DIY:: LOVELY LAVENDER SCRUB

With the smell of Lavender in the air from our giant Lavender bushes, I decided I HAD to create something wonderful with it.  I just ran out of sugar scrub and decided to go ahead and make my own. Boy, does my house spell of lavender goodness right now! Enjoy this little tutorial!

Here's what you're going to need: 

Step 1: Get out a wooden spoon and put your sugar in a bowl. I use anywhere from 2-3 cups of sugar for my scrub. 

Step 2: Go ahead and start adding the oil. This can range anywhere from a couple of cups (if you like a more grainy scrub like I do) or 4-5 cups if you prefer it to be a little more oily. 

Step 3: This is where you really start mixing. Mix until all the oil and sugar are combined. You can then add more olive oil at this point, if it's too grainy for your liking. The sugar should take on a buttery yellow hue, that's how you know you have incorporated it properly. 

Step 4: Now you can add the Lavender essential oil. Of course, you can use any scent you like. I love lavender so that's what I used, but feel free to get creative here. I used about 20 drops. I like it to have a nice strong scent. For a lighter scent, use about half that. I got my essential oil from Whole Foods. 

Step 5: I added some fresh Lavender buds to my scrub. Take one stem and scrape the buds off going downward on the stem. Sprinkle a couple of small handfuls into the scrub. Mix well. 

Step 6: Place the scrub into a nice glass jar (or any container you choose). I got my jar from Ikea for $2.99. Sprinkle a few extra Lavender buds on top. The scent from the fresh buds is so amazing.

Giving this as a gift? Why not package it sweetly for someone? I'm keeping mine for myself, but this would make an excellent present. I started with some awesome yellow twine that I bought at the hardware store, a tiny clothespin and a small manila tag.

Tie the twine a few times around the neck of the jar, write a sweet note or the description of the scrub on the manila tag and clip it with the tiny clothespin. Simple and sweet.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and make some of your own sugar scrub at home. I promise, you'll love it!

GET THE PERFECT FAUX GLOW

We're smack dab in the middle of Summer, and keeping that healthy glow is a must. I adore what natural sunlight does to my skin and my mood, but in 20 years or so, my SKIN won't adore it. If you have to be out in the sun, make sure you wear a powerful sunscreen to keep from burning and ruining your skin. However, the best way to give yourself that sultry Summer glow, is to apply a sunless tanning lotion. Not only will you look like a bronze Goddess, but you'll also save your skin from a lot of trauma. Here are some of my tips on getting a great glow!

1) Pick a day

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First you need to pick a day that works for your tanning routine. There is a little work that goes into it, so you'll want to set aside 30 minutes to an hour, once a week, to get it done. The best time for me is Sunday evenings. I like to be tan going into the week, and it's one of the only days I have some free time to pamper myself. I always do this in the evening so that the tan can get at least 8 hours of setting time, before I hop into the shower the next morning.


2) Scrub Away

Enjoy a nice steamy shower, shave and then scrub away all those dead skin cells. In order to get a really nice even glow, you'll want to have a smooth palette to work with. Try not to use a sugar scrub that is too oily though. You don't want any extra residue on your skin when you are applying the sunless lotion. Any basic scrub should work. I use this kind, and LOVE it!



3) The Motion of the Lotion

Listen honey, I've used every type of sunless tanning lotion you can imagine. All the cheaper brands you can get at Target. One's that come in spray cans, ones that promised to leave you smelling like flowers or cucumbers or whatever. I then went to the more expensive brands, until I found St. Tropez (pronounced: San Tropay). Honestly, it's a miracle in a bottle. Does it smell? Ehh, it has that tanner type smell that all of them do, but it's not as pungent, I swear. I get the mousse, which is really soft when it goes on and you see instant color, so that you don't miss a spot. The best part about St. Tropez is that they make a mitt for application. No more washing your hands after an application or worrying about being too dark in certain areas. The mitt gets everywhere. Start on your legs first and work your way up. This way you can bend over and you won't have any creases from the lotion. I typically do 2 pumps for the lower half of my legs and the tops of my feet. 2 pumps for my thighs and booty. 1 pump for my chest and stomach. 1 pump for my back. 1 pump for my face and neck. 2 pumps for each arm. The application takes me no more than 10 minutes. Don't forget your hairline. Go a little in onto your scalp so that there is not a "clear" tanning line around your face. I even do my part. You want this to look as natural as possible. Wait about 15 minutes before you put clothes or a thin robe on.
Before the tanning process, rub a little moisturizer on your knees, elbows and heels to guard against those areas getting TOO dark. 

4) Maintaining that glow!

OK, so now you are looking lovely with your new tan, how do you maintain it during the week? Here are a few good tips:
1) Shower in luke warm water, not super hot. I LOVE super hot showers, but the tan will fade faster.
2) Don't use sugar scrubs on the areas you want to remain tan. The scrub will take the first layer of your skin off, thus resulting in a faded color.
3) Make sure you moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. I have sensitive skin, so I use an unscented lotion by Jergens, all over my body. It's creamy and doesn't make me break out.
4) To continue your glow all week, you can also use a tinted moisturizer. They come in light, medium and dark and will add to your color.
5) Make sure your face remains the same color as your body. Since we wash our faces a couple of times a day, you can always reapply tanning lotion to your face during the week. It's also good to use a light bronzing powder to play up your beautiful glow.

OK, I hope these tips helped you out. They are exactly the tips I use and I know they work. Are there any tips or tricks you use to have a beautiful tan all year round? I'd love to hear them, drop me a line!