Friday Faves Vol. 26

This oversized rainbow striped sweater!

This dreamy pink and gold room design!

This master list of Glossier dupes!

Friday Faves Vol. 13: Autumn Edition

This tutorial for DIY pumpkin pie garland!

This adorable & cozy autumn sweatshirt!

This incredibly decadent salted caramel apple Snickers cake!

This witches brew mug that's perfect for fall!

This perfect rainbow pumpkin mantel decor!

This drool-worthy recipe for pumpkin & almond stuffed french toast!

This falling leaves photo makes the perfect autumn phone wallpaper!

This pumpkin nail art makes for perfect statement nails!

This list of the best pumpkin foods at Trader Joe's in 2017!

This mulled wine table-scape is autumnal heaven!

What cool stuff have you seen lately?

Friday Faves Vol. 9

This adorable smiley planet tattoo!

Guys...it's about Tom.

This cool salon chandelier made of blowdryers!

This genius peekaboo wall hook which a kitty pops from when it's in use!

This delicious-looking summer pasta with corn, tomatoes & zucchini!

This cute blast from the past Polly Pocket purse!

This interesting article about human embryo gene editing!

Good news! The Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books will be re-released with original art!

This list of 33 underrated Trader Joe's products that people love!

This stunning wet/dry makeup!

What cool stuff have you seen lately?

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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Watermelon & Coconut Water Cooler

I'm currently drowning in a refrigerator full of farm fresh produce courtesy of my brother, a local farmer. I know, there are much worse things. I am very appreciative to have access to delicious, brightly-colored edibles that I know were grown sans-chemicals a few towns away by the very same guy who used to delight in destroying my beloved Jonathan Taylor Thomas posters. The only hitch is finding enough ways to use up everything before it goes bad, which is why I'm on day five of inventive cucumber salads (so far a basic feta and balsamic mix is the winner).

I'm trying lots of new things, so I wanted to create a simple watermelon drink with stuff I had on hand. I hesitate to call this a "recipe" because it's basically a drawn out set of instructions telling you to put a few things in a blender and push a button, but bear with me, okay?

WHAT YOU NEED

Watermelon  //  Coconut Water  //  Lime Juice  //  Ice  //  Blender

HOW TO MAKE IT

Cube the watermelon and add about 3 cups of it to your blender.

Honestly, when was the last time you saw black seeds in a watermelon?! Pretty much everything from the grocery store has been modified to lose unsightly elements like these, which is really weird to think about.

Add about 1 cup of coconut water to the blender. FYI, Trader Joe's now makes their own coconut water which is pretty delish and pretty cheap, at least in the world of coconut water, which means it's still kind of expensive for the amount you get (mine was $2.99 for 33 oz/1L).

Add a healthy squeeze of lime juice, depending on how much you like, which in my case is QUITE A BIT, THANK YOU. You can obviously also use a real lime which is the better option, but alas I was uncharacteristically lime-less this afternoon. I'm working through it.

Add the ice and blend, baby, blend! 

Enjoy with a color coordinated straw and a sliced watermelon wedge, which is what everyone does naturally and definitely not just because they're taking pictures of their drinks to put on the internet.

It even looks cheerful perched atop my ancient radiator!

The flavor is very distinctly watermelon, but the coconut water is pronounced, as well. That's great unless you don't like coconut water, which it seems plenty of people do not. Well, I do, but if you aren't feeling it, sub in fruit juice or even just more watermelon.

What blender drinks are you mixing lately? Are you still into summer drinks like these or are you like everyone else on my Facebook feed who is losing their minds over the reintroduction of pumpkin drinks already? Doesn't it seem kind of fun to drink a watermelon? (p.s. it is!)

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DIY: Beach Wave Spray

I consider it nothing short of a TRAGEDY that I was born without a head full of natural curls. Come on, I'd even settle for waves! My mother and grandmother were blessed with major curls (not sure they saw it as a blessing though...) and I was always waiting for my hair to get curly. I thought if I waited long enough and maybe slept in sponge curlers often enough, then my hair would just magically become curly. I was kind of out of touch with reality for a long time. Still waiting to find some kind of magic amulet which turns me into a teen witch, Universe!

I know curly hair can be a lot of maintenance and, truth be told, I probably couldn't handle it. Everyone who wakes up early to blow dry, straighten or otherwise wrangle their hair has my respect. I know if I actually had hair that required any effort I would probably wear it up in a messy bun even more frequently than I normally do, assuming that was physically possible. I'll stick to envying you curly ladies from afar. 

Since it's summer, I've been doing some research on beach hair sprays to get a little effortless texture. I've tried some store bought kinds in the past (all borrowed from friends so I'm not sure which ones) and it seems everyone on the internet agrees that it is ALL about Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray, which is cool and all, but I'm ALL about keeping my $25 so when I found this recipe, I decided to try my hand at some DIY Beach Wave Spray.

WHAT YOU NEED

Sea Salt  //  Leave-In Conditioner  //  Spray Bottle  //  Coconut Oil  //  Water-Based Pomade  //  Water  //  Mixing Bowl

HOW TO MAKE IT

I made a small batch to test this out, so you can use my measurements or double/triple/whatever them to make more.

First, pour 1/4 cup of water into a mixing bowl. Add 1/4 tsp of sea salt to the water.

Next, add 1/2 TBS leave-in conditioner.

Then add 1/4 tsp coconut oil.

Add a small blob of pomade and mix all ingredients.

Add the mixture into your spray bottle via a funnel (or not if you're a risk taker...also know that I like your style). Shake the closed bottle to mix.

HOW TO USE IT

For reference, here is my super straight hair before I got going.

Disgusted at my lack of natural curls or waves. Simply ridiculous.

You want to apply this to damp hair. I sprayed mine with water, but if you're the type who regularly washes your hair, feel free to do this fresh from the shower, show-off.

When hair is damp, spray the Beach Wave Spray all over like a madwoman.

When your hair feels sufficiently covered, start scrunching it all over to encourage waves. This should feel very familiar if you attended middle/high school in the late 90s-early 2000s and favored the "wet look" created with crunchy gel. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone.

Here's where I got distracted by the fact that my lipstick perfectly matched the nozzle (what a great word) of my spray bottle. EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!

Here is my hair right after I scrunched my little heart out. It was halfway dry and had some texture and waves all over. Plus a bit o' frizz, but even that is vaguely exciting for a pin-straight-haired lady.

Instead of letting it roam free, I decided to go with the beachy, hippie-esque vibes by adding some braids and a daisy hair clip. This allows for the messiness to look intentional, which is essential to the beach wave look, and also a great way to be kinda lazy about it.

A closeup of the braids. Basically, I just made a tiny braid right above each ear, draped them over my forehead and bobby pinned them on the opposite side, under the rest of my hair. Kind of like mini milkmaid braids, which are THE BEST.

To save your precious fingers from scrolling back up, here's a very scientific before and after comparison.

BONUS! I slept with my hair in a big messy bun (because that is how I always sleep) and the next day I had some curls which had been held together by the Beach Wave Spray! This means two days of hair looks for one day of effort, which is always a win in my book. Unless, of course, you're one of those show-off daily hair washers I mentioned earlier, in which case you don't get this benefit. I think that's fair.

I constantly have a fake flower in my hair. SO WHAT?! You can see me make this one here.

SHORTCUT: Skip all of these steps and just go to the beach, dip your hair in the ocean and sit in the sun like a total champ. Best hair ever and zero dollars. This is my usual approach.

Do you use any beach wave sprays? Do you prefer texture or straight hair on yourself? Are you one of those awesome people who have a giant head of curls that are basically an extra accessory, like Felicity (or another more current example for the young folks)?

xoxo,
Michelle

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