Homemade Holiday Face Masks | Blogmas Day 11

My skin tends to go a little haywire in the winter months, so masks have become an essential part of my skincare routine. Face masks have an array of advantages, from brightening dull skin, exfoliating, soothing irritated skin amongst other benefits, and nothing is better than a mask made from fresh ingredients found right in your kitchen. Today I have 4 tried and true homemade face masks for you to try out this winter! And the best part is each one literally takes minutes to make.

1. Pumpkin Oatmeal Mask

2 tbsp. raw pumpkin

1 tbsp. rolled oats

1 tbsp. honey

Pumpkin is amazing for your skin. It contains vitamins A and D which can help to soften, soothe and brighten skin. Add in the astringent properties of honey and the exfoliating potential of the oatmeal and you have a good mask to help irritated dull skin when mixed together.

2. Ginger and Honey Mask

2 tbsp. Ginger Juice (throw ginger root and water in blender, strain)

1 tbsp. Honey

Ginger is awesome to treat acne scars because of the natural anti-inflammatory elements it contains. Mixed with the honey, and you have an excellent mask for acne clearing. Simply apply the mask, wait 20 minutes and gently wash off. *Fresh Ginger can also be used to dab on acne spots as a spot remover.

3. Cocoa Coffee Mask

1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

1 tbsp. ground coffee beans

1 1/2 tbsp. almond oil (or any carrier oil)

Coffee is known to reduce inflammation and redness and as an exfoliator, it gently removes dead skin and gives life to a dull complexion. Cocoa is a good source of antioxidants and it also contains sulfur, which is great for fighting acne. Simply mix together to make a paste, apply to face an after about 20 minutes gently wash off of your face.

4. Sweet Potato Ginger Mask

3 tbsp. mashed sweet potato (cooked)

2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. milk/almond milk/ soy milk

Before you toss those sweet potatoes in your casserole, save a little for this mask! Sweet potatoes are known for their anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties and mixed with the honey and ginger it becomes a mask that'll leave your skin seriously smooth and brighter. Just blend all ingredients until smooth, apply to face for about 30 minutes and gently scrub off.

I hope you find these facial mask ideas helpful! Let me know if you try any and what your thoughts are!

xoxo

LivforLashes

**images from Google**

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May Ipsy Glam Bag Review

I'm back with another Ipsy glam bag review! This month, my bag came towards the end of the month like usual lately, so sorry if this post comes at the end of May. Any who, this month's theme was #JetSetter, so all about traveling and going on adventures. 

The bag for this month is a custom Ipsy bag from the brand Breakups to Makeup, a popular online shop, and each bag had a catchy phrase on it. Mine says "Contents: My Life" with a cute little painted on lipstick tube. It's a sturdy canvas material and since it's so cute, this one is definitely going in my purse for all of the random nick nacks I throw in there.

The first item is a moisturizer by CōTZ Face. It's a lightly tinted matte finish moisturizer with an SPF of 40, so it's perfect with summer coming up. I'm excited to try this since it's supposed to be matte and we all know how products with SPF tend to be a little greasy. I'm eager to see if I can use it as a primer as well.

Next up is a tapered blending brush from Luxie Beauty. I've seen these brushes all over Instagram, so I'm excited to be able to try it before purchasing any. It's a synthetic duo fiber blending brush and it is seriously one of the softest ones I've ever felt. I tried it once already and it did an awesome job of diffusing my crease color and evenly distributing the color. It retails for $12, so this alone makes the bag worth the $10 subscription price. I also love the pink handle with the rose gold ferrule. 

The next product is a brow pencil that both Desi Perkins and Chrisspy have used in YoouTube videos and it's from the brand Chella. It's a retractable pencil in the shade "Tantalizing Taupe" so it's a pretty universal shade. I use Taupe in the ABH Brow Wiz so I was happy to see that it is an exact shade match and the texture of the pencil is pretty similar as well. It's a firm pencil that isn't too waxy so it's perfect for making natural hair strokes to fill in the brows.

The next item I wasn't to thrilled about at first, but after trying these Klorane Smoothing and Relaxing Patches, I actually really like them. You put them under your eyes and they are so cooling and refreshing, they're perfect for soothing puffy eyes. I put them on for about five minutes before applying my makeup and it just helped my eyes feel less heavy in the morning and more awake.

The last product is pretty exciting. It's an Urban Decay Lip Primer Pencil with two samples of the new Revolution Lipgloss in the shades Failbait and Bittersweet. The glosses can't be re-sealed so I haven't opened them yet, but I've swatched both at Ulta and I really like them. I'm also pretty stoked to try the pencil, since it's supposed to prolong wear and prevent feathering or bleeding.

With Ipsy when you review products or get referrals, they give you points that you can redeem for products, and I had some points due to expire so I redeemed them for this deluxe sample of the Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Pencil in the shade Black Velvet. I love the formula of these UD eyeliners. Plus, you can never have too many black eyeliners and this is the perfect size to throw in my travel makeup bag.

That does it for my May Ipsy Glam Bag Review! What products did you get this month?

Just One TAG!

A few days ago the amazing Shelby from Beauty and a Blog and Maryam from Line Up The Makeup tagged me in the "

Just One" tag. Basically, you have to choose one product from each of the following categories. JUST ONE. At first I didn't think it would be too hard until I had to actually sit and think about my favorites for the categories. It was so hard! But luckily I was able to gather up my favorite products to share for you guys. so without further ado...

Facial Cleanser: After one of the new Glamglow cleaners ruined my face with extreme dryness and peeling, the only thing that helped restore my skin was the St.  Ives Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Scrub. Its a gentle exfoliant and the green tea is good for minimizing inflammation. It's gentle on my skin without too much irritation and it really leaves my face feeling soft and refreshed and not at all dry later on.

Lip Gloss: I love my matte lipsticks, so I'm not a huge gloss gal, but when I do want lip gloss on, I always have my Milani Brilliant Shine lipgloss in Pink Grapefruit in my bag. It's not sticky and doesn't feel thick on my lips and the subtle shimmer makes it perfect for when I need a little something on my lips.

Eyeshadow Single: This was a super easy one for me. Stila Kitten eyeshadow is hands down my favorite eyeshadow ever. It's a pretty champagne shimmer eyeshadow and I just love it. Stila includes it in quite a few of their eyeshadow palettes and I have a few singles just in case (heaven forbid) they ever discontinue it.

Nail Polish: This was hard since I have about 350 nail polishes, but lately I've been loving spring pastel shades. Currently I have the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polish in the shade "Rosey Riviter" on my nails. With the gel topcoat, these have lasted a good 9 days so far without chips, impressive since I constantly wash my hands at the hospital when I'm at work.

 

Lipstick: This was another hard one since I have a few favorites, but you guys know I love my lilac lipsticks and the Lorac Alter Ego Lipstick in the shade Goddess is always in my purse. These lipsticks have my favorite formula and I have two backups of this one too since I love it so much. (Want to see swatches of my favorites? Let me know!)

Blush: NARS Sin. No hesitation there haha. I have loved this blush for years now and that will probably never change. I am on my second one. It's literally perfect for any makeup look. You can build it up for a deeper berry toned blush, or lightly swept on for a subtle flush. Milani Luminoso is definitely a close second. 

Foundation: This one is a toss-up between NARS Sheer Glow and Este Lauder Double Wear. They are both my tried and true foundations that have never failed me in the years I've been wearing them.They  have different overages, EL is more full and NARS more sheer (duh ha) and I love how I don't have to worry about finding my shade since Bone (EL) and Monte Carlo (Nars) are perfect matches. 

Two Items I Would Buy Over and Over Again: Not including the products I mentioned above that I've re-bought, I would definitely re-buy (already have) the NYX HD Concealer. It's my everyday concealer and I love it. It doesn't crease, doesn't cake up and it lasts all day and covers any dark circles I may get. I would also re-buy the Melt Cosmetics Dark Matter Stack when/if I ever hit pan on my current one.The  shadows are such basic mattes but the formula is so amazing and buttery that they have been included in my everyday makeup routine and replaced my beloved Soft Brown and Cork from MAC.

 

Mascara: I don't really have a favorite mascara. I love both high end and low end and I've tried a million different kinds, but surprisingly, the Victorias Secret Runway Length mascara gives my lashes such amazing length and volume that I've really been loving it these last few months. It's the kind of formula that's almost like a mousse so it coats my lashes completely without getting clumpy or dried out. Plus it doesn't flake off throughout the day. 

Eyeshadow Palette: Another tough one, but honestly, my Stila Eyes Are the Window "Soul" palette has literally been my everyday palette for months now. It has every shade I need for a complete eye look and it's such a good staple neutral palette. And it's so pretty with the gold packaging!

Bronzer/Powder: This is another no brainer for me. NARS Laguna has been my favorite bronzer for about four or five years now and i buy a new one every year (sometimes twice) since i go through it so quickly. its the perfect color for warming up my pale face without being orange and the shimmer is subtle enough to give me a pretty glow without being to shiny.

This was so fun to do! I tag Makeup By Kaelin and Nichole over at Baking & Beauty Department to do this tag next! Have any of you done this tag or would like to? Comment the link so I can check it out and thanks for reading everyone!

New Year, New Products!

Hey everyone! I was looking around online at all the new things coming out in the makeup and beauty world and thought I'd share with you some of the products I'm excited to try. Almost every brand has some sort of spring collection and as much as I love deeper fall and winter colors, spring is my favorite as far as bright colors and prints and whatnot.

So this last week on Janurary 8th, NARS Dual Intensity Eye shadow palette became available online. I love these shadows. I have a few of the singles but for $30 a pop that's steep. This palette is $79 for eight shades which is a steal.

Another NARS product I'm excited about is their new All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation launching January 15th. I adore my Sheer Glow but this one is advertised as being highly pigmented, full coverage and light weight and I'm definitely intrigued by it. This will be $48.

January 7th was the launch of ABH new liquid to matte lipsticks and I already purchased five. Liquid lipsticks have become huge with everyone coming out with their own version and I've been really into them these last few months. These are $20 a piece and come in a bunch of or really pretty shades ranging from bright corals, soft pink, vivid reds and a few vampy shades.

I first saw these Soul Mates bronzer/blush duos a month or so ago and even though they're already out, I haven't gotten to swatch it yet. I really like the idea though. The blush looks kind of small but maybe mixed with the bronzer it would give a pretty flush. These are $34 and come in two shades: Carrie and Big, and Ross and Rachel (how cute is that?!).

Kat Von D

This week Kat Von D released her new contour palette and as much as I love my ABH one, I really like the look of this one. The pans look bigger and I think I like the shade selection better. The Shade + Light Contour palette is $49.

Kat Von D also announced she is bringing back Bow & Arrow and both the old and new Lolita formulas for her spring liquid lipsticks. I missed out on Bow & Arrow so I can't wait to get it. They are $21 each. 

Morphe Brushes

Everyone was super excited for the Jaclyn Hill palette and due to the craziness of the website crashing, a lot of people missed out on it. But no fear, Morphe said they are restocking it in early February. I'm drawn to those corals and purples so this is definitely on my list.

This is $28.

Morphe is doing another collab, this one with MacDaddy and they're coming out with a set of brushes designed with him. I haven't seen the brushes yet but I'm looking forward to checking them out since he is amazing. 

Part of Tarte's spring Tartlette collection is an all-matte palette. The Tartelette palette has all neutral shades and this is a must buy if you like more natural looks. This is $44 and available now.

Also from Tarte is their limited edition Amazonian butter lipsticks. These look super creamy and smooth and being a lipstick junkie that I am, I need to try at least one of these babies. These are $16 each.

Contouring really got hyped in 2014, so I was pretty excited to see that Smashbox was releasing a cream contouring product. Their Step-By-Step Contour Stick Trio comes with a contour shade, a bronzer shade and a higlighter. These are supposed to be smooth and creamy without being oily, so ill probably pick these up. The set is $45.

 

One collection I'm super excited for is the Bao Bao Wan collection by MAC. Wan said it is inspired by keel times and gold and wearable for many skin types and tones. I'm excited to see what products she decided to collab with MAC on, especially since she has killer style. In stores March 2015.

 

I already love my Glamglow Super Clearing Treatment mask, so when I saw that the new Supercleanse Daily Treatment Cleanser was being released I was super excited to try. It is a mud to foam formula to help remove makeup, residue and impurities and I've already heard awesome things about it. It is a Sephora Exclusive for $39 a bottle.

Well that's some of the new products for spring, and I'm sure that I'll find tons more I'll want.What new products are you most excited about? Let me know!

 

Have a good day everyone and thanks for reading!

 

xoxo

LivforLashes

 

Follow me on Twitter! @LivforLashes

 

Find me on Instagram @livforlashes

 

Email: liv_2008@icloud.com

African Black Soap | Trial Run

Happy hump day everyone! I knew I wanted to do another skincare post but didn't know what to write about. Then I thought about how my skin has been acting the last few weeks. With the weather changing (even though it hardly seems like it here in San Diego) that always means two things for my skin: dryness and breakouts. I generally have normal to combination skin, but once it starts getting cooler or warmer out, my face becomes flake city. All around my nose and mouth my skin gets so dry and tight and it usually takes weeks for it to get back to normal. My forehead and nose tend to create a little more oil too which is frustrating. Usually when this happens I have to switch up my skin care routine. 

I've always tried to go with the more natural products, or organic if possible, so I was pretty intrigued when I started hearing about African Black Soap everywhere. 

African Black soap is said to help nourish your skin, clear up acne and eczema, and even out skin tone. It's made with plantain palm ash, plantain peel, and other nourishing ingredients, like Shea butter, almond oil etc. 

I found this one by Shea Moisture at my local Ulta for $4.99.

The packaging says it contains Shea butter and that it is for acne prone and troubled skin. I don't have bad acne, but I always get clusters of blemishes with the weather changes and nothing ever seems to help except leaving them alone and letting time heal them. 

This soap states on the package that it is certified organic, cruelty free (huge plus!), and that it has:

"No parabens, no phthalates, no paraffin, no gluten, no mineral oil, no propylene glycol, no synthetic fragrance, no animal testing, no PABA, no synthetic color and no sulfates"

The side label also states:

"African Black Soap, made from Palm ash, tamarind extract and plantain peel has been used in Africa for centuries to treat eczema, acne, oily skin, psoriasis and other skin ailments. Combined with the healing properties and hydrating properties of Shea butter, this healing soap should be used daily to balance and resolve problem skin"

The soap itself is actually black (different blends may be more brown/amber colored) and has a very clean, natural scent to it. It is a dense soap but easy to break and crumble. The bar I purchased was a decent sized 8oz bar, so for my first use, I decided to slice it into three smaller bars. The two not in use I put in ziplock bags and put them in a cool dark area of my bathroom away from moisture. Since this is organic, it does have an expiration date, but I was surprised to see it is good for 12 months. Other cold pressed bar soaps can last years and years.

 

Since I didn't come with directions, I tried washing my face a few different ways the first time. First I tried rubbing the soap on a face cloth and then washing my face, but found that it didn't really feel like it was actually getting on my skin. Next, I tried lathering it in my hands and applying it that way, which worked well to give me a good lather. Then finally, I decided to just take my mini bar of black soap and scrub it directly into my skin. This actually felt better to me. I worked up a good lather pretty quickly, and I could actually feel the bits of plantain peel exfoliating my skin. After a few seconds I could feel a slight tingling which according to online reviews, that's normal. It did take a little extra rinsing to get the soap off, but after patting dry, my skin felt sooo smooth and velvety with no soapy residue like most bar soaps leave behind. The best part is that my skin didn't feel dry. It wasn't tight or irritated and it actually felt moisturized after it dried. 

I think I'll try this out for a few weeks and take pictures along the way to track any differences in my skin. I'm interested to see if it does help clear up my blemishes, even out my skin time and help keep my oil at bay. I'll check back in with an update post at that time. 

Have any if you tried African Black Soap? Did you see any difference in your skin? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear some personal experiences!

Until next time loves...

xoxo

LivforLashes

You can find African Black Soap here, here, here and here.

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DIY Facial Serum + Essential Oils Chat

Foundation, as we all know, creates a base to which we apply our makeup. But foundation also needs a base, and I don't mean primer. A flawless face starts with flawless skin. Most women have at one point or another had it beaten into them to cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize their skin. It cleans out our pores, removes dead skin cells and locks in moisture. But do you use a serum, too?

Serums are mixtures of pure essential oils and ingredients meant to improve qualities of our skin, be it redness and irritation, dryness, etc. Serums have been around for centuries and within the last few decades they have become very popular. But what exactly is a serum comprised of?

Serums are a combination of a carrier oil and essential oils. The carrier oil is the base liquid of a serum. Popular carrier oils are rose hip oil, sweet almond oil and jojoba oil. Essential oils are any pure oils derived from natural sources, like lavender oil, tea tree oil, etc. Each essential oil has it own therapeutic use. It may seem odd to apply oil to your face, but the particles in essential oils are so small, they are easily absorbed into the skin, unlike lotions that are made up of products that sit on top of the skin.

In this DIY project I will be showing you how to mix up your own facial serum using lavender oil, geranium oil and tea tree oil. You can use any oils you like depending on your individual skin care needs. For my carrier oil, I will be using sweet almond oil. This is my go-to serum that I apply on my face twice a day, morning and night. the best part of this, is that you control what substances you put into your skin. This is all organic, natural products. First, let's take a quick look at our ingredients.

Sweet Almond Oil

This will be the carrier oil. Almond oil is great as a natural skin moisturizer. It is high in vitamins A, B and E which makes it wonderful for soothing irritated skin.

Lavender Oil

This is the first of our essential oils. Lavender is widely used as a calming agent. It has a natural soothing effect on the skin as well as also helping with redness and irritation. If you were to ever buy one oil, this is it, since it is so versatile.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is popular as a natural astringent. It soothes irritated skin, like acne prone skin. It has antibiotic, anti-fungal and infection properties. It also jealous treat acne and relieves itchiness.

Geranium Oil

Geranium oil is a little pricey but so worth the cost. It is a great oil for revitalizing skin, acne treatment and like the others, it also has a calming effect on the skin.

I found all of my supplies at Sprouts, but a lot of these items you can find almost anywhere like walmart, your local pharmacy and health food stores in the aromatherapy section.

Let's get started!

First, fill a small glass container about 3/4 of the way full. I found this one with a dropper top at Sprouts For $1.99

Next, add a few drops (3-4) of the lavender oil. Use the dropper to gently mix together.

Then, add 3-4 drops of the tea tree oil. Mix this again.

Finally, add 2-3 drops of the geranium oil. This oil smells like roses, so depending on how strong you want it to smell, you can adjust the never of drops you put in. Mix again and that's it! Simple right?

Use this mixture starting once a day by pea-sized amount or two and gently massaging it into your face for a minute or two. It will feel very greasy at first and you'll probably panic, but don't worry, the oils will soak into your skin within a few minutes leaving you with soft skin. I use it twice a day, sometimes mixing it into my moisturizer.

I hope you guys found this helpful! Be sure to comment and let me know if you tried this at home! I'd love to hear what mixtures you came up with!

xoxo
LivforLashes

Click here for an in-depth list of esstial oils and their uses!

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IG @livforlashes come check out my page, follow and like!

Email: liv_2008@icloud.com