Yogurt Facial Mask

A while back ago I discovered natural yogurt masks from a youtube video by Bubzbeauty (linked below). I've been using this yogurt mask for about a year now and it is AMAZING. It moisturizes my face while reducing redness, acne and dirt at the same. It also leaves your skin super smooth and soft, and can also be used in your hair. Here are the steps to use this facial mask:

1: Get a tub of natural, unflavored yogurt. I used Mountain High Original Style All Natural Yoghurt. If the yogurt is flavored, it will damage your skin because of the unnatural ingredients.
                                                             
2: Take one spoonful of yogurt and put in a bowl.


3: Spread the yogurt on your face, using either your fingers or a brush.

4: Leave the yogurt on your face for 20 minutes, then wash it off with water.

Your skin should feel smooth and soft! Comment below if you tried it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNk7fN2-SHw

Natural Nail Tutorial

This is a tutorial to show you how I get healthy, shiny natural nails.



1: Remove your nail polish. I highly recommend using an organic nail polish remover, because acetone based polish removers make nails very brittle and strip them of any moisture. Organic polishes work just as fast as non-organic products, and they are vegan, biodegradable, and have no nasty odor. I bought mine for about $10 from my local Sprouts grocery store, but you can also get them online. The one I use is made by Peacekeeper Cause-Metics and is made from sugar beets, rosemary, and spearmint. It sounds crazy! But trust me it really works. I have found that my nails are even stronger after I use this stuff.


2: If you need to, clip and file your nails. I use a cupcake manicure set that you can purchase from ModCloth. It contains tweezers, a nail file, cuticle pusher, cuticle clippers, and nail clipper. ==> http://www.modcloth.com/shop/beauty/sweeter-than-a-cupcake-manicure-set

3: Pour some olive oil into a small container and submerse your nails in the oil for five minutes. Olive oil is extremely beneficial to nails because it is full of vitamins and promotes nail growth. Leave your nails in the oil for five minutes, and then massage your nail beds and cuticles to stimulate blood flow. Wash your nails off with water.

4: Use a nail buffer to smooth and shine your nails. I used the Revlon Crazy Shine nail buffer which I got from Target for about $4.

These are the steps I use to take care of my nails :) All of them really do work, especially the organic polish remover. If you happen to try any of these, please leave a comment below. 

M&Ms Rice Krispies Recipe

Today I made home-made rice krispies treats for my friend's birthday. It only took 10 minutes to make and has 12 servings! Best served on the same day.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mini M&Ms (you can also substitute in different candies)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
10 oz. of regular sized marshmallows (about 40) or 4 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1: Grease the bottom of a pan and evenly spread the candy.

2: In a large saucepan or pot melt the butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until it is completely melted. Remove from heat.
3: Add the cereal and stir until it is coated with the marshmallow and butter.

4: Spread the mixture over the M&Ms in the pan. Let it cool, then cut out squares and serve with the candy side up.

If you want to go the microwave way..
1: Same as above.
2: Heat butter and marshmallow on high for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes.
3: Same as above.
4: Same as above.



Nutrition Facts: Serving size: 2 2 inch squares, calories: 180, calories from fat: 45, total fat: 5g., saturated fat: 2g., trans fat: 0g., cholesterol: 0g., sodium: 115mg., total carbohydrate: 33g., dietary fiber: 0g., sugars: 19g., protein: 2g.

Splatter Nail Tutorial

1: Paint your nails with a base coat to prevent staining.
2: Paint a base color on your nails until it is opaque.
3: When your nails are dry, scrunch up a sandwich bag and paint a gold polish onto the edges of the bag.
4: Pat the edges of the bag onto your nails to create a splatter effect.
5: Add a top coat to prevent chipping and make your design last longer.

Products used:
OPI Natural Nail Strengthener
Essie Barefoot in Blue
Essie Good as Gold
Ziploc Bags
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Crayon Melting

You may have seen people selling crayon art on Etsy, but it is very easy to do. This would make a great birthday present because you can customize it and only takes about half an hour to make. I put my crayon art inside a binder, but you can also put it on foam board or something sturdy and hang it in your room.

Materials:
Crayons
Paper or foamboard
Superglue
Tape
Blow dryer
Newspaper

1: Peel any paper or wrapping off of the crayon.
2: Place your crayons in the desired design and superglue it down. You might need to tape down some of the crayons if they are still loose.
3: When all your crayons are secure, lay the newspaper down to prevent a mess. Then turn on your blowdryer and make sure the air is hot. Because I used paper, I had to hold it against a wall to keep it from blowing away. Crayon splatter WILL get onto the wall, so make sure you will be able to clean it off later.
4: Aim the blow dryer at the bottom crayons until they begin to melt. This takes about a minute or two, and the wax will begin to drip down.
5: When you are satisfied with the design, allow it to cool. This does not take very long, and then you can place it in a binder or hang it in your room.

Half Moon Manicure Tutorial

1: Paint your nails with a base coat to prevent staining.
2: Paint your nails with a white base until it is opaque.
3: After the white coat is completely dry, place paper reinforcement stickers about 1/3 from the top of the nail. The stickers can be found at office supply stores, but I got mine from CVS.
4: Paint your nails a contrasting color. After one minute, carefully peel the reinforcement sticker off of your nail. You should be left with a curved half moon shape.
5: To create the optional polka dots, place a few drops of nail polish on a paper plate or other surface. Dip a mechanical pencil into the polish and begin dotting your nails. To create the best effect, make one row of dots and then create the second row by dotting in between the first row of dots.
6: Use a top coat to prevent your polish from chipping.

Products used:
OPI Natural Nail Strengthener
OPI Alpine Snow
OPI Mermaid's Tears
Avery Reinforcement Labels ==> http://www.amazon.com/Avery-Self-Adhesive-Reinforcement-Labels-Inches/dp/B003CT7L2G
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat