First Posted: 4/7/2014
It’s that time again when I collectively consider some of the top beauty tips, tricks, and royal remedies for another installment of “Makeup Rules: Royal Remedies.” In this third feature, I will continue in my quest for the top trending DIY at-home remedies using uncommon items for everyday hair, skin, and nail fixes – and then some.
Of course I am going to start with something that’s not so pleasant, yet everyone secretly loves removing them: blackheads. Not everyone has a live-in skin care specialist with all the right tools to extract the ever-unwanted blackhead. The tool in question is the extractor tool, which has a round metal lasso end that you would then surround the blackhead with and, using a rocking motion, push down to force the blackhead out. No tool? No problem. As long as you make sure to sanitize the area before and after, the use of the rounded end of a bobby pin will do the trick just as effectively.
Now for the moment you have all been waiting for, a recent craze has hit the entire nation that has been around for hundreds of years: oil pulling. This is an Indian Ayurvedic tradition of swishing a small amount of coconut oil in your mouth for a few minutes a day to improve oral health. All I care about is A.) Will it whiten my teeth? and B.) Will it prevent bad breath? The answer to both of those questions, after a few trials, is yes! Many other benefits of oil pulling that are not medically proven are clear skin, reduced hangover symptoms, better sleep, sinus congestion relief, migraine relief, and regulated menstrual cycles. You will just have to try it for yourselves. Take a tablespoon of organic extra virgin coconut oil and swish it in your mouth for 20 minutes, spit, and voilà!
People aren’t typically orange. Foundations have improved vastly and, with an amazing array of colors to choose from, we can find the perfect match for our skin. So why haven’t companies come out with a powder bronzer that gives your skin a natural tan look without the glitter and the immense orange or sometimes muddy glow? What works best for me is to use a foundation powder that is two shades darker (in the same color family) than my natural skin color. You can go darker and warmer as you wish depending on how your face naturally tans.
Go to the salon for your hair color? Still have resistant grays that just won’t stay colored? Suggest to your stylist that they use a liquid developer instead of cream with your hair color formula to maximize gray coverage results.
After a shower or after you wash your face, avoid wiping dry with a towel. Instead, pat your face gently with a clean dry towel, then immediately follow up with a toner and moisturizer. This will prevent over-drying and premature aging of the skin.
Have a nasty blemished pimple? Apply a drop of honey to the affected area, then cover with a Band-Aid and leave it on overnight. The honey contains natural antibacterial properties, and the vitamins and nutrients in honey will hydrate and heal the area much faster to provide the perfect spot treatment.
Tip: Wish they made a room diffuser that smelled like your favorite perfume? Dab a few drops of your best fragrance on a cool light bulb, wait a few minutes, then turn on the lamp. As it heats, the room will be customized to smell more like “you.”
Trick: Not a fan of the super long-wear lip color you just put on? Lips stained? Use an oil-based product (jojoba, olive oil) on your lips and allow it to sit for a few minutes, then wipe away. The oils will help pull out any unwanted pigment.
