Image: istock.com
Pinching pennies for clothing is just sometimes not an option (ever heard of a seasonal splurge, ahem, that Prada bag you had to have?) Well, we save in other ways. I’m not one to want to deny myself the latest Chanel polish, but I will mix up a homemade face mask every now and again. So, when browsing some of my favorite beauty blogs, I always have to try their latest DIYs. I’m not one to hog the wealth, so in honor of sharing and caring, I’m passing along the knowledge to you.
Below you’ll find some of my favorite DIYs. Try them out with friends for a beauty-infused money-saving weekend!
Charmaine Leah, Glamology
Esthetician, Skin Care Therapist and Blogger
Brown Sugar & Olive Oil Facial Scrub
Exfoliating your skin regularly is important to help remove excess dirt, dead skin and oils to rejuvenate your skin. Homemade scrubs can be every bit as effective as store-bought products, but without the nasty chemicals and preservatives. Dont worry about using olive oil; its one of the most light natural oils and will not clog your pores.
What Youll Need:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
Mix the brown sugar and olive oil together. Things can get a little messy, so if you are planning to scrub more than just your face and neck, its recommended to use this scrub in the shower. Apply the mixture to your face in gentle circular motions concentrating on your cheeks, forehead, chin and even lips. Scrub any other areas of your body that may be dry, such as your elbows, knees and feet. After about 1 minute, rinse off the scrub with warm water.
Jessa Blades, Jessa Blades Makeup
Organic Beauty Consultant and Makeup Artist
Lavender and Rose Body Powder. Image: istock.com
This is one of my favorite recipes. This powder is a natural deodorizer because of its absorbent properties. Once you are done making it, you can put it in a spice shaker for sprinkling on the body or just apply it by hand. Have fun and be creative with powders; they can be scented any way you like, and they are so simple and inexpensive to make.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 cup white cosmetic grade clay
- 1-2 cups cornstarch (you can substitute with arrowroot powder)
- 3-5 drops of essential oils- my favorite is lavender
- Lavender and Rose flowers (optional but encouraged!)
1. In a large bowl, using a wire whisk or fork, mix the clay and cornstarch together.
2. Add essential oil (note: It will absorb quite a bit)
3. If you decide to add the herbs, finely grind the lavender and roses (or other herbs of your choice) to a fine powder. Sift. Then grind again. They must be as powdered as possible or they will give a gritty feeling to the powder. A coffee or seed and nut grinder will work fairly well (make sure the grinder is VERY clean or you will smell like coffee).
4. Cover the body powder with a porous cloth and let sit for several hours to dry. Package in a powder container, spice jar with a shaker top, or vintage tin.
Sophie Uliano, Gorgeously Green
NY Times Bestselling author of Gorgeously Green and recently released, Do It Gorgeously
Non-Toxic Vanilla Body Cream
Karen Monterichard, Makeup and Beauty Blog
Freelance Writer
DIY Lipgloss/Lipstick Organizer
What You’ll Need:
- Your lipglosses/lipsticks
- A big box (it should be deeper/taller than your longest lip product when you stand it up inside the box)
- A bunch of smaller empty boxes from lipsticks and glosses
- Scissors
- Scotch tape
Step 1:
Find a big box. I picked this pink one because it has a lid, which makes it stackable.
Step 2:
Flatten out one of your empty lipstick/lipgloss boxes.
Step 3:
Cut through the middle with your scissors to split it in half. Place the halves side-by-side and tape them together. Do that a zillion times (or enough times, whichever comes first).
Step 4:
Once you’ve split and taped enough boxes to hold your lip products, stand them up in the bigger box. Fill each with a tube, label side up so you can see the name easily without having to dig.
Step 5:
If you want to take your organization to the next level, create a helpful reference tool by swatching and labeling each row of colors on a piece of paper. Cover the swatches with a piece of clear tape so they don’t smear, and then glue or tape the reference chart to the inside lid of the big box. Tada! You’re organized.
All lipgloss organizer images courtesy of Karen Monterichard
