Galia's Place

DIY Tincture - "In a Blossoming Orchard"

2012-02-02T01:05:00.000+02:00

"In a Blossoming Orchard" Oil based Homemade Perfume
This scent is a mix between a floral and fruity scents with hints of citrus, and it is very strong. I've enjoyed this past couple of months and thought maybe you'll like this scent too.

"In a Blossoming Orchard" Tincture

Ingredients:
Jojoba Oil 7 ml
Bergamot EO 2 drops
Geranium EO 10 drops
Ginger EO 2 drops
Palmarosa EO 4 drops
Pettingrain EO 2 drops
Rosewood EO 11 drops
Patchouli EO 2 drops

Instructions:
Just mix all the ingredients in a small glass bottle, leave it for (!!!) 6 to 8 weeks and... I hope you will be able to smell a blossoming orchard this winter. You can also add a few drops of this tincture to your skin care products to create a completed skin care line.

P.S. If you like the wintry scent of fresh pine needles, please check out this recipe of my Tincture "In the Primeval Forest".

Good luck :)

Review - EcoTools Brushes - 5-Piece Mineral Brush Set

2012-01-24T00:18:00.000+02:00

EcoTools makeup brushes: Part 2 - Sets

Last time I reviewed EcoTools Singles Brushes, today I am going to share my thoughts on the 5 Piece Mineral Brush Sets I own.

I've heard about this set on YT and wanted to try them out. After reading so many positive reviews I've ordered these brushes online from iherb and lately from eBay. I'm very glad I did because I was very pleased with the quality and price!

So these were my first sets of Ecotools brushes I've purchased about two years ago. I own two almost identical sets, one of them is from iherb (about 10$ plus shipping), the second one is from eBay (about 5$ including shipping) - the seller has a huge online store on buyincoins.com.

The brushes come in a greenish colored zip baggie with linen\cotton lining like that.

The set is travel sized, includes a linen\cotton thingy, a mini kabuki, a blusher brush with a short bamboo handle, a concealer brush and a blending brush. All of them have ultra soft bristles and their bamboo handles are short.

After washing each brush numerous times, I did not notice any bleeding, nor have I noticed shedding since using them. These brushes are so soft and feels amazing on the skin.

Mini Kabuki

EcoTools Mini Kabuki and Bronzer Brush

EcoTools Mini Kabuki

Synthetic hair. Short Aluminum handle. The bristles are super soft and fluffy. Cleans easily and dries quickly. The mini-kabuki brushes look and feel identical. The bristles are a little too long and loose for kabuki, and the handle is a little too small, it isn't very dense either. However I like using it for my Mineral Veil, it applies just the right amount of the product. As a powder foundation brush, this is not very useful, because it is not dense enough to be actually used as a kabuki, but it's really good for the Finishing Powder or blending out blush/bronzer if you have applied too much. I really like these brushes and recommend them for the light powder application and/or and touch-ups on the go.

Rating 4 of 5

Powder/Blusher Brush

EcoTools Powder/Blusher Brush

EcoTools Single Blusher Brush and Powder/Blusher Brush

Synthetic hair. Bamboo handle with Aluminum ferrule. The bristles are stiff, super soft and relatively dense. Shaped rounded, but flat. Cleans easily and dries quickly. The blusher/powder brushes are almost identical. They are much softer, shaped a little flatter and a bit less dense than the single Blusher brush. The eBay's Powder/Blusher Brush is a little too fluffy, the iherb's is a little too dense. I like using both of them for bronzer and contouring, since they don't apply the product too heavy. It works well especially if you prefer a really light application and finish, because it's very soft and does not pick up powders that well. However when I use a very pigmented bronzer, this brush deposits just the right amount of product. I reach for these brushes very often and highly recommend them.
Rating 4 of 5

Concealer Brush

EcoTools Concealer Brushes

EcoTools Concealer Brush

Synthetic hair. Bamboo handle with Aluminum ferrule. The bristles are stiff, soft and dense. Shaped flat, rounded with a "sharp" top. Cleans easily and dries quickly. The iherb's concealer brush is more dense, the eBay's is a little more wider. Both of them are incredibly soft, firm, but flexible. They are great for packing color onto the whole eye area as well as for cream based products. However I am using both of them mostly for creamy textures like eyeshadow base or rarely for cream eyeshadows. They don't eat up product like other concealer/eyeshading brushes and provide a smooth and even application for eyeshadow base. I do not use creamy concealers on my face and I only use these concealer brushes for my eye area, so I cannot comment on them as a face brushes. I use them daily, highly recommend for cream based products.
Rating 5 of 5

Blending Brush

EcoTools Blending Brushes

EcoTools Blending Brush

Synthetic hair. Bamboo handle with Aluminum ferrule. The bristles are soft and fluffy. Cleans easily and dries quickly. The blending brushes are identical. They both work well and I like how soft the bristles are and how they shaped. Besides the bristles are a little too long and loose and not sturdy enough to pack a color on. However it diffuses/blends colors on the lid and soften the lines at the crease really well, not very precise, but well. Use them a lot, almost every day, highly recommend them.
Rating 4 of 5

Overall rating: These brushes are great. I like them. They work well and are very inexpensive. I have a lot of makeup brushes, and I do reach for these quite often. This also makes a great travel kit because the handles are short.

So Pros for EcoTools 5-Piece Mineral Brush Set:
1. Inexpensive.
2. Good quality.
3. Availability – all over eBay, Amazon and iherb, worldwide shipping.
4. Bamboo handles – love them.
5. Synthetic Taklon bristles are super soft.

Cons for EcoTools Single Brushes:
1. Blending Brush does not pick up color well and its shape may work only for blending on the big eyelids (perfect for me).
2. The name of the set "Mineral" is a little confusing, since it doesn't include a good firm-bristle powder brush for mineral application (mineral powder foundation).

Next time I'll be reviewing 6 pc EcoTools set.

Good Luck :)

You may like

Favorite Mineral Make Up Products in 2011 (english)

Review - Coastal Scents Makeup Brushes: my thoughts

DIY Mineral Make up - Tools and Ingredients

DIY - A little Guide to modify a Mineral Foundation to your needs.

Review - EcoTools Makeup Brushes - part 1 - Singles

DIY Mineral Make up - Tools and Ingredients

2012-01-23T11:52:00.000+02:00

Titanium Dioxide

If your skin is acne prone or sensitive to commercial make up and go "naked" is not your choice, you may want to try making your own Homemade MMU cosmetics. You can decide what ingredients are used and how it’s prepared. You’ll know what’s in your foundation, lipstick, eyeshadow and how your skin will respond to each ingredient. And you don’t have to be a chemist, you can read-up and learn.
There are so many resources on how to make your own MMU products. The best advice would be to look at the ingredients and read-up about them.
I thought that I might share my notes on some of them.

Mineral Makeup Ingredients
All of the brands reviewed are listed at the end.

Mineral Foundation basically contains two things:

1. Base (fillers):
Titanium Dioxide - 10 to 50% (whitening, adhering, adding a texture, heavy coverage, sunscreen) - mine from CS (in oil soluble form) - now they offer only regular one. Oil soluble TD is multifunctional, you can use it making lip products, as well as powder MMU. GOW, TKB-trading, Makingcosmetics carry both Oil soluble and regular TD.

Zinc Oxide - 5 to 20% (whitening, less opaque than TD, adding a texture, medium coverage, absorbing oils, sunscreen) - mine from GOW (in micronized form). CS, TKB-trading, Makingcosmetics also carry both micronized and regular ZO.

Serecite - 20 to 50% (colorless, increasing translucency, reflecting light, low coverage) commonly used in every recipe - from Sweetscents (in untreated form). CS, TKB-trading, Makingcosmetics carry both untreated Serecite and Magnesium myristate treated form with improved adhesion, silky Dimethicone treated form and water resistant Carnuaba treated sericite .

2. Pigments (the color) and Micas A combination of different iron oxides or/ and synthetic pigments: I use only the Mineral Iron Oxides: Yellow, Red, Blue (Ultramarine), Brown and Black - from Sweetscents and CS. TKB-trading, Makingcosmetics also offer a wide range of pigments and all sorts of Micas.
Ultramarines aren't lip safe!

Everything else is optional:

Additional Adhering components (the binder) - A combination of ingredients like Magnesium Myristate or/ and Magnesium Stearate improving adhesion, helping base and pigments stick to the skin. I've read they can be comedogenic and haven't bought any of these, so I am going to omit this step. You can find them on Sweetscents, CS, TKB-trading.
Products: Mineral Foundation, Mineral Veil, Eyeshadow.

Boron Nitride - 5 to 30% (whitening, adhering, adding a pearly sheen and a dewy glow) - mine from Sweetscents. You can also find it on CS, TKB-trading.
Products: dewy Mineral Foundation, Mineral Veil, Eyeshadow, Lipgloss and Lipstick.

Silk and Pearl Powders - 1 to 5% (translucent) - from Lumiere and China.
Products: Mineral Foundation, Mineral Veil.

Bamboo and Rice Powders - 5 to 10% (translucent, absorbing oils, shortening shelf life) - I've bought a plenty on Sweetscents and GOW.
Products: matte Mineral Foundation, Mineral Veil.

Silica - 1 to 5% (adhering and absorbing oils) - mine from Sweetscents and CS. You can also find it on CS, TKB-trading.
Products: matte Mineral Foundation, Mineral Veil.

Kaolin - 5 to 10% (absorbing oils) - from GOW. You can also find it on CS, TKB-trading, Makingcosmetics.
Products: matte Mineral Foundation, Mineral Veil.

Mica - 0 to 100% (adding shine and shimmer) - from CS, TKB-trading.
Products: Mineral Veil, Eyeshadow, Lipgloss and Lipstick.

Tools:
Little measuring Scoops or Spoons, Mortar and Pestle or Electric Herbal Grinder (from eBay), Sifter Jar and Color Wheel

Usage rates are "flexible”, you can definitely modify them according to your needs, but please check out the safety of the ingredients in the combination and MSDS of the manufacture.
Loose mineral powder contains no water in it and therefore doesn't require preservatives. If you're going to use starches (Bamboo and Rice Powders) or/and other organics (Silk and Pearl Powders) the shelf life will be at least 6 month to maximum 2 years, otherwise (using only minerals) it will stay with you forever.
Depending on the rates of Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide in it, your Mineral Foundation may also offer sun protection.
If you have sensitive skin, just skip all of those irritating ingredients, choose whatever components you want to make your own blend. So all the choices are definitely yours!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later I'll post some of my recipes, maybe you'll find them useful.

Brands reviewed:

Garden of wisdom

TKB Trading

Making cosmetics

Sweetscents

Coastal Scents

Lumiere

You may like

Favorite Mineral Make Up Products in 2011 (english)
Russian Version of my Favorite Mineral Make Up Products in 2011 (Минеральный хит-парад 2011)
Review - Coastal Scents Makeup Brushes: my thoughts
A little Guide to modify a Mineral Foundation to your needs

Review - EcoTools Makeup Brushes - part 1 - Singles

Homemade Minty Lip Balm "Miss Wild Rosie"

2012-01-22T07:05:00.000+02:00

Ready To Make Your Own all Natural tinted Li pBalm? - try my recipe!

This buttery lip balm melts on the lips and provides a shiny, flushed finish.
It has a main ingredient of super healing and moisturising Illipe Butter. Castor Oil adds shine, Red iron oxide provides nice Rosie tint without any synthetic perfumes, dyes and flavoring.

Homemade Minty Lip Balm "Miss Wild Rosie"

Ingredients (no water phase) for for 1 tube (5gr):
Illipe Butter - 60% - 3gr
Cocoa Butter - 30% - 1.5gr
Castor Oil - 10% - 0.5gr
Peppermint EO - 1 drop - less than 0.01gr
Vitamin E (antioxidant) - 1 drop - 0.02gr
Iron Oxide Red 130 (lip safe mineral pigment) - 0.8% - 0.04gr
Gold Mica (shimmer) - 0.4% - 0.02gr

Instructions for "Miss Wild Rosie" Lip Balm:
1. Pre-mix Red Iron Oxide, Gold Mica and Castor Oil.
2. In a double boiler combine Butters, heat until they has completely melted, remove from the heat.

3. Add pre-mixed Castor Oil and stir in thoroughly.
4. Next add Peppermint Essential Oil and Vitamin E. You can substitute whatever lip safe EO you have on hand (or prefer).

5. Then transfer the lip balm into the small lip balm jar or chopstick tube. It's easy to pour chopstick tubes using 5cc disposable syringe.
6. And then allow to set uncovered (to avoid cracking) for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

*For a deeper red color, double the amount of Red iron oxide and add about 0.5% of Titanium Dioxide, for a pearl effect add 1% to 5% of Boron Nitride.

Shelf Life:
6 to 12 months in a dry, cool place.

Enjoy :)

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Lush Inspired - Homemade Winter Lip Balm
Lush Inspired - Homemade Whipstick Lip Balm

Lush Inspired - Homemade Whipstick Lip Balm

2012-01-20T12:47:00.000+02:00

Lush Inspired Series

Ready To Make Your Own Natural Lip Balm? - try these recipes!
These are the two lip balms I've enjoyed the past couple of months.
The fist one is Lush Inspired Chocolate Orange Balm made with Dark Chocolate, Cocoa Butter and Citrus Essential Oils.
The recipe of the tinted one I'll post tomorrow, it has a main ingredient of super healing and moisturizing Illipe Butter.
We'll use today a recipe for the "WHIPSTICK LIP BALM" from the Lush web-site. Keep reading if you'd like to know how I did my Chocolatey Lip Balm.

Lush Inspired Whipstick Lip Balm

Lush Description: "Sweet and chocolatey. Great for lips.
If that sounds a bit worthy, worry not; we livened it up with real chocolate, vanilla absolute and orange oil. Delicious and good for you, which is a rare and lovely thing."

Lush Ingredients:
Oat Infusion (Avena Sativa), Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Beeswax (Cera alba), Chocolate, Glycerine, Olive Oil (Olea europaea), Cetearyl Alcohol, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Honey (Mel), Wheatgerm Oil (Triticum vulgare), Carnauba, Flavour, Sodium Borate, Tangerine Oil (Citrus Tangerina), Orange Oil (Citrus dulcis), Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia), Cocoa Absolute, *Limonene, *Linalool, Methylparaben.

We'll exclude water-soluble Oat Infusion (Avena Sativa), Glycerine and Honey (Mel), thickener Cetearyl Alcohol, synthetic Flavour, emulsifier Sodium Borate, Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia), Cocoa Absolute, we're going to add a natural antioxidant instead of Methylparaben.

Ingredients for Lush Inspired Whipstick Lip Balm (no water phase) for 3 tubes (17.5gr):
Sweet Almond Oil - 20% - 3.5gr
Beeswax - 15.5% - 2.7gr
Dark Chocolate - 15.5% - 2.7gr
Olive Oil - 15.5% - 2.7gr
Shea Butter - 24.5% - 4.3gr
Wheatgerm Oil - 4% - 0.7gr
Carnauba Wax - 4% - 0.7 gr
Tangerine EO - 2 drops
Orange EO - 1 drop
Vitamin E (antioxidant) - 2 drops - 0.04gr

Instructions for Whipstick Lip Balm:
In a double boiler heat Dark Chocolate, Beeswax and Carnauba until the waxes has completely melted, add Shea Butter and Vegetable Oils and stir in thoroughly. Remove from the heat, next add Essential Oils, Vitamin E. If you don't like the citrus scent, substitute for Tea Tree EO (also antiseptic) or any other 100% lip safe Pure EO. Then using 5cc disposable syringe, transfer the mixture into the small lip balm jar or chopstick tube, and then allow to set uncovered for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Shelf Life:
3 to 4 months in a dry, cool place.

Enjoy :)

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Lush Inspired - Homemade Each Peach (and Two's a Pair) Massage Bar
Homemade Brown Sugar Lip Scrub
Lush Inspired - Homemade "Spot cleanse acne prone skin"
Lush Inspired - Homemade Cupcake Purifying Facial Mask with Rhassoul Clay
Homemade Brown Sugar Lip Scrub
Homemade Minty Lip Balm "Miss Wild Rosie"
Lush Inspired - Homemade Winter Lip Balm

DIY - Homemade Rosemary Leaf Extract

2012-01-18T07:57:00.000+02:00

I like using Rosemary Leaf Extract in my Homemade Skincare Products. It has high concentration of antioxidants and gentle anti-inflammatory components.

If you wanna learn a little about Rosemary and its Extracts, here the links: The Chemistry of Rosemary from drugs.com (click on the citation to read more):

"The leaves contain 0.5% to 2.5% of volatile oil. The major components of the oil include monoterpene hydrocarbons (alpha and beta-pinene), camphene, limonene, camphor (10% to 20%), borneol, cineole, linalool, and verbinol. Rosemary contains a wide variety of volatile and aromatic components. Flavonoids in the plant include diosmetin, diosmin, genkwanin, luteolin, hispidulin, and apigenin. One analysis reports 3 new flavonoid glucuronides, also found in the leaves. Other terpenoid constituents in rosemary include triterpenes oleanolic and ursolic acids and diterpene carnosol. The concentration of phenolic diterpenes in certain commercial rosemary extracts has been determined by HPLC. Phenols in rosemary include caffeic, chlorogenic, labiatic, neochlorogenic, and rosmarinic acids. Rosemary contains high amounts of salicylates".

The major active antioxidant components of Rosemary Extract are Carnosol, Carnosic acid, and Rosmarinic acid.

According to this study "Antioxidant Activity of a Rosemary Extract and Its Constituents, Carnosic Acid, Carnosol, and Rosmarinic Acid, in Bulk Oil and Oil-in-Water Emulsion" by Edwin N. Frankel, Shu-Wen Huang, Robert Aeschbach, and Elizabeth Prior:

*in "oil-in-water emulsion, the rosemary compounds were less active than in bulk oil, and the rosemary extract, carnosic acid, carnosol, and ?-tocopherol were more active than rosmarinic acid"

and another point

*"Carnosol and carnosic acid were much more active antioxidants in corn oil-in-water emulsions buffered at pH 4 and 5 than at pH 7."

So maybe it is not such a good idea to use this Rosemary Extract in Lotions (Emulsions) and if I want to enjoy its antioxidant effect making a Gel will be a better idea...

Next research I find very interesting is "Synergistic antioxidant and antibacterial activity of rosemary plus butylated derivatives" by Catalina S. Romano, Karina Abadi, Victoria Repetto, Adrian A. Vojnov , Silvia Moreno. They were studying Antioxidant and Antibacterial activity of a methanolic (Alcohol based) Rosemary Extract, especially "the combinatory activities of its main polyphenols": Carnosic Acid and Rosmarinic Acid. Their results were pretty impressive...

Making Alcohol-based Rosemary Extract:

I do not have methanol (it's a very dangerous alcohol) so I've used diluted Ethanol (Vodka) as a Solvent for my Rosemary Leaf Extract... To learn more about how to DIY - Homemade Herbal Extracts: Alcohol Based Extracts , and how I've made my first Homemade Thyme Leaf, Rosemary Leaf and Licorice Root Extracts , please click on the links... This one I've extracted by using only 80 proof (or 40%) Vodka as a solvent.

Directions : Fill a glass bottle (60ml) with the dried Rosemary Leaves, add Vodka to cover the herbs (about 50ml), shake it well. After three weeks filter it, and you can use it.

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Сделай сам - Супер-увлажняющая гелевая маска с экстрактами водорослей

2012-01-02T22:26:00.000+02:00

Link to the English version of this Recipe can be found at the end.

Всем привет и с Новым Годом!:)
Сегодня мы будем делать интенсивно увлажняющую гелевую маску для лица, с успокаивающими, освежающими и регенерирующими компонентами. Это замечательная маска, я пользуюсь ее разными вариациями уже несколько лет и она всегда мне помогает. Гелевая маска подходит чувствительной и склонной к высыпаниям коже, поры не забивает: не содержит масел и их производных, раздражающих ароматизаторов и консервантов.
Сочетание сока листьев Алое Вера и сока Огурца увлажняет кожу и успокаивает раздражения и покраснения, поддерживает ее водный баланс, оказывает противовоспалительное и заживляющее действие. Гелевая маска обогащена свежими экстрактами водорослей, смягчающими кожу и уменьшающими шелушения, оставляя ощущения свежести и комфорта.

Текстура маски гелевая, немного липковатая. Наношу, либо толстым слоем на кожу и немного массирую, либо замачиваю японскую "целлюлозную" маску в геле. Оставляю на коже минут 30, а потом промакиваю одноразовой салфеткой, или даже даю высохнуть, лицо не вытираю. Кожа сразу же "оживает", становится увлажненной, мягкой, отдохнувшей.

Ок, вот рецепт
Супер-увлажняющая гелевая маска с экстрактами водорослей:

Ингредиенты : Свойства Вес в граммах Percentage %
Алое Вера сок листьев Увлажняющий, успокаивающий заживляющий 10 33.33
Огурец сок Увлажняющий, успокаивающий , смягчающий 9.5 31.67
Глицерин увлажнитель 0.5 1.67
Ксантан гелеобразователь 0.1 0.33
Ламинария настой антиоксидант, питающий, регенерирующий, 5 16.67
Вакаме настой антиоксидант, питающий, регенерирующий, 5 16.67
Сумма: 30 100%

*Вы можете заменить Ксантан другими гелеобразователями: Метилцеллюлозой, Карбомером или Гуаром. Карбомер особо советовать не могу, никогда им не пользовалась, все остальные взаимозаменяемы. Во все увлажняющие маски я включаю сок Алое, если он Вам не подходит, можете заменить на Ваш любимый Гидролат или даже воду с настоем или отваром растений со смягчающими и успокаивающими свойствами.

Инструкции:
Пожалуйста, продезинфицируйте ваши инструменты.
1. Приготовим настой водорослей: промыть Ламинарию и Вакаме, положить в чистую миску (пиалочку, кружку), заполнить горячей водой и оставить настаиваться минут на 15, потом профильтровать жидкость.
2. Приготовим сок огурца: почистить огурец, нарезать на кусочки, взбить блендером, профильтровать сок.
3. Смешать Глицерин и Ксантан, добавить настой водорослей, помешать и оставить на пару минут, пока Ксантан не разойдется.
4. Добавить сок Алое и сок огурца к смеси других компонентов, и хорошенько помешать.
5. Залить гель в чистую бутылочку, лучше стеклянную.

Срок годности:
30 мл хватает на двe апликации.Пожалуйста, пользуйтесь свежей маской, храните ее в холодилънике, не более 3-4 дней.

Способ применения:
Метод номер 1: Как обычную маску.
Нанести на кожу лица и шеи и легонько помассировать. Оставить на полчаса, пока полностью не впитается, промокнуть лицо салфеткой.

Метод номер 2:
Используя целлюлозную японскую маску, они просто незаменимы для увлажняющих масок. Я купила целую кучу на eBay и очень ими довольна. В сухом виде они выглядят как таблеточки.
Положить "таблеточку" в чашку, залить гелем. Подождать пока "таблетка" пропитается, аккуратно развернуть, нанести на лицо и чуток придавить, что бы маска приклеилась к лицу. Оставить на полчаса, потом снять маску и промокнуть лицо салфеткой.

Пользуйтесь на здоровье :)

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Homemade Intensive Hydrating Facial Mask with Seaweed Extracts

2012-01-02T02:47:00.001+02:00

Hello guys! Happy New Year :)
Today we are going to make an Intensive Hydrating Gel based Mask that calms and pulls moisture into the skin without making it feel greasy. I have been using different variations of this mask for years and I have always liked it. It's a great mask! Not heavy, oily or irritating. Just light, fresh, natural and effective! It is also good for sensitive and acne prone skin: fragrance free, oil free and preservative free and will not clog your pores (contains only none-comedogenic ingredients).

My skin is combination/oily in summer, combination/dry in winter and I live in a tropical, humid climate. So I need a Hydrating Mask mostly in the winter, especially when my face is dehydrated or windburned and this is the perfect remedy. I usually use it twice a week after exfoliating, sometimes every other night. It makes my skin right away feel “plumped”, well-nourished, comfortable and less irritated.
The mixture of Aloe Vera and Cucumber Juice is the most hydrating mixture you can use on your skin: it helps to reduce redness and restore a moisture balance. The high concentration of Seaweed Extracts soothes and softens the skin, leaving it smooth and perfectly hydrated.
The texture is Gelly-like and feels a little sticky once applied onto the face. I usually leave it on for about 30 minutes. At the beginning of the summer I’ve bought a plenty of Japanese paper masks, just plain, compressed paper “tablets”. They are great to soak in your skin-loving mixture (you can use any other Hydrating Toner or Gel based Mask or Serum) and apply the soaked mask to your skin as a face treatment. You will be surprised how rejuvenated your face feels.
Ok, here is recipe for my Intensive Hydrating Natural Facial Mask with Homemade Seaweed Extracts:

Ingredients:		gram	Percentage %
Aloe Vera Liquid	Soothing, calming, hydrating, healing	10	33.33
Cucumber Juice	Hydrating. soothing, softening	9.5	31.67
Glycerin	Humectant	0.5	1.67
Xanthan Gum Powder	anionic thickener	0.1	0.33
Laminaria Infusion	antioxidant, nourishing, regenerating	5	16.67
Wakame Infusion	antioxidant, nourishing, regenerating	5	16.67
Total:		30	100%

Instructions:

Ensure your container and equipment are clean and sterilized.
1. First of all we need to prepare Seaweed infusions.
The process itself is very easy: wash the ingredients (Laminaria and Wakame Kelps ), place them inside clean jars, and fill with hot water. Leave them covered for 15 minutes, filter them and your infusions are ready to use.
2. Prepare Cucumber Juice: slice cucumber, whip it in a blender until it becomes liquid, and filter the juice.
3. Disperse Xanthan Gum in the Glycerin before adding extracts to avoid clumping, then add Seaweed Infusions, stir the mixture, leave it for a few minutes until incorporated.
4. Combine Aloe Vera and Cucumber Juice with other ingredients, and again stir well until incorporated.
5. Pour the mixture into sterilized jar, I prefer the glass one.

*You can substitute Xanthan Gums for Methylcellulose, Carbomer or Guar Gum. I personally have not tried yet Carbomer (you must adjust pH using it) as I like working with all other gel agents. The only thing - you have to pre-disperse your gel agents in the Glycerin to avoid clumping. A Good Hydrating Mask always includes Aloe Vera, but if you don’t like using it, add your Favorite Hydrosol and include any other tea, infusion or/and extract you like.
Usually I am using Aloe Vera and Cucumber Juice as a base for this mask and Xanthan Gum or Guar as the gelling agents, and then choosing different herbal infusions or decoctions.

How to use:
Method N#1: As a regular Mask.
Apply onto fingertips and massage gently all over the face and neck. Leave on for 30 minutes until it completely absorbed.
Method N#2: Using a paper Mask.
These paper masks are perfect for hydrating your skin.
1. Place paper mask tablet into the clean jar.
2. Pour the lotion onto the "tablet" and soak it thoroughly until it expand.
3. Carefully unfold the paper mask.
4. Apply to face and gently press, so the mask will stick to your skin.
5. Leave on for 30 minutes until it completely absorbed.
6. Remove the mask and gently pat the skin.

Shelf Life:
Please store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days

If you're looking for more Natural Homemade Skincare Recipes, please check out this "Skin Care Recipes" page.

Enjoy :)

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Homemade Hydrating Facial Moisturizer with Kelp and Herbal Extracts

2011-12-30T21:44:00.001+02:00

My Hydrating Facial Gel

Hello everyone!

Winter finally came to Israel and unfortunately the fall is over. I believe fall is my favorite season here; everything seems so fresh and nice, perfect temperatures. In Israel autumn is a time when nature comes back to life after extremely hot and long period. And we can forget for a while the killing heat of our summer... Anyway, the winter has come and the skin looks and feels drier, and I thought it was about time to talk about my new moisturizer:

Homemade Hydrating Facial Gel with Kelp and Herbal Extracts

I would consider my skin type to be combination/oily in summertime, combination/dry in winter. My face routine usually does not change that much from spring-summer to fall-winter. I am still using Homemade Facial Gels mixing with 2-3 drops of my Exotic Oils Serums.
No Lotion - No breakouts!!!
As you can see, a lotion based moisturizer isn't an option for me. So I wanted to make a simple oil free Facial Gel using more hydrating ingredients - a combination of Aloe Vera, Glycerin and Sodium Lactate in a higher level than I used to add. Some Alcohol based Herbal and Kelp Extracts with antioxidant and whitening properties (to learn how I've made them, please check out this post DIY - Homemade Herbal Extracts: Alcohol Based Extracts I'll use the combination of Guar and Xanthan Gums as a Thickening Agents and Liquid Germall Plus as a Preservative.

Homemade Crithmum Extract

Homemade Wakame Extract

Here is the recipe for my Natural Facial Gel with Homemade Extracts (contains 3.6% Alcohol - all Herbal Extracts are Alcohol based)

Ingredients:		gram	Percentage
Aloe Vera Liquid	Soothing, calming, hydrating, healing	60.00	54.55%
Water Distilled	Solvent	36.00	31.82%
Glycerin	Humectant	2.00	1.82%
Sodium Lactate 60%	Humectant	0.60	0.55%
Germall Plus liquid	Preservative	0.40	0.36%
Guar Gum	none-ionic thickener	0.70	0.91%
Xanthan Gum Powder	anionic thickener	0.30	0.91%
Angelica Roots Alc Ext.	calming, healing, whitening	3.00	2.73%
Crithmum Alc Ext.	antioxidant, healing	1.00	0.91%
Licorice Root Alc Ext.	anti-inflammatory, calming, anti-irritant, whitening	3.00	2.73%
Wakame Alc Ext.	antioxidant, regenerating	3.00	2.73%

Total:

110.00

100.00%

Instructions:
Ensure your container and equipment are clean and sterilized.
1. Mix Extracts, add Glycerin and Sodium Lactate, then add Xanthan and Guar, stir the mixture, leave it for a few minutes until incorporated.
2. Combine Distilled Water and Aloe Vera with the extracts, and again, stir the mixture well until incorporated. Add a preservative.
3. That's all, pour the mixture into sterilized bottle, I prefer the glass one.

It's that easy! Just mix all together and use :)
*You can substitute Guar and/or Xanthan Gums for Methylcellulose or Carbomer. I have not tried Carbomer yet (you must adjust pH using it) as I like working with all other gel agents. If you don’t like using Distilled Water, add your Favorite Hydrosols and include any other extract you like. You could also try using 1% to 2% Lactic Acid instead of Sodium Lactate.
Shelf Life
Six to twelve month.

How to use:
Apply this Hydrating gel all over your face and neck after the cleansing and before your Oil based Moisturizer and let it work into your skin.

If you're looking for more Natural Homemade Skincare Recipes, please check out this " Skin Care Recipes page.

Enjoy :)

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Сделай сам - Кислотный Тоник домашнего производства

2011-12-25T08:52:00.001+02:00

Links to the English version of the Recipes can be found at the end.

Попробуйте мой кислотный Тоник с 5% Яблочным Уксусом. Он содержит уксусную кислоту обладающую кератолитическими, эксфолиирующими свойствами (как у Альфа-гидрокси Кислот - AHA). Уксусная кислота простейшая из карбоновых кислот, у нее всего одна гидроксильная и одна карбоксильная группа. Даже при низких концентрациях эта кислота дает нужный нам "пилинговый", эксфолиирующий эффект.

Летом я пользуюсь 3 % тоником с 5% Яблочным уксусом, зимой содержание уксуса увеличиваю до 7%. Вместо воды можно использовать Гель Алое-Вера или Розовую Воду, я пользуюсь обычной водой. Как правило я делаю небольшие порции этого Тоника, максимум на неделю, что бы не добавлять консервант.

Пожалуйста, прежде чем наносить этот Тоник на лицо сделайте тест на аллергию, на сгибе локтя!

Если у Вас чувствительная кожа, пожалуйста, уменьшите начальную концентрацию до 1%!

Проверьте что Ваш Яблочный Уксус содержит 5% уксусной кислоты, в другом случае, пожалуйста, измените его концентрацию в рецепте!

Рецепт Кислотного Тоника с 3% Яблочного Уксуса на 60 мл(5% уксусной кислоты)
Яблочный Уксус - 1.8ml
Вода - 58.2ml

Рецепт Кислотного Тоника с 5% Яблочного Уксуса на 60 мл(5% уксусной кислоты)
Яблочный Уксус - 3ml
Вода - 57ml

Рецепт Кислотного Тоника с 7% Яблочного Уксуса на 60 мл(5% уксусной кислоты)
Яблочный Уксус - 4.2ml
Вода - 55.8ml

Инструкции: Измерить с помощью одноразового шприца или мерными ложечками, смешать и пользоваться :)
Срок годности: 60 мл хватает на неделю, если будет хранится дольше, пожалуйста, добавьте консервант.

Способ применения: Пропитать ватный диск Тоником и мягко протереть им лицо, избегая области вокруг глаз. Пожалуйста, пользуйтесь им вечером, Яблочно-уксусный Тоник содержит кислоты, поэтому в период активного солнца, пожалуйста, не забывайте защитный крем (санскрин). Не следует наносить Тоник на раздраженную кожу и на участки с высыпаниями. Если кожа становится красной или раздраженной, пожалуйста, прекратите им пользоваться или разбавьте водой. Не наносите не область вокруг глаз, если случайно нанесли смойте теплой проточной водой.

Пользуйтесь на здоровье :)

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Сделай сам - Увлажняющий Серум-Гель для лица.

2011-12-25T08:42:00.004+02:00

DIY - Facial Hydrating Gel :)

Links to the English version of the Recipes can be found at the end.

Hello everyone! Всем привет, хелло, шалом :)

Я эмульсионные кремы не люблю, не пользуюсь и соответственно не делаю.. А вот серумы-гели с растительными экстрактами и увлажнителями очень у меня в ходу, делать их легко, поры они не забивают, увлажняют хорошо.

Для увлажняющего Геля нужны только 3 ингредиента:
Гелеобразователь , Консервант и Увлажнитель.

Теоретически для самого простого, увлажняющего Геля, кроме воды, нужны только 3 компонента: Гелеобразователь , Консервант и Увлажнитель.
Гелеобразователь - гуар, ксантан, микроцеллюлоза, карбомер, у меня есть первые три и я их вместе применяю, обычно совмещаю два. Карбомер чуток капризный, он работает только в определенной среде, нужно следить за pH.
Консервант - из тех что я пользуюсь: Космосил и жидкий Гермал+.
Космосил - катионный консервант, работает только в водной среде, очень мягкий, разрешен для области вокруг глаз и подходит для детей (0.2 - 1.5 %, в Японии до 0.5%).
жидкий Гермал+ - консервант широкого спектра, работает в водной и в эмульсионной среде, единственный минус - его нельзя в распылительные Тоники, которые я люблю (0.1% - 0.5%).
Увлажнитель - Глицерин, можно аптечный (до 2%), Sodium Lactat (1.5-3%) или можно чуток молочной кислоты (1-1.5%) - в таких концентрациях она увлажняет неплохо, Sodium PCA (2-3%).
Экстракты можно самим приготовить дома из разных растений в зависимости от нужд: самые универсальные, которыми я часто пользуюсь - зеленый чай - листья, подорожник - листья, розмарин - листья, корни солодки, корни ангелики. Я настаиваю на водке (40% этанол) или глицерине (это тоже моноатомный спирт) и добавляю в общей сложности до 10% в мои Серумы-Гели.

Растения продаются в наших магазинах природы или на том же iherb-е можно купить. Гелеобразователи тоже есть на iherb-е. Консерванты и большинство увлажнителей, к сожалению, только в специализированных online магазинах нашла.

На этом блоге есть несколько статей на английском как готовить растительные экстракты и рецепты нескольких Гелей, которыми я пользовалась. Ниже ссылки на эти статьи.

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DIY - A little Guide to modify a Mineral Foundation to your needs.

2011-12-24T13:53:00.001+02:00

How to: A little Guide to modify a Mineral Foundation to your needs.
All of the brands reviewed are listed at the end

Hello everyone!

Today I’d like to share with you my experience with “tweaking” Mineral Foundations. I’ve got a lot of Mineral Foundation samples that do not fit me well, some I have to adjust color, others texture.
Modifying Mineral Make up isn't complicated. Actually, you might have already fixed your foundation without realizing it: to make the color darker you’ve mixed your foundation with a darker shade, and the opposite to make the color lighter you have mixed it with a lighter shade, to make it less heavy with a bit of the finishing powder.
So when it comes to play with color or/and texture one of the simplest things to do is mix different types of Mineral Foundation. Today I’d like to share some “tweaking” techniques I find very useful. They are not only helping me to save money, but also to create custom foundation any time I need it.

We need to adjust the foundation shade and texture.
How do we do this and what do we need?

First step: take a look at Mineral Makeup Ingredients

Titanium Dioxide

Mineral Foundation basically contains two things:
1. Base (fillers):
Titanium Dioxide - 10 to 50% (whitening, adhering, adding a texture, heavy coverage, sunscreen) - from CS (in oil soluble form),
Zinc Oxide - 5 to 20% (whitening, less opaque than TD, adding a texture, medium coverage, absorbing oils, sunscreen) - from GOW (in micronized form) ,
Serecite - 20 to 50% (colorless, increasing translucency, reflecting light, low coverage) commonly used in every recipe - from Seetscents (in untreated form).
2. Pigments (the color) and Micas A combination of different iron oxides or/ and synthetic pigments: I use only the Mineral Iron Oxides: Yellow, Red, Blue (Ultramarine), Brown and Black - from Seetscents and CS.
Everything else is optional:
Additional Adhering components (the binder) - A combination of ingredients like Magnesium Myristateor/ and Magnesium Stearate improving adhesion, helping base and pigments stick to the skin. I've read they can be comedogenic and haven't bought any of these, so I am going to omit this step.
Boron Nitride - 5 to 30% (whitening, adhering, adding a pearly sheen and a dewy glow) - from Seetscents,
Silk and Pearl Powders - 1 to 5% (translucent) - from Lumiere and China,
Bamboo and Rice Powders - 5 to 10% (translucent, absorbing oils, shortening shelf life) - from Seetscents and GOW,
Silica - 1 to 5% (adhering and absorbing oils) - from Seetscents and CS,
Kaolin - 5 to 10% (absorbing oils) - from GOW,
Mica - 0 to 100% (adding shine and shimmer) - from CS.
Tools: Little measuring Scoops or Spoons, Mortar and Pestle or Electric Grinder (from eBay), Sifter Jar and Color Wheel.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Second step: Getting Started
First of all we have to figure out why that specific foundation doesn’t fit: is it the color or the texture or both of them, or maybe it's the coverage or the feel on the skin we don’t like? So we have to give each one a go on its own to see exactly what this whole “Fit Me Problem” really was. After identifying the main problem, we’ll decide which ingredient caused it and how to “tweak” the formulation.
As I said before I have a huge amount of foundation samples that I want to use up and today we will try to improve a few of them. The first one I tried was Shell Beige in Oil Control Formula with Silica from Lucyminerals which proved to be too dark for my skin with the obvious yellow undertone. Usually I am Light Olive in most MMU brands and Shell Beige looks a little too sallow on me, do not know why I've bought it. I like the creamy texture of Lucyminerals Foundations, the coverage is excellent, it completely evens out my skin tone and it is lasting longer than any other one I have tried before. The only downside is the application, you only need a tiny amount of foundation to get a full coverage, but it can be tricky, and you can end up looking blotchy and cakey if you apply too much. I can keep experimenting with different ways to apply it, but usually I do not have time for it.

Shell Beige from Lucyminerals

Therefore here we have three problems: this foundation is too dark for my skin, it's too yellow, and the third one, the foundation is little too heavy for my taste.
Please take a look at the list of Ingredients of Lucyminerals foundation with Silica.
Ingredients: zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, mica, magnesium stearate, silica dioxide, iron oxides, allantoin, Apple Poly® polyphenols, trans-resveratrol, green coffee bean extract,
magnesium ascorbyl phosphate.
So if the foundation is too heavy, we have to find the right filler to "dilute” the foundation with it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Third step: What are our options? Please have a look:
Serecite - 20 to 50% (colorless, increasing translucency, reflecting light, lower coverage) – it might be a good choice, nothing contradict to our needs.Boron Nitride - 5 to 30% (whitening, adhering, adding a pearly sheen and a dewy glow) – I am not looking for any sheen or/and glow, but a tiny bit will not bother me.
Silk and Pearl Powders - 1 to 5% (translucent) – I can add these components only up to 5%, so can’t really “dilute” the foundation.
Bamboo and Rice Powders - 5 to 10% (translucent, absorbing oils, shortening shelf life) – I do not need more oil absorbing ingredients, since this foundation in Oil Control Formula with Silica and since my skin in wintertime is more normal than combination.
Silica - 1 to 5% (adhering, absorbing oils) – The same as Bamboo and Rice Powders.
Kaolin - 5 to 10% (absorbing oils) – The same as Bamboo and Rice Powders.
Mica - 0 to 100% (adding shine and shimmer) – I do not like any shimmer in my foundation.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fourth step: Instructions:

*Please sanitize all the tools and equipment before making your foundation.
1. So my choice here was Serecite with a tiny bit of Boron Nitride and Pearl Powder. First we will pre-mix our “diluting blend” with 90% of Serecite, 5% Boron Nitride and 5% of Pearl Powder, all together in the ratio 1:1 with the Shell Beige sample.

Honey Ivory Rose foundation sample from The all Natural Face

Olive Warmest foundation sample from The all Natural Face

2. Then we have to address the first and the second issues: to neutralize the dark sallow shade – here I am going to cheat. Mixing the right shade using iron oxides is little too complicated in this case, so we’ll use other samples.
a. First I’ve mixed 2 scoops of Cool Pinkish-Reddish foundation (Honey Ivory Rose foundation sample from The all Natural Face – dark pink undertone) with the Shell Beige to reduce the yellowness. Stir it up.
b. Afterward I’ve added 2 scoops of the dark Olive foundation sample (Olive Warmest from The all Natural Face) to half of my “diluting blend” and stir it up well.
c. Next we’ll combine all together in the grinder and mix it up about 5 minutes. In case you are using a mortar and pestle, take time to grind it well, smashing it up until it looks homogeneous.
d. If it will come out a little too dark and yet heavy, like in my case, be ready to prepare another half of the “diluting blend” with 2 scoops of the Olive Warmest. Combine all together in the grinder and mix it up about 5 minutes.
3. Transfer to your Sifter Jar, use it and enjoy it:)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is what it was And there you have it, my swatches of The House Blend formula and The original Shell Beige in Oil Control Formula with Silica from Lucyminerals..

Shell Beige from Lucyminerals

Swatches

Everyone, who are testing Mineral Foundations and trying to find “the perfect match”, already owns a lot of samples. Well, obviously it makes it a lot harder to try to match the right shade from the online store. However, you don’t have to waste these samples, if you can simply modify them to your needs. It’s really easy to combine fillers, other samples and pigments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To make your foundation give more coverage, you can use the same technique, just different fillers: a combination of the dark Foundation in your shade and Titanium Dioxide.
To adjust it to oily skin - add a combination of the dark Foundation in your shade and Zinc Oxide or/and Bamboo, Rice Powders, Silica, Kaolin.
To give it a dewy glow you’ll need a bit of Boron Nitride and maybe Mica.

Start experimenting with your minerals, have fun and enjoy!

Brands reviewed:

Sweetscents

The All Natural Face

Coastal Scents

Lucyminerals

Lumiere

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Lush Inspired - Homemade Each Peach (and Two's a Pair) Massage Bar

2011-12-20T07:28:00.000+02:00

Lush Inspired Series

My skin is really sensitive and itchy when the weather gets cold and dry. For some reason I have always hated the feel of lotion on the skin, I don't use it on my face and I don't use it on my body, so the idea of an anhydrous (contain no water) lotion bars really appeals to me. They are very simple, very convenient for travel, easy to apply. I like using them after a shower, when the skin is hydrated, the oils in a solid lotion bar would cap, seal in the water that is already on the skin if apply it while wet. Oils and butters are supposed to remain on the skin as a protective layer to prevent dryness and dehydration.
You can make a solid lotion bar that is a mix of oils, butters and waxes, and you will not have to use a preservative for it to be a safe product. You can also modify it to your skin type, choose heavier oils if you have dry skin, or lighter, faster absorbing oils for normal skin. Also, depending on where you live and what time of year it is, you can change the amount of waxes and oils to make it firmer or softer.
The thing I like about my lotion bars, lip balms and body butters the most, is that you can experiment and if you want to modify it, just remelt it, add more of one thing or another and try again. Just keep doing detailed notes on what you add each time so when you get it right, you will know what to do.

A while ago I've posted the recipe of my version of Lush Therapy Bar, today I want to present another Lush Inspired product.

Homemade Lush Inspired Each Peach (and Two's a Pair) Massage Bar

The Description from Lush site:
"We make the Each Peach Massage Bar with fruity avocado and mango kernel butters, mixed with our cocoa butter and shea butter base for an extra nutritious, softening treat. It's a best-seller and people have fallen in love with this peachy massage."

If you’ll compare the lists of ingredients of the “Therapy” and “Each Peach”, you’ll see almost identical components with different EO combination. "The Therapy" contains just 2 butters, it's pretty simple by the way.

Please have a look at the ingredient list before the Perfume and Essential Oils: just Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter. Avocado and Mango Butters in the “Each Peach” are following Perfume, so they are supposed to be less than 2% (maybe less than 1%) in this product. Nothing "peachy" by the way, all EO are from the Citrus family, maybe their Perfume has a peachy scent.

Each Peach (and Two's Pair) Massage Bar Ingredients: Fair Trade Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Perfume, Avocado Butter (Persea gratissima), Mango Kernel Butter (Mangifera indica), Lime Oil (Citrus aurantifolia), Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus dulcis), Mandarin Oil (Citrus nobilis), Grapefruit Oil (Citrus grandis), Saffron (Crocus sativus), *Citral, *Geraniol, *Citronellol, *Limonene, *Linalool.

Therapy Massage Bar Ingredients::Organic Fair Trade Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao butter), Organic Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii butter), Organic Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis oil), Organic Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia oil), Organic Neroli Oil (Citrus amara oil), *Citral, *Geraniol, *Farnesol, *Limonene, *Linalool}

*Occurs naturally in essential oils

So we are not going to use any synthetic Perfume as Lush did, we’ll leave out Saffron too (I don’t have it), plus I am always adding anti-oxidants to all anhydrous products (Vitamin E), so we will tweak the recipe a little bit and we'll play with the amounts of Shea and Mango Butters.
The combo of EO I’ve made, smells fantastic though: fresh, bright, energetic and wintry. However the scent remains on the skin only an hour or so, maybe less, it does fade quickly.
Please be careful if you are allergic to citruses. You can add any other EO combination of your choice. Otherwise, leave it without EO, unrefined Cocoa neat has a mild chocolaty smell.
Now we are going to create a simple recipe to have a bar that melts at skin temperature, but not at regular room temperature or even hot bathroom.

If you’ll compare the lists of ingredients of the “Therapy” and “Each Peach”, you’ll see almost identical components with different EO combination. "The Therapy" contains just 2 butters, it's pretty simple by the way.

Please have a look at the ingredient list before Perfume and Essential Oils: just Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter. Avocado and Mango Butters in the “Each Peach” are following Perfume, so they are supposed to be less than 2% (maybe less than 1%) in this product. Nothing "peachy" by the way, all EO are from the Citrus family, maybe their Perfume has a peachy scent.

Ingredients of "Each Peach (and Two's Pair) Massage Bar" 120g (no water phase):

Ingredients :	gram	Percentage %
Cocoa Butter unrefined	90g	75%
Shea Butter unrefined	6gr	5%
Mango Butter unrefined	18g	15%
Avocado Butter refined	3.6g	3%
Vitamin E	1.2g	1%
Essential Oils:	1.2g	1%
Lime Pure EO	12 drops
Sweet Orange Pure EO	4 drops
Mandarin Pure EO	4 drops
Grapefruit Pure EO	4 drops

Instructions:
Heat the Butters in a double boiler just until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in other ingredients: Essential Oils and Vitamin E.
Ensure your container is clean and sterilized.
Pour the mixture into a mold or container. And then put in the freezer to cool it. Once it is pretty much hardened put the lid\cover on the container\mold so it doesn't dry out. Let it cool in the freezer until they are completely solid.

Shelf life:
About two month in a dry, cold place and out of direct sunlight.

Try making your own Homemade Skincare Products!
They are so fun and addicting!
Have fun and enjoy!

You may like
Lush Inspired - Homemade Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter
Lush Inspired - Homemade Winter Lip Balm
Lush Inspired - Homemade "Spot cleanse acne prone skin"
Lush Inspired - Homemade Cupcake Purifying Facial Mask with Rhassoul Clay
DIY Tutorial - Body Scrub
Homemade Relaxing Bath Salts with Aromatic Essential Oils
DIY - Homemade Chamomile Massage Oil
Lush Inspired - Homemade Therapy Massage Bar
Lush Inspired - Homemade Whipstick Lip Balm

DIY - Homemade AVC Exfoliating Facial Toner

2011-12-17T16:46:00.001+02:00

Acetic Acid

The main ingredient of this Toner is Apple Cider Vinegar contains acetic acid. Acetic acid is one of the simplest carboxylic acids. It has one carboxyl group and one hydroxyl. I’ve been using in my Toner 5% apple cider vinegar (with 5% acetic acid). It also has other acids, mineral salts and polysaccharides, however we are interesting now in its acidic properties.

The relatively low concentration of acetic acid has keratolytic (AHA like) and exfoliating effects on the skin. Most cleansers have a higher pH than the skin, and AVC Toner helps lower pH to neutralize the alkaline Cleanser.

I’ve been using low concentrations of AVC in my Toner, not above 7%. The key is to pay attention to how your skin reacts to that amount of ACV in your Toner and adjust the ratio of acetic acid in it. Begin with 3% of 5% Apple Cider Vinegar in summertime, and have increased it to 7% in winter.

Please be careful, test this Toner on the forearm before applying on your face!

For VERY sensitive skin please start off with 1% of AVC!

Please make sure you are using 5% Apple Cider Vinegar,

otherwise change the recipe to adjust the ratio of acetic acid in it!

I suggest making small amounts of this Toner because you will go through it so quickly, so you wouldn't need to preserve it. In Water phase you can add aloe gel, hydrosols, rose water, etc. Usually I use plain water in this Toner.

The Recipe for 60ml (2oz) 3% AVC Exfoliating Toner (using 5% Apple Cider Vinegar)
Apple Cider Vinegar – 1.8 ml
Water (or Aloe Vera Gel, or Rose Water) – 58.2 ml

The Recipe for 60ml (2oz) 5% AVC Exfoliating Toner (using 5% Apple Cider Vinegar)
Apple Cider Vinegar – 3 ml
Water (or Aloe Vera Gel, or Rose Water) – 57 ml

The Recipe for 60ml (2oz) 7% AVC Exfoliating Toner (using 5% Apple Cider Vinegar)
Apple Cider Vinegar – 4.2 ml
Water (or Aloe Vera Gel, or Rose Water) – 55.8 ml

Instructions: Measure with disposable syringe or measuring spoons, mix up and use :)

Shelf Life and usage:60 ml (2oz) is enough for 1 week, so you will only need to make it once a week. Please add the preservative of your choice to this product if you are keeping it longer than a week.

How to use: Just soak a cotton pad/ball with Toner and gently apply to the face and neck. Please use it at night, ACV Toner is acidic,so please stay out of the sun after using it or wear sunscreen.
Don't apply to broken, irritated or sensitive skin. If your skin becomes red, itchy, irritated or burned, please stop using or dilute the Toner with more water. Try not to get it in your eyes. If you did, simply rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.

Enjoy :)

You may like

Homemade Hydrating Facial Gel with Kelp and Herbal Extracts
Facial Cleansing Routine using Homemade Cleansers and Makeup Removers - Fall 2011

Homemade Rose Water Toner for Sensitive Skin

Homemade Pomegranate Hydrating Toner

DIY Tutorial - Pore Minimizing Toner

Homemade Antioxidant Hydrating Serum

Homemade Facial Serum with Exotic Oils Vitamin Enriched

Homemade Hydrating Antioxidant Rosemary Serum Gel

Favorite Mineral Makeup Products in 2011

2011-12-14T15:22:00.002+02:00

The Russian Version of my Favorite Mineral Make Up Products in 2011

Favorite Mineral Makeup Products in 2011

I have been a long-time fan of mineral powder foundations and makeup. Like it for the simplest ingredients, ease of application, as well as the look and feel of the products, good coverage without being heavy looking, and most important its long-lasting finish remains through the summertime heat in our humid, hot climate. This is the healthiest and safest option on the market so far. It protects the skin from the sun damage, does not absorb by the skin, and it’s preservative-free and fragrance-free. You can buy it and you can make it yourself if you like Homemade stuff as I do.
A few years ago I’d played a lot with all kind of Mineral fillers and colors. However, I was stuck for a long time with EDM (Everyday Minerals) products, because I’ve bought a lot and I hate to waste, since my backups are not used up. Nevertheless, this year I was "testing" and “sampling” again, actually I am still sampling new products and new brands.

Russian mineral fans from the cosmo forum suggest filling the questionnaire to share our mineral favorites. Based on my general experience it’s impossible to label one particular brand of mineral makeup as "the best" or "all time favorite”. I am trying my best lately to find the perfect match, so this favorite’s questionnaire sounds like a really good idea not only for the record, but because the process of choosing the right foundation (finishing powder, and so on...) formula and color is exceedingly frustrating and time-consuming. The ‘information is power’, and I am always for sharing knowledge, information and experience. So, this is my current experience with Mineral Make up, not all discovered this year, but definitely used in 2011. I'm definitely not a makeup expert, so please bear with me…

MMU items I discovered, used and enjoyed in 2011
All of the brands reviewed are listed at the end.

Profile/About me
1. Skin type — combination at summer with oily T-zone, normal/combination to dry at winter.
2. Skin color/undertone — Light Olive. Light Almond from EDM - "the perfect color match" (but like all other goodies from EDM, discontinued).
3. Eyes Color — brown.
4. Age — 30 something.
5. Mineral Experience — almost 6 years.

Face
1. Face Primer — none.

2. Mineral Foundation — Light Almond in Matte formula from EDM - pros: good coverage, good staying power, cons: oxidized after 6-8 hours and discontinued. I currently wear my tweaked foundations of "The All Natural Face" and Lucyminerals - pros: very good coverage, very good staying power, no more oxidation, cons: still have to find time to tweak them.

EDM - Light Almond

3. Mineral Corrector/Concealer — rarely using Multi-Tasking from EDM, sometimes Lucyminerals foundation in Pale Olive (a full coverage foundation to conceal spots).

EDM - Multi-Tasking

4. Mineral Veil — in summertime using mattifying Rice Powder from EDM, lately sampling mineral veils from TANF ("The All Natural Face") and Lumiere, still testing.

EDM - Rice Powder

5. Glow — "the best" was Light Mineral Finish from Oceanmist (discontinued), still sampling new ones from Sweetscents, TANF and Lumiere, rarely using Sunlight Corrector from EDM along the cheekbones and on the bridge of the nose as a soft glow to reflect light.

TANF - Glow samples

6. Bronzer — just a pressed\baked foundation from EDM in Light Olive (too dark for me to use as a foundation), or every other foundation 2-3 tones darker than my skin (I have a huge amount of dark samples and I hate to waste).

EDM - pressed Light Olive

7. Mineral Blush — Salon Fun or Walkee Talkee from EDM as a blusher and glow together, or Sprungi (EDM) when I want a matte blusher (I've pressed all of my mineral blushes: Homemade and EDM ones).

My Blusher Palette

Eyes

8. Mineral Eyeshadow base — used to like Eyeshadow Base from EGM, lately in love with Buff and Magic from TANF. They prevent fading and keep eye shadows from becoming greasy, remain true to color and crease-free (for the record - my eye lids are dr). I apply both of them with synthetic concealer brushes from EcoTools or EDM, for some reason fingertip-application does not work for me.

TANF - Eyeshadow base in Buff

9. Everyday Mineral Eye shadows — nude matte and satin eye shadows, homemade, mineral or regular (I've pressed all the mineral ones in these 15 pans palettes from eBay) .

Pressed Neutral Eyeshadows

10. "Go out" Mineral Eye shadows — the same as in 9.

Pressed Semi-Neutral Eyeshadows

11. Mineral Eyeliner — deep dark grey, almost black powder eyeliner from Oceanmist, did not keep the name, maybe it's Cold Black Eyeshadow / Eyeliner ? (the last one in the second palette).

12. Mineral Brow Powder — usually the same as in 11, in the summertime when my brows lighten a bit, using Dark Brown Brow Powder from EDM.

EDM - Brow Powder in Dark Brown

Additional products
13. Lipstick/Lip gloss/Lip balm — Homemade or regular (none mineral).

My "Miss Wild Rosie" Lip Balm

14. Face Brush of the year — Long Handled Kabuki from EDM, synthetic, super soft, perfect for mineral foundation.

EDM - Long Handled Kabuki

15. Eye shadow Brush of the year — Chisel Fluff Shadow Large, Chisel Fluff Shadow Medium, Pro Blending Fluff Brushes from Coastal Scents. Soft, natural, 2 first for "pack on" eye shadow, third for blending (check out my CS reviews here).

16. Mineral Skin care — none.

7. Cream/Serum — My Homemade Serum-Gel with herbal extracts and anti-oxidants and my Homemade Exotic Oil Serum.(no lotion type creams anymore)

My Homemade Serums

Hits and Misses
18. 2011 Misses — Coastal Scents drastically increased international shipping cost, so DIY supplements and cheap-cheapy brushes make them super expensive, as well as discontinued Light Mineral Finish from Oceanmist.

19. 2011 Hits — discovered new brands (new to me) The All Natural Face , Lucyminerals, Sweetscents and Lumiere. TANF carries good eye shadow bases and super concentrated, full coverage Olive shades (not only) foundations and a really great selection of the Mineral Veils. Lucyminerals carries super heavy, creamy, long lasting, full coverage foundations to use them as a concealer or play and tweak with the different Mixing Powders from Sweetscents. Both TANF and Lucyminerals (I tried the Silica formula) offer long lasting foundations, great full coverage, does not look chalky, cakey, and flakey on me. It seems to apply really smoothly, even creamy (especially Lucyminerals). I may use their foundation as a concealer as needed. Unfortunately, I did find yet "the perfect color match", but I am still testing and I always can adjust these samples to my shade. Anyhow, if you're looking for oil control for combo/oily skin, I would suggest trying both of them. I cannot say much about Lumiere products yet, still testing them.

20. 2011 Favorite Mineral Brand — I wouldn't label EDM as "my favorite" or "the best" by any means, did not buy anything from them for a long time though, not to mention their customer service. However, EDM is definitely most worn MMU brand in 2011, I still have a lot of their stuff (from my 2007 or 2008 shopping spree), quite pleased with it and still use it.

Brands reviewed:

Sweetscents

The All Natural Face

Coastal Scents

EDM

Lucyminerals

Lumiere

Oceanmist

You may like

How to: A little Guide to modify a Mineral Foundation to your needs
Минеральный хит-парад 2011
Review - Coastal Scents Makeup Brushes: my thoughts
Review - EcoTools Makeup Brushes - part 1 - Singles
DIY Mineral Make up - Tools and Ingredients
Review - EcoTools Brushes - 5-Piece Mineral Brush Set

Минеральный хит-парад 2011

2011-12-14T13:16:00.002+02:00

English Version of my Favorite Mineral Make Up Products in 2011

Минеральный хит-парад 2011
Анкета

1. Тип кожи — комбинированная летом, нормальная\сухая зимой.
2. Оттенок кожи — бледно-оливковый. Light Almond от EDM - идеальный "матч" (discontinued).

3. Цвет глаз — карий.

4. Возраст — 30 с хвостиком.

5. Минеральный стаж — около 6 лет.

Лицо

1. Праймер — не пользуюсь.

2. Основа — Light Almond от EDM, все остальное исправляю, приближая к тону Light Almond, что заметила - исправленные основы "The All Natural Face" и Lucyminerals не темнеют со временем как EDM .

3. Корректор/консилер — почти не пользуюсь, редко Multi-Tasking от EDM, ну или основа Lucyminerals в Pale Olive (любая Люсина должна подойти).

Multi-Tasking Concealer

4. Финиш/вуаль — летом из матирующих Rice Powder от EDM , сейчас пробую разные вуали от TANF и Lumiere, не оределилась пока.

5. Глоу/шиммер/иллюминатор — лучший конечно бывший Light Mineral Finish от Oceanmist (discontinued), пока в поисках новой glow, редко пользуюсь Sunlight Corrector-ом от EDM в качестве легкого глоу на скулы и нос.

6. Бронзер — обычно прессованая основа Light Olive от EDM, ну или любая другая основа холодного оттенка на 2-3 тона темнее кожи.

EDM pressed foundation in Olive Light

7. Румяна — обычно в качестве румян и glow одновременно шиммерные Salon Fun или Walkее Talkее от EDM совсем совсем капелюшечку, редко чуток матовых Sprungi (EDM).

My Blusher Palette

Глаза

8. Праймер под тени — раньше любила кремовый Eyeshadow Base от EGM, последнее время Buff или Magic от TANF.

Eyeshadow Base in Buff

9. Тени на повседневность — обычно матовые, нюдовые, свои замесы или даже неминеральные.

My nude palette N 1

My nude palette N 2

10. Тени на выход — такие же как в пункте 9.

11. Подводка для глаз — люблю графитовый темно-серый, почти черный от Oceanmist из старых запасов, названия не сохранила, может быть Cold Black Eyeshadow / Eyeliner ?
12. Пудра для бровей — обычно то же что в пункте 11, а летом когда брови выгорают сильно, пользуюсь Dark Brown Brow Powder от EDM.

EDM Brow Powder in Dark Brown

Дополнительно

13. Губная помада/блеск/бальзам — либо самодельные, либо неминеральные.

14. Кисть года для лица — Long Handled Kabuki от EDM, идеальна для основы.

EDM Long Handled Kabuki

15. Кисть года для глаз — Chisel Fluff Shadow Large, Chisel Fluff Shadow Medium, Pro Blending Fluff Brush от Coastal Scents, все три мягкие, натуральные, первые две для нанесения, третья для растушевки.

My Homemade Serums

16. Уход минеральный — не пользуюсь.

17. Крем/серум — обычно пользуюсь своими самоделками - гель с увлажнителями и экстрактами и масляный серум с регенерирующими маслами.

Итоги года

18. Разочарование года — изменение цен на доставку Coastal Scents (всякая ерунда для самоделок и дешевенькие кисточки на вес золота выходят) и исчезновение Light Mineral Finish от Oceanmist.

19. Открытие года — новые для меня Lucyminerals, Sweetscents ,The All Natural Face и Lumiere. У TANF классные праймеры, концетрированные оливковые основы для исправления всяких непригодных, у Lucyminerals - плотные основы, которые немного сложно наносятся, но классные в качестве консилеров и легко перерабатываются в нужный тон и плотность с добавками от Sweetscents. Различные Mixing Powders от Sweetscents, которые я раньше брала на Coastal Scents, но перестала из-за дорогой доставки. Люмьер еще не распробовала.

20. Любимая минеральная фирма года — не скажу что любимая, но пользуюсь чаще всего EDM , скорее всего по привычке.

Brands reviewed:

Sweetscents

The All Natural Face

Coastal Scents

EDM

Lucyminerals

Lumiere

Oceanmist

You may like

How to: A little Guide to modify a Mineral Foundation to your needs

Favorite Mineral Make Up Products in 2011 (english)
Review - Coastal Scents Makeup Brushes: my thoughts
Review - EcoTools Makeup Brushes - part 1 - Singles

Facial Cleansing Routine using Homemade Cleansers and Makeup Removers - Fall 2011

2011-11-18T13:34:00.011+02:00

My Current Facial Cleansing Routine with Homemade Cleansers and Makeup Removers: Homemade Deep Cleansing Oil, Rose Hip Eye Makeup Remover, Daily Wash Paste, Lip Scrub (all recipes included)

We all are familiar with all kind of commercial facial cleansers and makeup removers that are available on the market nowadays – foams, gels, creams, pastes and cleansing oils. Unfortunately, not everyone knows that making your own cleansers at home is quick, easy and inexpensive.

A while ago I posted on my blog the recipe of Kukui Nut Makeup Remover, I was religiously using for more than 2 years. However at the beginning of the spring I run out of the Kukui Nut Oil and used up my Kukui Nut Makeup Remover, so I decided to reformulate the recipe a bit. And since I was very pleased with the finishing result, I am going to share the new recipe and my updated Cleansing Routine.

Removing makeup with proper Makeup Remover is essential for me to keep the skin clean and healthy. My skin is combination\oily, and I should use a good cleanser containing oil-absorbing components. There are only a few ingredients we have to use when making an oil-based Makeup Remover: Vegetable Oil and an Emulsifier, and we can add a few optional ones. These are specifically focused on the job of removing make up and cleansing the skin. And I should mention: anhydrous Cleansing Oil does not require any preservative in it.

What do you need:

Light weight Oil or mix of Oils (Kukui Nut Oil, Rice Bran, Baobab, Camelia, Watermelon, Marula, Hazelnut, Olive Oil, etc.) – base oil helps to melt make up off the skin while not clogging your pores – about 60%
Castor Oil – the only oil dissolving in water, helps to wash off make up – about 30%
Polysorbate 20 – a mild Emulsifier – 10-15%
Salicylic Acid – an oil-soluble BHA, with anti-microbial properties, able to penetrate pores and exfoliate them from the inside out (Optional ingredient) – 1-2%
Essential Oil with antiseptic properties (Tea Tree EO, Sage EO – your choice) (Optional ingredient) – 1%
Vitamin E – to prevent oil oxidation – 0.5% to 1%

The Recipe of Deep Cleansing Oil with Salicylic Acid (no water phase) for 250ml:

Rice Bran Oil	100ml	40%
Green tea Macerate in Olive Oil	45ml	18%
Castor Oil	75ml	30%
Polysorbate 20	25ml	10%
Salicylic acid	2gr	1%
Sage EO	40 drops	0.5%
Vitamin E	10 drops	0.5%

Instructions:
Mix up a blend of Oils in a glass bottle, add Vitamin E, Salicylic Acid, next add an Emulsifier (I'm using Polysorbate 20), add Sage Essential Oil. You can choose any other 100% pure EO, but if you are pregnant or sensitive to EO, you should avoid using them, please be careful.

Shelf Life and usage:
About six month in a dry, cool place, in a pump container, half a pump will be enough for one use. Pump glass bottle will keep your Cleansing Oil safe from oxidation and fungal contamination. Store away from the direct sunlight.

That’s all, you have your own Deep Cleansing Makeup Remover, here it is.

How do I use it? Please keep reading…

PM Cleansing Routine

Removing make up from the face:
This is my first step while removing makeup at evening:
Gently spread a small amount of the Deep Cleansing Oil all over your face and neck, on completely dry skin!, in a circular motion. Massage a few minutes rubbing the Cleanser into your face until the Oil will penetrate into the skin and pull out all make up, dead cells and other dirt. Your skin will feel a little oily (ok, a lot oily) while you are cleansing. Don’t worry! We’ll fix it:). Add a few drops of warm water to face to emulsify - oil will turn milky white. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Your face is clean and soft.

Removing make up from the eyes:
Then I continue with my eyes. Cleansing\emulsifying agents may irritate the eyelids. So, I’ve made a special Eye Makeup Remover with super gentle ingredients, suitable for eyelids: healing and regenerating Rose Hip Oil, rich in antioxidants Green tea Macerate in Olive Oil ,rich in Vitamin D Shiitake Macerate in Olive Oil and Carrot Essential Oil.

Here the recipe of Rose Hip Eye Makeup Remover (no water phase) for 20ml:

Rose Hip Oil 80% - 16ml,
Green Tea Macerate in Olive Oil 10% - 2ml,
Shiitake Macerate in Olive Oil 10% - 2ml,
Carrot EO 1% - 1drop,
Vitamin E – 2drops.

Instructions:
Mix up a blend of Oils in a dropper bottle, add Vitamin E, Carrot EO. Please be careful using EO.

Shelf Life and usage:
About3 month in a dry, cool place, in a dropper container, 1-2 drops will be enough for one use. Store away from the direct sunlight.

I take a clean cotton ball or pad, saturate it with my Toner or Herbal Tea making sure to get it pretty wet, add 1-2 drops of my Rose Hip Eye Makeup Remover, spread all over the cotton ball.
Then apply one of the cotton balls to the eye lid. Without tugging too hard on the skin, let it sit for a few seconds so it can work its way through the layers of makeup.
Wipe away everything and then wipe again with clean damp cotton ball.
I suggest using no more than 2 drops of the Eye Makeup Remover for each eye. Usually 1 drop is more than enough for me. Otherwise, if you are not accurate and too much oily residue remains, it can leach down between the lashes and get into the eyes.
I don’t know if and how it works with any kind of mascara, since I haven’t use one for a long time. However it takes off completely any waterproof pencil eyeliner or cream\gel eyeliner without any problem.

Exfoliating Mask with Clay and Soapnut Aritha
The next step in my routine is cleansing and mild exfoliation, two in one.
I mix up Soapnut Aritha (soapy powder), Clays (Blue, Green, Bentonite, Kaolin, Dead Sea Mud, except for the Red and Rose Clay – I am allergic to them) and\or Herbal Extracts.
One scoop of each powder, add a few drops of Herbal Tea or Toner to make it stick together.
That's’ all, my wash paste is ready. It removes all excess oils from the skin and gentle exfoliate it. I like to use this paste every other day as a gentle facial scrub, or as a mask to unclog my pores.

Here the recipe for today:

Soapnut Aritha and Blue Clay
Recipe of Daily Wash Paste:
Soapnut Aritha 1 scoop,
Blue Clay 1 scoop,
Green Tea a few drops

Instructions:
Mix up and use

Shelf Life and usage:
Please make a fresh blend, this amount is enough for face and neck.

Lip treatment with Brown Sugar and Honey

I have terribly dry, cracked and super flaky lips lately, and daily lip exfoliation has been working pretty well for me. As well the final step should always be to apply a good lip balm.
Here's one of my favorite lip scrub recipes:
Brown Sugar and Honey
Recipe of Daily Lip Scrub for 1 use:
Honey 0.5 scoop,
Brown Sugar 1 scoop,

Instructions: Mix up the ingredients together to get a paste. You can make a full jar of this lip scrub, it will keep at least 1 month. However, lately I like making a fresh portion every other day. The scrub is completely edible.

Shelf Life and usage:
This amount is enough for 1 use.

Tone
After washing (or rinsing, as the case may be), I wipe my face and neck gently with a cotton ball soaked in Rose Water or my Homemade AVC Exfoliating Toner (sometimes my AHA Exfoliating Toner), every other day.

Acne treatment:
My acne regimen depends on how much I have white heads on my jaw line. If it’s fairly bad, I’ll apply about a pea-sized amount of Salikaren Ointment containing 3% Salicylic Acid to my chin, leave it there for a few hours and then just wipe it off.

AM Cleansing Routine
I like to keep it simple: my AM regimen is much easier and quick. The skin doesn't get dirty from sleeping on a clean pillow case, so I do not really need to wash it again in the morning. Too much cleansing can dry out the skin.
So since I usually wake up with an oily sheen, I just wipe my face and neck gently with a cotton ball soaked in my regular Toner (none-acidic one) or Rose Water. Sometimes I rinse my face with the Herbal Tea mixing with a small amount of Oat Straw Extract (do not confuse with Oatmeal Powder). That’s all.
----------------

Sorry for super long post. PM routine might look so complicated but it actually it is not. Mixing up my daily blends takes just a few seconds, I store in my bath room all the ingredients for the daily products. I really try to make them as simple and natural as possible, using just a few components for every product.

Hope it will inspire you to try your own homemade facial cleansers.

Good luck :)

Homemade Hydrating Antioxidant Rosemary Serum Gel

Review - EcoTools Brushes - part 1 - Singles

2011-11-04T17:05:00.012+02:00

Hello everyone,

Let’s talk today about my EcoTools makeup brushes!

I'm back with another review on one of my favorite makeup brushes brand EcoTools. All my EcoTools Brushes are cheap, soft, very good quality and eco friendly. So if you are on the search of high quality yet affordable makeup brushes, take a look on EcoTools. If you’d like to hear a couple of my thoughts on them, here they are...

I just wanted to begin yet again, in case you did not see my last review on Coastal Scents Brushes with a little 3 points disclaimer :
1. I use mostly mineral make up and synthetic bristles brushes.
2. I do not own any high-end makeup brushes except for the multitasking MAC 217.
3. Most of my brushes are from the online stores, easily accessible and really affordable.
Ok, first off, let’s have a look at my EcoTools Single Brushes:

What do you think? The first thing I thought about, when I saw these brushes, was “I want these bamboo handle brushes now.” My mind was not changed, however, after watching a couple of YouTube videos and reading reviews. I looked around where I can buy them and found a lot of EcoTools products on eBay and iherb . I ended up purchasing quite a few things, including 4 brush sets.

And I must mention another 2 points: maybe I cannot be fully objective, because first, I really like bamboo handle brushes and second, I like soft synthetic bristles.

I have been using most of these brushes almost every single day for the past 2 years. They have gone through a lot of washes and have been cleansed with makeup cleanser a lot of times. I really love all my EcoTools Brushes, even those I do not use daily.

The brushes come in a greenish colored zip baggie with linen\cotton lining like that.

Part 1 EcoTools Single Brushes

EcoTools Bronzer Brush – 8$ to 15$ - identical from eBay and iherb– you might need at least one for sure.
Synthetic hair. Bamboo handle with Aluminum ferrule. The bristles are stiff, super soft and super densely packed. Keeps shape nicely. Dries extremely quickly. The top of the brush is a dome shape so it looks like a gigantic long handled kabuki with really thick handle. Huge for the face application, but I like it to apply my powder bronzer or mineral foundation all over the neck and chest. I’ve heard many like using this brush for all kind of powder foundation application. This brush is absolutely amazing, I use it almost every day since bought for my mineral makeup and it works flawlessly. I've got 3 EcoTools Bronzer Brushes from eBay and iherb they are identical. If you need it, buy cheapest.
Rating: 5 of 5

EcoTools Blush Brush – 6$ to 10$ - almost from eBay and iherb– you might need it.

Synthetic hair. Bamboo handle with Aluminum ferrule. The bristles are stiff, super soft and very dense. Keeps shape nicely. Shaped rounded. Dries quickly. Too big and dense for the blush application, but I apply with this brush my finishing powder or mineral veil. Many use this brush for blusher, but I am not a “big blusher girl”, and I cannot recommend this one for a blush unless you like a big, rounded, soft, dense blusher brush. However, when it comes to applying pressed blushes, I do not think this brush will deposit color on the cheeks very well because of its incredible softness. It does work better with looser packed or mineral powder blushes or mineral veils. I've been using this brush for my finishing powder and mineral veil almost every day since bought. I've got 4 (!) EcoTools Blusher Brushes from e-bay and iherb, 2 singles and 2 from sets, they are almost identical, some look a little more thickly and packed more denser. I say, choose the cheapest one you can find.
Rating: 4 of 5

EcoTools Finishing Kabuki Brush – 6$+shipping - from iherb– you might need it.

Synthetic hair. Bamboo handle with Aluminum ferrule. The bristles are stiff, soft and very dense. Keeps shape nicely. Shaped Duo Fiber like. Dries quickly like all EcoTools Brushes. Big and dense. I apply with this brush my finishing powder or mineral veil, sometimes bronzer. For some reason I am not reaching for this brush very often, but I like it. I own 1 EcoTools Finishing Kabuki Brush from iherb.
Rating: 4 of 5

Overall rating: they appear to be really good.
Will I buy more? – Sure, I’ve bought much more than I need already.
Why I’ve bought so many? - First of all, I wanted good bamboo handle synthetic bristles brushes for a long time. Secondly, I expected them to be a bit cheapie and thought they will be ruined quickly and this is the reason I purchased so many backups.
I have quite a few brushes, including quite a few backups, all of them in excellent condition, no shedding, no bleeding so far. Highly recommend them, especially to mineral make up lovers.

So Pros for EcoTools Single Brushes:
1. Inexpensive.
2. Good quality.
3. Availability – all over eBay, Amazon and iherb, worldwide shipping.
4. Bamboo handles – love them.
5. Synthetic Taklon bristles are super soft.

Cons for EcoTools Single Brushes: none

Have you ever tried these brushes? Do you own them? Are you are going to repurchase them? What are your thoughts?

Next time I will be reviewing sets. Good Luck :)

You may like
Favorite Mineral Make Up Products in 2011 (english)
Russian Version of my Favorite Mineral Make Up Products in 2011 (Минеральный хит-парад 2011)
Review - Coastal Scents Makeup Brushes: my thoughts
DIY - A little Guide to modify a Mineral Foundation to your needs.
Review - EcoTools Brushes - 5-Piece Mineral Brush Set

Review - Coastal Scents Brushes: my thoughts

2011-11-04T16:10:00.005+02:00

Let’s talk makeup brushes today!

I have been using so many brushes for the past six (seven-eight?) years and right now they are staple pieces I am using daily to apply my make up.

I've been reviewing Coastal Scents Brushes a while ago, please check it out here. That was my first buy from them. However, now I'd like to do a new updated one about my entire make up brushes collection. Also, some of them are not really available now, but I will focus on what you can get your hands on.

Well, to begin with 3 points disclaimer:
1. I use mostly mineral make up and synthetic bristles brushes.
2. I do not own any high-end makeup brushes except for the multitasking MAC 217.
3. Most of my brushes are from the online stores, easily accessible and really affordable.

Ok, first off, let’s have a look at all CS brushes I own: The Pink Line and The Black-Silver Line.

My first impression of all the brushes was good, they are inexpensive decent brushes, and not all of them are cheapie… one by one…

Here's my thoughts on CS Brushes: The Pink Line

Pink Oval Fluff Shadow Brush - 1.95$ - this brush is not in stock right now, if it will be – you might need it.
Sable hair. Pink handle with Aluminum ferrule. The bristles are dense, very soft, no shedding or bleeding, but extremely big and thick. I was surprised to see how large this brush was. I use it usually as an “eraser”, when I am not accurate with dark crease eye shadow. I can use it as “all over lid” eyeshade brush but for some reason do not reach for this brush very often.
Rating: 3 of 5

Pink Round Crease Eye Brush - 1.89$ - not in stock, if it will be – do not buy!
Sable hair. Pink handle with Aluminum ferrule. Very rough on eye lids; the bristles are hard and scratchy. So disappointed with this brush. But, my 3 years old niece is OK with it while playing with her “make up”. If you do not have small kids around – do not buy it.
Rating: 1 of 5

Pink Angle Taklon Liner Brush - 1.79$ - not in stock, if it will be – do not buy!
Synthetic hair. Pink handle with Aluminum ferrule. Doesn't hold shape, after washing it a few times the bristles started to fray and separate. My niece likes it.
Rating: 1 of 5

Pink Oval Taklon Lip Brush - 1.99$ - not in stock, if it will be – you might need it.
Synthetic hair. Pink handle with Aluminum ferrule. The bristles are stiff, tiny, super soft and very dense. Keeps shape nicely. Really small for (my?) lips, too stiff for smudging eye liner, but I like it for the inner corner highlighter. Use it almost every day since bought.
Rating: 5 of 5

Pink Synthetic Oval Foundation – 3.99$ - now for 2.00$ – you might need it.
Synthetic hair. Pink handle with Aluminum ferrule. The bristles are soft, big, rounded, medium density. Keeps shape nicely. Extremely stripy with liquid foundation. But, I like it for my very pigmented and shimmery mineral blushes, because the brush shaped rounded as a blusher brush and it dense enough for really pigmented products . Makes the job very well. Use it sometimes when I need to (I am not a “big blush girl”, rarely using blushes).
Rating: 4 of 5

So these are the brushes I got from Coastal Scents Pink Line, as I said, not so impressed with the quality of couple of them, but for the price and for my lovely niece, I am really satisfied with all my purchases.
------------------

Let’s have a look at The Black-Silver Line

Pro Blending Fluff Brush – 3.95$ – a great substitute for the MAC 217 brush – you might need it.
Goat hair. Black handle with Silver ferrule. The bristles are soft and dense as I like for blending brush, used to shed a little after first washes, has never bled. Its unique shape allow you to pack color on the lid and easily blend it out. I own 4 of this kind, pros: two of them identical to MAC 217, cons: two others shaped a little different, and a bit scratchy. Overall this is a good fluffy brush, picks up enough product, fits perfect into the crease, blends easily and gives a smooth finish, this is great multi use brush. One of my favorite crease brushes. Really decent quality brush for everyday use.
Rating: 5 of 5 for first two, 3 of 5 to the others

Chisel Fluff Shadow Large – 2.75$ – regular eye shadow brush to pack on color to the lid – you might need it.

Sable hair. Black handle with Silver ferrule. The bristles are dense, soft, and stiff, shaped well, used to shed a little. It picks up an eye shadow nicely and packs on the color pretty densely. I own 2 of this kind; they look and feel the same, must have shading brushes, using them daily. Overall I find this brush to be perfect for it's price.
Rating: 4 of 5

Chisel Fluff Shadow Medium – 2.75$ – small eye shadow brush to pack on color to the lid – you might need it.
Sable hair. Black handle with Silver ferrule. The bristles are nicely cut, packed tightly, dense, soft, and stiff, shaped well, sheds a little after first wash. Just a perfect shape and length of the bristles for detailed work, places shadow flawlessly. The handle is much shorter than my other CS brushes, looks like travel size. I own 2 of this kind; they look and feel the same, good brushes, using them daily.
Rating: 4 of 5

All my CS brushes have a light weight and nice length for application. The handles of the Pink Line look extremely cheap and they chip quickly; the Black-Silver Line looks more professional.

Overall rating: they appear to be decent quality for the price.

Will I buy more? – I guess no.

Why? First of all, the quality of the brushes is not consistent, another problem for international buyers is the shipping cost CS increased lately, the new shipping rates even went overboard the price of the products you actually intended to buy: for 2-5$ brush you will pay minimum 10$ shipping by first class int. USPS.

So Pros of shopping from CS:

1. Cheap, inexpensive products.
2. Nice collection of brushes.

Cons of shopping from CS:

1. Inconsistency in quality
2. New Shipping rates

Have you ever tried these brushes? Do you own them? Are you are going to repurchase them? What are your thoughts?
Hope some of you find this helpful, and please let me know what you think of these reviews. See you next time :)

You may like

Favorite Mineral Make Up Products in 2011 (english)
Russian Version of my Favorite Mineral Make Up Products in 2011 (Минеральный хит-парад 2011)
How to: A little Guide to modify Mineral Foundation to your needs
My first Review - Coastal Scents Eye Shadow Brushes (The Pink Line)
Review - EcoTools Makeup Brushes - part 1 Singles

Review - EcoTools Brushes - 5-Piece Mineral Brush Set

DIY - Natural Homemade Massage Oil

2010-12-14T00:14:00.016+02:00

Make your own unique blend of Natural Massage Oil at home!

There are so many Commercial Massage Oils on the market these days. They can be either Mineral Oil or Natural Oil based, scented or unscented.

Nothing wrong with Synthetic Mineral Based Massage Oils, they have a long shelf life, they can provide a good lubrication and they cannot be absorbed by the skin. They are just simple lubricants, unscented ones are even hypoallergenic.

Natural Oils can be absorbed by the skin, unlike the Mineral Ones. They contain Fatty Acids and Vitamins essential for the skin. People with nut allergies should not use most of the Vegetable Oils. We have to be careful choosing Natural Based Massage Oils, especially if they are containing Essential Oils, they can be allergenic also…

But, on the positive side, considering the fact that Natural Oils have been used in Massage Therapy for thousands of years, from ancient Greece and Egypt to China and India, and they are highly beneficial to the skin (I hope so) if you don't have allergies ...
If you're allergic to nut, try Jojoba Oil, best lubricant ever, this is actually a Natural Liquid Wax, a little pricey, yes :(, but it's very stable and, according to my knowledge, hypoallergenic. Anyway we all make our choices and my choice is - if I can use Natural I'll use it...
Creating your own Massage Oil Blend is really easy and inexpensive.

How to make your unique Natural Massage Oil at home ?

1. Choose a good lubricant - mix your own Blend using Carrier Oils (Jojoba, Sweet Almond, Apricot, Grape-Seed, Safflower, Sesame, Wheat Germ, Olive, Jojoba and Peanut Oil)

2. Add Essential Oil for a pleasant scent and relaxation, or maybe energy - but! please be careful using them, they are very concentrated extracts, which can be very powerful and dangerous.

Today I am going to share the recipe of my Favorite Blend - Homemade Chamomile Massage Oil.

If you prefer a solid Massage Bar, please check out the recipe of the Lush Inspired Therapy Massage Bar or my Lush Inspired - Homemade Each Peach (and Two's a Pair) Massage Bar. Cocoa based Solid Massage Bars are not greasy at all, really convenient, easy to make.

First of all, I suggest choosing cold pressed Vegetable Oils and 100% Pure Essential Oils.

The best natural lubricants are Jojoba, Sweet Almond Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Kukui Nut Oil, Rice Bran Oil. They are slightly oily, absorbed quickly, but not so quickly that you need to keep reapplying it.
Olive Oil is another good choice, but it is much heavier and greasy. I like to blend it with the light weight Oils 1:6. For example, Herbal Extracts in Olive Oil – 1 part, Blend of Kukui Nut, Sweet Almond and Rice bran Oil – every Oil 2 parts (to find out how I've made my Herbal Extracts in Olive Oil, please click on the "Herbal Extracts" link). Sometimes I substitute Olive Oil for Sesame Oil, but be careful if you do not like the smell, unrefined one has really heavy scent, and you cannot kill it using EO.

Usually I am adding a little bit of Wheat Germ Oil (less than 3%), it is rich in vitamin E, but really heavy and greasy. For quick absorption in areas like chest and neck, I like using light oils like Kukui Nut Oil, Jojoba. If you want your Massage Oil to stay on the skin for a long time, add a good amount of heavier oil like Olive, Sesame, Soybean Oi.

In general, I suggest using 1 part of greasy Oils (Olive, Sesame, Coconut, Soybean) and 6 parts of light Oils. But! You can play with your ingredients, adding Oils, trying out the mixture and tweaking it away if your skin do not like it...

However if you‘d like to use Essential Oils in your Massage Oil Blend, please be careful, because they have so many different benefits and side effects. If you've decided to use EO, please check out their properties.

Remember! - EO like Orange, Lime, Lemon, Peppermint and Eucalyptus can be toning, energizing, while Lavender, Chamomile and Vanilla are more relaxing.

You can try different combinations each time until you find the perfect blend for your relaxing and therapeutic massage.

For newbie’s in EO I suggest checking this Rainbow Meadow Essential Oils Calculator, very useful...

Homemade Chamomile Massage Oil
It is paraben free, water free, naturally fragranced Massage Oil...

Basic Ingredients (no water phase) enough for 6 applications:
Chamomile Infusion in Olive Oil – 4.5 ml (7%)
Wheat Germ Oil – 0.5 ml (0.7%)
Kukui Nut Oil – 10 ml (15%)
Rice Bran Oil – 25 ml (38.5%)
Sweet Almond Oil – 25 ml (38.5%)
Vitamin E – 5 drops
Chamomile EO – 3 drops

Chamomile Infusion in Olive Oil has a very strong floral scent, so as Chamomile EO. They provide a relaxing effect on the skin and muscles… Olive and Wheat Germ Oils are greasy, thick Oils, they prevent quick absorption by the skin, the first one is rich in Monounsaturated Fatty Acids, and the last one is rich in Vitamin E and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids. Kukui Nut, Rice Bran, Sweet Almond Oils are light weight Oils, good lubricants, rich in both Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids..

Instructions (no water phase):
Mix all the Oils in a sterilized dark bottle (do not heat!), add EO and Vitamin E, stir well…

Shelf Life:
About three month in a dry, cool place in a dark bottle. Pump container will keep your mixture safe from oxidation and contamination. Store away from the light.

How to use:
I like using this Chamomile Massage Oil warm, it spreads very easily. But! Please do not boil the Oil! Just put the bottle (preferably glass bottle) in a pan of hot water on the stove for two-three minutes.
Always apply it to clean dry skin for the maximum effect.
Make sure you like the smell. It retains the fragrance for a long time. I smell the Chamomile scent on my skin the next day.

Enjoy :)

Tips - My Current Facial Skin Care Routine Summer 2010

2010-06-15T18:21:00.006+03:00

In this post I wanted to share MY CURRENT FACIAL SKINCARE ROUTINE (Summer 2010) that might help you guys have better skin.

Morning
Cleanse: I'm using regular Chamomile Tea or Green Tea mixing with a few drops of my Homemade Cleansing Oil. Spread it gently all over the face, massage a few minutes rubbing the Oil into the skin. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Sometimes, if I am not in a hurry, I'm rinsing my face with the Chamomile, Calendula Tea or just ordinary Green Tea.

Tone: I like using my Homemade Toners (I am making every two weeks a new one, it's very easy, please check my post - DIY Tutorial - Pore Minimizing Toner for some ideas) or Rose Water neat.

Lip Treatment: My Homemade tinted Lip Balms for Lips... I have a lot, maybe I will share some of my recipes later...

Moisturize: Homemade Antioxidant Facial Serum Gel mixing with 3 drops of my Exotic Oils Serum all over the face and neck. No Lotion this time!!!

Makeup: I wear a Mineral Foundation - it contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide (sunblocks), it lasts long, it has great coverage and it melts into the skin perfectly.

Evening

Cleanse: I'm using again my Homemade Cleansing Oil and Calendula Tea (sometimes Chamomile or Green Tea), really like this stuff...

Tone: Homemade Toner or Rose Water.

Massage and\or Mask: For the facial massage I'm mixing my Cleansing Oil with Hemp Seed oil (1:1) or Chamomile Macerate in Olive Oil. You can find on YouTube a few facials (I like the one of oxfordjasmine here or the professional one I found here. The second one is in Russian, but the visual explanations are clear enough, jump to 13:05! ).

On the days I am not doing my facial massage, I'm using an Exfoliating Mask at least twice a week. I like the Dead Sea mud masks; I also make my own homemade skin purifying masks (deep cleanses the skin). The Moisturizing Masks should be applied at least 1-2 times a week, I will add some of my recipes later.

Lip Treatment: My Homemade Lip Balms...

Moisturize: The same products in the morning as at night: Antioxidant Facial Gel mixing with 3 drops of my Exotic Oils Serum over the face and neck.

Hope this helps!
Take care :)

P.S. My skin is Combination/ Oily, Acne-Prone and I keep this routine almost a month. Like it so much....Stopped using Facial Lotions more than 6 months before and I keep my acne problem under control - no more pimples during PMS! I guess, my skin does not like lotions...

You may like

Homemade Hydrating Facial Moisturizer with Kelp and Herbal Extracts

Tips - Facial Skin Care Essentials

Facial Cleansing Routine using Homemade Cleansers and Makeup Removers - Fall 2011

Tweaking a Cupcake Purifying Facial Mask - Lush Inspired

2010-05-30T23:55:00.006+03:00

Lush Inspired Series
A weekly Facial Mask is an essential step in my skin care regime. Usually used twice a week, Facial Mask is cleansing, lightening and exfoliating the skin, cleansing and tightening pores.
As I mentioned earlier, the easiest Purifying Facial Mask to make at home is a blend of grounded Wheat Germs with Lemon Juice (you can use Oatmeal instead of Wheat Germs)...

This is the most effective, easy and gentle mask I ever used, but since Lemon Juice it is not the best choice for summer time, I was looking for a new recipe.
During last month I've tried my Lush Inspired - Homemade Cupcake Purifying Facial Mask with Rhassoul Clay and I have to say this is a very a very good exfoliating mask. I've made several versions of this mask with Olive Oil, Rice Bran Oil, and Cocoa Butter and without Oils, and the last one I liked more.
My finished formula of this mask contains:

Rhassoul Mud (or any other Mud or Clay) (30%),
Cocoa Powder (20%),
Corn Starch (20%) as purifying and exfoliating agents - 70%, - 20ml (4 teaspoons)
Linseed Infusion as a gel agent - 20%, - 6 ml (1+ teaspoon)
Fresh Herbal Tea (I prefer Chamomile or Calendula) - 10%, - 3ml (1/2 teaspoon)
Glycerin - a few drops,
Salts with Citrus Essential Oils - a few crystals of Salts.

Instructions:
Mix Rhassoul Clay, Cocoa Powder, Corn Starch together.
Prepare Linseed Infusion and Fresh Mint Infusion, mix them, let it cool to room temperature, add Glycerin.
Add Essential Oils to your Salts.
Mix Salts with Water phase, add Powders, stir well.
Pour the mixture into a small sterile container and let it cool at room temperature.

Shelf life:
This amount (about 30 ml) is enough for 2 applications on face and neck. Please store this mask in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or add preservative.
It's fresh, it smells delicious and it is a much more gentler than the original one, just what I needed for summer time and it does not contain any AHA (lemon juice from my wheat germs/oatmeal mask contains a very high percentage of citric acid).
Examine your skin needs, choose the best ingredients, and tweak your Skin Care Products according to your needs!

You may like

Lush Inspired - Homemade Each Peach (and Two's a Pair) Massage Bar
Lush Inspired - Homemade Cupcake Purifying Facial Mask with Rhassoul Clay
Lush Inspired - Homemade "Spot cleanse acne prone skin"
Review - AHAVA Purifying Mud Mask For Normal to Dry Skin
Facial Cleansing Routine using Homemade Cleansers and Makeup Removers - Fall 2011

Homemade Hydrating super Antioxidant Rosemary Serum Gel

2010-05-18T23:26:00.025+03:00

Homemade Hydrating Antioxidant Rosemary Serum Gel

Last week I have been playing around with some ingredients trying to make a Hydrating Gel based on some things I have been reading recently. I made it and I like it. It sank in really nicely, my skin feels like silk and I don't need an additional moisturizer (lotion kind) at all! This light Facial Serum Gel for my morning Facial Moisturizer and my Exotic Oils Serum over the Serum Gel at night, that's all I need now :)

Gel agent I used is the Cellulose Gum, I usually use it at 1-3%. It works great in conjunction with other liquid ingredients (Hydrosols, water soluble Extracts, Humectants, etc...) to increase moisture and leaves your skin silky soft...

Water Phase contains a blend of soothing, healing Hydrosols, Alcohol and Glycerin based Herbal Extracts, Sodium Lactate and Aloe Vera Gel.

Plantain Leaf, Green Tea Leaf and Rose Petal Alcohol Extracts I've used in my Antioxidant Hydrating Facial Serum and I really love this combination. Plantain and Rose makes together an amazing fresh floral scent and I added a drop of Rosemary Essential Oil (diluted in Dendritic Salt) for its strong antioxidant, antibacterial and anti fungal activities and fresh smell. To increase a synergy I added a little bit of a Rosemary Alcohol Extract (instead of Green Tea Extract - also well known Antioxidant) and Rosemary Hydrosol, the last one I like using neat as a Hydrating Mist.

I have never used Sodium Lactate (humectant) in Gels before, but I have a lot of it so thought I would give it a try.

I've made this Facial Serum-Gel that's really a light "emulsion" with high concentrations of antioxidants, moisturizing and regenerating elements and gentle anti-inflammatory ingredients.

----------

The Recipe of my Hydrating Antioxidant Rosemary Serum Gel:

Ingredients (16.5 gram/17ml):
Rosemary Hydrosol (hydrating, refreshing, toning, stimulating) - 5ml (30%)
Rose Water (hydrating, refreshing, soothing, calming) - 5ml (30%)
Aloe Vera Gel (regenerating, soothing) - 3.5ml (25%)
Plantain Leaf Alc. Extract (antiseptic, anti-inflammatory) - 0.5ml (10 drops) (3%)
Rose Petal Alc. Extract (antioxidant) - 0.5ml (10 drops) (3%)
Rosemary Leaf Alc. Extract (antioxidant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory) - 0.5ml (10 drops) (3%)
Rosemary Essential Oil (diluted in Dendritic Salt) (antioxidant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory) - 1 drop in a few crystals of Salt
Sodium Lactate Liquid 60% (humectant) - 0.5ml (10 drops) (3%)
Cellulose Gum (gel agent) - 0.5 gram (3%)
Cosmocil CQ (gentle, used in baby wipes and contact lens solutions, paraben free preservative) - 2 drops 0.10ml (0.6%)
Citric Acid (lower pH) a few tiny granules (3-5), less than 0.01 gram...

Instructions:
Pre-mix Cellulose Gum with Alcohol based extracts to avoid clumping. Mix all the ingredients in sterilized bottle, stir well, add preservative and citric acid, stir again …

That's all...
If you are going to heat the "Water Phase" that I don't think it's necessary, except Hydrosols, heat up Hydrosols to 80 Centigrate for 20 minutes. I am using a dropper cap for my Hydrosol bottles to avoid contamination, so I do not heat them. The Herbal Extracts are Alcohol based (40% or 80 proof Vodka makes them self-preserved) and my Aloe Gel is preserved. Anyways, make sure to add Salts with a Rosemary Essential Oil and Cellulose Gum to a mixture cooling down to a room temperature.

Shelf Life:
This amount is enough only for one week, using twice a day... If you are willing to keep this mixture in the refrigerator for one week you can skip a preservative step... And please use a dropper or a treatment pump container, it will keep your mixture safe from oxidation and contamination.

How to use:
Apply a few drops of this Gel on your face and neck after the cleansing routine and before the Oil based Serum...

The purpose of this mixture is to deliver high ratios of actives to the skin in a light none-emulsion form. I really like it, it makes a job, especially good for Summer time!
If you gonna try this please let me know:)

Lush Inspired - Homemade Cupcake Purifying Facial Mask with Rhassoul Clay

2010-05-04T19:10:00.018+03:00

Lush Inspired Series

My skin is combination and acne-prone and I need purifying masks at least twice a week. Since December last year I was using a simple mask on the basis of grounded Wheat Germs mixing with Lemon Juice and it was perfect for my skin, but a little boring! Before two weeks I decided to try something new and come up with my version of

Lush Inspired Cupcake Purifying Facial Mask with Rhassoul Clay

From Lush web-site:

Chocolate heaven for oily and teenage skin. Its action removes excess oil and calms breakouts. Rhassoul mud cleans and soothes, linseed, cocoa butter and cocoa powder soften the skin. Balancing peppermint, spearmint and sandalwood oils complete this effective and delicious experience. Apply to clean skin, avoiding the eye area. Leave for five to ten minutes, then rinse away with warm water. Keep chilled.

Many commercial facial masks contain herbs or herbal extracts, clays, vegetable oils and essential oils and Lush Cupcake is not an exception.

Take a look at the List of Ingredients:

Rhassoul Mud- a purifying and exfoliating agent, you can use any other Clay, I like Rhassoul, Dead Sea Mud and French Green Clay - 10ml (2 teaspoons)
Linseed Infusion (Linum usitatissimum)- a mild gel agent, grounded Lin seeds infuse in boiled water for 15 minutes before using, you can substitute it with Cellulose Gum, Xantan or Guar - 2.5ml seeds (1/2 teaspoon)+5ml hot water (1 teaspoon)
Glycerin- a humectant, you need just a few drops, otherwise your mask will be sweet and sticky - 0.2 ml.
Talc- I prefer Corn Starch- thickener agent - 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon).
Cocoa Powder (Theobroma cacao)- a gentle exfoliating agent - 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon).
Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao) well-known moisturizer, if you don't like Butters in face treatment products, use any other vegetable oil: Olive, Sunflower - 5ml (1 teaspoon).
Fresh Mint (Mentha piperita)- Fresh Mint Tea - 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon).
Sandalwood Oil(Santalum austro-caledonicum vieill and Fusanus spicatus) - super anti-aging EO - 1 drop.
Vanilla Absolute(Vanilla planifolia) - I don't have it, so I substituted it with my Ginger EO- 1 drop.
Spearmint Oil(Mentha spicata) - purifying and soothing EO - 1 drop.
Peppermint Oil(Mentha piperita) - purifying and soothing EO - 1 drop.
*Limonene, Perfume *Occurs naturally in essential oils

Instructions:
Mix Rhassoul Clay, Cocoa Powder, Corn Starch (or Talc) together.
Prepare Linseed Infusion and Fresh Mint Infusion, mix them, let it cool to room temperature, add Glycerin.
Melt Cocoa Butter, let it cool a little bit, add Essential Oils.
Blend Infusions with Cocoa Butter, add Powders, stir well.
Pour the mixture into a small sterile container and let it cool at room temperature.

Shelf life:
his amount (about 30 ml) is enough for 2 applications on face and neck. Please store this mask in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or add preservative.

This mask smells like minty chocolate with citrus undertone. The smell is awesome!

May be a little bit complicating to make, but except the amazing smell it is great for taking away dead skin cells and clear up the pores, may be a bit milder than a Kaolin mask, but just as effective.

How to use:
The mask has a creamy consistency, with a bit of texture from the Cocoa Powder and Rhassoul Mud in it. It smooths on easy onto a damp skin. When applying be sure not to tug the skin! I like to use a very thin layer of this mask on freshly cleansed skin, left it on for about 10-15 minutes, until it is completely dry. Then I mist the face and neck with the Rose Water and gently rub with fingertips. Wash it off with plenty of lukewarm water, pat dry with a paper-towel, apply a toner and moisturizer. This fresh gentle Facial mask leaves the skin soft, refreshed, more evenly toned and looking much brighter and cleaner and it smells delicious!

I hope you'll enjoy it too:)

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Homemade Relaxing Bath Salts with Aromatic Essential Oils

2010-05-04T10:54:00.010+03:00

Aromatic Bath Salts
I like Bath Salts... Warm bath with Aromatic Bath Salts is great for softening, calming and soothing the skin, it help relax tired muscles and relieve muscle aches, ease stress and fill the air with fascinating scents of Healing Essential Oils...
Aromatic Bath Salts are very easy to make at home and are much cheaper than commercial ones. With just a few ingredients you can create a luxurious relaxing SPA in your bathroom. Salts act also as a natural muscle relaxer and Essential Oils provide specific aromatherapy benefits and wonderful scent...
Bath Salts also make a fantastic gift!

Lavender and Rose are relaxing Essential Oils that are often used in Aromatherapy, but there are so many essential oils and combinations to choose from.

Bath Salts with Sage EO are great during the cold and flu season, with Eucalyptus are good for aches and muscle pains, and it's a good alternative to medicines too.

I really enjoy Bath Salts with a scent of fresh pine needles (a blend of Pine, Cedar Wood Atlas and Fir Siberian EO or just Pine EO neat) and different blends of Grapefruit, Lemon and Tangerine EO which have bright refreshing citrus scents (I've read they are also beneficial as a part of anti-cellulite therapy).

You can try different combinations each time until you find the perfect blend for your relaxing or toning bath.

For newbie’s in EO I recommend to check this Rainbow Meadow Essential Oils Calculator, very useful...

Pay attention! Before you make your first blend, make sure to check information and warnings concerning Essential Oils.

This easy Bath Salts recipe includes Salts and Essential Oils that are helping in detoxification, relieving muscle aches and soothing dry or itchy skin.

Basic Ingredients (no water phase) for 2-3 baths:
Dead Sea Salts 200 ml (They range from fine to medium to coarse, I prefer the coarse ones)
Epsom Salts 200ml
Baking Soda 50ml
Dendritic Salts 50ml
EO blend 16-20 drops
Optional: Dried Calendula (or Rose, or Lavender) Blossoms - 1 Tablespoon

My favorite "In the Primeval Forest" Blend - 72 drops for 4 containers 18 drops*4
Cedarwood Atlas EO - 12 drops
Fir Sibirian EO - 12 drops
Ginger EO - 4 drops
Lavender EO - 10 drops
Lemon EO - 10 drops
Palmarosa EO - 6 drops
Rosemery EO - 10 drops
Rosewood EO - 4 drops
Vetiver EO - 4 drops

Summery "In a Blossoming Orchard" Blend - 32 drops for 2 containers - 16 drops*2
(This scent is a mix of floral and fruity scents)
Bergamot EO - 2 drops
Geranium EO - 10 drops
Grapefruit EO -2 drops
Palmarosa EO - 4 drops
Pettingrain EO - 2 drops
Rosewood EO - 12 drops

Instructions:
Let's begin with the Dendritic Salts: pour the salts into a glass container with a lid, add EO, shake to mix. It will take some time for the scent to incorporate with the salts, so be patient. In another bowl, mix Epsom, Dead Sea Salts and Baking Soda together, next combine with the Dendritic Salts, and blend.

Make sure your container is absolutely dry, because salt easily absorbs water. Use glass or metal jars, because plastic and wood might absorb Essential Oils.

Allow the mixture to sit at least a day so all ingredients mesh well together...

If you want to make your Bath Salts look really pretty, you can add dried flowers: I like Calendula, Lavender or Rose petals. It looks nice... And do not forget to label!

Shelf life:
My Bath Salts store quite well in a glass container with a lid, but their scents might change over time - I've found one labeled as Citrus Refreshing Aromatic Salt (Grapefruit -8drops, Lemon-8drops and Lavender-4drops) 6 months after I've made it and it has mild Lavender scent without any Citrus undertone...

How to use:
I like using my Bath Salt in a muslin bag, just placing the bag under the hot water spray so the salts dissolve more rapidly.

Relax and enjoy!

P.S. If you have heart or kidney problems, or high blood pressures please consult your physician before taking Salt Bath. Do not to use it if you have an open wound or broken skin, it will burn and sting. Make sure to label the container with an ingredient list if you are giving away the salts...

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Ингредиенты :	Свойства	Вес в граммах	Percentage %
Алое Вера сок листьев	Увлажняющий, успокаивающий заживляющий	10	33.33
Огурец сок	Увлажняющий, успокаивающий , смягчающий	9.5	31.67
Глицерин	увлажнитель	0.5	1.67
Ксантан	гелеобразователь	0.1	0.33
Ламинария настой	антиоксидант, питающий, регенерирующий,	5	16.67
Вакаме настой	антиоксидант, питающий, регенерирующий,	5	16.67
Сумма:		30	100%