Fitness & diet information too. Diet along with a friend!

Nails:

• Whiter Nails....use denture cleanser tablets to whiten nails. Just soak your nails for about 5 minutes or so, and they come out white and clean.
• Yellow Nails?...Use baking soda and water and use a wash rag to rub it onto your nails for about 30 seconds per nail. It will strip all the yellow out.
• Cuticles.. A little VO 5 rubbed in around the cuticles daily will help keep your cuticles and nails healthy..
• To get a little more life out of your favorite nail polish color add in some clear polish.

....More Nail Tips & Hints

Skin:

• Acne? Aspirin contains salicylic acid which is a key ingredient in most over the counter acne medications. Salicylic acid helps dry, lifeless skin cells to shed which rejuvenates collagen, reduces fine lines, tightens pores and improves skin texture in those who suffer from acne.
  It's very easy to use aspirin in your beauty routine. Use regular aspirin tablets and mix as follows:
  Dissolve 3 regular aspirin in 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice. Add 1/2 teaspoon water to make a thin paste. Massage the mixture gently onto your skin in circular motions and leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water. You can do this everyday if you have problem skin or just want to give your face a great treatment. Don't forget to moisturize.

• Another quick and easy pimple treatment is any antiseptic mouthwash.  As long as the mouthwash contains methyl-salicylate, just soak a cotton ball or pad in it and dab it on the pimples. This will unclog pores and the antiseptic properties will kill bacteria that causes future pimples.

Dry skin?...increase Omega 3´s in your diet: flax seed oil and olive oil, salmon, tuna, walnut, almond and pumpkin seeds are all an excellent source of Omega 3.

After shaving your legs, applying VO 5 to the skin will make your skin feel like velvet and prevent dryness

If you knick yourself while shaving, dab on some Chapstick to stop the bleeding.

Natural Remedies for Warts

• Put a piece of BANANA PEEL, white side toward the wart and tape it on overnight. Each day repeat until it shrinks.  Strange, yea, but it works
• Putting duct tape on a wart for a while will suffocate it and it will eventually die.
• Vinegar. Soak a bit of cotton in vinegar, place it over the wart, hold it in place with a band aid.  The wart should turn black and tender before it goes away.
• Something else that gets rid of warts is non-coated aspirin. Wet the aspirin, put it on the wart & cover with a band-aid. The acid in the aspirin will burn off the wart.  There is a slight discomfort, but it works. I got this idea from one of the assistants in my doctor's office.
• Slice an onion and put it on the wart. Wrap it up, and leave it on for the night. Do this until the warts are gone
• Cover the wart with lard!  Then cover with a NON breathable band aid and it will smother the wart.
• Just pluck a leaf from an Aloe Vera plant and open it up so that the gel is exposed. Rub this over the wart and let it dry.

....More Skin Tips & Hints

Hair:

• When applying conditioner to your hair comb through BEFORE rinsing out. That way it will get to the roots and into every strand of hair also prevents split ends.
• Static electricity...Rub a small amount of VO 5 in your hands and apply to your hair. Comb or brush through. (Use very little, less is more in this case or you'll end up with an "environmental oil slick.")
• Swimmers can control the amount of chlorine absorption in their hair by applying VO 5 to the hair and combing through before swimming.

Unwanted Hair:

Researchers have found an ingredient in soy milk that can slow down hair growth. If you're thinking about trying a hair retardant cream, you might want to give this a try...
Saturate a washcloth in soy-milk. Wipe the areas you want to control the hair growth on. You can use it anywhere, including the bikini area and underarms along with the legs and face......

....More Hair Tips & Hints

Makeup

• A dab of VO 5 on a cotton ball or pad makes a great makeup remover before cleansing the skin
• Blotting makes color last....Peel off one ply of a piece of facial tissue and blot. Blotting makes color last longer, helps keep lipstick off teeth, and leaves lips looking painted but not overdone.

  In a hurry? Creating a casual look with makeup is quick and easy. Five minutes or less and a few well-chosen products are all it takes...

  • Apply a concealer that best matches your natural coloring to hide under eye circles
  • Even out skin color with a powder foundation that matches your skin. Apply it all over your face with a large powder brush. Dust your eyelids, but do not brush foundation directly under the eye area
  • Apply a soft, natural blush color or bronzer to the balls of your cheeks. Brush any leftover blush toward the center of your upper eyelids to create "instant lift."
  • Keep the your eyes simple and basic with a soft natural color and apply to the upper lash line. Smudge with a sponge-tip applicator
  • Apply a single coat of mascara.
  • Finish with a soft color that brightens your face without being too harsh. Soft colors work well in pinks and corals...

....More Makeup Tips & Hints

Eyes

One of the most important aspects when choosing a pair of eyeglasses is how they look on your face. Determine which face shape is yours and then read on to learn what frames will look best on you...

• Round
  A round face has curvilinear lines, is as long as it is wide, and has no angles. To make the face look thinner and longer, try angular narrow frames to lengthen the face.

• Oval
  The oval face has balanced proportions. To keep the shape's natural balance, look for frames that are as wide as (or wider than) the broadest part of the face, or walnut-shaped frames that are not too deep or too narrow.

• Oblong
  The oblong face is longer than it is wide, with a long straight cheek line and sometimes a longish nose. To give the face a shorter, more balanced look, try frames that have a top-to-bottom depth, decorative or contrasting temples that add width to the face or a low bridge to shorten the nose.

• Base-Down Triangle
  The triangular face has a narrow forehead that widens in the cheeks and chin. To add width and emphasize the upper part of the face, look for frames that have heavy color accents and detail on the top half. Cat-eye shapes are also
  good.

• Base-Up Triangle
  This face has a wide top and small bottom. To lessen the width at the top, try frames that are wider at the bottom, very light colors and materials, and rimless frame styles.

• Diamond
  Diamond faces are narrow at the eye line and jaw line, and the cheekbones are usually high and dramatic. To enhance the eyes and bring out the cheekbones, look for frames that have detailing or distinctive brow lines, or try rimless frames or oval and cat-eye shapes.

• Square
  A square face has a strong jaw line and a broad forehead. The width and length are the same. To make the face appear longer and soften the angles, try narrow frame styles that have more width than depth and narrow ovals.

Eyebrows:

• Natural Brows....For very natural looking accented brows, fill in eyebrows by carefully dabbing the brow hairs with a powder eye shadow that matches your natural brow color or your hair color and brush color into brows with light strokes.
• If you have bushy eyebrows, rub a little Chapstick on the brows to keep them in place

Teeth:

• Tooth Stains...Remove stubborn stains from teeth - such as those from tobacco - by dipping your toothbrush in mashed strawberries. Brush your teeth thoroughly, then rinse your mouth with a little salt dissolved in warm water.
• OR.....Remove stubborn stains from teeth - such as those from tobacco - by dipping your toothbrush in mashed strawberries. Brush your teeth thoroughly, then rinse your mouth with a little salt dissolved in warm water.

Feet:

• Pedicure..Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to a basin before soaking your feet for a pedicure
• Soften your feet...Before going to bed, apply VO 5 to your feet, concentrating on the extremely dry areas. Put on a pair of socks and you'll be impressed with your feet in the morning. If you're one like me who can't sleep with socks on, apply the VO 5, put the socks on and wear them around the house for a few hours
• Foot Soak:....Boil 4 tea bags in one quart of water for 10 minutes. Add enough cold water to make the tea solution comfortable for your skin, (feet). Soak feet in a basin and relax for 20-30 minutes.
  The tannin in tea is a drying agent that will stop odor and tighten the skin. Tea also contains strong antioxidants that revitalize your skin and reduce swelling with anti-inflammatory properties

Fragrance:

Fragrances aren't just to make you "smell good." Fragrances can affect your mood.
Here are some mood-booster fragrance tips.

If you want to relieve stress, grab a fragrance in vanilla or lavender. These two have a way of calming nerves. Using lavender before bedtime will enhance your sleeping. A cranky baby will even settle down when given a warm bath with lavender soap...

If you're feeling sluggish and need a lift, green, citrus, grapefruit or lemon scents will do the trick. Don't believe it? Try mixing a few drops of lemon juice with some water in a spray bottle and spritz your skin...

Want to feel more sensual? Look for scents in musk, sandalwood, amber or jasmine. These scents not only tweak your own senses, but that of those around you.

Smelling good is another part of looking good. However, if you don't apply fragrances correctly, they might be too strong or not strong enough. Here are some tips to help you master the perfect perfume application...

• Apply fragrance to your skin and pulse points only. Let it dry naturally. Don't rub your wrists together because this will alter and diminish the scent. Avoid using it close to your face or behind the ears. The scent won't last and it will dry out your skin.

• To prevent stains and discoloration, do not spray any on your clothing or jewelry. Some perfumes are darker and have a greater tendency to stain, so be careful with "dry clean only" clothes that aren't washed after every wear.

• If you want the scent to last longer, apply it in layers. Many fragrances also come in bath soap, gel, and lotion. Use the perfume as a top coat for the long run. This will last you about six to eight hours.

• Avoid wearing strong perfumes in the office or workplace. Some people are allergic to perfumes and don't want the irritation. They can cause headaches or bring on an asthma attack, so use sparingly.

If you have valuable perfume that you want to make sure retains its original scent and lasts as long as possible, store it in the refrigerator.

RECIPES

1 16 ounce can of pears, drained
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (like Knox Gelatin)
Puree pears then mix in gelatin. Apply to freshly washed hair and massage the mix from your scalp through the ends of the hair.
Leave on for 15 minutes then shampoo your hair and rinse until hair is clean.

Bath Beads

1/4 cup powdered milk
2 tbs. powdered sugar
2 tbs. borax powder(20 Mule Team)
1/4 cup rose water or orange water
2 tsp. vitamin E
10 drops essential oil
Combine the dried milk, sugar, and borax in a bowl, stirring until well mixed. Add the water, vitamin E, and fragrance. Stir until you have a thick dough. Depending on the humidity in the air, you may need to cut the water amount back. Try adding a little at a time until you get the thick dough. Roll dough into a ball, one teaspoon at a time with your hands. Repeat until all of the dough has been used. Place the balls on a sheet of tin foil or waxed paper and let dry for twenty four hours.

Rejuvenating Youth Oil

This is a blend of oils that have been used through the centuries to lessen or eliminate laugh lines , crows feet & even forehead wrinkles.

Ingredients:
2oz extra virgin olive oil
20 drops of patchouli essential oil
10 drops of lavender essential oil

Directions for Use:
Dip a cotton swab into the oils, dab on your facial lines, wrinkles, etc
two times a day. Not only will the blend immediately start to rejuvenate the top layer of your skin it will travel down into the deeper skin layers below the surface to heal and replenish those layers before they surface. Over time these oils can make a remarkable difference in your skins appearance should be more youthful, , just like turning back the hands of time .

*Cautionary Statement on use of oils*
It is important to only use essential oils in beauty recipes, not fragrance oils.
Essential oils can travel easily through the dermis to the Layers of skin beneath and have been proven to provide healing benefits. Fragrance oils are often just synthetic fragrance blends, and have no benefit.

Spoon this mixture into tiny lip gloss size jars or any other small container, preferably clear, so you can see the sparkles inside. Try using all sorts of different sprinkles.  You can get heart, diamond, or star shapes.