DIY Strawberry and Honey Mask for Acne and Soft Skin

Hello my beauties! For today's DIY Friday I wanted to feature a fruit that reminds me of springtime.  Can you guess what it is? It's Strawberries! I know you're asking yourself... strawberries on your face... wait what?!  Yes, my friend, that' true. Today's DIY is not only tasty but it will make your skin clearer, brighter and smooth! 

Take 4 ripe strawberries, cut the top off, and rinse the strawberries under warm water.  Then dry off the strawberries and place them into a small bowl.  Take a fork and mash the strawberries until the consistency is smooth. Then add in 1 teaspoon honey and mix together!  The consistency should look like this... mmm...

Then, take a clean brush (this can be a clean foundation brush) and dip the brush into the mixture and spread mixture around your face.  While you wait for the mixture to dry, lay down and take a quick 15 minute nap.  After 15 minutes are up, head over to the sink and rinse your face off with warm water, pat dry, and follow up with your favorite moisturizer.  

After doing this I can say that my skin felt soooo smooth! Has anyone else tried this face mask?

DIY Tomato Mask and Tomato Scrub for Amazing Skin

Hello beauties! Today's Friday DIY is all about how to achieve flawless and fabulously looking skin.  I don't know about you - but I do not have 100% perfect skin and I don't know many people that do! I would just LOVE to have smooth, tighten and flawless looking skin.  Wouldn't you?!

That being said, today's DIY features the fabulous fruit (... or vegetable?) tomato! Tomatoes not only contain vitamins and antioxidants, but they can make your skin look amazing! Below is a mask and facial scrub you can make in your own home using all natural ingrediants.

Tomato Lime Mask:

What you need:
 - One small tomato
 - One lime

In a blender, combine the tomato and juice from the lime.  Then puree ingredients and pour mixture into a bowl. Take a brush (you can use a clean foundation brush) and spread the mixture on your face and let it dry for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and follow up with your favorite moisturizer.

Tomato Facial Scrub:  
 
What you need:
 - 1/2 Cup Diced Tomato
 - 2 Tablespoon Yogurt (Plain)
 - 1/4 Cup Sugar

Mix all three ingredients together in a bowl.  Make sure your face is clean and a little damp.  Apply the mixture to your face in a circular motion.  Let mixture sit for about 10 minutes and then rinse with warm water. 

For both DIY recipes above the good news is that leftovers can be stored in the fridge! (As always, test out a small portion on your skin before putting all over your face for allergies!)

Product Review: Tarte Maracuja C Brighter Eye Treatment

Being of Indian ethnicity I naturally have darker under eye circles than people of lighter skin. I have made it my mission to find a cream that will lighten my under eye circles, smooth the skin under my eyes and make my dry winter skin disappear.  Is that asking too much?! 

When I was in Sephora I asked them what the best eye product on the market was that wouldn’t be overly expensive. The sales representative told me that the Tarte Maracuja C Brighter Eye Treatment (retails $38.00 at Sephora) was a popular item on the market and that it was selling fast. I was able to snag the last one in the store! What this product does is hydrate, firm, and brighten the eye-area.

To give you a background in the wintertime my under eye area is not only dark, it is dry.  After using the product for about 3 weeks I can say that I have noticed a difference in my under eye area. Specially I have noticed a change in the texture under my eyes, they are smooth and no longer dry. Because of that, the concealer I put under my eyes goes on smooth and lasts longer – basically it doesn’t look flaky. Also, you only need to use a small amount (about a pea-size) too so the treatment will last you a couple of months. The formula is definitely moisturizing, isn’t thick, virtually odorless, and is not greasy.

However, although the area under my eyes is smoother my dark circles are still there. I will still be on the lookout for the next best under eye cream!

DIY Home Remedies for Tightening Skin

Happy Friday loves! Over time we loose the elasticity on our face and our face starts to show signs of sagging and aging. Loss of elasticity becomes most noticeable around the eyes, jaw line, and neck. Although cosmetic procedures are available, they can be costly and I don't know about you but dishing that kind of money isn't really plausible for me nor is getting cosmetic procedures done. However, by starting to take care of your skin early on in life you can delay the signs of aging. Before trying cosmetic procedures and expensive products, give these home facial remedies a try!

Egg Whites - A face mask made with egg whites tightens your skin. Here is what you do. Take two egg whites and whisk the egg whites until the eggs become frothy. Then spread the mixture on your face using a brush (you can use a clean foundation brush) and let the eggs dry for thirty minutes.  After thirty minutes, rinse your face with cold water. If you want to incorporate a lightening agent use a couple of drops of lemon juice. You should use this mask once a week.

Banana and Honey Mask - Blend half a banana, two tablespoons of honey and one tablespoon water together. Spread this mixture on your face for twenty minutes and then rinse off with warm water.

Milk and Honey Mask - Take two tablespoons of milk, one tablespoon of honey, and a few drops of Vitamin E in a bowl. Brush onto your face and leave on for ten minutes. Then rinse off with warm water.

In addition to the masks above make sure your skin is staying well hydrated by drinking plenty of water on a daily basis! Also as a reminder if you are allergic to any of the ingredients above do not use the mask! I hope you all enjoy!

DIY How to Get Rid of Dark Elbows and Knees

Happy Friday beauties! Today's DIY is all about how to get rid of dark elbows and knees. I know that people with darker skin tones (like myself) have this problem. I not only have dark elbows but also dry elbows to top it off.

Here's what you need:
- Lemon
- Baking Soda (If you use Option 2 below)

Option 1 (I saw my mother doing this, she's a great inspiration!) - Take the lemon and cut it in half. Place your elbow on the slices for 15 minutes. Then repeat with another lemon with your knees.

Option 2 - Squeeze out the juice from the lemon into a small bowl. Then add 1/4 cup of baking soda into the bowl to make a paste. Apply this mixture to your elbows and knees and let it dry for 10 minutes. Then rinse off in the shower.