10 DIY Beauty Tips.

I just realized that there are a few little things that I do over and over in my beauty routine that are sort of "unconventional". I rather consider them to be creative or DIY. I thought I should finally write all of these DIY beauty tips out, so you can benefit from my methods. 

My top 10 creative beauty tips:

Powder Your Roots with Translucent Loose Powder
If your hairline starts to look greasy, dig up a big fluffy makeup brush and dip it into a pot of translucent loose powder and brush it into your hair. The powder will instantly absorb all hair oil. Bonus - translucent powder matches all hair colors.

Shave with Conditioner Instead of Shaving Cream
Run out of shaving cream? Do double duty by coating your stems with a thick hair conditioner. It softens the hair so it’s easier to shave off and it makes legs feel amazingly silky.

Make an Egg White Face Mask
To revive tired and dull skin without hitting the spa, try this: Crack open an egg in a bowl, separate the yolk, and use the egg whites to make a face mask. The proteins help to heal and restore skin’s moisture. Leave it on for five minutes, rinse off and follow with toner and moisturizer.

Heat Up Your Eyelash Curler
If you have stick-straight lashes, try blasting your metal eyelash curler with a hair dryer for a couple seconds to heat it up so your lashes bend more easily. Be careful though, as the metal does heat up quick. When I say a few seconds, I mean it.

Spike Lotion with Bronzer
If you don’t have time for a self-tanning session, mix a few pumps of liquid bronzer with regular body lotion and rub it on your legs for a subtle dose of sexy, beachy color.

Soften Your Body with Avocado
Avocado is a natural moisturizer, so use it to your benefit. Take a ripe avocado, remove the pit and skin, and mash it up in a bowl. Slather the avocado all over your body, let it sit for 20 minutes, then rinse off and follow with your regular body lotion.

Amp Up Shine with Vinegar
Mix one part vinegar with four parts carbonated water, and pour the mixture over dry hair. Leave it on for 15 minutes then rinse out. Follow with shampoo to lock in shine and combat dullness.

Press a Tea Bag on Splotches
If you’re sensitive or just looking irritated or puffy for some reason, steep a bag of green tea for a minute or two, let it cool down and dab it over your face. The antioxidants in the tea take down inflammation. When my eyes are extra puffy, I wrap the hot tea bags in paper towels and let them sit on my closed eyes for 5 - 10 minutes.

Use Eye Makeup Remover to Remove Lip Stains or Dark Lipstick
Don’t try to rub off that lip stain or stubborn red lipstick. Instead take a cotton ball or tissue and dip it in makeup remover, and just dab to erase the dark stain fast.

Use Toothpaste on a Zit
Take a pea-size amount of white toothpaste, and place it over zits or red areas. Let it sit for 15 minutes to absorb the oil so the pimple won’t get more clogged, then wash it off.

Friday Finds: March 1, 2013.

Happy March! I am so happy that winter is almost over. I will be thrilled when the first day of spring rolls around on the 20th. My skin is so dry. I have discovered a few new products that are really helping my skin overcome that super dry feeling. Mix that up with a few new makeup products that are taking me into spring and you have this weeks Friday's Finds. Enjoy the weekend!

1. Garnier Fructis Triple NutritionMiracle Dry Oil - $5.99
One product and a ton of uses. This dry oil that sprays onto skin or hair is like a miracle worker - especially on my legs. The dry oil soothes and moisturizes my skin as it instantly absorbs. It leaves my skin soft and supple; hair shiny. Bonus: it has a light citrus scent that smells so good.

2. Maybelline New York Color Sensational Vivids - $7.49
This shiny new lipstick leaves lips drenched in bright, vivid color and tons of shine. It almost looks vinyl. There are ten super saturated shades to chose from. I am loving Vivid Rose, a super bright shiny hot rosy pink.

3. Aveeno Skin Relief Healing Ointment - $7.99
This ointment is just what the doctor ordered. And really, my dermatologist recommended it for my chapped hands. It targets extremely dry, chafed or cracked areas that require ointment for extra protection. I slather the ointment over my hands (spread the extra on my knees and elbows) just as I turn in at night. My hands are finally feeling 'back to normal' soft.

4. L’Oréal Paris Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara - $9.95
Designed to give natural lashes a lash extension look, this new mascara is helping my lashes look the longest they have been - ever. Long lashes are easy as two coats, and they will last all day with no flaking or smudging. (Did you hear about the #GetNoticed challenge?)

5. Talika Instant Manicure - $33.00
My nails and cuticles are even dry this winter and this little treatment is really helping them to be not so brittle. Just one packet of this effervescent powder in a bowl of warm water is a spa like treat that I am doing once a week. It smells so good and is just what I needed to get my cuticles back to their soft, non-peeling ways.

The New and Improved Root Touch-Up by Nice ‘n Easy.

It's been over a year since I had my hair color disaster and decided to only go to a professional for my hair coloring now. I go to the salon every six weeks now and my hair is all the better for it. Sadly, I am seeing a lot of gray at my temples and cannot make it two weeks without needing a touch up. I know I am not the only woman with this problem and there is help available. Clairol Root Touch-Up by Nice ‘n Easy is my favorite at-home touch up product and it has been my savior for many years.

I was thirlled to hear that Root Touch-Up had a little makeover. Not in the coloring products itself, becasue it is perfect just the way it is. This makeover has to do with the bowl and brush that comes with the product. It is definitely a change for the better.

The new Root Touch-Up kit comes complete with the Permanent Color Creme, the Color Activating Lotion, instructions, gloves, a bowl (tray) and brush. The new rounded tray is a sturdy, rounded oblong shaped bowl; similar to what the professionals use in the salon. It is much smaller, but it the right size to mix the hair color in work with. It sits on my bathroom counter perfeclty and dooesn't want to tip over like the old model. The new expert control brush seems to be a bit wider and has a handle that is easy to hold. I love that the opposite end of the brush is pointed to make hair separation (to get into the grays) easier.

I told my professional how I need to touch-up in between my appointments and he said that he highly recommends Root Touch-Up by Nice ‘n Easy to many clients with the same problem. He even suggested the shade Medium Blonde to me, and that is what I have always used. It's great to know that I got that right! Actually this shade is designed to match a variety of medium blonde shades - both at-home and professional brands. All of the 18 shades in the line up contain a unique blend of tones guaranteed to match and blend in with other shades.

Here is the proof.

My grays are gone in ten minutes. It literally takes me about two minutes to mix the hair color and then three minutes to apply it. I rinse it out after ten minutes, making the entire process 15 minutes. It's so easy! My grays are gone and the color blends in perfectly with my hair.

Next time you need a little touch-up, look for Root Touch-Up by Nice ‘n Easy at your favorite drugstore or mass retailer. The suggested retail price is $7.99, but I always seem to find it for $5.99, which seems to be the regular price at my local Target or the sale price at my CVS store. Can you tell I stock-up?