How To Make Lavendar and Chamomile Sugar Scrub (courtesy of NoreensKitchen.com)

Hi everyone! It’s Noreen, and welcome to my kitchen! And welcome to another episode of The holidays are coming! Now, last week, we did bath salts, and I did want to make a statement about that. In some states, what they call “bath salts” have been made “illegal” because it’s a certain type of drug, that, I think you smoke – I don’t even know. But, they’re not the bath salts that I make. So, when you talk about bath salts and you hear that in the news, that’s not what we’re talking about. That’s something totally different – it’s just called the same thing.

But anyway, we’re gonna kinda go a step further today, and we’re gonna make a sugar scrub. This is really nice – you take it in the shower and then you scrub it all over your skin, and you rinse it off when you wash off, and it exfoliates all of those dead skin cells and it makes your skin glow, and it helps your body absorb moisturizer a lot more quickly, and it helps you to – the things that are in it are gonna help the toxins escape from your body, and it’s gonna be wonderful!

So, let’s see what goes in this! This is another thing that you could make assembly line style. You can make a whole bunch of it and just jar it up. You could even sell this at bazaars – it would be fantastic. So, what we’re gonna start with is a cup of Demerara sugar, and I’ll show you what that looks like. I should have left it out – you know what? I have a full one over here, let me grab it. I buy this in my grocery store – this is also what I use in my favorite bread recipe! This is pure cane sugar – sugar before it’s refined – so it still has a lot of molasses in it. Still has a lot of nutrients and minerals in it that refined sugar does not have. In the bowl it goes – a cup.

And, this is a ¼ cup of epsom salt. Not sea salt – a ¼ cup of epsom salt, because epsom salt is gonna help extract toxins from your body.

The next thing we’re gonna do…this is Vitamin E oil. You can get this at the health food store, you can get it online, I bought it in the vitamin section at Walmart, and it was about $3.00. And this will go a very long way – except you have to get it open! I’m gonna use a tablespoon of Vitamin E oil.

We’re gonna use a ¼ cup of some sort of oil, but, this is organic olive oil – cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil, ok? I will warn you – you cannot use vegetable oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, with this. You can use these 3 types of oil. You can use olive oil, you can use liquid coconut oil or you can use almond oil for this scrub. The olive oil contains lots of antioxidants that are fabulous for your skin, so you’re nourishing your body as well as having healthier skin.

Now, I’m also going to add a tablespoon each of lavender flowers and dried camomile flowers. Put those both in. You can do anything with this. If you want to make a lemon scrub, you can zest a lemon and you can put the lemon zest in here and it will smell fabulous. You can throw some black tea in here – just pop open a couple of black tea bags – or you can use green tea, or you can open up your favorite herbal tea and just toss a couple of those loose tea bags in here. Not the bag part, just the herb part.

Now, let me show you these herbs here before we move forward. This bag of lavender flowers was less than $5.00, and I get this from San Francisco Herb and Natural Food Company, and their website is HerbSpiceTea.com, and I love them! They have fantastic prices and an amazing, amazing selection to choose from, and they have medicinal herbs, they have culinary herbs and spices. And then, this is whole chamomile flowers, and both of these bags are a pound. You know, that’s a lot. When you think, I’m gonna buy a pound, that’s a huge bag. A huge bag! But, the chamomile flowers are fabulous. Chamomile helps you to relax. It takes the edge off, it has a natural calming quality about it, so this is perfect for taking a shower in the evening. It’s gonna help you exfoliate your skin as well, along with everything else that we’ve put in this scrub. This one I got from MountainRoseHerbs, which is another one of my favorite purveyors, or vendors, for herbal supplies. And, I will put their web addresses in the underbar, and their website is MountainRoseHerbs.com. And again, they have fabulous prices, and they also have – they have some things that San Francisco Herb and Tea doesn’t have, and vice versa. They also have a fantastic website where they actually have videos – they have a YouTube channel, and they have recipes and demonstrations, and you can learn a lot on their website about the origins and the uses for all of the herbs and everything that you’re looking at on there.

So, back to this! The only thing left to do know is to jar this up. I just put my trusty canning funnel up here, and I may have to tap this down. You’re gonna get more than a jar’s worth. This is just for demonstration purposes. You can pretty up that jar, put it in a cellophane bag, tie it with a bow, and you’re ready for gift giving! You can put a tag on it, and leave instructions below on how to use it. In fact, I’ll show you right here. I’ll just take some warm water – I’ll just do it on my arm, here. Just take a handful of it and rub it on your skin, and you’ll be able to feel – it’s gonna exfoliate all of the dry skin of of your body wherever you use it. It smells wonderful, and the, you know, the oil is not gonna be greasy on your skin, and you’re gonna wash it off with soap after you’re done. And I’ll just reach over here and get some of my hand soap. And it’s just like, if you’ve ever gone to Bath and Body Works or Crabtree and Evelyn or some really – like The Body shop, they’re really expensive places where you can go and get body care items. And you just dry off. But, this makes your skin really soft – feel it. Really soft!

So, give this a try. It’s a great gift! We’ve added the extra vitamin e in there. You don’t have to use a tablespoon if you choose not to. You can use a teaspoon. If you’re looking out for your budge, you don’t have to use it at all. So, there you have it – Sugar and Olive Oil Body Scrub that you make from home to give to your friends and family for Christmas. It’s not expensive, and you can make – if you buy a container of the Demarar sugar, a bottle of olive oil, a bag of epsom salts and a little bit of chamomile or lavender or spearmint or whatever herb you choose to put in there, or you don’t have to put herbs in it at all. You can make a whole bunch really cheap, and you can give it to everybody that you know and care about for Christmas. So, there’s another idea for holiday gift giving…I hope you try it, and I hope you enjoy it! Until next time – I’ll see ya!

How To Apply Individual Eyelashes (courtesy of ExpertVillage.com)

In this clip, I’m going to show you how to apply individual false eyelashes. The advantage to applying individual false eyelashes instead of a strip lash or a feather eyelash? It looks a little more natural when you apply individuals. You could just do one or 2, or you could apply all the way across the eye, so I’m gonna show you different techniques with individual eyelashes.

So, I’m gonna take the individual lashes, and I’m gonna take about 6 of them and put them on my hand. And, I’m using a tweezer, and you’re gonna want to pull from about the middle of the lash, so it doesn’t get messed up.

And, now, I’m gonna take a little bit of the Duo adhesive and put just a little, tiny dot on my hand. So, I’m gonna take the lash, from the middle of it, and dip the tip just in the adhesive.

Start with the outer corner, and you want to start about 3 lashes in – 3 of your lashes in. And, you’re just gonna apply it right on top of your lashline. And, where these lashes end, that’s where you’re gonna want to start the next one. So, it’s about 3 of your normal lashes apart from each other. You’re just gonna add a little dot and then apply, and keep going. So about every 3 lashes, you’re gonna apply the individual. And, you can just do the ends right there, which is just gonna give you a little more fullness, or you can go all the way in. So, with Sara here, I’m gonna go all the way in. And…3 lashes over… then you can kind of move them a little bit while they’re kinda damp, to get them exactly where you want them.

Then, you’re gonna go back to the middle…about 3 over…dip the end in just a little bit. The individual lashes give you a really nice, natural look. Sometimes, the strip can be a little more dramatic; so, if you’re just looking for an everyday kind of look, you can go for these ones.

Now, I’m gonna add just a couple more on the ends, to give it a little more dramatic effect on the outer corner. Again, you can move them around, til they get to where you want to be. I think we need one more in the inner corner. I like using the individual lashes, too, because you can really place them exactly where you want them. So, if you want more in some spots and less in some spots, you really have that control.

And, that’s how you apply the individual eyelashes!

Learn How to Lighten Your Hair Naturally (courtesy of howcast.com)

Get sun-kissed hair without visiting the salon! You will need:

A spray bottle
Coffee
Chamomile, cherry or blackberry tea
Beet juice
Some lemons
Dried marigolds and apple cider vinegar
Rhubarb roots

Step 1 – If you have brown hair, make a pot of extra strong coffee. Let it cool completely. Pour the cold coffee info a spray bottle and spritz it all over your hair. Sit in the sun for about ½ an hour. This won’t lighten your overall color, but it will brighten your natural highlights.

Step 2 – If you’re blonde, steep 5 chamomile tea bags in boiling water. When the tea is completely cooled, spray it on your hair, comb it through, and sit in the sun for about 30 minutes, to bring out natural highlights.

Step 3 – Follow the same routine method if you’re a red-head, except use cherry or blackberry tea. A can of beet juice mixed with a little water will give red-heads highlights, too.

Step 4 – Blondes can squeeze a lemon or 2 on their hair, comb it through and sit in the sun, although, it’s drying for their locks.

Step 5 – Highlight any shade of hair with this trick. Put 1 cup of water, 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and a handful of dried marigold flowers in a pot and bring it to a boil. Strain out the flowers and let the liquid cool completely. Put it into a spray bottle, spritz it on dry hair, massage it into the scalp and let the hair air dry. Highlights will appear in under an hour.

Step 6 – Boil some rhubarb root, let the liquid cool completely and test it on an inconspicuous lock before applying it to your whole head. Rhubarb adds a yellow tint, so if your hair is already very light, it could end up darker.

Did you know? According to a survey, 67% of women said if they had to hire a person based entirely on hair color, they would choose a brunette!

How To Give Yourself A Manicure (courtesy of Howcast.com)

Nothing beats being pampered in a salon, but all of those professional manicures can add up!. Try at home with these tips from the pros! You will need:

Dishwasher or some Disinfectant
Nail Polish Remover
Cotton Balls
Nail Clippers
Emery Board
Warm, Soapy Water
Shallow Bowl
Towel
Cuticle Oil or Cream
Orange Sticks
Half a Lemon
Hand Cream
Hot, Damp Towel
Clear Base Coat
Colored Nail Polish
Clear Top Coat

Step 1: Take off any rings and set them aside until you’re through and your nails are dry.

Step 2: Make sure all reusable tools are clean. Run them through the dishwasher or clean them with a disinfectant before starting. Lay out all of your materials that you will need for easy access. Once your nails are wet, you don’t want to have to dig through a makeup bag to find something!

Step 3: If there is any old polish on your nails, remove it with a cotton ball soaked in remover.

Step 4: Trim your mails with a clipper if they’re on the longer side, and then shape them with the emery board, into ovals or rounded squares. Start on one side of the nail and use short strokes in one direction only, toward the center of the nail. And then repeat on the other side of the nail.

Step 5: Soak your fingers in a bowl filled with warm, soapy water for 2 minutes, and then dry your hands.

Step 6: Massage cuticle oil or cream into your cuticles to soften them further.

Step 7: Pull off a small piece of a cotton ball and wrap it around the tip of an orange stick. Soak it in nail polish remover, and use this to remove any dirt or lingering polish under your nails.

Step 8: Push back your cuticles with the orange stick. Use a new, disposable one, or wash the one you’ve just used. Never cut your cuticles! It can lead to infection.

Step 9: Trim any dead hangnails with your clippers. To nourish your nails and make the tips whiter, dip them into half a lemon.

Step 10: Rub on hand cream to moisturize your hands and cuticles.

Step 11: Wrap your hands in a hot towel for a minute, to help the cream soak in.

Step 12: Wipe your nails with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover. They must be oil-free for the base coat to adhere properly.

Step 13: Apply a base coat of a colorless nail polish and allow it to dry. Leave your base coat just a little tacky, and apply a little on the underside of the tip. It will help the colored polish resist to chipping.

Step 14: Rotate your bottle of colored polish so the mixing ball in it stirs the polish. But don’t shake! That will create bubbles which will end up marring the finish on your nails.

Step 15: Remove the wand from your colored polish, wiping one edge of the brush against the opening of the bottle, to remove excess polish.

Step 16: Place the brush in the middle of your nail, almost at the base of your cuticle. Back the brush up, until the color just reaches the cuticle, then pull it forward to the end of your nail.

Step 17: Repeat this to the right and left of the center stripe, dunking and wiping the bottle on the brush each time. So, the entire nail is covered in 3 strokes! Have an orange stick handy. Use it to wipe off any polish mistakes, while they’re still wet. Wet it with a little polish remover for big or stubborn mistakes.

Step 18: Continue polishing all your nails and let them dry completely.

Step 19: Add a 2nd coat of colored polish in the same way, and let them dry completely again. Dip your nails in ice-cold water to speed the drying process.

Step 20: Apply a thin, clear topcoat to seal the color, and enjoy what might be the best part of the manicure process…at least an hour of enforced, hands-free relaxation!

Did you know? Chinese aristocrats first used nail polish made of egg whites, rose petals, beeswax and gelatin around 3000 B.C.!

Learn How To Apply Eyeshadow (courtesy of ExpertVillage.com)

How To Cut Your Own Hair (courtesy of RoseBud143)

How To Do A Retro Hairstyle (courtesy of Fafinettex3)

How To Do Twilight Eclipse Makeup (courtesy of Misschevious.tv)

How To Apply Makeup Like Kim Kardashian (courtesy of Misschievous.tv)