remove dead skin cells from your skin. It’s a scrub with
pineapple. Did you know that pineapple is a natural gentle 
exfoliant and a anti-inflammatory? 
Tropical Fruit Masque
½ cup chopped fresh pineapple
1 whole apple(cored and chopped leaving skin on)
¼ cup finely ground almonds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
½ banana
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ packet unflavored gelatin
In a blender, mix all the ingredients except gelatin on medium speed for
20 seconds. Add gelatin and blend for another 20 seconds. Let 
the mixture sit for at least 10 minutes giving the gelatin to set 
slightly. Apply evenly to the entire face and neck area. Leave on for
15 to 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water. May be used twice
a week as needed. Makes 1 cup
Cucumber Toner
Take 1/2 cucumber and cut it up into rounds after peeling it, place in a 
bowl with enough lemon or lime juice. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Remove from bowl and gently rub cucumber all over your 
face. Be sure to not get it anywhere near your eyes. Leave on for 30
minutes. Wash off with warm water. This treatment will leave 
your skin tighter, and soft and smooth.
Apricot Milk Bath
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix together and let it sit for about 1 hour.
Then mix in: 
1 teaspoon cider apple vinegar
2 tablespoons witch hazel
and the juice of 3 apricots, put together in a blender with a small carton of
unflavored yogurt.
Stir in 2 beaten eggs, and ½ pint of milk and put it all through the 
blender. Blend a minute or so and add the another ½ pint of milk.
Pour into a plastic bottle and keep in the refrigerator till bath
time. Add about one cup per bath, this should last you 6 baths.
Nail treatments
To strengthen your nails, soak them daily for 5 minutes in warm almond 
or olive oil. Discolored? Clean them in lemon juice and scrub them in
white vinegar. 

Before trying these recipes do a patch test to be sure you do react to any 
of the ingredients used.
To do a patch test, create the recipe and apply a small amount to the skin
on the inside of your arm and wait 24 hours. Always remember
you are the one responsible for making the product and
you are responsible for one’s safely! 

Back to skin care section

Define Your Eyes Using Pencil Eyeliner Tips

What is the best eyeliner is a question many women ask. Its a question 
asked often. Yet not all women want to wear eyeliner because they
want the "natural look" but have no idea that if you apply 
eyeliner, you get that just that! Just applying a darker tone at the 
base of your lashes adds wonderful definition, making lashes look 
longer, and eyeliner can be used to help correct your eye shape if need be.
Eyeliner when applied correctly gives the illusion of longer lashes. There is
really nothing worse than white spaces between lashes to ruin a
look especially if you have light colored lashes.

There are three types of eyeliner:

Pencil- gives the softest finish, easiest to use and you can smudge it. If 
you can use a pencil you can use a pencil eyeliner.
Cake- applies wet with a small brush, smudges well when using eye 
shadow over it. Long lasting tends not to flake like liquid can. 
Liquid – gives the most dramatic look of all the types, quick drying, needs
a steady hand. Can flake.
Gel- used like a liquid or cake but can easier to apply, its long lasting, 
apply with a brush.
This article is going to talk about pencil eyeliners and hopefully give you
enough information to help you in making your choice of the best
eyeliner for you.

So, what is pencil eyeliner then?

Pencils 
Pencil- gives the softest finish, easiest to use and you can smudge it. If 
you can use a pencil you can use a pencil eyeliner.
What should an great pencil eyeliner do? It should work effectively without 
having too press hard, has a good wearable color day or night, 
doesn’t drag and has a great smudge-ability.

When using an pencil eyeliner there are a few tricks you may not know 
about.
Using a pencil eye liner make it easier to apply a line at the base of your 
eyelashes. Especially if you have shaky hands.
Want your pencil eyeliner to stay put?
Try this: Apply a layer of eye shadow over it. Smudge it with a small brush
and your pencil eyeliner stays put!

What about using your pencil eyeliner in warm weather? Stick it in the 
freezer for a few minutes before sharpening them.
What about using it in cold weather? Your pencil can get too hard and can 
drag and leave an uneven look. Hit it with your hairdryer to soften the
point before using it. Just be sure it’s not still hot!!

**Side note: Besides me, does anyone else remember doing this? :D
As a teenager I remember lighting a match to soften the tip of my pencil
eyeliner in the girl’s bathroom. I wasn’t allowed to wear 
makeup but like all teens that didn’t stop me from applying it before
morning class!!

Did you realize that even among pencil eyeliners you have choices?
Your basic drugstore pencil is just like a pencil. Some can be really hard,
don’t stay put or flake.
Your more expensive ones tend to have useful extras like a build in
sponges to smudge with and a sharpener. Doesn’t mean the more
expensive ones are better, it will depend on the brand as well.
Softer the pencil the more likely it will disappear quicker.

Do invest in a good sharpener for your pencil eyeliner, nothing worse than
trying to sharpen it with a kitchen knife!
Now that you got a idea what pencil eyeliners are all about, how about a 
color tip?

Your eyeliner should harmonize with your eye shadows, but it doesn’t have
to match exactly. Even though black eyeliner is the biggest 
seller and worn by more women overall, it’s not a natural look.

Blue eyes? Look for a eyeliner in shades of navy, it helps bring out the
white in your eyes making you look more awake. Violet shade will
also work as well.
Brown eyes? Use a dark brown eyeliner bronze to really make your eyes
pop!
Green eyes? Try brown, gold or even olive to bring out the green in your 
eyes!
Off to a party? That’s when you can have fun with your eyeliners! Try 
silver or crazy colors with glitter!

Lasting thoughts about pencil eyeliners. There are some who use eyeliners
in the waterline.. I don’t recommend it but if you do, pencils
are the easiest to use when applying it in the waterline. Now
DO NOT SHARE your eyeliner no matter who it might be!! Germs 
are Germs ok??