DIY: Custom Face Mask

Face masks are kind of awesome, right? They can give you smoother, clearer, more even skin and all you have to do is slap some goop on your mug and kick back for a cool thirty minutes or so. That's awesome. Very few things in life have such a favorable effort to results ratio, and for that reason alone, I feel it's necessary to dedicate a little time (and the internet version of ink) to this unsung hero of skincare.

I've tried my share of face masks over the years - from the thick, green ones popularized by every movie portrayal of an old woman ever seen to the oh-so-satisfying peel off numbers, and every squeeze tube in between. One of my main girls is Queen Helene and her tingly Mint Julep Masque - so fancy it requires a 'que' ending (although, I don't know who she's trying to fool because it costs less than a fiver), but the 'Most Noticeable Results I've Ever Seen' award goes to Aztec Secrets Indian Healing Clay, hands down.

And the award goes to...

I love this stuff. Not only is it super powerful on its own - it even claims to be "the world's most powerful facial" - but it mixes quite nicely with your favorite add-ins, much like a delicious overpriced frozen yogurt. Did you realize you could customize your own face masks? You totally can. I love to pair this clay with organic apple cider vinegar that has "the mother" intact because it gives me better results and feels more 'active' than when I just use water. Because this stuff is so powerful, it can leave my face a little dry, but I counteract that completely by adding a dollop of honey to the mix. Soft skin ahoy! Finally, I like a little acne fighting help courtesy of tea tree oil.

There are a million ways to mix a custom face mask for your skin (e.g. aloe, vitamin E or jojoba oil for moisture, oatmeal or sea salt for exfoliation, green tea for antioxidant power) but this is how I do my thing - and how you can try it too:

WHAT YOU NEED

+ Clay Mask {Aztec Secret. which you can get here}

+ Apple Cider Vinegar {raw is best}

+ Tea Tree Oil {cheap at Trader Joe's!}

+ Honey {raw and organic it good, but here I just have the regular stuff}

+ Plastic Mixing Utensil & Plastic Bowl/Cup

HOW TO DO IT

Measure out your clay. I use about 1 tablespoon and mix it with an equal part of apple cider vinegar.

Stir with a plastic spoon or other utensil (I'm using an Ikea chopstick). Metal makes it angry.

Add in a healthy plop of honey and a few drops of tea tree oil.

Mix it allllll together and slather on your face. This one is on the thinner side, so it might be easier to apply with a cheap foundation brush (like the $1 one from ELF), but I just used my fingers.

This mask has deeply enveloped my nose stud. Also, ewww.

Let it dry - it should take about 15 minutes but you can leave it on a little longer if you wish. You will look fantastic at this juncture, so this is a great time to schedule any upcoming blind dates and/or photo shoots.

I recommend doing this before you get in the shower because rinsing off a mask at the sink takes forever and annoys me. You can also use a face cloth, but then you get clay all over it and that annoys me too. Try to be less annoyed than me because, hey - you have awesome skin now! 

Have you ever customized a face mask before? Do you like feeling like a swamp thing-type creature for beauty? What would you add to your custom mask?

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BEAUTY: 5 More Beauty Products I Love Right Now

I love buying and trying new beauty products (I have to reward myself somehow for running Target errands) so as a follow-up to my 5 Beauty Products I Love Right Now post, I want to share more awesome items I can't get enough of. Let's go!

1. Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum
I bought this on a whim after seeing a positive review on Beauty Broadcast and, honestly, I would use this product every day even if it did nothing to stop breakage (but thankfully it does!) because the scent is AMAZING. I am admittedly a coconut fanatic (scent and flavor) so this milky, sweet scent instantly endeared me to the serum. Aside from that, it seems to actually prohibit breakage. My hair is pretty healthy, but it does fall out a lot when I comb it (although I've heard it's normal to lose 100 strands of hair per day - HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!). I put a small amount in my wet hair and run through with with my fingers and I've noticed less strand loss when I use it. One warning: don't use too much or you will have awkward greasy bangs all day.

2. Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

There's a reason this stuff has been popular for way longer than I've been alive - it works SO WELL. I remember my mom using this green goop when I was little and it seems like it's made a cameo in practically every sitcom and movie in the overused 'AHHHH! They caught me in my face mask!' scene. It feels so cool and tingly when you put it on and this is probably the only face mask that has ever caused a noticeable difference in my skin. I got a big tub of it at Sally's Beauty Supply (for like $5), which I recommend because it can be a little too thick to squeeze from a tube. 

3. Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse

This isn't so much a product as it is a method, I guess. I've been occasionally substituting a vinegar/water mix for conditioner and loving the results. If you haven't heard of this I know it sounds weird, but it leaves my hair super soft without the chemicals found in most traditional conditioners. Plus, it's super cheap! You simply mix a 1:4 ratio of apple cider vinegar to water (you can adjust that as needed) in a spray bottle and after shampooing saturate your hair with the mixture and rinse. I sprayed it in my eye and mouth the first time I used it, but now it's a breeze. Yes, your hair kind of smells like vinegar when it's wet but the scent completely goes away almost immediately and you'll never smell it when it dries.

4. ELF Shimmering Facial Whip

Despite the overly fancy name, this is just a basic highlighter but it really does a great job. I have it in Lilac Petal and I use a bit on my cheekbones and brow bone to add dimension. At first I was put off by the lipgloss-esque texture, but by using a small amount and rubbing it in the sticky feeling disappears. The shimmer and shade are exactly what I was looking for and at just $1.00 I am now attached to this product.

5. EOS Lip Balm in Sweet Mint

If you know me, you've definitely seen me with a lip balm in hand...I literally never leave home without it. I've been a diehard Burt's Bees user for years and while I try new ones here and there I always rely on my Burt's for the heavy lifting of hydrating and smoothing my lips. This is SO not the case anymore! The EOS balms are amazing, but the Sweet Mint flavor is especially wonderful. It is really similar in scent to the Orbit gum flavor of the same name and it lasts and lasts and lasts. It's not a superficial lip balm - this baby moisturizes. It'll definitely earn a permanent place in your purse.

So I have to ask - what are your favorite beauty products right now?

xoxo,

Michelle