DIY Organic Jojoba Oil And Sugar Body Scrub *updated with video demo*

Add a tablespoon of jojoba oil to 1/3 cup of raw sugar to make an awesome exfoliating scrub! Super easy but faboo results. It will leave your skin exfoliated and soft as a baby's butt for pennies without all of the chemicals, preservatives and heavy perfumes of commercial body scrubs. Because you're using sugar, you don't have to worry about your tub or pipes getting rusted like with salt scrubs. I used Deluxe Botanicals Jojoba Oil - 100% Pure & Organic.

The best thing about Jojoba Oil is that it is packed with almost all of the vitamins and minerals essentially needed for healthy hair and skin, namely, vitamin E, B-complex, copper, zinc, selenium, iodine, and chromium. It normally does not have any harmful impact and can be used by even those who are having sensitive skin without worrying for any allergic reaction.

WHAT IS JOJOBA OIL?

Jojoba oil is actually not an oil, but a liquid wax. It’s a melted type of vegetable wax and is found in the seeds/nuts of jojoba plant, which is an evergreen woody shrub plant that grows in hot areas, such as desert areas of California, Arizona and Mexico. It’s colourless, odorless and has a number of beauty benefits. It has a very long shelf life, so it can sit on your shower shelf for years!

IS JOJOBA OIL GOOD FOR SKIN, HAIR AND FACE?

The jojoba oil is the only oil that closely resembles human sebum – an oily substance naturally produced by the oil glands below the skin surface, so its uses and benefits to the skin and hair are high. It is a perfect choice for those who want to use natural products for their skin, hair and face care.

USES FOR JOJOBA OIL

Jojoba oil has immense uses for skin, hair and face. It can be used alone or can be combined with other essential oils to make it more effective. This oil is beneficial due to its moisturizing and emollient properties. Its awesome beneficial qualities to manage skin and hair have made it a useful ingredient for hair, beauty and skin care products. Moreover it is anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and non-toxic that again make it useful for hair, face and the whole body.

DIY Activated Charcoal Face Mask For Super Clear, Clean Skin

While I always thought of activated charcoal as what my ex husband took whenever he was barfing off the balcony, it also makes an awesome face mask! Charcoal is included in a lot of konjac sponges because it draws impurities out of the skin (just like it draws toxins out of the body.)

I’ve dubbed this mask the “blackhead busting blackout” mask since 1) its ingredients clarify the skin by pulling dirt from pores and thereby helping to eliminate blackheads, and 2) it’s as black as the night sky.

Or should I just say that it’s as black as charcoal (activated charcoal, to be specific), one of its main ingredients? I suppose that would make more sense.

Activated charcoal is similar to common charcoal, but is made specifically for medicinal use. To make activated charcoal, manufacturers heat common charcoal in the presence of a gas that causes the charcoal to become very porous. These pores allow activated charcoal to trap chemicals. Activated charcoal is used to treat poisonings, intestinal gas, nausea, and bile flow issues (cholestasis) during pregnancy. Activated charcoal also works wonders for the skin when applied topically: it keeps skin clear by acting as a magnet to draw dirt out of pores. It not only clears pores but also improves skin-tone by removing dry patches.

Bentonite clay also acts as a magnet to draw dirt from the pores. High-quality bentonite clay can be ingested to pull toxins from the body. When applied topically, it absorbs toxins, draws out blackheads, and kills acne-causing bacteria. 

So let’s get to it!

DIY all-natural blackhead busting blackout mask:

Ingredients

• 2 capsules of activated charcoal (approximately 0.2 grams) opened and emptied. To open gelatin capsules, simply twist the two halves and gently pull them apart as in the picture below.
• 1/2 teaspoon of bentonite clay
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of water

Directions:

Mix* all of the ingredients together into a smooth paste, and spot test the mask on your cheek or underside of your wrist to make sure that you do not have any adverse reactions. Wash face with a mild cleanser and pat partially dry (so that it is not dripping wet, yet moist). Apply the mask evenly avoiding the delicate skin around your eyes and lips, and let sit until dry, about 7-10 minutes. As the mask dries, it feels tight on the skin, which can sometimes feel a little itchy (if you start to feel uncomfortable, wash the mask off).  After the mask dries, wash it off, pat face gently with a clean towel, and let the skin breath or apply a mild all-natural moisturizer (I usually just apply jojoba oil to any areas that are prone to dryness).

That’s it! Easy-peasy as always.

*Be sure to stir this mixture with a plastic or wooden spoon, as both charcoal and clay pull toxins from metals. Also be sure to store your clay in a non-metal container.

Ombre Nail Look Tutorial and Free Welcome Box Offer from Julep

Ombre isn’t a new trend–we’ve been seeing it for years, on everything from clothing to nail art to hair. And yet, its popularity still isn’t fading! Why? Probably because ombre is so fun to create and so easy to DIY. Julep has shared a new ombre nail art tutorial that uses colors from their 'Fall Into Ombre' Welcome Box - FREE when you join Julep Maven.

Let's get started!

1. Choose three polishes that blend well together, spanning from dark to light. Not sure what to pick? You can’t go wrong with a deep, opaque color, a lighter shade of the same color, and white. Polish your nails with your darkest color. Allow them to dry.

2. Pour two small dollops of your medium and light colors on a smooth surface (like a piece of wax paper). The two dollops together should be about two-thirds the length of your nails. Use a toothpick or orangewood stick to swirl them together slightly so they mix in the middle, forming a gradient.

3. Dip the edge of a cosmetic sponge directly into your dollops of nail polish then align the sponge so that the lightest color is at the tip of your nail. Press the polish onto your nails with the sponge, dabbing and repeating until you achieve the desired effect. This doesn’t have to be precise!

4. Clean up the edges with our polish corrector pen or a thin brush dipped in polish remover. Finish with a top coat. Voilà!

Get the colors used in this look for FREE when you join Julep Maven, the subscription beauty box program. As a Julep Maven you’ll receive a box of brand-new, full sized nail color and beauty products each month – and you deserve it!

• Julep Maven is affordable. Every month you get more than $40 of full-size products for just $24.99 per month (tip - prepay for three months at a time and save $15).
• Julep Maven is the only customizable box of full-size, limited-run nail colors and beauty innovations. That means no surprises, no dupes or colors you don't like. You can see what is in your box each month and have the option of swapping out colors/products you already have or don't want.
• Julep Mavens get 20% off all single product purchases, free shipping, early access to secret sales. If you are passionate about your polish, that adds up to some amazing savings!

LIMITED TIME OFFER! Join Maven and get the 4-piece Ombre Welcome Box FREE ($50+ value) - just pay $2.99 shipping with code FALLGIRL. Want an even better deal? Pre-pay for your first three months of Maven and get the Welcome Box and shipping FREE. Either way, you are going to LOVE being a Maven.

Great Recipe For DIY Homemade Clear Skin Mask

Cleanser and Exfoliating mask for All Skin Types

4 Tablespoons ground oats

\6 large ripe organic strawberries

2 teaspoons light cream

1 drop rose or 2 drops geranium essential oil

3 drops lemon essential oil

Grind up oatmeal in a coffee mill reserved just for your skin care ingredients. Mash strawberries in a glass bowl, and then add oats.
Add enough cream to make a paste.Add essential oils.
Divide mixture in half. Apply to face, and leave 10 minutes.

Rinse off with cool water. Makes two applications.

Make An Awesome Hair Mask At Home!

Why pay high prices for expensive designer hair masks? You can make this one at home in a few minutes with only 3 ingredients!

1 Avacado

1/4 cup shea butter (I used unrefined Fair Trade Organic from Biofinest 

And 1 TBSP oil of your choice- use heavier oils for thick, coarse or damaged hair and light oils for fine hair- I used organic Jojoba oil by Deluxe Botanicals

 GO to town in a food processor and then voila! You'll be the prettiest gal on the block :-)

#beautytips using my #avocado #biofinestsheabutter and #deluxebotanicals #jojobaoil #hairmask #impretty

A photo posted by Julie Ann Keene-Roppolo (@thebeautypirate) on Aug 2, 2015 at 9:32pm

 Afterwards your hair will feel AMAZING. But oh yeah- you DO need to wash it out :-)

PDT

I love my #doggiedaughter and #599fashion #cheapclothes #rivetandsway #glasses

A photo posted by Julie Ann Keene-Roppolo (@thebeautypirate) on Jul 27, 2015 at 4:50pm PDT

Bath Salts - make your own for pennies!

Bath Salts are super easy to make, and doing them on your own allows you to customize them to your specific needs. Using real essential oils gives you fantastic aromatherapeutic benefits as well. A favorite of mine for perking myself up after a long day when I still have far to go (you know those Fridays when you have plans that night but worked your keister off all week?) is to do a blend of tangerine and mint essential oils. Tangerine Essential Oil is rich in the powerful antioxidant d-limonene. It also helps to release stress and occasional nervous irritability while peppermint oil can be both energizing and soothing. 

An Epsom salt bath soak is detoxifying, can alleviate stress and tension, and does wonders for the skin. Try using scents like lavender, jasmine, and cedar for a calming bath, or citrus scents like grapefruit, orange, tangerine, or lemon for clarity and joy.

• 3 cups Epsom salt
• 2 cups sea salt
• 2 tbsp essential oil
• 1/2 cup baking soda

Mix the salts together in a large bowl, then sprinkle in the essential oil. Mix with a whisk or a fork to break up any clumps that may form, then add baking soda and mix well. 

Et Voila! Your "me time" awaits! 

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!