Tips and Tricks

I have always been told Mother knows best. So here is a great little mask for the seasoned Mask Maker, it's called Mothers Best Recipe Mix and is a two part mask.

1/4 teaspoon lemon rind

1/4 teaspoon grated orange

1 teaspoon Besan or chickpea flour

1 heaped teaspoon finely ground almonds

1 heaped teaspoon finely ground oatmeal

1/8 teaspoon of turmeric (no more than this as it could stain your skin)

1. Put all the dry ingredients into a glass jar and shake well.

2. In a separate bowl fold 1 teaspoon of the mixture and 2 teaspoons of yoghurt (plain or natural yoghurt works best) to a spreadable paste ( you may need to add more yoghurt to get the right consistency). Apply the mixture to the face and neck with a brush - avoiding the eyes and lips. Leave to dry completely

3. Fill a basin or bowl 1/4 full or warm water and add 1/2 cup of full cream milk. Pat the water and milk mixture over the mask and exfoliate off in circular motions. Remove the mask to reveal soft supple skin.

For these an other great tips check out www.fijianbeauty.com.au

On these cold winter mornings we all need a bit of a pick me up.. try a few drops of Peppermint to your shower. Add a few drops of peppermint oil to the bottom of your shower - 3 drops should be enough. The steam reacts with the peppermint to refresh and revive you, clears a stuffy nose and will give your drains a quick clean.

Thanks to Michelle from the House of Vinter for this great tip.. check out her blog at http://thehouseofvintner.blogspot.com

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It never ceases to amaze me how many clever women there are out there.. I recently asked one clever woman, Monique from Your Cheeky Monkey to give me her best recession busting beauty tip..heres how she is stretching the beauty budget.

You don't need to buy expensive lip creams – after putting on your eye cream, rub the remainder on your lips to keep them moisturised.

Check out Monique's gorgeous range of hand crafted products for baby's , infants, todlers and pre-schoolers at www.yourcheekymonkey.com.au

The perfect hair mask for dry/winter damaged hair is foundin a few ingredients in your pantry.

Combine 1/4 oz Extra Virgin Olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons Browns sugar or Raw sugar

1/2 teaspoon Vanillia Extract

Mix Oil and sugar until sugar is separated. gently beat in vanilla extract. Massage into hair starting from root. Wrap into a shower cap to lock in heat for 30-45 mins. Rinse as normal in the shower.

I came across this interesting little post and thought I would share some of the more interesting recession beauty busters!

Off-The-Wall Beauty Tricks - Carmindy's Beauty Blog - DailyMakeover.com

Shared via AddThis

If you are like me and are a little time poor and want to give yourself a 5 minute pamper.. try this great do it yourself hand exfoliant :-

1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of grapeseed, olive oil or almond oil
A few drops of your favourite essential oil

Mix all ingredients together and gently rub over your hands front and back. Rub your hands together and give them a rinse under warm water.

Swap your morning blueberry muffin for a hand full of fresh blueberries. According to a recent study from the Journal of Dermatology a diet high in sugar can damage the collagen found in our skin, increasing the effects of ageing. Blueberries on the other hand are loaded with vitamin C, helping to build collagen reducing the effect of ageing.

Perfume smells more potent on oily skin than it does on dry skin. If you have dry skin, or are particularly parched during winter, commit to moisturising your body daily in order to get the most from your fragrance. You can buy the complementary perfumed body cream, but any budget buy is okay – as long as it’s fragrance-free. For even better results, mix some un- (or very lightly) scented body oil into your daily moisturiser. Reniu body lotions and oils can be perfectly blended to give you that lasting boost of fragrance all day.

From now until the end of May buy a 240 ML Reniu Body Lotion or Reniu Body Oil and get a handy 59 ML travel size for FREE.

Click here to start shopping

Although officially still Autumn I feel that Winter may have come early for the eastern states. Perhaps one of the bug bears for us all during the winter months is chapped lips! But you can win the war and combat this winter woe with Cinnamon! Moisten the lip with a swipe of lip balm, and then put a teaspoon of cinnamon in your palm. Carefully rub the cinnamon across your lips to exfoliate. As the spice is finely ground, it makes for an ideal and gentle scrub. Plus the spice naturally brings more blood to the surface making your lips appear fuller and redder. An added bonus is that is wont break the bank!

Did you know that banana's can help fight wrinkles?

Bananas are one of the most nourishing fruits available because they contain large quantities of magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, iodine, and vitamins A, B (folic acid), E, and F which are all great for the skin. You can make a simple banana face mask at home by mashing 1/4 banana until very creamy. Spread all over face and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water followed by a dash of cold. Gently pat dry.

For many of us the drop in temperature means a change in the way our skin functions and looks, but by tweaking our beauty routine we can still have that fresh radiant look we have in summer.

Below are a few tips to helps your skin survival the cooler winter weather.

• Start the day with a hydrotherapy shower - now I don't want you to think you have to check into an expensive spa each morning. You can achieve this by switching the shower from warm to cold for about fifteen seconds just before jumping out of the shower. Repeat this for about two minutes. This simple hydrotherapy technique will revitalise the skin by stimulating the blood flow throught the body.
• Use a good moisturiser and particularly one with a sunscreen for the face. During the winter months consider a creamier version of your summer face cream for added protection, and don't forget your lips!
• Exfoliate at least twice a week - by removing the dead skin cells you will allow the skin to absorb the extra moisture from your moisturiser.
• Start the day with warm water and lemon juice. This sure fire detox will energise your body, particularly your liver and gall baldder, removing those harmful toxins which are responsible for poor health and bad skin
• Get more sleep - this is not hard to achieve during the winter months when all you want to do is rollover under the doona in the morning when the alarm goes off! However money cannot buy the benefits of a good nights sleep, improved oxygen levels through good sleep means your skins cells will renew quicker.

We all want to believe that chocolate is good for us, and here is another reason! Check out this great Home made Chocolate Face Mask, click here

With the winter months fast approaching you may notice some slight changes to your body oils in the form of your oil turning into a solid form. Don't be alarmed this is normal in the cooler months.

To return to a liquid state place your oil bottle in warm not hot water for a few minutes before you wish to use it.

All Reniu products have a shelf life of 2 years however it has been my experience that products are used long before that!

I don't know about you but I love getting together with my merry band of Fijian Beauty's for our regular get to-gethers. Most of the time we talk about life over wine and cheese. More cheese than wine for me now that I am 7 months pregnant with our first child! Conscious that we are all on a budget we look for a cheap and cheerful option for our entertainment. But after reading Carmindy's from "What Not to Wear" Blog about creating a home spa day, I think I will be suggesting out next get together incorporate a day of pampering and luxury. 

Until next time..

Julz