Hi everyone!

My skin is extremely sensitive, and it's always hard to find a makeup remover which doesn't sting or burn my skin, but half the time these sensitive formulas seem to not do a great job at getting all the product off my face. So it's a hard battle between having a great product and stinging skin OR having the nourishment in a makeup remover but waking up with panda eyes the next morning.

I've done a bit of research and tried out different makeup remover ideas, and this one seemed to work the best! As summer is on it's way and our skin is going to need all the moisture it needs, I thought I would share with you this handy DIY which you can make time and time again!

1. Measure out your two tablespoons of coconut oil. Coconut oil is usually pretty stiff making it hard to mix. I recommend softening the oil just a little bit (for example: put it in the microwave for about 10 seconds) once measured out.

2. Add in your two tablespoons of baby shampoo - then mix these two together until fully combined.

3. Add in your 13 tablespoons of water and mix until fully combined (it should have a lot of movement now, making it pourable!)

4. Fill your mason jar, tupperware or whatever you've managed to dig out of the cupboard with cotton wool pads until they fill the container up to the top. (In the jar I used I got around 13 in there)

5. Pour your mixture into the jar on top of the cotton pads. This will seep through the top pad and the collection around the sides of the pads will be soaked up all around the product you've just created.

6. Leave to soak for 10 minutes and the pads are ready to use. Be sure to use a jar with a lid so the pads won't dry out which means they can last you until the very last one! 

Coconut oil is pretty much used in most natural beauty products. It's an antibacterial ingredient which helps kill off any bacteria on your face. It also breaks down all the particles of makeup on your face - even waterproof mascara. As well as smelling like peshwari naan bread (which is delicious) coconut oil is extremely hydrating - so it saves time moisturising!

Baby shampoo is designed to be delicate to use on babies (hence the name) so it's kind to eyes and gentle on your sensitive skin. This also helps with the clean up of any makeup residue.

When I made this I only had mascara on, so I filled in my brows, and did a quick eyeliner look. I let it set in for 30 minutes and then proceeded to take it off - and I was amazed by the results! 

And there you go! The beauty of this is that you can remake this again and again - which is great if you're trying to save the pennies! Remember to do a test patch on your skin beforehand just to be on the safe side as you never know what you could be allergic to!

See you in the next blog post,

Hi everyone!

It's been a while hasn't it? Time seems to be going so fast for me lately, I can't believe we're in March already?!

If you follow current make-up and beauty trends on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you might have seen the common trend of these foaming face masks from Korea.

Crack open your medium egg into a bowl. You'll need to remove the egg's yolk as we're only wanting to use the egg whites in this mask. I've used egg whites before in a DIY Peeling Mask (click here to find out more.) Egg whites contain protein which shrinks the pores on your skin. 

Whisk until you form stiff peaks in your bowl (imagine you're making a meringue!) You'll know when this is ready when you tip the bowl upside down and it all stays in the bowl.

You could stop here and apply the egg whites to your face as the benefits from this alone can really help your skin!

Here you can add either one of two of ingredients. For this mask I added in charcoal from a charcoal capsule which I got from my local Holland & Barrett (when I asked for them, the lady told me they were for wind so I had to try and explain what I was using them for instead!) Having the capsules means you can make this time and time again whenever you feel like it!

Charcoal helps kill any bacteria on your face which causes breakouts to occur.

If you're unable to purchase charcoal for any reason, why not try our good old friend granulated sugar? Sugar is a fantastic exfoliant for the skin and it will lift any dead skin that is lying around on your face - perfect for people with dry skin (like myself!)

Mix, mix, mix! It'll be unlikely that you'll be able to get the charcoal in every nook and cranny of the egg whites so there will be some white gaps in your mixture.

Apply to your face for 15-20 minutes and have some fun by taking some Snapchats and sending to your friends with the moon emoji next to it! (I realise these images are probably going to haunt me for the rest of my life...)

Remember to do a test patch of skin before trying this out to be sure you're not allergic to anything used!

See you in the next blog post,

Hi everyone!

With the winter weather clearing up slowly but surely, our general current forecast is rain, rain and more rain!

Are you fed up of doing a face full of makeup with it to be running down your face or smudging around the eyes? There are plenty of fantastic makeup setting sprays all around, but what if there was one you could remake time and time again with a few simple ingredients that benefit the skin? Well you're in luck!

Now when I researched into this, I had no idea where I would get the ingredients from - naive as I was, I popped to my local Holland & Barrett and Boots and they had everything I needed! This is to make around 140ml of product:

• cold water - 6tbsp
• witch hazel - 2 tbsp
• aloe vera gel (or pure) - 2tbsp 
• lavender oil - 6 drops
• spray bottle 

1. Measure out your cold water in a pouring jug - this makes it easier to transfer your product over later in the process!

2. Add in the witch hazel, but do not mix just yet! Witch hazel is one of those products which can do multiple wonders for your skin. From clearing bruises and skin irritation, it's also great for clearing acne and blemishes. By being in this makeup setting spray, it won't cause your foundation/eyeliner to dissolve and it will set your products used on your face to have more of a dewy look (this means your face won't dry up throughout the day!)

3. Next add in your aloe vera. I used a 99.9% natural gel which helps bond the ingredients together when mixed. Aloe vera is a product that will always be in my cosmetic bag - it's perfect for calming redness on the face (especially if you've been extracting pores, getting spots or plucking your eyebrows.) This will act as a corrector as you wear it, by stopping those nasty spots from making a bright red appearance during your day.

4. Add 6 drops of lavender oil**. This is to add a scent to the spray.

5. Mix, mix, mix!

6. Once combined, pour into a clean spray bottle and shake (especially if you use an aloe vera gel.) This will combine all your ingredients together as the gel sometimes drops to the bottom through transition. I would recommend shaking well before each use.

7. Then spray on your fresh face of makeup!

Well this post felt a lot like an old 2014 post! Let me know if you try this out and how the results work out for you as your skin type is most likely completely different to mine!

See you in the next blog post,

Hi everyone!

Now, I know the party season is over and January is mostly the month to unwind and relax from all the celebrations. But if you still have your lashes from New Year left over but they're looking a bit grubby, I've tried and tested a solution for you to get those lashes back to being like brand new! 

I found this method via a Facebook post a while back and decided to test it out. I've followed the steps on a pair of lashes and was disappointed with the results. So I've trialled it again and added or taken out some steps from the previous Facebook post, giving me a method that I think will work with most fake lashes.

Most lashes claim to be reusable, which is correct but only for around 2-3 wears (in my experience, it might be different for others!) After reusing the glue along the lashline begins to build up. You could throw them away due to this, but when they have so much life left in them, there seems to be little point spending more money on a set of lashes that haven't been used as much as they could be.

If you have a small mason jar or bowl, fill that up with lukewarm water (the temperature you would have a bath is a way I like to describe it!) Pop each lash into the water and leave them to soak for about 15 minutes (if the glue is really tough, go ahead and leave it for around 20 minutes.)

After soaking, delicately collect your lashes from the water - this is where tweezers may come in handy! At the end of the lash, the remaining glue should be lifting up. If not you can pick away along the lashline with your nails or tweezers and the glue should strip right off!

Even though the water may have picked up some of the makeup residue on the lashes, it hasn't completely cleared it all. If you're like me when applying lashes, I always coat them in mascara to blend my actual lashes with the fake ones so there usually is a layer of mascara sitting on them.

Grab a cotton bud and some makeup remover (I highly recommend Garnier's Micellar Water for a number of reasons!) Soak the cotton bud in your makeup remover and wipe the lash clean. Top tip: wipe from the base of the lash to the tip consistently so you don't bend or break the hairs.

These steps are optional, and I probably would do this on fuller lashes instead of lengthening ones. Using a mascara wand which is either clean or from an ancient bottle, coat the lashes through to regain their usual shape. I say to avoid doing this on the dainty lengthening ones as this will cause the lashes to clump together at the ends making them look more like spiders instead of pretty lashes!

See you in the next blog post,

Hi everyone!

First DIY of 2016! I didn't know where to place this little post at first, it is sort of a regime but then I felt like the DIY page needed some loving! I thought I would share my recent discovery of this little beauty hack to get rid of dark circles.

Just like everyone, I get dark circles under my eyes when I'm tired and the only way I can cover them is by putting concealer on them. Simple right? But, I find that the coverage isn't always great - yes it improves the look of circles but not fully. 

However, theres a simple trick that you can all do which is most likely in your makeup bag or sitting in the makeup aisle waiting for you. The trick is simply using red lipstick around your problem areas!

You can either directly add the lipstick on your eyes or use a little brush. I use a small eyeliner brush for more control over where the red lipstick is going.

So apply a fair amount of red lipstick. Don't slap it on like you would if you were going on a night out, but not too little as results won't occur! After applying, blend out the red with your ring finger. It may look like you've been punched in the eye after blending out the red lipstick...maybe thats where the phrase beauty hurts comes from?!

Then apply your concealer. (I know it looks like I've added loads - its the usual amount which is choose to use when doing my makeup!) Leave it to set for a few seconds and then blend out the concealer like you would normally on its on. (Be sure to cover all the red so no one can tell!) And you're done!

The difference in the image is difficult to tell in my poorly shot photograph, but the coverage is so much more opaque and it lasts a lot longer. The lipstick seems to even out the area around your eyes making the coverage all equal! I think the natural purple colour under your eyes counteract with the red, acting like a skin corrector. Let me know how it works for you after trying it out! Also, if you want some ideas how to deal with puffy/tired eyes, I wrote a post on that little under a year ago! I'll link you here.

See you in the next blog post,

Hi everyone!

It feels like forever since I've written a DIY for this page! I guess you could class this post as a regime (possibly?) but this page did need a bit of TLC and I guess you are doing it yourself so it does make sense, right? (Okay I'll stop babbling and get on with it;)) This post is filled with little tips and tricks I've learnt over the years and they have really helped my eyes refresh after a long day or they're perfect for those pamper evenings! Enjoy reading!

You always see teen girls in movies or stereotypical spas who appear to have people wearing cucumbers over their eyes - there is actually a reason why they do this! Besides cucumber having a refreshing scent they also have subtle lightening effect for your skin - thats why its most commonly placed around your eyes! And as well as all this, it hydrates your eyes too! I find its a cheaper version of eye cream ;) For best results I'd leave them on your eyes for around 5 - 10 minutes.

When I first heard about doing this I thought that it was the weirdest thing ever to put on your eyes! But don't worry, I'm not pulling your leg - it does have its benefits. You don't need to have any special make of tea bag - but if you want to have extra benefits you can use green tea bags. All you need is a small mug of hot water, two teabags and your eyes. Obviously let the teabags cool down before putting them on your eyes!! The benefits for using tea bags is that they have caffeine in them. The caffeine helps shrink blood vessels around your eyes. Again, this helps reduce dark circles but it also stops puffiness of bags under your eyes. If you use green tea bags - it includes a antioxidant called tannin which helps tighten the skin around your eyes due to helping the blood circulate better around your eyes. I would leave this on my eyes for around 5 - 10 minutes max otherwise you might get tea stained eyes!

This tip I would recommend you do first thing in the early morning since the effect only last for a couple hours! I do this every morning when I wear my contacts - I run the cold tap for a few minutes until its ice cold and put my finger in the running water and then dab it under my eyes. The coolness of the water again will stop early morning puffiness and dark circles - this is just a quick and easy tip you can do in the morning instead of going to grab teabags from your morning cuppa;)

And those are my tips for reducing tired or puffy eyes! I hope this has helped or given you an insight of why we do these things to our eyes! Let me know in the comments if you know any other tips or tricks!

See you in the next blog post,

Hi everyone!

Winter is just around the corner and though it may bring crisp mornings, snow and of course Christmas, but it also brings dry skin the oddest places. Every winter my skin seems to get so so so dry since to harsh winds and temperature change!

I find that the best way to get rid of dry skin is to use a body scrub & especially a delicious smelling one! I find it hard to find a good scrub that smells & does good, so why not make one with a scent that suits you! This scrub is gorgeous and has done wonders to my skin, so with that being said, lets get into the DIY.

Hi everyone!

I have found a new do it yourself face mask which prevents breakouts (something that I definitely need!!) It's so easy to make and all you need is 3 simple ingredients. Let's get into it!

Hi everyone!

A few months back I wrote a post on how to clean your makeup brushes but I never got into how you could clean your sponges/blenders correctly. For this post I will be showing/telling you how you can get rid of odd smells coming from your sponge & how to ensure bacteria has been drawn from the sponge! Lets get into it!

Hi everyone!

Tired of having dry shins and knees after shaving? Can't be bothered to moisturise after? Don't worry, I feel your pain too! But this do it yourself shaving cream works wonders and I would love to share it with you all!

Lets get into it then!