Skincare Saturday: DIY Cucumber & Aloe Vera Mask

Hello Saturday everyone! I hope you're enjoying your weekend. :)

Who else is having skin problems during these devastating Winter months? By problems, I am referring to dry, itchy skin, maybe from the stripping of moisture from the weather or from showering or bathing in warm, hot water. Whatever the case may be, my skin needs to be tended to, like pronto!

Today's recipe is composed of two ingredients and two ingredients only. Not only are cucumbers flushes out toxins and keeps is hydrated, it is also packed with skin friendly minerals. Aloe vera are usually used to alleviate sunburns or burns for that matter, it rejuvenates the skin to be good as new. Haha.

With that said, let's just get our mask on!

CUCUMBER & ALOE VERA MASK

What you’ll need:
-1/2 a Cucumber
-a medium leaf of Aloe Vera
*This recipe yields one mask; if you want to use an entire cucumber, add another leaf of Aloe Vera. Place the unused mask in a container with a lid and store in the fridge for no more than two days.

**For today, I will double the recipe so I can use it on my legs and arms.

Saturday Scrub: DIY Mint Scrub

Saturday greetings  my pretties!!

I bring you another recipe, this time, a scrub. This recipe, unlike the others I have present you is a little time consuming and have various steps but it is worth it at the end.

Pimples have been sprouting on my face like weeds. Ugh. I'll take care of one and in comes a new one the next day. This scrub recipe is natural and healthy.

MINT SCRUB

What You'll Need:
- 1/2 a cucumber (solids)
- 1 tablespoon instant milk powder
- 1 tablespoon oats
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 15 mint leaves
- 1/2 tablespoon (plain) yogurt (optional)

What To Do:
- Depending on how strong your food processor/blender is, you might need to cut up the cucumber to appropriate sizes; after it's cut up, put it in a blender/food processor to blend
- Strain the blended cucumbers and keep the solids and discard the juices
- With a blender/food processor OR a mortar and pestle OR finely chop the mint leaves
- In a bowl, add the oats and milk powder and mix well
- Add the cucumber solids and mix, mix, mix
- Add the mint leaves and mix 'em up
- Lastly, add the honey and mix that in, make sure everything is well mixed

How To Use It:
*Make sure you'll have about 10 minutes of free time because this scrub will fall crumble if you walk around so it is extremely important for you to sit or lay down.
- Apply the scrub to a clean face
- Leave it on for about 10 minutes
- Slowly walk yourself over to a sink, but be careful that the now dried up ingredients might drop all over your house
- Over the sink, use clean fingers to scrub the mask in circular motion until all of the mask have fall off
- Rinse off with cool water and pat to dry

I'll use this scrub again tomorrow and hopefully that will clear up or prevent the pimples.  I am crossing my fingers and hope that my face will clear out soon.

Thank you for visiting and thanks for reading everyone. Enjoy your weekend!! Come back soon! :)

Skincare Saturday: DIY Cucumber & Aloe Vera Mask

Hello Saturday everyone! I hope you're enjoying your weekend. :)

We are officially two days away from entering the Fall season. Yep, mark your calendars guys, September 22 is the first day of Fall. I was suppose to post the Fall/Winter 2014 Beauty Trends today but I will hold that off for a later day. Because today, I cannot sit still to type for the life of me. I am soooo ITCHY! About 70% or 80% of my legs and arms are covered in mosquito bites! It's hideous and uncomfortable. I have been crazily scratching at the bites to no avail. I've tried lotions and so many other remedies. I am going crazy with this itch!!!!

From all the scratching I've been doing the last couple of days, my skin is just horrible. So dried and gross. I need something to dehydrate my skin again. This recipe never fails me when it comes to repairing sun damage, so I am hoping it'll soothe my itchiness.

CUCUMBER & ALOE VERA MASK

What you’ll need:
-1/2 a Cucumber
-a medium leaf of Aloe Vera

*This recipe yields one mask; if you want to use an entire cucumber, add another leaf of Aloe Vera. Place the unused mask in a container with a lid and store in the fridge for no more than two days.

**For today, I will double the recipe so I can use it on my legs and arms.

What to do:
– Cut a cucumber in half. Leave out the half you’ll use and put away the other half.
-Wash and peel.
-Cut off the serrated edges on both sides of the Aloe Vera.
-Slit the top layer of the leaf lengthwise. You will see the translucent Aloe Vera gel inside.
-Carefully fillet the Aloe Vera gel from the leaf.
-Place the Aloe Vera gel in a bowl
-Blend the Cucumber to a puree.
-Add the Aloe Vera to the puree and blend.

*You can add a bit of water if the mask comes out too thick.

How to use it:
-Apply the mask onto a clean face.
-Leave for about 15 minutes.
-Rinse in cold water.

Ahhhhhh, my skin is now rehydrated and rejuvenated. A very easy recipe, yet such a life saver. :)

Thank you for joining me and thanks for reading. :)

Sunday Mask: DIY Skin Rejuvenating Mask

Hellllllllllllo Sunday everybody! Hope you've been enjoying your weekend! I have a slight feeling next week will go by really fast considering how we'll be rewarded with a three day Labor Day weekend. :P

I really need this mask today, to rejuvenate my skin and my mind! My gosh, blind date didn't go so well last night for those wondering... Although I came not expecting anything, I still didn't want to judge him and willingly was gonna  give him a chance.  He was fine for the first ten minutes or so... polite and well mannered. Well, up until he went out for this first smoke break. I'm sorry... I do not mind smoking, in fact, I grew up in a house where all the men smoked, but when it comes to my future husband, I prefer someone who doesn't. He went out to smoke like every ten minutes or so.  After he had a few drinks, his "real" personality started to show. He started speaking loudly, everyone around us kept looking over. Oh my gosh I wanted to dig a hole and hide! He was so critical with his food and being a flat out dick to the poor waiter. He didn't even tip the poor waiter in the end either.. Like really? You spend an hour-ish being an ass to him and you can't even tip him? 

I felt like I wasted a precious hour and a half, which I will never get back. Such a shame too, he is exactly my type. Tall, handsome, toned... but his good looks will not win over his rotten personality. 

I made sure that my aunts and Mom knows about this "great catch". Hahaha, I'm sure they'll lay off this whole blind date for good.. if not, for a good while at least. 

This is so stressful guys... :( I am only giving you guys 10% severity of the situation. It is much, much more intense here at home. Sometimes I just wanna cry aloud. Sigh, that's why this mask is MUCH needed.

SKIN REJUVENATING MASK

What you'll need:
- 1/2 ripe tomato
- 1/4 cucumber

What to do:
- Thoroughly wash the tomato and cucumber
- Peel 1/4 a cucumber
- Blend 1/4 cucumber to a fine pulp
- Add 1/2 tomato and blend to a smooth puree

How to use it:
- Apply on clean face, in a circular motion
- Leave on for about 20 minutes
- Rinse in cold water
- Pat to dry

I recommend wearing an old shirt or something you wouldn't mind getting dirty. The tomato juice may drip, so also sit while doing this mask.

Thank you for visiting me and thanks for reading guys. Please come back tomorrow for another Manicure Monday! :)

Flashback Friday Facial: DIY Cucumber & Aloe Vera Mask

Helllo everyone and happy Friday! Let's all cheer cause here comes the weekend!

I kicked off my Friday with a dive into a nice cool pool. I spent the majority of my day swimming and man does it feel good! I woke up to a nice clear sky and bright sun today instead of the usual overcast, dark cloudy skies. I was meant to go swimming today. The water was so dang nice I just can't...

The only bad thing about swimming is my skin afterward. No matter how much sunscreen I lather and spray on, I end up getting burn anyways. It's not completely burned, just a bit of stiffness and tender to the touch. That is where this miracle mask comes in. I used this mask every time I go swimming and it never fails to rejuvenate my skin in a matter of days.

Check out the recipe for the DIY Cucumber & Aloe Mask and give it a try. It will leave your skin hydrated, moist, super firm and baby soft. 

Thank you for visiting and thanks for reading. Please come back soon. :)

Facial Friday: DIY Mint Scrub

Hello everyone! Happy Friday, happy weekend!!!! 

I bring you another recipe, this time, a scrub. This recipe, unlike the others I have present you is a little time consuming and have various steps but it is worth it at the end.

Pimples have been sprouting on my face like weeds. Ugh. I'll take care of one and in comes a new one the next day. So I looked up online and found this scrub recipe that is natural and healthy. 

MINT SCRUB

What You'll Need:
- 1/2 a cucumber (solids)
- 1 tablespoon instant milk powder
- 1 tablespoon oats
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 15 mint leaves
- 1/2 tablespoon (plain) yogurt (optional)

What To Do:
- Depending on how powerful your food processor/blender is, you might need to cut up the cucumber to appropriate sizes; after it's cut up, put it in a blender/food processor to blend
- Strain the blended cucumbers and keep the solids and discard the juices
- With a blender/food processor OR a mortar and pestle OR finely chop the mint leaves
- In a bowl, add the oats and milk powder and mix well
- Add the cucumber solids and mix, mix, mix
- Add the mint leaves and mix 'em up
- Lastly, add the honey and mix that in, make sure everything is well mixed

How To Use It:
*Make sure you'll have about 10 minutes of free time because this scrub will fall crumble if you walk around so it is extremely important for you to sit or lay down.
- Apply the scrub to a clean face
- Leave it on for about 10 minutes
- Slowly walk yourself over to a sink, but be careful that the now dried up ingredients might drop all over your house
- Over the sink, use clean fingers to scrub the mask in circular motion until all of the mask have fall off
- Rinse off with cool water and pat to dry

I'll use this scrub again tomorrow and hopefully that will clear up or prevent the pimples. I need a clear face by Sunday, so I am crossing my fingers.

Thank you for visiting and thanks for reading everyone. Come back soon! :)

Repairing Sun Exposed Skin

You guuuys....even though it is Saturday and I usually don a face full of makeup (I used today to experiment), that's not the case today... :(

If you guys read yesterday's blog, I was supposed to go swimming but I didn't. Since I was stuck at home waiting on the repairmen anyways, might as well make the best of it and get some house chores done. I spent the majority of the day outside yesterday, in the blazing Arizona sun, 95+ degrees. I generously lather sunblock all over my skin that is exposed to the sun and sprayed myself down every 30-40 minutes. Well... I ended up getting burned still, but if I hadn't gone through all those drastic measures, it would have been worst.

My shoulder, arms and neck are the most burned. I actually didn't even notice I was burned until I was getting ready to shower. I was bright red. BRIGHT. In the shower, my face felt a little tighter than normal and after getting out of the shower, I noticed my forehead was also slightly red. I was a mess.

I made a Cucumber and Aloe Vera Mask for my face and used the left over aloes for my shoulder, arms and neck. It felt sooooooooo good. I could have swore I heard a sizzling sssssssssssssss  my skin made as soon as I applied the aloe. Hahaha. So I reapplied the aloe after it dried and continued to do that for about five times.

Later in the night, as I was watching Music Core, I cut up some cucumbers and applied that on the burned areas. I kept it on until it loses its cool and replaced it with new ones for about three times.

When I woke up today, my burns cooled down a lot and it's not as red anymore. As for my face, it's very oily, but that's pretty normal when I spend all day out in the sun.  I gave it more love by using a Hydrating Mask to further keep my skin hydrated. I think my face is almost back to normal, but I will stay away from wearing any sort of makeup today. Maybe tomorrow too if possible. As for my shoulders and arms, I applied raw potato slices to 'em all day and the burning sensation  is almost gone.

I almost forgot to mention but I kept myself especially hydrated today by drinking lots and lots of water. Alternating with water, I am also drinking my Detox Water. I find that by drinking that, I heal a lot faster than I normally would. On top of that, I am also eating lots of fresh fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries.

And that consists of what I've been doing all day. Fixing myself up and doing more house chores, indoor. It's not fun but I'd rather be indoors today and things gotta get done anyways.

So I hope you all enjoyed your day and will have a terrific weekend. Thank you visiting and thanks for reading all! :)

Sunday Mask: DIY Cucumber & Aloe Vera Mask

Hello everyone! What a glorious Sunday, no? :P

It is time for another mask recipe. Yay! Today's recipe, I have used for as long as I can remember. It is the most frequently used recipe upon all, in the hot Summer, whenever I go swimming basically. I use this to soothe my skin from the sun and chlorine damage. As you all know, I just went swimming yesterday; the first swim is always the most painful afterwards, I think my skin isn't used to the chlorine and sun exposure from the Winter months. It eventually gets used to it, but after every swim, this is my go to mask.

CUCUMBER & ALOE VERA MASK

What you'll need:
-1/2 a Cucumber
-a medium leaf of Aloe Vera
*This recipe yields one mask; if you want to use an entire cucumber, add another leaf of Aloe Vera. Place the unused mask in a container with a lid and store in the fridge for no more than two days.

What to do:
- Cut a cucumber in half. Leave out the half you’ll use and put away the other half.
-Wash and peel.
-Cut off the serrated edges on both sides of the Aloe Vera.-Slit the top layer of the leaf lengthwise. You will see the translucent Aloe Vera gel inside.-Carefully fillet the Aloe Vera gel from the leaf.-Place the Aloe Vera gel in a bowl
-Blend the Cucumber to a puree.
-Add the Aloe Vera to the puree and blend.*You can add a bit of water if the mask comes out too thick.

How to use it:
-Apply the mask onto a clean face.
-Leave for about 15 minutes.
-Rinse in cold water.

Ahhhhhh, my skin is now rehydrated and rejuvenated. A very easy recipe, yet such a life saver. :)

Thank you for joining me and thanks for reading. :)

Sunday Mask: Very Easy DIY Cucumber Mask

Ello, hello there. Time for another mask recipe, a very, verrrrry easy recipe this time. Are you ready?

CUCUMBER MASK

What you'll need:
-1/2 a Cucumber
-1 Tablespoon Plain Yogurt
*This recipe yields one mask; if you want to use an entire cucumber, double the Yogurt to two tablespoons. Place the unused mask in a container with a lid and store in the fridge no more than two days.

What to do:
- Cut a cucumber in half. Leave out the half you'll use and put away the other half.
-Wash and peel.
-Blend the cucumber into a puree.
-Add the yogurt to the puree.
-Blend the pureed cucumber and yogurt together.

How to use it:
-Apply the mask onto a clean face.
-Leave for about 15 minutes.
-Rinse in cold water.
*This mask might be a little runny, so you might want to lay down for the 15 minutes. If you do, why not place two slices of cucumber on your eyes too?

The current temperature as I type this is 84 degrees of dry heat. I was outside for about 15 minutes and my skin felt like it was on fire. Seriously... this is nothing compared to the Summer though. Gahhh! Slow it down, slow it down!!! When my skin was on fire, the thought of diving in the cool pool and have the refreshing water splash on my face ran through my mind. But of course, that isn't possible right now so the next best refreshing item I can think of are cucumbers!

Cucumber soothes and relieves inflammation and skin irritations. It is actually used in a lot of skin care products like face mask or lotion. Or the most basic of all, placing cucumber slices onto our eyes to depuff them.

I hope you enjoyed this quick and very easy recipe. Give it a try if not now, sometime in the Summer. Your skin will thank you later.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for another Manicure Monday post! Another Spring color on the way. Thank you for visiting and thanks for reading all! :)