Sleeping Beauty

Ever want to wake up to a firmer complexion or a more even skin tone, maybe even healthier hair? Sounds more like a dream I'm sure, but its not entirely impossible. 

At night, skin is more susceptible to treatments, such as those that even skin tone, because it is doing less work to protect itself from other elements such as the sun. In additions, vitamin C becomes deactivated in sunlight. To fade spots, try Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot Overnight Peel. ($17 in Drugstores) 

The worst thing you can do to your hair is sleep with it wet. Wet hair is extremely fragile. To avoid damaging the ends, try wrapping it up in a t-shirt instead of a towel. Also, using satin pillow cases allows hair to slip with movement and has a slimmer chance of being damaged during sleep.
And even hair that is already dry can benefit from being moisturized. Post shower, try using a leave-in moisturizing treatment. This gives the product all night to "work its magic". Try L'Oreal Professionnel Liss Ultime Smoothing night Treatment (around $35), which can be applied to damp or dry hair.

Your elbows, hands, heels, and knees often get forgotten about, especially when it comes time for bed. These areas tend to be dry already, and not keeping them nourished will only hurt you in your sleep. Before bed, try applying a body lotion that contains moisturizing elements as well as gentle exfoliate acids. This clears the way for the moisture to completely soak into your skin. Eucerin Intensive Repair Very Dry Skin Lotion ($12; drugstores) is cheep and works amazing.

Its every girls dream to wake up with her under eyes bright and ready for the day. These dark areas can have many causes ranging from sun damage to blood pooling in the skin under your eyes while you sleep. In this case, you want to strengthen and plum the skin using some thing that contains collagen-stimulating peptides. Mary Kay TimeWise Repair Volu-Firm Eye Renewal Cream ($40) works for this, even though it tends to be a little pricey, its worth it in the long run.

Of course we can leave out the feet in all of this.. For a pampering overnight treatment, apply Vaseline to the soles of your feet and put on socks before you sleep. The socks help bind the moisture to your feet and you’ll wake up to soft, smooth soles. 



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Kitchen Cupboard Beauty Heros

  You don't always have to go to the department store and spend a boatload of money on expensive brand-named products. Especially when a lot of what makes store-bought products so expensive is the fancy packaging and labels. You might be surprised how many all natural beauty ingredients you already have sitting in your kitchen, or just a quick trip to the grocery store away. In addition to being cheep, anything you make at home will be 100% natural, making it a great option for people with sensitive skin. Not to mention that DIY is all the rage this year. Here's a few you might want to try:

1) Shea Butter
This has a ton of benefits for your skin, along side the fact that it smells amazing. Its nourishing texture makes it great for anti-aging treatment. It has SPF 5 for natural sun protection, which means it can be used as a daily sunscreen. Organic Shea butter also has anti-bacterial properties. This helps prevent stretch marks, and heal wounds. 

2) Easy Exfoliates
Exfoliates are great for the skin and so easy to make with about anything you can find in your kitchen. Mild exfoliating once or twice a week, in addition to daily cleansing, can dramatically improve the results of your skin care routine by removing dry and dull skin cells from the surface of your face which keeps your pores from becoming clogged.
One of the easiest recipes I know combines sugar, olive oil, and warm water. 

3) Simple Blackhead Remedy 
Blackheads can appear all over the face and can be extremely frustrating. Luckily there are a few easy kitchen tricks to help illuminate them! 

• One uses a mix of 1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon and a tablespoon of honey. Using your fingers, dab onto dry skin.
• Another option is a egg white mask. Taking two eggs, separate the whites from the yokes and apply to face. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. This will help tighten pores, giving you smooth and clear skin.

4) Strawberries for white teeth?
Mashing up a strawberry and adding a little bit of baking soda is a quick and easy way to get whiter teeth! Use your toothbrush to scrub on for about 5 minutes and you're good to go.


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5 Must-Have Beauty Products for Summer

This Summer was hot, and so are these must haves to keep your skin, face, and hair ready for the sun and the sand of the pool and the beach!

1) The first must-have for your Summer hair product check-list is the Pronto Braid Paste

The best way to keep hair out of your face when the temperatures really heat up is with a braid or top knot, and this product will make sure your 'do stays all day long. It has a great long-lasting, non sticky formula, which makes it perfect for all hair types. You can pick this up at Ulta or order it off of oscarblandi.com for just $25.

2) NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray = Great "Summer looking" skin!

While this product doesn't do the best job of making my makeup last all day it does do a great job of giving my face the nice dewy Summer finish we all love. Also, NYX as a brand itself is generally very affordable so that is one perk of this product over something on the high-end scale. This setting spray goes for about $8.

3) Garnier BB Cream... foundation and moisturizer in one?!

BB Creams are big this year, especially for the Summer face because not only do you get coverage for blemishes but you are also protecting your skin from the harmful rays of the sun (yay)! *Also, this product works great for dry skin without getting too oily! This BB Cream by Garnier comes with SPF 20 built into the smooth formula and comes in a variety of shades to fit any skin color. Price ranges around $13-- which can be a little pricy for such a small bottle.

4) Bad pool hair? Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray.

Take advantage of your beachy waves while you're in the sun with a few sprays of this hair renewal spray! The large bottle is great for home, but pick up a travel size to carry with you on vacations as your must-have quick fix to a bad hair day.

5) Absolute must for running late; Dry shampoo by Herbal Essences

Don't have time to shower? Not a problem, at least for your hair. Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo smells great and helps to soak up oils in your hair that tend to make it look greasy and unappealing. Great, inexpensive product to throw in your beach bag and carry with you on-the-go! 

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