Consider a Facial for a Great Looking Complexion

A facial is a cosmetic treatment of the face, which involves a variety of skin care treatments. They are:

1: Cleansing the skin
2: Exfoliation (removal of dead skin cells that cling to the skins surface)
3: A massage to increase circulation
4: A mask suited to your skin type see the article What is Your Skin Type?
5: An application of toners and creams

The purpose of a facial is to exfoliate and nourish the skin which will then bring about a clear and beautiful complexion.

Normally facials are performed in a beauty salon or spa at a cost of about $75. Furthermore it is recommended that you get a facial every four to six weeks for the best results. However, at a cost of $75 or more, both men and women have taken it upon themselves to give themselves a facial while relaxing in the comfort of home.

There are many good facial kits on the market but my personal favorites are facials kits made with natural ingredients such as herbs, salts and essential oils. There is also a wide variety of homemade skin care recipes that provide exceptional results and at a fraction of the cost at a salon or spa. Additionally, herbal facial kits and homemade skin care recipes are eco-friendly and do not contain some of the harmful skin care ingredients we here about today.

My favorite facial kit is “Herbal Facial” and contains enough ingredients for 5 facials! The ingredients in this kit are all natural and contains the follows: Herbal steam – to cleanse and open pores, Cleaning grains – to remove dead skin and unclog pores, a French clay mask – for deep cleansing and to stimulate circulation, a facial oil blend – to lightly scent, moisturize and balance, and flower water – a gentle refreshing toner and astringent for all skin types. This kit will leave your skin clean, nourished, and with a radiant complexion. This kit also comes with step by step instructions and at a cost of $24 that equals out to less than $5 a facial!


Interested in making your own facial masks, toners, cleansing grains, etc, visit Complete Skin Care Therapy or check out my other blog posts.

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Pleasantly Understated Smoky Eyes - Covergirls ShadowBlast

I loved the idea of achieving classic smoky eyes in just two simple steps and all packaged in one convenient product.  Covergirl’s shadowblast did just that except in a more understated way than I expected!  It is a duo cream product that comes in a tube.  One color of the tube is the highlight color and the other color for definition and lining.  The definition color has a tapered end so that lining your eyes is pretty simple.  I appreciated the instructions that came with the product and it proved to be a no fail way to create smoky eyes.

The color I had was Onyx Smoke, and at first glance I thought this would be really dark.  However, even though the color looked dark in the tube it was actually very sheer and had just a hint of shimmer.  Blending was easy due to the creamy formula but sometimes I felt like there was more on my fingertip than on my eyelids.  In fact it took me several applications to get the depth of color that I wanted.  My final look was very  subtle and with a light smoky look, great for everyday and office wear.

I did like the effect that I achieved and would consider purchasing some of the other expertly coordinated duos.  The colors are Bronze Fire, Silver Sky, Tempest Blue, Purple Plum, Citrus Flair, and Onyx Smoke. However, in my opinion, I  think that if you were looking for a very dramatic smoky eye look these colors may be to sheer.

My disappointment with the product is that it does not last very long.  It was just a matter of hours before I had creases on the upper lid.  I have never used an eye shadow primer and maybe if I had used one the eye shadow would have lasted longer.

Another disappointment is that after three uses of the highlighter color, the tip fell out of the tube.  Maybe I had a faulty one – however I just stuck it back into the tube and it still works.

Would I buy it again?  Definitely, my next color will be the Purple Plum which I think will go great with my brown eyes.  Furthermore I have found it online at $6.54 which is seems to be pretty reasonably priced.


Hope you can stop by and check out my other posts:   skin care articles, beauty tips, skin care recipes and so much more!

For more skin care recipes and skin care articles, visit Complete Skin Care Therapy

Easy, Natural DIY Insect Repellant!

Summer is here and along with summer comes those pesky, irritating, mosquitoes. While there are many effective insect repellents on the market, there are also home remedies that are just as effective and eco-friendly. Furthermore, home remedies made with essential oils have by far a more pleasant scent than any store bought insect repellant. Rather than smelling like a chemical lab with store bought insect repellants consider pleasing fragrances such as lavender, lemongrass or eucalyptus to repel mosquitoes.

Common essential oils for mosquitoes are: Cinnamon, Lemon Eucalyptus or regular Eucalyptus, Citronella, and Lemongrass.

Recipe: In a spray bottle, mix 20 to 25 drops of essential oil (cinnamon, eucalyptus, citronella, or lemongrass) with 2 tablespoons of carrier oil such as olive oil, and shake well. Apply directly onto your skin and clothing, avoiding the sensitive area around the eyes.

Another way to repel insects when you are out enjoying nature is to add a few drops of essential oil to your shampoo and liquid soap. The aroma of the essential oil will offset the added perfumes and fragrances that attract insects.

Essential oils are nature's gift to us. They provide an alternative to chemical laden products that harm our bodies and our environment. With Earth Day just around the corner, consider more eco-friendly products in your home and in your lifestyle.  Read my post the History of Earth Day

You can read more about essential oils on my blog post  "The Properties of Essential Oils" or get a good reference book and begin to explore the wonders and benefits of essential oils.

Get your ingredients at:

Author 300+ Skin Care Recipes

Get Fuller, Longer Eyelashes Naturally!

Just like our hair and face, eyelashes are exposed daily to harsh environmental elements, aka free radicals. Additionally, they are exposed to a wide variety of chemicals that are in mascara, eyeliners, and eye shadow. Furthermore, eyelashes are all too often neglected when cleansing the face and removing mascara and other eye makeup is usually done in haste. Just like our skin, eyelashes need attention too. We wash and protect our skin with various skin care products and take the time to pamper our skin with a nightly skin care routine, however, have you ever thought about how much attention you give your eyelashes?

Proper removal of eye makeup should include a good makeup remover or plant oil which nourishes the sensitive skin around the eye area. Use a cotton ball or pad and apply your makeup remover with a very light circular motion starting at the roots and going towards the tip of the eyelashes.

While there are many products on the market, both prescription and non-prescription to help you grow beautiful lashes, there are also home remedies that are quite effective.

Main oils that oils that nourish eyelashes are:
Olive oil
Castor oil
Sweet Almond Oil - naturally if allergic to nuts do not use almond oil
Vitamin E


Get your oils at






These oils have a detoxifying effect and will draw out impurities thus opening up the eyelash follicles and stimulating growth. Addtionally these oils will nurish the eyelash preventing breakage. Brush a small amount of onto your eyelashes before you go to sleep. Wash it off in the morning. This treatment is mild enough to be used every night.

I have also read that trimming the eyelashes will promote faster and fuller growth. If doing so, only trim the tips of the eyelashes and use the oil treatment. A typical result for growing back fuller lashes is fifteen to thirty days.

As with any new skin care product or hair product do a patch test first. Apply a little oil on the inside of your arm and leave overnight. If there is a skin reaction, do not use this home remedy.

I found this eyelash growth and fullness products at Amazon.com; some had really good reviews and reasonably priced too.

For more skin care recipes and skin care articles, visit Complete Skin Care Therapy


Author, 300+ Skin Care Recipes

Cover Up Under-Eye Circles

At some time in a woman's life we are plagued with dark under eye circles. The root cause of these circles can be attributed to a variety of reasons such as stress, lack of sleep, allergies, genetics, medications or thinning skin under the eye to name a few. However, whatever the reason, they are unsightly and adds unwanted age to your face.

Concealers are effective at hiding dark under-eye circles because they are opaque (they do not let light through). Normal make-up can not disguise under eye circles and is no match for a great concealer. Therefore, in order to select the right type of concealer, it is important to note your skin type and skin tone. Furthermore, it is important to determine what exactly you are trying to cover, i.e. bluish or purple circles, reddish discoloration, puffiness or trying to minimize wrinkles and imperfections. The answer to these questions will help you in selecting the perfect type of concealer.

Choosing the correct color for your skin tone - Select a concealer that matches your skin tone, however if you use a liquid foundation, chose a concealer that is one to two times lighter than your foundation.
Color - Generally, a yellow based concealer will downplay bluish to purple under eye circles. For those circles that are reddish in color, consider a mint or soft green. A green/mint color will neutralize redness. Finally if puffiness is a problem, a soft pink will minimize the appearance of puffiness and works for all skin tones.

Choosing the right concealer for your skin type - Oily skin should use a finely milled mineral concealer, as this will minimize oiliness. For those with delicate and thinning skin under the eye, consider an eye cream that is rich in emollients and vitamins. The vitamins will nourish the eye area and help strengthen the capillary walls so that dark circles and veins are less visible.

Dark Circles Eye Cream For dark circles under the eyes. Ginseng and Gynostemma are known to increase circulation and respiration of the skin. Vitamin K strengthens capillary walls and valves reducing chronic darkening and improving a lighter, more vibrant skin tone.







Application - If you use a liquid foundation, apply your concealer over the foundation. If using a cream or powder foundation use the concealer first followed by your powder. Application of an under eye concealer can vary from one product to the other. Some come equipped with brushes, others are in stick form and yet others in cream form. When using a concealer just apply three dots under the eye and gently blend. Apply a light layer of powder to set the concealer, however if you have dry skin skip this step.

Tip: if your concealer feels too thick or looks dry and cakey, just mix in a drop or two of your favorite eye cream. The eye cream will absorb into the skin and thin the concealer for an easier application.
While finding the right under-eye concealer may take trial and error they are indispensible if you suffer from dark under-eye circles. Concealers will brighten the eye area and give a more youthful appearance to your entire complexion.

Check out this wide variety of Under-eye concealers!

For more skin care recipes and skin care articles, visit Complete Skin Care Therapy