Beach Beauty: DIY Homemade bronzer

I love being bronze, I love looking bronze, but I don’t like little bronze specks known as sun spots. Enter the wonder product, bronzer. Problem, I also am wierded out by all the unpronounceable ingredients in a lot of bronzing powders. So I was rather giddy when I I found this intriguing recipe on crunchybetty.com for homemade bronzer. It works, is customizable to your desired lever of bronzification, looks natural, and if you have a craving for something cinnamon-y, you just figure out a way to lick your face.

Here is the how-to, try it out and let me know how it works:

Homemade Bronzer. Save Money and your face.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp nutmeg powder
2 tsp cornstarch
15 drops rose otto, lavender, or rosemary essential oil

A few tips on the color: Cinnamon = glow, cocoa = depth and darkness, and nutmeg = a sunkissed brown. Cornstarch spreads it all out and lightens it. Essential oil keeps it together and thickens. If you want just a loose powder, leave out the essential oil.

Adjust the levels of ingredients to your shade and mix well in a small bowl, and break up any clumps until it’s smooth. Place the powder in a clean, empty compact and pack it in firmly

Try it out, but don’t go overboard, or you’ll look like this.

Photo via sun-believable.

Sunburned? Go butter you buns. Somehow, I don’t know how, but I got a wee bit crispy surfing this past holiday weekend. Ok, actually I know why. I had a blast and stayed out an extra hour…or three. It was too fun to go in. So let’s just say, I resembled a cute little 5’9” red giraffe with blonde hair and green eyes. But, I have not peeled, and woke up looking bronze instead of broiled all thanks to a little miraculous wonder product I want to hug: Malie Organics Mango Butter Bun. Somehow it’s combo of 100% certified organic ingredients cures sunburn overnight. No joke. All you do is take this bun in the shower with you, and rub it all over your body just like a bar of soap. But, instead of being zest fully clean, you are left smelling like a mango, soft, and with a hydrated sheen. If only I had one of these on my spring break in Maui back in 6th grade where I fell asleep on my stomach on day 1 wearing spf 8, and couldn’t lay on my back for a week… Available at Malie.com and anywhere else you find it on google.

Sunburned? Go butter you buns.

Somehow, I don’t know how, but I got a wee bit crispy surfing this past holiday weekend. Ok, actually I know why. I had a blast and stayed out an extra hour…or three. It was too fun to go in. So let’s just say, I resembled a cute little 5’9” red giraffe with blonde hair and green eyes.

But, I have not peeled, and woke up looking bronze instead of broiled all thanks to a little miraculous wonder product I want to hug: Malie Organics Mango Butter Bun. Somehow it’s combo of 100% certified organic ingredients cures sunburn overnight. No joke. All you do is take this bun in the shower with you, and rub it all over your body just like a bar of soap. But, instead of being zest fully clean, you are left smelling like a mango, soft, and with a hydrated sheen.

If only I had one of these on my spring break in Maui back in 6th grade where I fell asleep on my stomach on day 1 wearing spf 8, and couldn’t lay on my back for a week…

Available at Malie.com and anywhere else you find it on google.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for sunscreen.


I rely on SPF every day - so thought I’d pass along my favorite sun-blockers for your pretty l’il noggins. The are tried and true, stay on in the water, cause zits, and are great for your skin:

The Skin Saver Fab 4: Supergoop, Colorscience Sunforgettable, NIA 24, and finally good ol’ reliable - Shiseido

Start using one of these whenever you are out playing in the sun and surf, and you’ll save beaucoup de money by not having to visit a dermatologist every month for laser treatments and microderm abrasion once you hit 35. Now, get out and play.

Beach Hair 101: Bangs are Bangin’

Bangs are nothing new, but they seem to be showing off cheekbones and eyes everywhere. They also give off that 70’s stylish beach vibe no matter what type of fringe you choose. So, in lieu of having an eight-head instead of a forehead, I am taking the plunge and am getting a thick set of eyelash skimmers a’ la my muse, Heidi Klum (pictured above).

Bonus: Aside from covering massive foreheads and being timelessly stylish, they are an easy way to switch up your look without chopping all your long locks or venturing down the haircolor aisle at CVS when you are bored on a weekend night.

If you want to give it a try, check this out: How to Cut your Own Bangs from instyle.com …in fact, not sure If I can wait until my appointment. The scissors are calling my name.

Beach Beauty: Healthy Tan, Sun Included

I have three doctors, one make up artist, and one aesthetician backing me up on this: There is a safe way to gradually get a golden tan like Ms. Natasha Poly pictured above.

It’s simple & surprisingly beneficial; 20 minutes of sun exposure once a day. (20 minutes on each side if you are laying out.) Think of it as baby step tanning. Plus, there are more benefits other than having a bronze glow. Regular consistent small amounts of exposure to the sun (without burning) can actually have a protective effect on the skin, increases much-needed Vitamin D levels in the body, improves your mood (when DON’T you feel happier & more energetic after being outside?), helps depression, and dozens of other perks.

The sun’s rays aren’t deadly folks. We’d be S.O.L. on Earth without them - just use them in moderation for aesthetic purposes, and if you are going to be out more than 20 minutes, use common sense: cover up, find some shade & slather on some SPF.

Pic found @ ilovewildfox.com

Christine Teigen : another unofficial, official spokesmodel for Goldfish Kiss

After looking through a few pics of the one and only Christine Teigen from this year’s SI swimsuit issue, I have officially booked her as Goldfish Kiss’s unofficial, official spokesmodel. Showin’ some love for the brunettes.

Not sure if it’s the fact that she is absolutely adorable (hello cheek bones), or that she seems to have a perfect tan (and skin) - paired with some good ‘ol curves. But the main reason she is perfect for this position, she’s got a killer sense of humor, which is a big, big, bonus. Example: post from twitter “Telling a really bad joke on letterman got me another 1800 followers. You guys are easily amused and/or like boobs.”

Christine - you rock, and your contract awaits.

Follow Christine on Twitter : http://twitter.com/#!/chrissyteigen

Beach Beauty: DIY at home Sugar Scrub. Get Glowing.

I should share a few blessings I have with my skin…acne, smile lines and a sprinkling of sun spots. I’ve forked out $100 for La Mer creme, and tried waaaaaay to many infomercial products to alleviate these AWESOME conditions, but one trick actually has conquered this trifecta of dermal dilemmas: A simple sugar scrub. It is a one ingredient recipe that takes a couple minutes to do, and gradually erases years of bathroom surgery, tanning booths, and even squinting because you are too lazy to wear your contacts (ok, that’s probably just me).The result? Money saved with the cheap DIY treatment, and skin that remotely resembles that of Miranda Kerr.

Easy sugar scrub:

1. Apply a dime-size amount of plain white sugar to your damp face. (Steer clear of your eye area)

2. Gently rub in tiny circular motions until the sugar dissolves and turns into a sticky serum. (Can take up to three minutes) 

3. Rinse off with warm water.

4. Apply moisturizer of choice. ( J’adore Miracle Skin Transformer)

5. Put on sunscreen because your skin will be a’ glowin.

*Note* Glycolic acid, a natural exfoliant, comes from sugar so this is why it is so great - you get a chemical exfoliation from the glycolic acid and physical exfoliation from the sugar granules.

*Only use 2-3 times a week.