One Two Three | Spa Day (or Night)
I know (I think?) we all wish we had enough time and money to go get fancy spa procedures done every week. What I wouldn't give to get my nails done regularly, or to know what a facial feels like, or to get massages to pretend-correct my horrible posture! That would be fabulous! Unfortch, that's not reality. Reality means I painted over my original chipped toenail polish this morning with more red polish so I could wear the flip flops I wanted to wear today without feeling like I look unkempt. And the fact that I had the extra five minutes to do that was a bit of a luxury in itself.
So, here's my Wednesday gift to you: at-home spa treatments you can do any night of the week! While I'm sure you've already heard about them and thought they were just some fun urban beauty myth and didn't think they were worth the effort, I can promise you, they are. As evidenced by my embarrassing pictures below.
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1. Avocado face (or hair) mask
My roommates and I tried this face mask when we came home from an already relaxing weekend in Carmel for Lily's birthday. Who doesn't need more relaxation in this day and age? We went the simpler route, mashing up pure avocado and glopping it on our faces. It was, at the very least, entertaining! But, after scraping off the larger bits and rinsing the rest off with warm water, my face did feel softer and more fresh. I swear!
You can try our basic recipe (mash up 1 avocado per person's face; try to smoosh as many chunks as possible; leave on for fifteen minutes; wipe off with paper towel first, then rinse with warm water) or you can try this one from Lauren Conrad's site that uses Apple Cider Vinegar as an astringent to help clear your skin too. It also features a hair mask - apparently avocado is amazing for smoothing your hair and increasing shine!
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2. Honey Face Mask
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I've heard for a while now of honey's healing properties (did you know you can apply raw honey to burns and bites to help heal them and stop itching? What!) but I have not yet tried a honey face mask of my own. This is definitely next up on my list. I did some checking around and I think this recipe that adds cinnamon to help heal your skin from any blemishes looks like a simple but effective mask. There are other varieties on that site as well, so pick your favorite and let me know how it goes!
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3. Sugar & Lavender Body Scrub
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Pucker & Pout is the new lifestyle blog from Katie Maloney, one of my favorite "characters" (stars? cast members?) on Vanderpump Rules on the Bravo network (a show I really, really need to blog about someday.) She is great at adding DIY projects and beauty reviews to her blog, and I can't wait to try this body scrub this summer to exfoliate off all of that grime and sunscreen from spending days outside. It also looks like it would make an amazing gift when you're feeling in a homemade-mood!
Have you tried any of these before? What did you think?