The Ultimate Spa Treatment at Home!

Every Thursdayight my husband likes to go out with his friends for a guys night. While I'd like to say I go out for a g nirls night, I usually don't. I usually have a relaxing evening inside where I make super yummy food and give my skin a little TLC.  Sometimes I have friends join me, but usually I have a party with some shrimp and netflix! Then I realized, who wouldn't want to know what you could do to give yourself a little home spa treatment? So here it all is lined out!




1- Feet!
I get the WORST calluses on my feet ever! My heels are always dried and cracked! So I use Mary Kay Satin Hands pampering set, on my feet! I use it once a week and it keeps the calluses away! It's a 3 piece set where I use the hand cream (just on my feet) and then the exfoliating scrub! I then use a plastic walmart bag and i put it around my feet and I spend about the nest 20 minutes wearing them! I then rinse my feet off in the tub and use the hand lotion and voila! Soft and Beautiful feet!



2- Hot Towel

While I am waiting my 20 minutes with grocery bag slippers on, I boil some water. I grab one of my face clothes and I dip it into the water and take it out while I let my face sit over the steam. Then i place the towel over my face and soak up the warm goodness! This allows my pores to be opened!


3- Green Tea Warming Masque 
After my face is a little damp and warm, I put BeautiControl Green Tea Warming Masque all over my face. I usually apply a small amount to my fingers and quickly run it under a small trickle of warm water in my sink first. When combined with water the masque will heat up on your skin and feel amazing! It does take a little practice, but even when it doesn't warm up it still works great! This mask dries your skin to remove moisture form bacteria, which kills it. I have really dry
skin, so when I use this stuff I sometimes feel a little itcy, but it is all natural and still really safe to use. After I apply this masque I generally grab my food and sit down to enjoy and episode of whatever show I am in love with at the time! You can leave the masque on for as long as you want, but I usually wait until one show is over. 25-45 minutes depending on what I am watching.


4- Rinse!
After my dinner and show I usually  use the same towel I used to steam my face to wipe the masque off with warm water. Then I use an exfoliator and cleanser. I have a combination one from Mary Kay! The Timewise Miracle set! You can get the Timewise 3-in-1 cleanser for only $20 and it comes in combination/oily as well as dry/normal formulations. I use very warm water to rub the cleanser into my skin and wash it off thoroughly. After I feel like it is sufficiently gone, I switch gears and use cold water to rinse off my face! Cold water will close your pores to keep any bacteria or infection  you just washed away out!


5- Cucumber Mask
Yes, I use another mask! This one is made at home though! I just take a cucumber and I smash it up! Sometimes I add a small amount of honey to it, but usually I just stick with cucumber. Cucumber has tons of natural vitamins and antioxidants that makes skin look bright and radiant! I leave it on for about 10-30 minutes and then I wash it down the drain too, using cool water to wash it away and rinse my face after.



6- Moisturize
This one is simple! I use moisturizer! My favorite is Mary Kay Timewise Moisturizer. Once again it comes in two different formulas to fit your skin type, and it is overall wonderful! A little goes such a long way and it's water based! A little education here! If you put a raisin in a jar of oil and another in a jar of water what happens? The one in the water re-hydrates a little, and the one in the oil does nothing. The same principal applies with our skin. Why would we want to put a bunch of oil moisturizer on our skin!? It clogs pours and is short lived. Mary Kay moisturizer is water based to keep skin moist unlike Olay products that are all oil based!



7- Fight Aging
If you don't have any anti-aging products than step 6 is your last, but I am a firm believer in preventing aging from the start! It's easier to prevent than to repair after all. I use the last step in my Timewise Miracle Set regimen which is the Night Solution. It is full of vitamins and nutrients and keratin which keeps skin firm and supple. you can actually feel it working. Also in the Timewise miracle set is the Day Solution, which has some keratin and sun protectant as well. But I usually do this whole thing in the evening, so I use the night solution. Plus with Mary Kay products if you don't love it or see results, you get a full refund every time! No strings attached!

So follow these steps and you'll have relaxing night and great skin!

here are links to all of the products mentioned above.

Mary Kay Satin Hands Pampering Set
BeautiControl Green Teas Warming Masque
Mary Kay Timewise 3-in-1 Cleanser
Mary Kay Timewise Moisturizer
Mary Kay Timewise Night Solution
Mary Kay Timewise 4 Peice Miracle Set

Let's talk Straight

Straightening your hair is one of the most common things that girls do all the time. The questions I received were asking if there was a way to get "naturally straightened hair" and the answer is no. You can however get a chemical relaxer, which does chemically (and permanently) straighten the exposed hair. Just like getting a perm, a chemical relaxer uses the same process of breaking bonds and rebuilding them in a straightened state to keep the hair straight! These are usually used on people with naturally curly hair, but some women get them who have some wave and would like to get rid of it.

This can be a long process however and can often be a costly one. You can usually find these treatments offered at hair schools, but they still add up to about $50. So let's talk about some other straightening tactics and techniques! I want to talk about everything! Product (I know it's my favorite topic), tools, temperatures, all of it! 

Tools

First comes the actual straightener. While you can spend $25 on an okay one at Walmart, they really aren't the best. If you straighten your hair once every other week they're fine, but if you use them 3+ times weekly, you might want to invest in something a little more healthy and reliable. 

I recommend getting the Babyliss Pro Porcelain Ceramic Flat Iron. Bablyiss Pro is a professional brand that doesn't sell in retail stores like Walmart or Sally's Beauty. The only store you can buy them at are places like Salon Centric and Cosmoprof, that only sell to licensed professionals. So if you don't have a licensed friend or family member the only other place to get them is online. Amazon has everything Babyliss at great prices! This flat iron is light weight and has a heat resistant back panel that extends over the edge of the hot plates (so it's harder to burn yourself). It has a long cord and it lasts forever! It will get up to 450 degrees as well! 

Heat Protectant, I have a lot to say about heat protectant, but I will go more in depth to that in a bit.

A Comb. Is it silly that I feel the need to mention a comb? The sad part is, it isn't. If you are using a flat iron for curling, or for flipping the ends of your hair in or outward, then you are fine not to use a comb. But if you are straightening your hair all over, you need a comb.

Method

step 1: prepare the hair by making sure it is completely dry. Brush through the hair to remove all tangles and snarls. Turn on the straightener.

step 2: spray quality heat protectant onto the hair

step 3: pick up the section you are planning on straightening. Put a comb into the hair with one hand and begin to slowly run it down the section of the hair. Have it closely followed by the flat iron. Use a comb with teeth that are close together. This creates tension in the hair so it won't fall during this process.

step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 over the whole head.

the reason I even have this section is because it is so important to comb your hair directly in front of the straightener. I know that quickly running a straightener through your hair a few times seems like it would be less work and mean less damage but it's the exact opposite! When you go nice and slow (with heat protectant!) you will have longer lasting results! Plus instead of going over the same place 6 times you are doing it once! 2 times max! Give it a try and see if it cuts time for you! 

Temperature 

My heart breaks when I see a woman who has her brand new straightener set on the highest level it can go! YIKES! You don't really need 450 degrees of direct heat on your hair! start by setting your straightener on 250 degrees. If that isn't working set it up by 25 degrees each time you use it. DO NOT EXCEED 350 DEGREES! After about 6 months your straightener may seem like it's lost a little of it's spark then turn up the heat another 25 degrees. That is what the 450 is for! It extends the life if your straightener by 2 years! If you turn it up 25 degrees every 6 months, that is how long you have before it hits 450! 

Product

Yay! My favorite part! I love product, and I truly feel my success in this industry was elevated 3 fold when I invested my time into product education, and my money into quality product! So here are a few products you should use depending on you hair needs.

Redken Iron Silk 07

This is a spray starch that is my go-to heat protectant. It smells great, is cost efficient, and is overall wonderful! It acts as a hairspray as well as a heat protectant which is also a nice little bonus. Because it is a starch opposed to an oil, it has a lot of shine control. So if you have oily hair or you have a hard time controlling shine this is the way to go! Redken products are a professional brand, which does mean it is only available online, or in a salon. It is usually less online. 

TIGI S Factor Flat Iron Shine Spray

This is one of my new favorite products by TIGI. It is exactly what it says it is. It's a flat iron heat protectant, and a shine spray. So for those of you with dry hair that wants to add the shine, this will be a better option for  you! Plus it smells like a dream! Unlike other brands I have mentioned here, TIGI has decided to become more mainstream. You can find Bedhead, Catwalk and S Factor products on shelves at Target and Walmart as well as various other places. I do find that it is usually the least expensive online though.

TIGI BedHead Straighten Out

Straighten Out is another TIGI product, but by a more well known brand BedHead! This lotion will do the next step as well as this one! The next step (Add Shine!) talks about using a smoothing serum or milk to help your hair lock in moisture, repair heat damage, and add shine a smoothness. But using this straightening, heat protecting cream is going to do that and protect your hair from the heat of the straightener!

Add Shine!
For some people their hair feels dry, dull or lifeless after straightening, so here are two straightening lotions to keep hair feeling fresh and shiny after straightening. The will also keep away any pesky fly aways!
Redken Sheer Straight 06
This product is a lightweight straightening gel that will smooth fly aways and add shine without making your hair look heavy or greasy. It's best for people with short, thin or fine hair.
Redken Align 12
This is a polishing milk that will smooth fly aways and add shine as well! It is a little heavier and is optimal for people with long, thick and full hair.

If you need more tips on how to control fly aways and shine at the same time check out this blog post! 

Here are links to buy all of the products and items I mentioned above on amazon! 

Babyliss Pro Porcelain Ceramic Flat Iron

Redken Iron Silk 07

TIGI S Factor Flat Iron Shine Spray 
TIGI Bed Head Straighten Out
Redken Sheer Straight 06
Redken Align 12

***Thanks to Alyssa for asking me this question!***