I want it NOW! Homemade, beauty fix-its

So I don’t know about all of you, but when I want something done I want to have immediate satisfaction. It's for the same reason that I don’t shop online that I don’t stick to beauty secrets that take time to work. This is why I’m here to give you a list of things that will give you quick results because waiting..."ain’t nobody got time for that".

Add highlights or lighten dark hair (even if it's been dyed):

First off, I recently dyed my hair from my natural brown/ dirty blonde color to a dark mahogany brown. And while at first, I was excited about it, I quickly regretted my decision. But there wasn't much I could do about it while one a budget. And believe me, I tried, and let’s just say it was a huge waste of time and money… 

So my quick fix for you to lighten your hair and/or add highlights is to use hydrogen peroxide… yep you heard me right peroxide. If you want to lighten all of your hair, just spray some peroxide all over, cover your head and let it sit for 20-60 minutes,  then thoroughly wash out and condition well.  If you just want to add highlights you can do the same only wrap the strips you are coloring in aluminum foil. You can also mix the peroxide with baking soda for a pastier feel (although it will still drip all over the place). 

Now quite obviously, since I do not like to wait for thing I also do not follow instructions very well so although I am going to tell you, you should do this on clean dry hair, just know, that I did not and still got decent results.  

Also if you are worried about it drying out your hair [which I was not, but probably should have been] add a bit of honey to the peroxide solution [I used olive oil but whatever]

If you can find it at your local drugstore I highly suggest you use "nuNATT Brazilian Keratin Intensive Hair Mask Complete Hair Recovery" it's only about $6 and it does absolute wonders for dry, over-processed hair. The directions say to leave it on for 15 minutes. I tend to only use it once a month at which time I saturate my hair with it, cover it with a shower cap, and leave it on for an hour. 

Remove stains from nails:

Next up if you “forgot” to use a base coat on your nails the last time you painted them a bright color and your nails are now stained just take a bit of toothpaste and a scrub brush to take off the color [now that I think of it the baking soda/peroxide would probably work too, or lemon]

Reduce swelling from Sleep-Deprived Eyes:

We can’t forget about puffy/baggy/dark eyes [which I always have, thank you internet], as a quick fix take a thin slice of potato and place it under your eyes for 15 – 20 minutes.

Also for dark spots especially elbows [and knees] slice a lemon in half and set your elbows in them for about 20 minutes.

Fix Chapped Lips: 

To remove dead skin from your lips, place some clear tape on and it will peel the dead skin right off. You can also make an exfoliating lip scrub with sugar and a bit of water, just apply to your lips and rub it with your finger in a circular motion then rinse off. 

Also if you’re ever out of Chapstick use just a little bit of Vaseline or petroleum jelly [which can also be used as an eye make –up remover or even lotion if used sparingly].

Stubborn Foot Roughness: 

For stubborn foot roughness and all-round foot-related problems, soak them in vinegar (1 part vinegar/apple cider vinegar to 2 parts water)for about 30-60 minutes [in a well-ventilated area believe me you’ll thank me for this] then take them out and you should be able to scrub/scrape away at the problem area.  [I haven't tried this but my good friend swears by it]

Reduce the redness/swelling of Pimples:

I rarely get pimples but when I do they pop up out of nowhere and at the worse possible time. To reduce the size of pimples and to speed up the recovery mash together an uncoated aspirin tablet add 4 drops of water with your finger and apply the mix to any problem area. Let sit for about 5 minutes rinse it off. This can also be used on the entire face as a mask to reduce pore size and even prevent acne. 

If this doesn't work some other options are toothpaste, solid deodorant, or ice.

Sunburn Relief:

I love going to the beach and water parks but for some reason (no matter how much sunscreen I use) I never fail to get a sunburn. So the next time it happens, for relief and to get a sunburn that should be substantially subsided or all gone in the morning (fingers crossed) I'm going to try this: 

Fill a pitcher with warm water and soak 3 black tea bags in it (you can also use black tea and green mint tea together for an extra cooling effect or just green tea). Once the water turns near-black and is lukewarm dip a rag into the tea, and dab it onto the sunburn. Do not wipe it off, just leave it on and let it be absorbed into your skin. Re-apply as necessary, or every 20 minutes until bedtime, and remember to not wash it off. Leave the tea on through the night so it can work its magic and wash it off in your morning shower. Also the sooner you apply the tea after you get the sunburn, the quicker and more effective it will be. [Also you can just put the mix in a spray bottle and use the mist setting for a slightly less messy application or just apply the tea bags directly to the skin] However watch out because this stains cloth! UPDATE: I tried it and this is a hot mess, it gets everywhere and stains everything, you have been warned! 

As for what I have tried (and must say I love) is Milk, just dip a clean cotton ball or washcloth into a bowl of cool milk, and gently dab on the burned areas. The coolness helps reduce swelling and works as an anti-inflammatory to help reduce pain, yay!

Baking Soda Is also said to help reduce the redness and swelling, but it's a major pain when it comes to the paste so instead mix a few tablespoons into your bath, soak for about 15 minutes (but no longer because it might dry out your skin and let's face it, your skin is dehydrated enough after being fried by the son of all a fireball in the sky), then get out and air dry... and although it leaves white residue it's no biggie you can wash it off in your morning shower. 

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There you have it, a few quick fixes. Please remember to use your own judgment when trying these home remedies, seeing as I am not a doctor and these are just a few things that have been passed down to me from those wiser... Feel free to post your results or your own helpful tips in the comment section. I'll also be posting some not so quick, homemade fix-its at some point so stay tuned. 

Also, I apologize that it's taken so long for me to post a new blog entry. January was a crazy month for me, outside of turning 23. But that hasn't changed my motto because Confidence is still Key. And I am confident that you all will forgive me ;-)