Hello everyone!

Today I want to share another vegan DIY beauty recipe with you, this time a soothing and collagen-producing face mask. All you need are three simple ingredients you probably already have at home.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana
• ½ a cup of cooked oats
• ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon

Here's how it works:

• Bananas are amongst the top three most nutritious fruits. They contain large amounts of magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, iodine and vitamin A, B, E, and F. Vitamin A in bananas promotes skin-cell turnover.
• Applying cooked oatmeal to the skin can reduce skin redness and inflammation.
• Cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde (the organic compound that gives cinnamon its flavour and colour), which increases collagen levels. This means that when cinnamon is applied to the skin or ingested, collagen levels will increase.

Method:

1. Cook the oatmeal.
2. Mash the ripe banana in a bowl and add to the oatmeal.
3. Add the cinnamon.
4. Mix well.
5. Allow the oatmeal to cool and then apply to the face. 
6. Leave on for 10-15 minutes. 
7. Rinse with tepid water.

Similar posts:

Banana peel skincare?!

DIY: Vegan face mask for acne-prone skin

DIY: Anti-ageing vegan mask

DIY: Banana hair mask

DIY: Honey and cinnamon facial mask/spot treatment

Cruelty-free ingredient swaps for DIY beauty recipes

Talk to you soon!

Hello everyone!

It's that time of the year again; time for Christmas gift shopping! Finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list can be very time-consuming. When shopping for Christmas gifts, I always choose vegan and cruelty-free gifts. 

Many of you ask me about cruelty-free makeup and what it is exactly. Here's what you need to know: Vegan makeup describes makeup that hasn't been formulated with any animal products or byproducts. Cruelty-free means that the product itself hasn't been tested on animals and that any raw materials used in making it weren't tested on animals, either. A product can be both, or one but not the other. Not all vegan products are cruelty-free and not all cruelty-free products are vegan!

Palettes are pretty much a no-brainer when it comes to beauty gifts. They are pretty and have tons of shades. Makeup palettes vary in shapes, sizes, tones and prices. However, not all palettes are created equal, so I’ve created a list of the most giftable makeup palettes this holiday season. 

These are my top picks:

1. Morphe x Coca-Cola Cheerfully Cherry artistry palette 18.5g • Morphe • $28
2. Curator five-pan eyeshadow palette 5g • Hourglass • $180
3. HAUS LABORATORIES by Lady Gaga: Limited Edition LOVE FOR SALE SHADOW PALETTE 18 Shade Palette | New Innovative Formulas | Eye Makeup with Pigmented Matte Metallic Shimmer & Sheer Sparkle Finishes • $48
4. Ambient Lighting Edit Universe Face Palette • Hourglass • $80
5. Wanderlust Palette • Forever 21 • $17
6. Mineralist eyeshadow palette 7.8g • bareMinerals • $32.50
7. Lil Extra artistry palette 11.1g • Morphe • $14
8. Pacifica Beauty Stellar Gaze Eye Shadow Palette 28 Eyeshadow Shades Mineral Eyeshadow Matte Shimmer and Glitter Mica Shades Vitamin E Made from 100% Recyclable Paper Vegan and Cruelty-Free • Pacifica • $24
9. e.l.f. Rose Gold Eyeshadow Palette - Sunset 10 Ultra-Pigmented Matte & Shimmer Shades 0.42 Oz (12g) • Elf • $6.30
10. Morphe x Ashley Strong Strong Affirmation Magic Artistry eyeshadow palette 18g • Morphe • $23
11. Pacifica Beauty • Pacifica • $13.99
12. Mellow Cosmetics Eyeshadow Quad • $28
13. Barry M Cosmetics - Nude & Neutral Rich Eyeshadow Palette - Rich • Barry M • $12.99
14. Sunkissed Desert Dusk Eyeshadow Palette • $7.99
15. Barry M Cosmetics - Nude & Neutral Subtle Eyeshadow Palette - Subtle • Barry M • $12.99
16. Sunkissed Sweet Sunrise Ultimate Face Palette • $7.99
17. Honest Beauty Liquid Eyeliner Vegan Smudge Flake Transfer Proof Carbon Free Silicone Free Cruelty-Free Ophthalmologist Tested with Get It Together Eyeshadow Palette with 10 Pigment-Rich Shades • Honest Beauty • $29.98
18. Mystic Haze Mini PRO Eyeshadow Palette • LORAC • $15
19. Fairytale Forest PRO Eyeshadow Palette • LORAC • $35
20. Mineralist Eyeshadow Palette • bareMinerals • $32
21. ROEN Gold Lust 4 Palette • Roen • $46

Happy gift shopping!

 Hello everyone!

Many of us regularly use face and body scrubs to remove dead skin cells. However, we may be neglecting a part of our body that needs exfoliation just as much. The scalp is no different than the skin on the rest of our body. Our scalp can benefit from a little extra TLC as well!

Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp! Daily use of hair products can cause build-up. In addition to typical dead skin cells accumulating on the scalp. This can result in clogged hair follicles, dull, greasy hair, and slower hair growth. To return the scalp to a healthy state, you need to free hair follicles from what’s building up at the roots. A scalp scrub might be the best solution. 

If you’re looking for natural DIY scalp scrubs, here are four (4) easy DIY vegan recipes that can cure and prevent dry, flaky scalp, improve scalp health and overall hair health. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of baking soda
• 1 tablespoon of vegan shampoo
• a few drops of lavender essential oil 

• 2 tablespoons sea salt (ideal for oily scalp)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tablespoon of vegan conditioner or coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons of sea salt (for oily scalp) or raw sugar 

• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons of raw sugar
• a few drops of tea tree essential oil 

Because of its high level of acidity, apple cider vinegar can help balance the scalp’s pH. This is especially helpful if you need to clarify your scalp of hard water build-up.

Method:

1. Choose one of the DIY recipes.
2. Mix all of these ingredients together.
3. Gently massage the scrub into your scalp. 
4. Leave it on for about 5 minutes. 
5. Rinse it out with warm water.
6. Shampoo and condition.

By massaging a scrub into your scalp, you’ll stimulate blood circulation, remove stubborn oil and build-up, and deliver oxygen to your scalp. In turn, this encourages hair growth. Give it a try! 

Hello everyone!

I am 36 years old and, I know that you cannot get completely rid of wrinkles, fine lines, and other ageing signs. However, you can slow the process down and make your skin look youthful. In this post, I want to share a homemade anti-ageing serum that will help reduce the signs of ageing. 

Ingredients: 

• 4 tbsp aloe vera gel
• 3 capsules vitamin E 
• 2 tbsp rose water
• 5 drops lavender or rosehip essential oil (optional)
• 1 tbsp glycerin

The essential oil is optional because some people with sensitive skin avoid using them on their faces.

Method:

1. Place the aloe vera gel in a bowl. 
2. Add vitamin E capsules. 
3. Add rose water and mix well. 
4. Add glycerin and mix again. 
5. Lastly, add 5 drops of essential oil. 
6. Store this anti-ageing serum in a clean, airtight container. 

This anti-ageing serum has incredible benefits for your skin as it is made with all-natural ingredients. Keep reading.

About the ingredients:

Aloe vera works as an anti-ageing agent. It has Beta Carotene, Vitamin C and Vitamin E that keep your skin soft and smooth.

Vitamin E has antioxidants that are good for your skin. It keeps your skin healthy and soft. 

Rosewater not only cleans your skin but also hydrates it. 

Glycerin moisturises your skin and keeps dryness at bay.

Lavender and rosehip essential oils help in reducing the appearance of ageing.

The best time to use this DIY serum is before you go to bed. Wash your face then, take 2-3 drops of serum and massage it all over your face and neck. 

If you want to slow down the ageing process:

• avoiding smoking
• avoiding spending too much time in the sun
• staying hydrated
• eating foods that are rich in antioxidants such as; blueberries, raspberries, apples, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, eggplant, and legumes like red kidney beans or black beans

Hello everyone!

Today, I want to share a simple, all-natural dog calming spray recipe! This DIY is inspired by Rascal, my Maltipoo! Puppies and young adult dogs are known for having too much energy. Some breeds are also known to be more high energy. 

This spray is ideal for dogs with anxiety. This all-natural, homemade dog calming spray works to calm dogs with mild anxiety. However, for more severe cases, you'll need to consult your vet.

Supplies:

• Lavender essential oil 
• Chamomile essential oil
• Spray bottle

I use lavender and chamomile because they are natural calming agents, and my dog and I like the scent. However, you can use other oils, with calming properties, such as; cedarwood, frankincense, orange, lemon, sandalwood, rose, and bergamot.

Method:

• Fill the spray bottle with water (I use a 75ml bottle). 
• Add 6 drops of lavender essential oil and 6 drops of chamomile essential oil into the bottle.
• Shake the mixture well before every use.

If you are reusing an old spray bottle, clean and dry it before mixing the solution.

How to use:

If you don't want to use commercial products, this homemade calming spray for dogs is natural and safe to use on dogs. Rascal and I recommend you give it a try!

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