Say Goodbye to Crusty Elbows

            Do you ever get rough/ dry elbows and become embarrassed by them? I admit I have and it was very much to my dislike. I didn’t even want to show skin when my elbows looked like that. Truth be told sometimes we under-look our elbows because they are not within our vision and there is nothing peculiar about them. Nonetheless when it’s time to wear a short sleeve top or dress we become self-conscious because it is then when we notice how unappealing our elbows look (What will people think… That I don’t bathe properly/ will my boyfriend feel disgusted if he sees or touches my elbows.) Many thoughts come to mind. However let me relieve you by telling you that, that is not the case. In fact many times we lean on rough surfaces with our elbows and as a result a patch of rough skin forms, the reason for its occurrence is to protect the tendons. Thankfully there are a couple of things that can be done to prevent and fix crusty and unappealing elbows.

Prevention:

Avoid rough surfaces: Try your best not to place your elbows on the table (this can be considered rude sometimes too; so just remember your manners.) particularly if you are wearing short sleeves.

Scrub: Although many people just use plain soap to bathe and shower it is always good to use some type of scrub on the elbows or even a pumice rock (pumice rocks work great on the heels too; just don’t scrub too hard if you do decide to use a pumice rock)

Moisturize: It’s always good to moisturize after every shower, especially on sensitive parts like the elbows. 

Getting rid of crusty elbow:

Coffee and lemon: Believe it or not getting rid of crusty elbows is super easy, fast, and economic. All you need to do is mix coffee (ground coffee of course) and a small lemon together (Make sure the mixture is pasty.) The coffee will help exfoliate the skin and the lemon will help lightning it. Do this for a few days and I can guarantee you will be shocked on how quickly it works. 

Moisturize: Once again moisturize, this will enhance results. I recommend using Aloe Vera cream as it contains vitamin E and is healthy for the skin. However Vaseline works as a great moisturizer as well. These two moisturizers will help get you those clean and smooth elbows you crave.

All right ladies I hope these tips were helpful if you are trying to prevent or get rid of those ugly, rough, and dark patches on the elbows.

Flawless Face Without The Makeup

My best friend was telling me about her difficulty with finding makeup that really covers her dark circles and blemishes without caking it on. As someone who prefers natural ways of obtaining a flawless complexion, I urged her to change some of her daily habits to reduce the amount of dark circles and blemishes naturally. If you get rid of what you are trying to cover up, you can save yourself time and money by not having to buy the makeup to conceal it.

Sleep More

            Ever heard that your skin regenerates and heals better at night while you are resting? If you are lacking those 7-9 hours of sleep, you aren’t giving your skin sufficient time to heal and regenerate.

Drink Plenty of Fluids

            By fluids, I don’t mean amp up your coffee or sugary drink intake. Now I’m not saying coffee or a little bit of sugar is bad for you. There are actually studies that show a little bit of coffee and sugar does wonders for your outlook and productivity. However, relying on these drinks for your source to quench your thirst is not good. Drinking at least 60 ounces of water a day is ideal! To begin, try to replace one serving of coffee with a tall glass of water and work your way up from there.

            I used to never drink water. To help remedy that problem, I bought one of those Starbucks 20oz straw water bottles and refill that at least 3-4 times during the day! When I’m sitting at my desk working away, I find that rather than munching on food or drinking soda, I’m constantly reaching for my water bottle and find that I often empty it within an hour or two. I’ve also substituted green tea, which is full of antioxidants, for my morning coffee and find that I drink 2-3 mugs of tea a day. Water water water!

Eating Your Fruits and Veggies

            The nutritional value within fruits and veggies helps keep skin healthy and vibrant. Antioxidant rich foods such as berries help repair skin and strengthen blood vessels.  Vitamin C rich fruit such as oranges and kiwis help keep the skin firm and improves the overall quality of your skin. Vegetables like carrots help in the formation of collagen cells and cell regeneration. Spinach also helps repair cell damage and assists in delivering vital nutrients to your skin.

Skin Regiment Tailored To Your Skin Type

            Make sure to use a skin regiment that is appropriate to your skin type: oily, normal, combination or day. Make sure that you have a non-abrasive daily cleanser that helps remove the daily dirty that clogs our pores. Make sure that you have a moisturizer, again one that is appropriate for your skin type, and apply day and night, preferably something organic so we aren’t having our skin absorb harsh and man made chemicals.

            Special additions to your skin regiment include using an exfoliation type treatment. I absolutely love my Clarisonic Mia 2. I use this every three days to help me get a good deep clean and exfoliation to my skin. There are also other forms of exfoliation that will help gently remove dead skin cells from the surface, revealing the glowing skin underneath. Make sure to not overdo it on the exfoliation as this can lead to irritation, once or twice a week should be the max.

We already know the theme of my beauty articles: loving the skin you’re in. Oh wait was that an Olay reference? Yes, yes it was. We shouldn’t need a full face of makeup to feel pretty. If anything, makeup should only enhance what we have, not create a new face.

How to Treat Oily Hair

There are many hair types in the world. Each has its own issues that can make living with it difficult. For instance, people with dry hair swear they have the worst problems, while women with oily hair will claim to have that title. The honest truth is as long as you know how to properly treat their hair, managing it will be no problem. It still may seem like a hassle on those days when you are in a rush or just not in the mood to deal with it, but it really is no worse than anyone else’s hair.

Women that wash their hair and find that in a few hours it is oily again may get frustrated, but they should actually be happy. This just means their sebaceous glands are working right. They are also keeping you from becoming bald as it has been proven that baldness starts with a dry scalp due to the sebaceous glands shrinking.

While all this seems great in retrospect, there are still countless women begging for ways to make their hair less oily looking. Not to worry as there are ways of helping glands that seem to be producing way too much oil. 

It really should go without saying that women with oily hair need to shampoo everyday if it is excessive build up. The best time is in the morning as if they wash at night their hair has several hours to rebuild the sebum. Using a stronger shampoo than most people is recommended as mild shampoos may not do very much. 

Using a clarifying shampoo is normally recommended for women with oily hair. Using this type of product once a week will help to remove extra buildup of oil and debris. Women with fine hair that is incredibly oily, and they are also seeing dandruff flakes should especially try using this type of shampoo.

Do not brush very often. When you brush your hair you are moving oil from the scalp throughout the rest of the hair. Try styling in the morning, and then avoiding for the rest of the day. 

It is also a good idea to pull your hair back from your face as often as possible if it is oily. This will keep breakouts from occurring (or at least minimizing) on your face due to the excess oil.
Experiment with home remedies. There are many that have proven to work on oily hair, or at least show moderate results.

- An astringent made from mouthwash and witch hazel can be applied to the scalp with cotton wool. This is good for people who have consistently oily hair, and could be used before washing their hair.

- Acidic products such as lemon and vinegar really help with decreasing sebum build up. Combining lemon juice with water works well applied to hair as a rinse following a shampooing. Combining vinegar with water can be applied the same way (except the smell is more putrid). These can help to remove excess soap from the hair.

What to Pack For Vacation

If you’re like me, packing for vacation is a struggle because you usually want to bring your whole closet with you! (Curse you, baggage weight restrictions!)

When it comes to packing, you need to keep in mind that packing versatile clothing will allow you to pack more. Pack pieces that you can wear more than once. I suggest packing a lot of tank tops and shorts and switching up your outfits by adding accessories.

When it comes to bags, bring a neutral bag that will go with all of your outfits.

Stick to just a few colors so everything matches: maybe a palette of white, red, blue and black. Here are a few essentials that you should keep in mind when packing for vacation.

-Dresses, long or short knit ones in sleeveless or short sleeves.
-Cardigans. You can wrap a lightweight sweater (I like silk or cotton) around your shoulders during the day and put it on when it gets chilly.
-A sheer, beaded black shawl to wear over a simple tank dress for dressy dinners.
-A sarong over a swimsuit as a cover-up (but plenty of people wrap it up as a dress or skirt as well).

It’s easy to go overboard when packing for a getaway but, one must remember to only pack what you need. By sticking to solid colors and versatile pieces, you will be able to create multiple outfits with just a few pieces. Personally, I like packing solid tee’s and cardigans and mixing and matching to create new looks. I pack extra accessories to pair with my outfits since they are small and lightweight and don’t take up too much room in my suitcase.

So remember, it is possible to pack for vacation without over stuffing your bag. Just stick to the basics and get a little creative!

In Style Shoe Trends

A theory exists in fashion that you have to first envision a shoe, after which the rest of your outfit will observe suite. Therefore, it makes sense that each upcoming season’s footwear developments are predicted far earlier than the season actually rolls around. Take a look at some shoe trends that will never go out of style.


Suede. There’s nothing like a pair of shoes produced from strong, thick, and effectively-crafted suede. Try a pair of ankle-size booties, or above-the-knee leg-warming boots with leggings, skirts or tight jeans.


Wedges. Although the wedge has been a popular development throughout the last several seasons, fashionistas ought to expect a more refined and subdued version of the wedge that they already know and love. As a substitute of bright colors and complex lacing, expect a traditional, idler-like wedge in a brown, black or gray canvas or leather. Wedged booties will pair nice with denim, tights, skirts and dresses. Another bonus of rocking wedges is the thicker, chunky platform adds top like a pump however increases consolation on the ball of the foot.


Vibrant pumps. This season is all about making a major statement with colors. It is all about understanding when to play it protected and knowing precisely when to show the world your wild aspect with vivid and unexpected colors. Just remember; if you’re going to go for it, then actually go for it! Pick a daring shade that will be not possible to miss.


Shoes can make or break an outfit. Just look at it as the icing on the cake, and who wants to eat a cake with out icing?!

Macadamia Your Hair Amazing

Photo credit: http://www.opinian.com/en/o/products/health-beauty/macadamia-natural-oil

Summer is coming to an end and you know what that means. It means that us ladies have spent all summer roasting our no-longer-luscious locks in the summer's heat and our bad hair days are no where close to stopping. August is about to end which means the cold air of Winter is coming and will freeze our split ends into frizzy ball of static! Now, don't go into a panic, ladies! To help rejuvenate your hair and avoid any further damage and weather hair trauma, there's a batch of products that are going to save your life. Okay, maybe not your life, but your hair life, at the least.

Macadamia Natural Oil Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner is ah-maz-ing! You don't have to do anything special, or even change your hair care routine! All you have to do is replace the current shampoo and conditioner that you're using, with this stuff and use it! Bada Boom! Bada Bing! Your hair is going to be healthy in no time. This hair shampoo and conditioner contains macadamia oil, hence the name, which is a natural Goddess of oils. It adds amazing moisture into your hair, repairing any and all of your dry, damaged strands from the suntanning days of summer. Oh, but that's not it, ladies! This shampoo and conditioner combo also protects your hair from further damage, including environmental factors, which are obviously unavoidable. Amazing, right?

There's also a Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque which I like to use once a week to give my hair a little extra boost of moisture and repair! Unlike the shampoo and conditioner, the hair repair mask has several natural oils instead of just one, which totally makes sense since it's a repair hair therapy treatment not intended for daily use like the shampoo and conditioner. Macadamia oil, argan oil, tea tree oil  chamomile oil, aloe and algae extracts are all in this amazing little product. Long story short, this stuff is amazing for rejuvenating and rebuilding your locks!

So with summer ending and your hair roasted from the sun, with Winter well on it's way, it's time for you to thoroughly and deeply nourish your locks so you won't be walking around like a ball of split ends that put their hand on the electricity ball at the science fair. There's nothing worse than that, right? After all, there are so many unavoidable things when it comes to damage done to your hair, so it's imperative that you have a good product that will thoroughly take care of your hair needs. This product is a favourite of most, and surely as soon as you get your hands on this fabulous combination of repairing products, it'll be added to your favourite list too! Oh, and guess what! There are tons of other products from this line! It just keeps getting better and better!

Plus, the bottles are super adorable, aren't they?