by Marie | Sep 1, 2016 | Hair Masks & Balms, Projects with Videos
With drier days on the way, and a few months of sun exposure behind us, this rich and hydrating Marula Overnight Hair Mask couldn’t be more timely. I learned about overnight hair masks from a YouTube video of “beauty hacks that work” (or something to that effect), and the overnight hair mask bit really popped out at me. The lady in the video (which I am now totally unable to find) had amazing, long hair that she admitted to bleaching, curling, and straightening, but it still looked so healthy! She attributed it to overnight hair masks—masks that were supposed to be used for just an hour or so, but she’d wear them overnight with a shower cap. So I ordered myself a rather hilarious floral print shower cap and set to work.
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by Marie | Jul 4, 2016 | Body, Chewy
If you suffer from itchy, irritated pits whenever you use baking soda (USA / Canada) powered homemade deodorants, you are going to love this soothing aloe pit toner. It’s a lightly acidic, soothing toner that helps pH correct your armpits so the basic nature of baking soda (USA / Canada) doesn’t leave your underarms up in arms (groooooan). I got the idea from Crunchy Betty, and while I’ve been directing readers to her simple recipe for ages, I thought I could amp it up to be soothing and healing as well as balancing. And here we are!
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by Marie | Jun 16, 2016 | Chewy, Lotion
I’ve had this Silken Rose and Green Tea lotion on my to-make list for ages, and thought it was high time I moved it from the “to-do” list to the “done” list! Everything about it seemed like a good idea; healing aloe, moisturizing silk and honey, calming rose, and antioxidant-rich green tea all blended together into a light, hydrating lotion that’s perfect for summer. It turns out my to-do list was on point—this lotion is awesome!
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by Marie | May 23, 2016 | Chewy, Conditioner, Projects with Videos
Ever since I started publishing creamy hair conditioner recipes a few months ago, readers have been asking about the possibility of including some vinegar in the water part of the emulsion to create a two-in-one conditioner that eliminates the need for a separate acidic rinse. It sounded like a great idea, but I wondered if the added acid might cause the emulsion to break, so I wanted to try it to see if 1) the emulsion would survive and 2) if that acidic conditioner would really do the trick. And good news on both fronts—this Two-in-One Creamy Hair Conditioner is awesome! Here’s to having one less bottle in your shower.
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by Marie | May 16, 2016 | Chewy, Dry Shampoo & Texturizers
I’ve been watching lots of hair tutorials on YouTube lately, and I can’t help but notice how many of them use dry shampoo to achieve a bit of added texture and volume for updos. So, a few weeks ago when I was wandering the aisles of Costco a pack of Batiste dry shampoo caught my eye. The ingredients were simple enough—mostly rice starch, and then a lot of things that ended in “-ane”. Butane, propane… hold on, don’t those things fuel my BBQ? A quick check on Skin Deep confirmed my worries—most of those “-ane” ingredients are pretty harmful with concerns like immunotoxicity, irritation, and organ system toxicity (!). So I made my own natural dry shampoo spray, of course.
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by Marie | Mar 17, 2016 | Chewy, Lotion
This silky soft Lady London Fog Body Lotion is inspired by the London Fog latte—Earl Grey tea steamed with vanilla syrup and milk. This lovely lotion has notes of tea, bergamot, and vanilla, with an added note of rose for a slightly sweeter, more delicate experience. It’s divine.
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