skin care

QUEEN LATIFAH'S HOMEMADE DIY BEAUTY SKINCARE SECRET…

June 21, 2013 By TheLifestylista

Now our girl Latifah always looks good and her skin is just AMAZING. While you are out there trying to deal with the stresses of the everyday AND get your health, your weight and your life in order… let The Lifestylista help you to pamper yourself and get even better looking skin… Queen Latifah style!

Here are her top two tips:
1) DON’T WEAR YOUR MAKE UP ALL THE TIME. Make sure you carve out hours in the day, and maybe on the weekend, where you clean & exfoliate your skin and give it time to breathe.

2) A DIY BAKING SODA EXFOLIATION
WHAT IS EXFOLIATION?:
Taking the old skin cells off the top layer of your skin to expose the fresher, more healthy skin cells below.
Some people use mild acids (like AHA – Alpha Hydroxy Acid) to take the skin cells off the top layer of the skin. Not Queen Latifah!
Her baking soda method is a natural and gentle way to exfoliate… and it’s significantly cheaper than buying something from the pharmacy too 😉
This is a ‘physical exfoliant’ as opposed to the ones that use chemicals.
Over time, this baking soda exfoliation can make minced meat out of your blackheads, your large pores and your oily skin… (if you have it) 🙂

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons of baking soda
approx 1 teaspoon of water

WHAT TO DO:
1) Clean your face with your usual cleanser and leave your face wet.
2) Mix the baking soda with the water – add a few drops of water to get to a consistency you like.
3) Apply the baking soda paste to your damp face in a circular motion all over your face for 1 – 3 minutes.
AVOID your eyes (very delicate skin there!).
4) Wash the paste off your face with lukewarm water.
5) Take some cotton wool and apply some alcohol free toner to close up your pores.
6) Moisturize your skin with a simple, fragrance free moisturizer.

IMPORTANT: If your skin is irritated, use less baking soda next time. And do this at night so your skin has a chance to recover overnight!
If this treatment works for you, then use it twice a week! It’s good to exfoliate.

love
The Lifestylista
xox

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GOT HARD HANDS & WANT TO TRANSFORM THEM? #DIY #HOME #SPA

June 7, 2013 By TheLifestylista

Think of all the great things you did to get these hard hands, now you deserve the pampering that will get rid of them 🙂 You go girl – I’m on your side and I’m proud you’re taking the time to do this for yourself.

Ingredients
– Cleanser (liquid or regular solid soap)
– Coarse sugar
– Water
– Olive Oil
– Bowl

Night time – brush your teeth, wash your face, get completely ready for bed. Turn on some music you really like and then follow these instructions…

1) Heat some water in a saucepan AND a cup of olive oil in another saucepan – don’t make it too hot though!
2) Wash your hands at the tap with a cleanser so they are clean.
3) Put the WARM water in the bowl and soak your hands in it for 5 minutes.
4) Dry carefully using a clean towel.
3) Put a tablespoon of warm olive oil in your hands and then two heaped tablespoons of sugar.
4) Rub your palms together, really go for it. This is the exfoliation your hard working hands need!
5) Rinse your hands off with luke warm water and dry your hands.
6) Put the warm olive oil in your bowl and soak your hands for 15 minutes (you may have to move your hands around to make sure they are covered by the olive oil).
7) Don’t wash the olive oil off! Put cotton socks on your hands and go to sleep…

IN THE MORNING:
Press play on your music again!
8) Take the cotton socks off your hands and wash off the olive oil.
9) Marvel at how GORGEOUSLY, SOFT YOUR HANDS ARE NOW!
You just got an A-list spa treatment for a fraction of the cost!
Smile smugly to yourself and DANCE to your music 🙂
And remember, I’m here rooting for you.
love,
The Lifestylista
xox
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Here’s the question from the wall that got me to write this article: <<Wat about people with hard palms,even ladies,wat can someone do???>>

Why so many celebs are hooked on MINERAL MAKEUP… 5 GOOD REASONS TO TRY IT!

June 4, 2013 By TheLifestylista

It’s make up made of ground up rocks 🙂 and the fine powder reflects light and hides your skin’s imperfections.

Check out this video of me at Generation Beauty 2013 with the team from Bare Minerals – color matching and applying mineral make up.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB8mXqmIpGA]

1) IT LETS YOUR SKIN BREATHE: Unlike many heavy oil-based foundations, true natural mineral make up is non-comedogenic i.e. it doesn’t clog your pores. our skin can breathe… Aaaaah 🙂

2) PURE: Some dermatologists recommend mineral make up to women with certain skin issues like eczema and sensitive skin because it’s so pure (the top mineral makeup brands e.g. Bare Minerals, don’t use fragrances, parabens, preservatives, dyes, oil and other additives that can irritate your skin.

3) ACTIVELY REDUCING INFLAMMATION: Mineral makeup contains a greater proportion of zinc oxide than regular makeup. Zinc oxide helps to soothe inflammation (so much so it’s actually used in diaper cream!) so it can be helpful for people with e.g. acne.

4) PH: Mineral makeup has a pH that is… neutral!

5) IT HAS A NATURAL SPF: The titanium dioxide and zinc oxide in mineral make up act as a natural broad spectrum sunscreen.

Make sure you moisturize well before applying mineral make up (and let your moisturizer sink in properly). And use the right kind of brush – mineral make up is so fine, you need a special brush to work it into all the grooves on your face! Use a little at a time, to add thin layers (if you want more coverage).

If you do decide to try mineral make up, do try a 100% mineral makeup (lots of companies have jumped on the mineral makeup band wagon but some of them have the same long ingredients lists and added chemicals as regular foundation…).

You go girl! Let’s be our most fabulous selves 🙂

love,

The Lifestylista

xox

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4 QUICK, DELICIOUSLY DISGUSTING WAYS TO GET RID OF BLACKHEADS…

May 31, 2013 By TheLifestylista

BLACKHEADS ON YOUR NOSE..? ARE YOU LOSING THE BATTLE?
“WHY DO I HAVE BLACKHEADS???” You’ve got dirt and dead skin cells clogging your pores… that’s why! And when you have blackheads, acne is often not far behind…. 🙁

4 QUICK WAYS TO GET RID OF BLACKHEADS:

First clean your face then try one of these…

1) STEAM METHOD
BOWL:
– Fill a bowl with hot water (be careful!)
– Put your face over the bowl
– Put a big towel over your head and let the steam do the work… opening up the pores
HOT TOWEL:
– Rest a hot towel (not too hot it burns you!) on your face for 5 – 10 mins
– The pores open

Once the pores are open, take 2 clean cotton balls (preferably hypo allergenic) and use them to ‘ease out’ the naughty blackheads out of your skin. Aaaaaaah. How disgusting and rewarding 🙂

Remember… Don’t squeeze with your fingers… Or else you could scar your face!

2) THE LIME METHOD
– Cut a lime in half.
– Pour some honey onto the lime (preferably dark and it’d be amazing if it were raw and organic too)
– rub the honey’d half lime all over your clean face.. Let the honey & lime mixture stay on your face for 3 – 5 mins.
– Rinse off your face
This takes longer to work – over several weeks of repeating this process!

3) EGG WHITE METHOD
– Separate the egg white from the yolk.
– Use a fork or whisk to beat the the egg whites
– Use your hands to put the beaten egg whites all over your face
– Put clean tissue on your nose (or wherever else you have blackheads) and leave for 45 minutes (or until totally dry)
– Once the tissue is dry, gently remove (and take a look at the gross blackheads now on the tissues heheheh 🙂
– Rinse off your face
I think this method is BOSS!

4) ASPIRIN MASK
See my article on how to make an aspirin mask… (and please pay attention to all my cautions about this one too!!!)
http://www.TheLifestylista.com (Beauty & Style section)

This is a job well done! Blackheads are no joke and can sooooo lead to acne… You go girl, it’s worth taking a little time to take care of yourself. I am v. proud of you.
Keep your questions coming.
love
The Lifestylista
xox
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HOW TO PREVENT AND REMOVE STRETCH MARKS..! (Post back by popular demand! :-)

May 30, 2013 By TheLifestylista

WHAT ARE STRETCH MARKS? This is the tearing of the skins second layer (the dermis). Often occurs during periods of significant weight gain or growth.

HOW TO PREVENT THEM?
Some studies suggest Vitamin E oil… Stay hydrated, eat foods that promote skin elasticity (Vitamins A, E, Omega 3s) and exercise to promote circulation.

HOW TO REMOVE THEM? You can reduce them but you can’t remove them… and sadly, the creams dont work! Not even cocoa butter 🙁 The sooner you treat stretch marks the better. Use a laser while they’re still fresh and red. The heat from the laser stimulates collagen production.

THE BOTTOM LINE… Accept yourself girl! Most of us have stretch marks and we’re still beautifiul!

You guys requested this post again so I’ve reposted!
love
The Lifestylista
xox
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WANT TO MAKE YOUR LIPSTICK LAST LONGER? Here's a celeb secret…

May 28, 2013 By TheLifestylista

WANT TO MAKE YOUR LIPSTICK LAST LONGER?
Are you sick and tired of your lipstick disappearing almost as soon as you put it on? A few little drinks from a glass, a bit of chatting and BAM… NO MORE LIPSTICK!!! 🙁 What a bore and it’s expensive too.

Here’s how to make your lipstick last longer:
1a) If your lips are dry and chapped… EXFOLIATE YOUR LIPS
You don’t want flaking skin or cracked lips ruining your look… So, put a load of lip salve on your lips and take an old, soft bristled toothbrush and gently rub in a circle. You are getting rid of the dead skin cells (and you’ve got to be careful not to rub too hard and hurt your lips)! Take some tissue and wipe off your lips to get rid of the lip salve AND the dead skin.
OR
1b) If your lips are fine, then put some liquid foundation on them (this’ll be a great base for the lipstick to attach to).

2) Take a LIPLINER the same color as your lipstick. FILL IN YOUR WHOLE LIP – top and bottom.
Try to use a moisturizing liner rather than one of those drying kohl lip liners.

3) Put on your first layer of lipstick.
If you can, use a lip brush to apply your lippy… WHY? Because it helps you get the lipstick into all the nooks and crannies of your lips and the lip brush applies a thinner layer which lasts longer.
You could also use a longlasting lipstick BUT some people find these way too drying (I do! Longlasting lipstick makes my lips feel like the Sahara desert and that 8 hour lip coating thing is even worse! Sooooo drying! :-).
Whatever you do, don’t use glossy lipstick because that sooooooo won’t stay on…

4) KISS YOUR HAND or BLOT YOUR LIPS WITH TISSUE

5) BLOT TRANSLUCENT MAKEUP POWDER (or a little baby powder) on your lips.
This locks in the color.

6) Apply another layer of lipstick.

7) BLOT (using your hand or a tissue) and TAKE YOUR FINGER AND CLOSE YOUR MOUTH OVER IT (like it’s a popsickle). Take your finger out and you’ll got rid of the lipstick that had planned to end up on your teeth!!! Nice save 🙂

So now your lips look great but for how long???
That’s up to you.
Do:
– Drink through a straw
– Eat food using small bites so you don’t touch your lips
– Avoid too much lip licking or kissing people

BUT:
If you’re like me, you’ll start off intending to look like Kerry Washington with perfect, long-lasting lipstick but then as soon as you arrive at the party, you’ll laugh, lick your lips, eat some food, give people pecks on the cheek and the lipstick will be gone in no time! I’m pretty darned low maintenance. LOL.
love
The Lifestylista
xox
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