Well, I haven't used store bought lotion for about 2 years now; I use coconut oil in the mornings, and castor oil before bed (just cause it is thicker and when I wake up, my skin is super soft!). I also use coconut oil on my hair, and when I travel, I just bring some of that along and it covers all the bases. 

It is really versatile and nifty. And it smells wonderful, so yeah. My tip is coconut oil for skin and hair!

I bought some coconut oil for my fiance's beard. I'm a little worried it might be a bit heavy on my hair (I gotta be careful or i can make it look like a grease ball in 2 seconds flat xD). But I think its working for him! At least it makes his beard smell delicious! XD I've been using Argan oil. I think it helps. xD


Also, I've learned recently about using a tshirt to dry your hair instead of a towel after a shower/bath. I've been doing it, but i'm not sure it works or not (but thats cause my hair is in a ponytail all the time, haha). I think it does help with breakage though.


If you have dry lips, I saw a couple of DIY scrubs on youtube using just honey, sugar, and olive oil or vaseline. I've seen other videos add in things like aloe vera, scented chapstick etc. But I've used the basic honey, sugar, oil mixture and it works pretty good. I keep forgetting to make more though. xD



I think my favorite line for skin care, especially moisturizer is philosophy. I've tried their "hope in a jar" moisturizer and "take a deep breath spf 30" moisturizer. I also like the "Purity" face wash. Its on the more expensive side, so I don't always buy it, but I feel the moisturizer is worth it. Both feel light and don't make me break out. But rememeber everyone has different skin, so maybe just try out a travel/trial size!



One of my favorite youtube users is Lilith Moon. She has tons of awesome hair styling tutorials! Some of them are very easy and some are really complicated braids. Anyway, I love her! She also has a cute accent. ^_^

*user of the t-shirt trick* Yeah, it helps with breakage. I have afro-textured hair, so I have to put oil on it on a daily basis or else it gets drier than a desert.  

I've used Purity, but I had TERRIBLE acne up until I started college (thank heavens), so I mostly used the cleanser included in the set sold on acne.org, which actually worked great for me. I had tried a ton of stuff up until buying that set, and I had very little hope in anything. But while I still break out from time to time, it is nothing major. 

For face wash (since I'm cheap), Ive mostly just stuck with Neutrogena (the gel wash). I don't break out like I did in my teen years, so it works just fine and its not heavy or has that over cleaning feeling. However, I liked how light and fresh my skin felt after the Purity facewash. Maybe I can get over to Sephora and buy some again. T_T

How do you make a sugar scrub? I'm totally ignorant of beauty matters.

Vbabe, brown sugar, white sugar and many different kinds of oils, like coconut, baby oil, the oil i posted a link to, or you can buy it like I do ^^

I use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, it really cuts down on frizz and is a lot healthier for your hair (it also makes it softer ^^) Sulfates in normal shampoo and conditioner don't actually contribute to helping your hair, it just makes the shampoo thicker/creamier.

Skin cleansing wise, I like to use Simple's cleansing wipes because I have super sensitive skin and it is very gentle and also wipes off my make up at the same time.

Luna I've used sufate-free shampoo and my hair just can't take it. :/
It just seems to stripe everything from my hair and leaves it really dry. Even in the shower, so I use Moisture renewal. Which does work for me, I even get the 2-1 Shampoo and Conditioner and then Condition with regular Conditioner.

You guys want to know a secret I've learned? Its going to sound gross but it is not washing my hair so much. The Natural oils in your hair keeps your hair conditioned and keeps from split ends or other damage. I can testify that my hair is more healthier now and I've read it in many different places as well. (Not saying don't take a shower lol)

Shizuka, I also do that. It helps A LOT my hair.

I only put on cruelty-free products, so my shampoo is from Alfaparf, really good brand, guys!

And my make up is all from Mary Kay

I do the same thing Shizuka and Mi! I go several DAYS without washing my hair (which is why it stays up in a pony tail all the time), I rarely use heat tools on my hair (except for when i shower and then go out someplace nice, like to dinner).  Often I will braid my hair and let it dry that wya if I shower and have to rush out the door.

Heat will really ruin your hair if used excessively, especially if you also color your hair like I do. :/

Has anyone in here seen Merc with a Venus bow in her hair? If not, you should ask her.

This was totally useful on topic. We are talking about beauty here.

I have very dry and very sensitive skin. (I have a lot of topical allergies, so I get rashes and hives all the time.  )

I've been using the Trader Joe's "Nourish" facial cleanser and moisturizer; I really like both of these products and their price is fantastic. I don't use the cleanser without the moisturizer, otherwise it would be too drying.

But my favourite product ever is Shiseido sunscreen. I've been using their 38 SPF "Extra Smooth Sun Protection Cream for Face" for several years, and every time I run out it's like a tragedy. Not only am I not allergic (yessss) but the formula isn't greasy and it actually seems to help heal any cuts or pimples. I hate that it's so expensive, but my skin looks so much better when I wear it every day.

I've haven't found a shampoo that really makes me happy. u_u I prefer sulfate- and silicone-free, but there's nothing that really makes me happy.

Just a reminder-- Sleep is VERY important!!! Getting enough sleep seriously changed my life. A lot of us go every day on 6 hours, so we don't realize how much it affects us. You don't realize how much it affects you until you try getting an adequate amount of sleep. It's like the eye doctor-- you don't know you see poorly until you look into a pair of glasses!

Did you know that going 3 nights in a row without at least 6 hours of sleep is similar to having alcohol in your system? When you don't get enough sleep, you don't look and feel rejuvenated. Not only does your face physically look tired, but a tired attitude is just as relevant to the way you look!!

I was looking for an article or something to back up the first statistic I posted, and I found alllll of these articles about how sleeping for less than 6 hours can affect you. I was going to post some, but there were too many, so I just took a screen shot of the results.




One website that I use almost compulsively is [Only admins are allowed to see this link] . It helps you calculate what time you should go to sleep at night due to what time you need to wake up in order to get good sleep. Even if you HAVE to go on less than 6 hours of sleep, this website will tell you what time you can go to sleep in order to get the best sleep you can get on less than 6 hours. I use it allllll the time and it makes me feel a lot better when I wake up

Oh man using that.... >.> Also I've read rather than setting an alarm for multiple times to get you to wake up, its just better to have one that wakes you up at the absolute time you need to. Hitting snooze multiple times and nodding back off can just make you feel more tired (and ya know i say this from experience xD). So very important!

Yes, waking up frequently interferes with your brain's ability to hit the cycles in sleep waves that make you feel rested~

I have a really hard time falling asleep. My mind starts to wander (usually to not happy places) and then I overwhelm myself. Usually to fall asleep I need to listen to something half interesting so my mind doesn't wander but boring enough so I don't care if I hear the end. Usually this comes in the form of a documentary of some sort. 

Any falling asleep tips??

I usually try to take a hot relaxing shower before I feel like I'm ready for bed. It really relaxes my nerves and it also makes me tired. ^_^

I try to wash my hair every other day, although I had to wash my hair every day in Belize.

Any tips on how to stay asleep? I've tried so much stuff from ear plugs to medication to blackout curtains. I'll undergo a sleep study soon. I can fall asleep with relative ease, but I have one heck of a time trying to stay asleep.

I don't know many beauty tricks, but I learned from my mom that when my hair gets dry and opaque I only have to put some avocado on it for a few hours and it does wonders!, sometimes I also add eggs and mayonnaise (it sounds like a salad, but I assure you, it does wonder). I usually do this 1 every 3 months or every time I think my hair looks unhealthy

Oh yeah avocado is especially healthy for you inside and out. (and nummy!)

natural cures for acid flex?  maybe something i can drink so i don't have to reach for gavasco or petto?

Baking soda in water. Its nasty, but works.

Natural cures for acid reflex? Eat less acidic foods. If you plan on eating something acidic couple it with something very starchy and absorbing like mashed potatoes, breads, etc.

This ^^^ but the baking soda will help you in a quick fix.

However, if you want it to go away completely you need to avoid acidic foods and change your diet. There are a lot of foods that have lots of acid in them that you wouldn't think they would, like tomatoes for example. My fiance has acid reflux so we've learned to cope here and there. Don't really eat anything spicy anymore, avoid eating too many tomatoey things, not too many oranges or lemons up in this household. :/

If you are find with taking pills, doing one of those daily 2 week things do help. It works real well for my fiance.

This ^

But also she forgot that meat and dairy are also high on the acidic foods. So say you were to eat a 6 ounce...chicken breast. The rest of your food would need to consist of veggies and perhaps mashed potatoes or a baked potato.

Yeah we had a whole list of them but those were the main ones I could think of. Good thing I love potatoes.

Also don't forget fruits like pineapple! Very acidic when unripe. It's key to eat produce when it is ripe and not before. Things like pineapples, oranges, tomatoes can be very bad for you if you are combining them with other acidic foods. When ripe though, that makes a huge difference. 

Not to mention acid reflex can also be a result of not using the restroom enough (tmi, but eat more fiber if that's the case), eating too much food at once, etc.

Aurae wrote:

I have very dry and very sensitive skin. (I have a lot of topical allergies, so I get rashes and hives all the time.  )

I've been using the Trader Joe's "Nourish" facial cleanser and moisturizer; I really like both of these products and their price is fantastic. I don't use the cleanser without the moisturizer, otherwise it would be too drying.

But my favourite product ever is Shiseido sunscreen. I've been using their 38 SPF "Extra Smooth Sun Protection Cream for Face" for several years, and every time I run out it's like a tragedy. Not only am I not allergic (yessss) but the formula isn't greasy and it actually seems to help heal any cuts or pimples. I hate that it's so expensive, but my skin looks so much better when I wear it every day.

I've haven't found a shampoo that really makes me happy. u_u I prefer sulfate- and silicone-free, but there's nothing that really makes me happy.

 This is what thunder and I use for shampoo:

Shampoo Bar

Natasha wrote:

This is what thunder and I use for shampoo:

Shampoo Bar

I appreciate the recommendation, but I am so intensely allergic to rosemary it's not even funny. It gives me horrifying, horrifying hives.   I'm also allergic to cocoa and shea butter... and jojoba oil... I have to be very careful around "natural" body products because herbs and "butters" are serious triggers for my skin. I appreciate products with simple ingredients, but I have to be careful.