The Kombucha Blast Power Breakfast

This recipe, like the last kombucha recipe I posted, was invented by my father.

If you are not keen on the taste of kombucha, but want to reap its health benefits, then this recipe is definitely for you.

Ingredients:

handful of spinach

3-4 thin slices of cucumber

3-4 slices of banana

2 slices of apple

1 handful of walnut pieces

1 handful of almond slices

1 teaspoon of ground flax seed OR ground chia seeds

1 handful of blueberries

1 handful of blackberries OR raspberries

4 oz of kombucha (whatever flavor you prefer)

Blend all ingredients until liquified and then enjoy!

This recipe is a great, super healthy kick-start to your day. If you have to run off to work in the mornings (like I do!) I would recommend blending all the ingredients together and then pouring it into a water bottle and refridgerating it overnight. Then you can just grab it and go the next day! The nuts and flax/chia seeds provide tons of protein, fiber and fatty acids while the kombucha, spinach and fruit provide wonderful yummy anti-oxidants good for your over-all health (and of course, my biggest concern...your skin!!!!). Yay for getting summer-ready!

I hope you all enjoy this recipe. If you end up doing a different version of this recipe that you like please share it with us all. We always love suggestions.

Quick Tips: Enlarged Pores

Hey all! I'm so sorry I have not posted in forever. I have been completely swamped with school and work. Craziness! Here are more "quick tips" for those last-minute emergencies.

Are you looking in the mirror thinking, really? Why do my pores have to be the most clogged they have been in ages today of all days? Here are some quick fixes.

 

·         Tip 1: Exfoliate, Exfoliate (as far in advance as possible...)

o    SCRUB for a full minute with...

§  Baking Soda

§  Cornmeal (Warning: very abrasive!)

§  Sugar or Brown Sugar

§  Epsom salt

§  TIP: You can mix fresh lemon juice, tea tree oil, or lavendar essential oil with any of these scrubs for added benefits.

·         Tip 2:

o    Use toner, you can find my DIY toner here.

o    Use Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

§  Just pour on a cotton ball and rub all over your face, let dry, then moisturize.

·         Mask 1:

o    Egg Whites

§  Egg whites tighten pores and draw out impurities. Just whip up some egg whites and apply all over your face and let dry before you rinse it off.

§  TIP: To get an even deeper pore cleansing, add a few drop of tea tree oil to your egg whites before you apply to your face.

 

 

 

Something else that may really help is to dry brush your face. I'm sure you have heard of dry brushing for your body, but this can also really help cell turnover and exfoliation for your face as well.

 

Dry brushing is when you take a dry stiff-bristle brush and brush your whole body, in long upward strokes to help with detoxification and circulation. Dry brushing can help with cellulite and ripples in the skin. You always want to brush towards your heart. Once the skin is wet it is more sensitive and doing this while in the shower can possibly cause damage to the skin.

 

For the face, instead of a brush, I use an exfoliating glove like the one below. I rub it over my face in small circular motions.

 



 

TIP: You can also use this glove instead of a brush for dry brushing all over the body--it is a great exfoliator. I use it on my back and shoulders as well as my face. You can find these gloves at most drug stores. I found this one at a grocery store.  

beautiful skin and saving the bunnies

A few months ago a Sprouts was built near my house. So of course, I went and browsed their beauty section.

If you don't know what Sprouts is, it's like a huge indoor farmers market--it resembles Whole Foods in the kinds of food it carries, but they are cheaper and have things like homemade "Sprouts" peanutbutter.

They have a huge selection of cruelty-free, all-natural, all-organic products for any and all of your beauty needs. But this is not a post about how awesome (but sometimes over-priced) Sprouts is.

I am posting because it was in Sprouts that I discovered a line of skin care products called MyChelle.

And I am nothing short of AMAZED.

Don't worry if you read this and want to try some of the MyChelle products but don't have a Sprouts near you (I don't know any other stores that carry MyChelle, maybe Whole Foods?)--you can get everything online on their website here, or also search for their products on Amazon.

Basically, all of the products I have tried have been more effective than anything else I have used and all their products are natural. Everything is non-toxic and derived from plants, extracts and plant stem cells AND they use renewable packaging. They are very eco-aware and put their knowledge about the power of nature into their products.

Also, the MyChelle packaging has the "cruelty free" symbol on it, and they say on their website that they are 100% cruelty free which I have been trying to pay more attention to. I have a bunny and it breaks my heart to think that there are bunnies out there being tested on, all for the purpose of human surface beauty. I am not going to go all righteous on you guys, but when you can, which I know isn't realistic all the time, please try to buy cruelty free products. No one can be perfect, but when we are faced with the choice between cruelty free and not, maybe trying our best to get the cruelty free product will help out at least a little.

Lola the bunny




If you want more specific details on MyChelle you can read more about them here.

I encourage you to browse their website. You can chat with a skin care professional, read every single ingredient in a product before you buy it, read customer reviews, and browse helpful articles and skin care tips. Like their products, their website is packed with good stuff and you get a lot out of it.

I have very fair, acne-prone, sensitive skin...not good combos.

This is what I use from MyChelle, though I want to try more!

White Cranberry Cleanser

I use this cleanser every night before I go to bed. This cleanser refines my pores and my skin is so much less oily but it is not dry either, which sometimes I have trouble with. I guess you could say I have combination skin--oily, but at the same time it can be dry and flaky. Yuck. I don't know how good it is at preventing blemishes, which is why I want to try the Clear Skin Cleanser to compare. You can find the White Cranberry Cleanser here. Also, the Clear Skin Cleanser that I want to try but haven't yet, you can find here.



Perfect C Serum



I use this serum every night before I go to bed and I have seen my skin do a 180. It does the most amazing things--most notably, practically rids me completely of acne. Whatever acne I do get is noticably less red and my pimples are much smaller. My skin is smooth, the texture is silky and it looks much brighter. It doesn't smell great, and I would suggest letting it dry for ten minutes before you go to bed, but the results are so so so worth it. I use it ten minutes after I wipe my face with the toner from my DIY beautiful skin toner post. You can find Perfect C Serum here. Also, with this stuff, a little goes a long way.



Clear Skin Serum



Last, but not least, I use the Clear Skin Serum every morning. I use this, then moisturize and then apply my makeup. It has made a huge difference in my skin. My skin produces significantly less oil throughout the day, and yet, at the same time, it is completely hydrated. This serum has detoxifying clay in it that helps to keep your pores from getting clogged and antioxidants to protect it from environmental stressors while simultaneously getting rid of acne. It's awesome, I just cannot say enough about it. You can find it here.

The other products I want to try are the Clear Skin Balancing Cream which moiturizes while also preventing acne, and also the Clear Skin Spot Treatment. Another one that looks enticing is the Apple Brightening Mist.

Clear Skin Spot Treatment

The only downside to MyChelle...now that I have made it all sound so wonderful...is the price.

Be prepared to spend a lot.

Is it worth the money? I can confidently say that it totally is after some consecutive months of usage. But I wanted to make sure it was worth spending the dough on before I told you guys about it.

This is also the reason why I have not tried all of the products that I want to try.

Also, Sprouts does not carry every single product, so some of these I can only get online. Some products you can get for cheaper on Amazon than the on MyChelle site.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Quick Remedies: Breakouts

I will be doing a series of these "quick tips" to remedy different skin issues in a pinch. This week we are talking about breakouts and acne.

If you have any skin "issues" that you want me to talk about, comment below. I will do one on dry skin and also one on enlarged/clogged pores.

Party tonight? Wedding in 48...or maybe worse...24 hours?

I'm not going to lie and say there's a miracle cure, but these tips will definitely help!

Acne:

So you got a sudden breakout right before a big event? This tends to happen when you are stressed out about something. Stress hormones trigger breakouts! So, number one, try to relax. Can't do that? Ok here are some masks that you won't even have to leave your house to do (for risk of going into public with that massive pimple, maybe?). No time going to the store, because, after all, who has that kind of time in a crisis like this?

• Mask 1:
• One egg white
• Ten asprin pills
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Whip egg whites together with a fork.
• Add baking soda and whip in with egg whites.
• If the asprin pills are coated, then one by one hold each pill under warm water and gently rub between your fingers until you can feel the slimy coating has mostly come off and the gritty asprin underneath is starting to be exposed.
• Drop each one into the egg white and baking soda mixture and crush with the fork and whip together.
• If the asprin you are using is uncoated, then hold all ten pills in the palm of your hand and run them under warm water for only about five seconds to start to break them apart so they are easy to mix in with the egg whites and baking soda.
• Crush/mix/whip asprin in with egg whites and baking soda.
• Smooth the mixture over you face and let sit for 20-30 mintues, then rinse off.
• TIP: This mixture is difficult to get off your skin. I suggest using a really mild soap before applying the mask, and then using a more gritty or abrasive face scrub to remove the mask.
• TIP: Depending on the egg you use, you may have more egg white or less egg white. Adjust the baking soda amount accordingly. Does it seem like you need more? Add a little more. The consistency should be pasty but not thick.

 Why??
Asprin naturally contains salicylic acid which kills pimples. Asprin can also greatly reduce inflammation and redness. It helps to apply asprin to painful pimples.
Egg whites have great healing abilities. They nourish, calm and also tighten the skin, restoring balace to blemishes.
Baking soda gives your skin a deep clean and gently exfoliates which can restore that natural glow to your skin.



• Mask 2 (A spot treatment, for when you just have that one pesky/sore/inflamed pimple):
• Three asprin pills
• Two drops of Tea Tree Oil (OPTIONAL)
• 1/8 tsp Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (also OPTIONAL...I explain below)
• If the asprin pills are coated, then one by one hold each pill under warm water and gently rub between your fingers until you can feel the slimy coating has mostly come off and the gritty asprin underneath is starting to be exposed.
• If the asprin you are using is uncoated, then quickly run each pill under warm water for only about two seconds to start to break them apart so they are easy to crush.
• Add the raw apple cider vinegar.
• Add the tea tree oil (optional).
• Apply paste onto the pimple and leave on for as long as you can.
• TIP: Sometimes all you have is asprin. Don't have the apple cider vinegar or the tea tree oil? No problem. Just warm the asprin up and crush them with warm water to make a paste and apply that to your pimple.
• TIP: Don't have tea tree oil, but happen to have lavendar essential oil? Use the lavendar essential oil instead.
• TIP: If you have a night before the event, sleep with the asprin paste on the pimple.

Why??

Asprin naturally contains salicylic acid which kills and dries up pimples. Asprin also greatly reduces redness and inflammation. It also helps if you have a particularly painful pimple.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar has great healing properties and also kills bacteria. It contains alpha hydroxy acid which can heal blemishes quickly.

Tea Tree Oil is anti-bacterial and a great spot treatment used alone as well.

Lavendar calms and soothes irritated and blemished skin.





DIY Toner, for beautiful skin of course...

Beautiful skin is healthy skin, and this toner is healthy for your skin.

I love expensive skin-clearing/skin beautifying products just as much as the next girl, but I won't spend the money on an expensive toner that claims to work wonders because I can make my own that works just as many wonders as the expensive stuff does.

 I know because I have been using this toner for a while now and can definitely vouch for its awesome awesome skin results. Best part is that it costs close to nothing (especially compared to those so-called miracle toners I walk past in Sephora..yikes! $75? No thanks).

The ingredients for this toner all together cost around $20. Best part though? You can make tons and tons of batches. So one bottle of toner ends up costing you less than a dollar.

This toner smooths, brightens and clears your skin. I used it on my shoulders when they started to break out (which they always do in the winter!) and I saw huge results in the clarity of my skin in about four days. It works way better than the drying over-the-counter creams and even better, it doesn't bleach my clothes like the store bought topical acne medication.

This stuff works, but one warning is that your significant other or roommate might not appreciate the smell...it has apple cider vinegar in it which has a really strong and not so great smell to it. But if you can tough out the smell, it will definitely be worth it.

Also, if you put it on before you go to bed, the smell will wear off by morning.

Ingredients:

1oz bottle

3 drops lavendar essential oil

8 drops tea tree oil

raw apple cider vinegar

witch hazel

hydrogen peroxide (optional)

four drops lemon juice (optional)

**Note: I used a one-ounce bottle. If you are using a container that is larger, just follow the recipe but double or triple it depending on the size container you are using.**

First I put about three or four drops of the lavendar.

Lavendar essential oil has soothing properties and helps calm blemished skin. It also helps to dull the harsh smell of the apple cider vinegar.

Second I put around 8-10 drops of tea tree oil.

Tea tree oil is an anti-bacterial and is good for clearing up blemishes and giving the skin a good deep-cleansing to get the grime out of those pores.

Third, I put about a cap full of hydogen peroxide (this ends up being about 12 drops all together). You don't have to do this step. It isn't necessary and it's a great toner without the hydrogen peroxide. The reason why I put it in is because it is an antiseptic and also helps lighten sun spots and scars and it also is very effective at drying out pimples (which is why it is used in almost all over-the-counter topical acne medication).

Some pople say it's good for acne, but some people say it wreaks havoc on your skin. It can be too drying for people with skin that has a tendency to be dry and flaky already. Don't use it if you have dry or really sensitive skin.

Next is another optional step. I put about four or five drops of fresh lemon juice in with my toner. Lemon juice has a lot of enzymes in it so it helps to lighten acne scars and also brighten skin.

If you are obsessed with being tan, don't use the lemon juice...or the hydrogen peroxide for that matter. Both of these ingredients will probably take away, or at least significantly lighten your tan.

If you want to use the lemon juice, I would suggest making a small amount of toner at a time since it is a food and doesn't have a really long shelf life. If you are making a big batch, skip the lemon juice. You don't want your toner to go bad before you are finished using it.

(Ignore the fact that the bottle is full in this picture...I took the picture with the lemon next to the bottle after I was finished making the toner.)

Next, I fill the bottle 3/4 of the way full with raw apple cider vinegar.

Make sure it says on the apple cider vinegar that it is raw, organic and unfiltered. Refined and pastuerized apple cider vinegar will not work the same.

Raw apple cider vinegar is fermented and is loaded with so many great skin benefits. It helps the pH balance of your skin. It is filled with alpha hydroxy acid which helps with flaky or dry patches on skin, heals blemishes, and lightens age spots and sun spots. 

People also claim that apple cider helps increase circulation to the skin. This is a claim that I am not 100% sure about, but if it is true, then that's awesome too! It is great to have around because it really works well as just a spot treatment if you have a pimple.

People also drink raw apple cider vinegar to help clear up their blemishes from the inside out.

(You can see here with a 1oz bottle about where I fill it to with the apple cider vinegar.)

The last step is filling the bottle the rest of the way full with witch hazel.

Witch hazel is a disinfectant, an astringent and it contains antioxidants.

It is mild, so it doesn't dry out skin, but it is effective at cleansing and minimizing pores. It tones your skin while fighting acne-causing bacteria at the same freakin' time.

Try it out and see how it works for your skin!



Hollywood Secrets or Aztec Secrets?

 

 

Soo this product sounds promising.

Supposedly it is a "super-clearing mud mask" that vacuums out everything in your pores and can also be used as a spot treatment, literally sucking out pimples. Kind of gross but it gets my attention.

Want to see the vacuuming action? Take a look at this picture...

 

 

All of those little bubbles are said to be the gunk being sucked out of your pores.

 

The only problem? It's $69!

Needless to say I am definitely on the fence when it comes to buying this product, I need to be sure it is as awesome as it sounds before shelling out that kind of cash.

 

I have read all of the Sephora reviews, and honestly, I have never seen so many five-star reviews for one product. I think pretty much every single person gave this product five stars except for maybe one person. You can check it out for yourself here.

 

This mask came out of Hollywood and one of the big fusses about this product is so many movie stars swear by it. It is packed with tons of good ingredients for your skin and it utilizes this new PORE-MATRIX™ technology saying:

"NEW PORE-MATRIX™ Our Activated-X Charcoal is an Xtreme absorption carbon, attracting toxic substances into its mass up to 500 times its volume from all skin types, within the deepest & toughest areas. Our new proprietary K17-Clay™ will better extract & encapsulate excess sebum oils, bacteria & toxins in a controlled stasis state, revealing a Pore-Matrix™ of extraction dots & areas, ready to be washed away for seemingly poreless skin."

 

If you want to read more about it, please visit Ivory and Olive's review on this product here.

They go into even more depth about the ingredients in this mask and how it came about.

 

Now, one reason I really really hesitate to go grab this product, even the sample which you can check out here,  (even the sample packets are a lot of mulah), is because I use this super magnetic Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay mask that suctions everything out of my pores. It deep cleans and detoxifies and also improves circulation to your skin. The best part? It is only about $6 for a huge 1LB jar of it! The GlamGlow at $69 per jar is not even one pound.

 

 

I usually mix some of this clay with some raw apple cider vinegar (which works wonders for skin even on its own) and put it on my face and back until it dries completely--you will know when it is dry because the skin on your face is being pulled by the mask. It works wonders. It detoxifies and clears and heals.

 

It does not, however, contain all of the wonderful ingredients that GlamGlow clay has, but it is natural and it works, so do I really need all that extra stuff in the GlamGlow mask?

 

I mean, it does sound enticiing, but I am not sure that it is really necessary to drop $69 v.s. $6 if the difference in results are not going to be that huge.

 

Most of us really have no choice--we simply cannot afford the $69 little jar of supposed skin miracles. If you are in that boat, then definitely try this Indian Healing Clay. I think that it is a great, very cheap alternative/substitution for the expensive stuff.

 

This is the back of the jar.

 

 It is normal for your skin to be a little red or flushed for about a half hour after you use it, but a week goes by and suddenly your skin it starting to looking glowy and clear.

 

If you have really sensitive skin, do not mix it with raw apple cider vinegar, mix it with water instead. You choose the consistency of your own mask--how thin or thick you want the mask to be, the ratio of water or vinegar you use to the clay--thin masks will be a little more gentle.

 

 

 

You can find this Indian Healing Clay at really any health store around. I have even seen it in a few drug stores like CVS. I get mine at Sprouts but I am sure they have it at places like Whole Foods and New Leaf. If you cannot find any near you, you can order it online here. Here is also a link to the organic apple cider vinegar I use by Bragg.

 

Don't buy this jar for more than $8 on Amazon, that would be a rip off. I bought my jar for only $4.95 at Harvest House on Monument in Concord, CA.

 

 

 

 

Hope this helps for all you ladies on a budget, yet drooling over those little jars of GlamGlow like me!

 



DIY Matte Nailpolish

 

 

Ingredients:

1) One bottle of clear nailpolish (.45 fl oz/13.3 ml)

(I used NYC Long Wearing Nail Enamel #271 topcoat--cheap, only $.85 at Target!)

2) 3 1/2 tsps of cornstarch

 

 

 

As you can see, I made a mess. It is impossible not to! So, learn from my lesson and don't do it on the carpet like me, although, I have to admit, doing it on the carpet was a stupid thing to do in the first place.

 

The results were not what I expected, and I would recommend shelling out the bucks and buying a matte topcoat instead of trying to make one. Here is the one I usually use.

 

 

 

It turns out that the cornstarch clumps and balls up in the nailpolish as you add it in, so each time you add a little bit, you have to stir it around really well with the nailpolish brush.

 

After a little while the cornstarch will settle to the bottom so you have to shake it up.

 

The mattifying effect works alright after you add enough cornstarch. The cornstarch also makes your nailpolish dry a lot faster. So I guess you are kind of killing two birds with one stone.

 

 If you want to make your own quick-dry top coat that still has a shine to it, add only one tsp of cornstarch to your clear nailpolish.

 

 

 

The color I used to start out: Sinful Colors in Innocent (#944).

 

I was trying to take pictures of before and after, but it is really hard to see the mattifying effect. The picture at the top is an after picture if you want to look and try to compare. You can tell that the polish doesn't shine as much in the first picture as it does in the pictures directly above. 

 

Bottom line, if you are looking to quickly mattify...or dry...your nails, the answer is yes, cornstarch works, after much effort and work, and the best thing is that if you have an old clear nailpolish lying around and some cornstarch in the cabinet, and you are pinched for time, it is a lot cheaper and quicker than going to the store to buy a matte topcoat.

 

One other aside is that people also enjoy adding broken eyeshadow to their nailpolish to change the color slightly and also to give it a more matte color, or just dull the shine a little or add some sparkle. I have not tried this but maybe I will experiment and post about it later. If you have experimented with this I am sure we would all like to hear! Or if you do experiment with adding eyeshadow, let us know how it goes!

 

On another note, in my Matte post, I talked a little bit about ManGlaze. I LOVE this matte nailpolish and wish I could buy every single color, but it is kind of pricey. Here is a picture of the color "Fatty's Got More Blood". I swear that is the official name of the nailpolish, I couldn't make this shit up. It's a good vampire red and the matte finish gives it an edge.

 

 

This is only one coat. It becomes much a much deeper red as you add layers.

 

ManGlaze

"Fatty's Got More Blood"

 

I will be posting again about DIY matte lipstick! Check back soon (-:

 



 

 



Toilet Seat Covers

 

Want a weird tip?

 

Oily face? Sweaty from dancing in a club or from being smashed between bodies in a crowded bar?

 

In a pinch...or even not in a pinch...use the smooth side of a toilet seat cover to wipe you face clean.

 

 

 

Oil blotting papers are usually not that expensive, but are honestly just not necessary to spend your money on. I have found that using toilet seat covers to blot the oil from my face sometimes works even better than some oil blotting papers that I have bought from the store or cosmetic companies.

 

Toilet seat covers absorb the oil from you skin, erasing shine and leaving you with a nice matte finish without taking off your makeup.

 

There are two sides to the toilet seat cover. One is more papery, and one is much smoother and feels like waxed paper. Use the waxed, smooth side.

 

This has definitely saved me a few times!

Really, anywhere you are, you are almost definitely going to be able to find a bathroom which almost always has a toilet seat cover in it.

Just one less thing you have to carry around with you in your purse--although, you could steal a few seat covers and fold them nicely or rip them into squares and keep them with you in a little baggy or something.

I know it's weird, but it's free! And who really cares? They are free, sanitary and they get the job done. Sounds awesome to me!

 

Because you can find them anywhere and everywhere you will never be without any options if you have oily skin or you are stuck rushing across campus on a hot day in spring or summer. Sounds great to me, you are covered at school, work, a restaurant, in a bar, on a date...

Not convinced? Here are some that I like, but I have to say, they cost more than toilet seat covers since they are not free, and they work just about the same!

 

I hope you find this useful!

Happy Friday

 



Some Smell-Good Tips

As of right now, my favorite fragrances are...

Miss Dior Cherie by Christian Dior

and

Burberry Brit

Some Tips to Smell Wonderful All Day Long (or All Night Long...)

1) Emanate from your tresses:

Try spraying your favorite perfume onto your hair brush, and then simply brush your hair. The perfume will stick to the natural oils on your scalp and in your hair, making the scent last long into the day or night and surrounding you with a waft of fragrance wherever you go.

2) Use Vaseline:

Take a small amount of Vaseline (petroleum jelly--any brand will do) and rub a small amount onto your wrists and behind your ears, or the back of your neck. Spray the frgrance on top of the vaseline. The fragrance will stick to your skin longer and also smell stronger because it is sitting on top of the vaseline instead of sinking into your skin. You could also use fragrance-free moisturizer if you prefer, but lotion will sink into the skin much faster than petroleum jelly by itself.

Did you know...

Women have traditionally applied perfume to the neck and inside of the wrists because these are places where blood vessels are very close to the surface of the skin. As blood pumps through the veins, these places generate more heat which releases the scent of the perfume.

Do you have any perfume tips? Any favorite fragrances lately? Share with us all and we will be forever grateful!