Lotion Bar

These lotion bars are absolutely amazing and one of my favorite things to make. The shea butter and coconut oil moisturizes while the beeswax protects the skin and seals in the moisture. They work so well that you'll be able to moisturize less often even if you typically have dry skin. If you don't have a food scale, just measure out equal amounts of each ingredient, such as a quarter cup.

• 20 grams beeswax pellets
• 25 grams shea butter
• 25 grams coconut oil

Melt together in a small saucepan over low heat then pour into mould of your choice (cupcake pan, dixie cups, silicone muffin liners... etc)

Homemade Eyeshadow Primer

Eyeshadow primer not only makes your eyeshadow 'stick' more and crease less, but it also allows you to use less eyeshadow as it turns your eyelid into a nice even surface.

This recipe requires three ingredients: moisturizer/lotion of your choice, liquid foundation, and arrowroot powder. 

In a small bowl, combine equal parts moisturizer and liquid foundation. Stir in arrowroot powder 1/4 teaspoon at a time until you reach a frosting-like consistency. Place finished makeup in a small jar. Apply with either your finger or a small foundation brush. 

Homemade Shine-Free Powdered Foundation

One of my must haves is loose powder (thanks to the great state of Texas, without it I'd look like a complete grease ball). So needless to say, I love what it does for my skin but I definitely don't love the price. For six dollars, I get 0.7 ounces of product. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the majority of my money is going towards marketing and not the actual product. Recently I came across a recipe to make my own loose powdered makeup. The recipe was lengthy and included several exotic ingredients (most of which were used in such small quantities that I honestly didn't see the point). I spent the next several minutes skimming the comments section and found out that many people simply used the three main ingredients and didn't bother with the rest. They reported good results and the main ingredients were familiar to me so I decided to go ahead and try it. Let me just say this: the resulting product is AMAZING. It is light and provides nice shine-free coverage just like my beloved Maybelline loose face powder. Oh, and let's not forget it costs a fraction of the price. For $10 worth of ingredients, I'm going to be able to make at least 40 batches of this stuff (each batch being enough to refill my old Maybelline container).

Like I said, all you need are three ingredients. Arrowroot powder, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. I recommend you splurge for the good cocoa powder and all natural arrowroot as this stuff is going on your face. If you aren't familiar with arrowroot powder, just know that it is similar to cornstarch except that it is gluten free. You can find it in the baking goods aisle along side other flours. It is available at all health food stores. 

In a bowl, combine the three ingredients until you get your desired shade. Arrowroot powder is going to be the base, so start with that and very slowly add in tiny amounts of the cinnamon and cocoa powder. I can't tell you how much because your skin color isn't the same as mine. Just know that the cocoa powder will darken the makeup but leave it a slight grey tone while the cinnamon will darken the makeup while adding in warm tones. Keep some of your existing loose powder makeup nearby to compare colors. Once you've found your shade, transfer into an old makeup container or any container that's short and wide and enjoy your awesome cheap makeup that smells absolutely delicious!

How to fix broken pressed powdered makeup

This easy trick may not result in the prettiest looking makeup, but it works great, it's cheap, and it works with any pressed powder such as compact powder, eyeshadow and blush. All you need is rubbing alcohol, a clean bowl and a small spoon.

The culprit: An eyeshadow that shattered after being dropped. 

How to trim and layer your own hair

I've been cutting my own hair since 2006. It's something that I have gotten better at over the years as I've learned different (and easier) techniques. This may not be the proper way of cutting hair, but it is completely free and fairly fool-proof. What you'll need is: long hair in need of trimming and layering, a sharp scissors, a hair tie, a hair clip, a brush, a comb and a hand mirror (or some sort of way to see the back of your head). Let's Begin...

Menstrual Cup

A menstrual cup is a small, bell-shaped cup worn inside the vagina that collects menstrual fluid. Menstrual cups are a reusable, hygienic, healthy, convenient, and an affordable way to deal with your period.

Being that the average woman menstruates an average of 40 years of her life, disposable pads and tampons add up to be a big cost (on average $100-200 per year) and even bigger strain on the environment. Billions of pounds of disposable feminine hygiene products end up in landfills every year (a tampon takes appoximately 6 months to decompose while disposable pads and plastic applicators will last indefinitely) and even more end up in our sewer systems (around 80% of women admit to flushing tampons down the toilet... something that any plumber will tell you not to do! An astonishing 75% of sewage backups are caused by flushed feminine hygiene products).

Menstrual cups are nonporous and most are made from medical-grade silicone (one cup company uses natural rubber and another uses TPE, or thermoplastic elastomer). This means that menstrual cups are the only feminine hygiene product that can be truly sterilized (cups can be washed with antibacterial soap or even boiled). They also don't have the problems that are associated with tampons such as leaving you feeling overly dry (tampons don't discriminate in what they absorb), leaving fibers behind, and wicking outside fluids such as water (when swimming or bathing) and urine. Also unlike tampons, menstrual cups have never been linked to TSS, or toxic shock syndrome.

Cups are the most convenient feminine hygiene option as they eliminate the need to buy tampons again. They are also great when travelling as valuable suitcase or purse space won't have to be occupied by pads and tampons (essentially, garbage). Another plus is that they can be worn when you're not on your period. This is convenient because you can insert the cup before your period starts to avoid any surprises. Yet another added convenience is the fact that cups have a much higher capacity than tampons. Even on the heaviest of days, it is unlikely that the cup will have to be emptied more than 3 times.

Using the cup takes a little practice as well as trial and error. Insertion is done by folding the cup into either a C-shape or pushing an edge of the rim into the cup (this is called the punch-down fold, see picture below). Once inserted, allow the cup to open back to its original shape and then guide the cup so that it sits comfortably. With a finger, circle around the cup to make sure your cervix isn't sitting outside the cup. For removal, simply pull the cup down (either by the base or by its flexible, silicone stem which can be easily cut off if preferred) until it's possible to push in a corner of the rim. This will break the seal it has created and allow the cup to come out easily. Dump the contents into the toilet, rinse, and reinsert. Rinsing isn't necessary every time so feel free to skip this step if you are in a public restroom. The cup should be emptied at least every 12 hours. At the end of your menstrual cycle, the cup should be thoroughly cleaned either by boiling or by washing with antibacterial soap. Some cup users even soak their cups in a heavily diluted hydrogen peroxide solution at the end of their cycles.

Cups range in price from $15-40 and with care, will last several years. There are many (around two dozen) different brands on the market, the most popular being the Diva Cup, the Mooncup, and the Lunette. Most cup companies offer two sizes, a small size and a large size. The small size is intended for young women with light periods that have never given birth. The larger size is intended for older women, women with heavy periods, or women that have given birth. The difference between the two sizes is just a matter of millimeters, so don't fret too much about needing a large vs a small size. A cup can be worn on its own or in conjunction with a cloth menstrual pad for added security.

FleurCup in black, stem removed

'Punch Down' fold used for insertion

Humorous, yet informative video

Cloth Menstrual Pads

Cloth menstrual pads, also known as "mama cloth", are reusable, comfortable, and absorbant. They eliminate the need to ever purchase disposable pads, which in turn creates less waste and decreases your spending. They are also a very healthy option, as disposable pads contain various chemicals, fragrances, and plastics which can irritate the skin and prevents the skin from being able to breathe. There are many different styles, colors, absorbancies, and fibers to choose from (typically cotton or bamboo) and many templates and tutorials available online if you want to try your hand at making them yourself. Even if you are not a pad user, cloth menstrual pads are still a good option to use in conjunction with a menstrual cup or tampon.

If you opt to purchase cloth pads rather than make them, you will find that they are expensive. I'd say on average, they are $5 per pad (some are more, some are less) and it's recommended to have anywhere from a half dozen to two dozen depending on how often you are able to do laundry. Some of the big names in cloth pads include Lunapads and GladRags and (I think it's important to note) both these companies do their part by donating pads to impoverished girls in Africa (I'm sure you've seen the disposable pad commercials about sending pads to Africa. I never understood how sending packaging and garbage to areas of the world where clean drinking water is hard to come by makes any sense at all). Another place you can buy cloth pads include many of the cloth diaper venders along with the hundreds of independent sellers on Etsy.

Nearly all cloth pads secure with either a snap, button, or velcro closure. Some pads contain a waterproof backing such as PUL (polyurithane laminate) or a water-resistent backing (such as fleece). They range in absorbancy from light (pantiliner) to heavy (postpartum and overnight).

If you are currently cloth diapering a baby, it is recommended to wash your pads along with the diaper laundry. Otherwise, many cloth pad users either hand wash their pads or will wash them along with a load of towels.  

Bamboo pads by Bububibi

Homemade pantiliners

Cloth nursing pads

I was perfectly happy using the disposable nursing pads by Lansinoh but after I calculated that I was paying approximately 13 cents per pad (2 changes a day = $15/month!), I went on the hunt for a cloth alternative.

Off to the store I went where I purchased the only cloth nursing pads they had in stock. They were from Medela, they were lumpy, and I leaked through them in minutes. Needless to say, I went back to disposable pads while I broadened my search. I wasn't sure what I was looking for but I decided that if my daughter can wear a waterproof cover over her cloth diaper, that I should be able to find a cloth nursing pad with a similar waterproof cover built in. I came across some waterproof pads by Bamboobies that sounded good, but I wasn't about to spend nearly $10 per pair. Right when I was about to bite the bullet and purchase from Bamboobies, I found the waterproof bamboo nursing pads by BubuBibi. Each order includes two pair of nursing pads in your choice of print and ships for free. They average out to be just over $2 a pair! I have 16 pairs of these and I wash them along with my regular laundry. They are very absorbent and very cute!

BubuBibi waterproof bamboo nursing pads