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Good luck on finals!;)

Beauty Hacks

Lost your luggage on a trip? Have no time/money to replace a product you used up? Simply need an easier way to go about things? I feel your pain and that is why I have built a list of helpful beauty hacks I have learned over the years. These things do wonders for me when I'm in a pinch and I hope they will do the same for you!

• Use tweezers to separate mascara-clumped lashes (but be careful not to poke your eye out!)
• Use a teeny tiny bit of hand lotion as a smoothing serum on fly away hairs
• Brush your lips with your toothbrush to get rid of flaky skin
• Use sugar and a little water as a face/body/lip scrub (or replace water with olive oil for a more moisturizing option)
• Use an oil (olive, almond, coconut, etc.) as a face/body lotion or hair mask
• Double your lip stick as a cheek tint and vise versa
• Use concealer two shades lighter than your foundation as a highlight
• Use tea tree oil on pimples to dry them out
• If you don't have tea tree oil use mouthwash
• Wet an eye liner brush and dip it in a dark shadow to create the look of gel liner
• Use petroleum jelly ("PJ", as mentioned in a previous post) as a brow gel
• Use baby powder to rid unwashed hair of grease

Best of luck,

Catie

Dear 16 year old me,

I had a thought while studying for finals this past week (between the premature mid-life crisis' and eating the entire contents of the fridge) about high school or, more specifically, how much has changed since then. Look, I know I'm supposed to say "I wouldn't change it for the world because it got me to where I am today!" but I'm not going to say that because lets be real, I totally would if I could. Seriously though, there are so many things that I know now that I wish I knew at 16 and if I could send a letter to my sassy little self then I so would! But since I cant, I figured I'd share my letter here instead....

Dear 16 year old me,

1. It is so not necessary to have a new boyfriend every month. Spoiler alert: they're all jerks.

2. Your body is not a garbage can. Stop eating captain crunch and chocolate sandwiches everyday. Those 10 pounds you gained didn't come out of nowhere.

3. On that note, would it kill you to take a run around the block?

4. The popular kids that you wish you were friends with aren't what you think they are. I'll leave it at that...

5. Most of your "friends" in high school will stab you in the back, be careful of who you trust.

6. I wish I could tell you karma has slapped that B in the face for picking on you, but life is unfair sometimes. Sorry bout it.

7. I'm sorry to tell you this, but you are never going to be a movie star. So, get to studying. Your going to really regret failing those classes because believe it or not, in the future (plot twist:) you decide to go to college.

8. You being stubborn and wanting to make your own decisions mistakes, is never going to change but you should know, mom is right 99% of the time.

9. School sucks. Get over it. Try having some fun instead of focusing on how much you hate the world.

10. Buckle up kid, you're in for one hell of a ride.

11. You become a wealthy super model in the future....lol. jk. Sorry to disappoint.

Love,

your older, wiser, slightly less awkward self

Magic Jelly?

Let's talk about a major, super secret, magical beauty product that is more than likely sitting around your house untouched...and if it isn't, you need to hop over the store and get it

I'm talking about petroleum jelly.

Ok, before you cringe and shut your laptop, vowing to never return, (a little dramatic?) just hear me out!

There are so many incredible uses for PJ! (Phew! That sounds better.) Let me share a few with you:

• Bye-bye chemical filled lash enhancing serums, hello PJ! (This is my absolute fav!) I honestly swear by this! Before you go to bed, smear some of this stuff on your lash line and you will notice amazing growth within a couple weeks!

• Lash conditioner. Ok, so maybe you were born with super lush, long, full lashes (no, I'm not glaring at you, I had something in my eye)  or perhaps you're just happy with your lashes the way they are! Well, I would still recommend using PJ on your lashes every now and then and here's why: as girls, we are constantly coating our delicate little lash hairs with clumpy mascaras, lash glue, etc.; therefore, those little suckers need some extra loving every once in a while! Cue the PJ! PJ will add moisture back into those babies so you can bat away!

• Um, $5 eye cream anyone? Count me in! Aging is a part of life and, unfortunately, as our skin loses elasticity, so are wrinkles. This is why we shell out 30, 40, sometimes 100s of dollars for wrinkle preventing products, but not anymore! Use PJ instead of emptying your wallet on eye cream. Just spread a thin layer over your lids and on the sides of your eyes. (get lost, crows feet!) Need more proof? Look at that hottie Jennifer Aniston! (Sources say she swears by PJ as an eye cream!)

• Winter skin therapy. The sad truth is, winter does terrible things for our skin. The bone dry, chilly air absolutely sucks the moisture right out of our skin. I personally suffer badly of dry cracked hands during colder months because I wash my hands a lot. (with the hottest water possible.)  It got to the point last year that if anything so much as brushed my hands, it hurt! Normal lotions just weren't doing it for me, so my sister suggested slathering on some PJ and putting some gloves on (to keep the moisture in)before bed. Not only were my hands toasty warm when I woke up (haha) but they were soft and healed of cracks! Use this for your dry cracked feet too! Just replace the gloves with socks. (or don't, whatever you're into.)

• Lip balm, duh! This shouldn't be a surprise but PJ makes an incredible lip product! In fact, after having serious issues with the skin on my lips for about a year, (more on that later) it is the only lip balm that touches my pout. Honestly, since I've replaced my other lip balm products (and trust me I've had an array of them) I have noticed that my lips stay hydrated a million times longer!

So, there you have it! I encourage you to get some PJ and start feeling the beauty magic immediately! And don't be afraid to get generic (it all works the same)!
Bring on the petroleum jelly! Still weird? Yep. 



P.S. I don't think you're ready for this jelly...(sorry, couldn't pass up the Destiny's Child reference.)