DIY 2 Ingredient Face Scrub

This is something I've actually ive actually been doing for a few years now, and I'm surprised I haven't blogged about it once! Possibly the easiest, and cheapest facial scrub you could do yourself, this wonderful scrub only uses 2 ingredients which you (should) already have at home!

Things you'll need:
- your every day face wash.
- baking soda.
(Yes, that's all!)

So, what I like to do is simply wet my face with warm water. I like to use a wet wash cloth and let it sit on my face for a minute to open my pores and soften the skin a bit, making it easier to slough off those dead skin cells!
Then I take a little bit of baking soda, maybe a teaspoon or so. (Start off with a little in case you have sensitive skin, add more if needed.) to that, add your face wash. I use a basic cleanser for this..nothing too strong or anything with a ton of acne fighting ingredients or anything. Also add a little bit of water. Mix it all up right in the palm of your hand.
Now, simply apply it to your face all over and gently scrub in circular motions around your face. Careful not to rub too hard, the small gritty texture of the baking soda does a great job at exfoliating without the need to really scrub. You can let it sit for a few minutes if you want, but I like to wash it off right away. (Baking soda is a chemical, and for some people it could dry out your skin, so try it in a small spot first if you're worried.) you'll notice as you're rinsing it might feel like you're not able to wash all of the baking soda off. It that bothers you just add a drop of cleanser to help get the little residue off. ;)
Your face will look and feel amazingly polished, smooth, and soft afterwards! I always follow up with a good moisturizer after. And my skin feels amazing all week! My skin can totally handle this once a week, but those of you with sensitive skin might want to do it less often.

What is your favorite facial scrub? Do you like to make your own or is store bought more your style? Let me know! I'm always looking to try new scrubs! ;)

Have a beautiful day!
Stay humble & kind.
<3

New Changes!

I basically have had the same hair for the last 12 years. Yeah, I've change the color a bit, from blonde and brown to pink or blue, green or purple. But the cut and style has pretty much been the same for soo long. It is time for a change. 

But being me, of coarse, a change isn't going to come easily. I have trouble committing to new things especially when it comes to hair. I've loved having the same long hair for such a long time that I'm not quite sure if I'm able to do anything else.

But I'm pretty sure something new is just what I need right now! So I took some of my older clip in extensions and went to work playing around with them in different ways to see what my options were..

Here's a couple that I narrowed it down to. 

First, I went for some bangs. I had full bangs once when I was younger and longer side swept bangs off and on a few times over the years. but I'm so scared of the commitment of bangs that I don't know if I could ever go back. So here's sort of how it turned out. 

(I felt the bangs deserved a sassy face! Who agrees?)

Surprisingly not too bad. I like that they hide my big forehead hahah. But they looked much better without my glasses on. The glasses I felt sort of clashed with the bangs. I also wasn't sure how I liked them straight down, pulled a bit to the side suited me a little better. But I'm still not sure if they suit me at all!

Another thing I tried out was shorter hair. I haven't had my hair cut short in so long I can't even remember. I've just always loved having long hair!

But I kind of really loved it! The only thing that really sways me is I wear my hair up in a bun a LOT. Mostly because I'm so sick of my hair I never want to do anything with it. But I also just really love a big messy bun! 

(Of course Snapchat filters are the ultimate test!)

I'm also torn between growing out my natural color, which I've been doing for the past several months. Or going with a completely new color. I've been going to a darker brown color for a long time. I've also done burgundy a few times over the last couple of years. All of which I love. 

I'm so undecided and afraid of change when it comes to my hair! I don't know why, it's just hair. It can always be changed and it will grow back fresh and new. Plus I always have my extensions to help me out. 

So now I'm asking for your opinions! Which of the above two do you like best? Anything else you think might look good on me? Any input or suggestions would be so greatly appreciated!! 

Heres to changes, whether big or small! Enjoy your weekend no matter where you are. Be safe. Be happy. And always stay humble and kind. <3

Weekly Manicure!

I've been obsessed with nails again recently. I have a new desire to learn all sorts of nail techniques and trends. For a few years now I would spend every Sunday doing my nails. For a few months that stopped. But now I'm back in it full force. All I can seem to watch is nail videos on YouTube. And in my head I just keep saying that's easy, I can do that! (So don't be surprised if you see a lot more nail related posts!)

This weeks manicure features a brand is never really heard of before as well as a polish that might surprise you!

I went for a more oval shape, rather than my normal square (or squoval) shape. I've really been wanting to try stiletto or almond shaped nails recently, so this is kind of getting me closer to that look, just shorter. 😋

The color in my nails this week is 'Serene' by a brand called LVX. This is the brand that I had never heard of, but I'm loving it so far! The color isn't something I would normally choose for myself, but last week I used a deep red shade by China Glaze that seemed too dark for the summer. So this light, almost pastel, color was a much better fit. And to be honest, I actually really like my nails this week!

LVX uses a 7 free formula, is cruelty free, and vegan. This color is creamy and goes on smooth with a sort of gel like finish. I ended up doing 3 coats, which is the only thing I really didn't like, to make sure it was as even as possible. 

Next I added an accenting holographic glitter top coat to a few nails. I've been doing this new thing where instead of just accenting my thumb and ring finger, I do pointer and pinky on one hand and thumb, middle, and ring on the other. I really like it! So this nail polish is a brand called Color Craze by LA Colors. And believe it or not..its from the dolor store.

Flash back to my very first post on this blog 5 years ago.. That post actually featured this brand of nail polishes! Now I admit these aren't the best polishes you'll ever use. But they're really good for what they are..dollar store polishes. ☺️

So I topped it all off with my current favorite top coat, CND Vinylux Weekly Top Coat. They say it's to be used only with CND Weekly Polish because the two work together to create a strong bond that lasts. But I've been using this top coat for a few months with other brands and I love how smooth and glossy it is. It has a wide flat brush which I find really helps get a nice even application with as few strokes as possible. It dries pretty quickly and keeps your mani looking great for days!