Beauty Blog

Rapunzel….Rapunzel….let down your hair!

September 13th, 2010
Those of you who come here often will no doubt have noticed that we at L’Onglex have something of a passion for home made beauty creations. You also may have noticed that we are quite partial to a challenge and when someone sets us one (we’re looking a you Yasmine) we’ll try our darndest to solve it!
Last week after sharing a rather thrifty recipe for homemade lip balm Yasmine got in touch to see if L’onglex had a recipe for a hair mask to improve hair growth and while there doesn’t seem to be  any known recipe out there to take you from Victoria Beckams pob to Rapunzel without the aid of some synthetic hair and a needle and thread there are some nourishing goodies you can apply to your hair which could boost hair follicle production over time.
One mask we found that should do the trick is the 90 minute Miracle Egg and Banana Hair mask and all that’s needed is an egg, a banana, a table spoon of honey and half a cup of flat beer…..simply mash all your ingredients in a bowl, apply to your hair and scalp. set the clock for 90 miutes and put your feet up.
While we’re almost positive you won’t wake up with instantly longer locks, feeding the hair follicle can never be a bad thing…..the banana and egg feed the hair, the honey hydrates it and the beer gives hair the volume and thickness even Chezza herself would be proud of just make sure to keep this recipe to yourself or we could end up seeing the disclaimer “styled with eggs and beer” in the hair adverts in future.

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Those of you who come here often will no doubt have noticed that we at L’Onglex have something of a passion for homemade beauty creations. You also may have noticed that we are quite partial to a challenge and when someone sets us one we’ll try our darndest to solve it!

Last week after sharing a rather thrifty recipe for homemade lip balm Yasmine got in touch to see if L’onglex had a recipe for a hair mask to improve hair growth.

While there doesn’t seem to be  any known recipe out there to take you from a Beckam pob to a Rapunzel rope without the aid of some synthetic hair and a needle there are some nourishing goodies you can apply to your hair which could boost hair follicle production.

One hair mask we found that should do the trick is the 90 minute Miracle Egg and Banana Hair mask. All that’s needed is an egg, a banana, a table spoon of honey and half a cup of flat beer…..simply mash all your ingredients in a bowl, apply to your hair and scalp, set the clock for 90 minutes and put your feet up.

While we’re almost positive you won’t wake up with instantly longer locks, feeding the hair follicle can never be a bad thing…..the banana and egg feed the hair protein, the honey hydrates it and the beer gives hair a volume even Chezza herself would be proud of.

Just make sure to keep this recipe to yourself or we could end up seeing the disclaimer “styled with eggs and beer” in hair adverts in future – this is a good one … but it doesn’t smell too sweetly.

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Posted in Hair care & styling, Mary make and do, Natural Beauty |

We love homemade lipgloss

September 6th, 2010
We love homemade lipgloss
If it’s Monday it must be Mary Make and Do ! Yup, over the weekend L’Onglex found this recipe for homemade lipgloss which even if we do say so ourselves is a bit of a keeper.
Obviously because it’s Monday and you’re probably not in the best of moods we appreciate that some of you will be muttering under your breath something along the lines of …..
“Why would I make my own when I can buy some for €4″
To which we at L’Onglex would reply ….
“Ahhh but you can’t buy the satisfaction of knowing that you made your own and you look beautiful in a thrifty kind if stylee !”
So, without further ado and having explained where we stand on the subject all you now have to do is head to the press and dig out the following ingredients ….
1 tsp. aloe vera gel
1/2 tsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. petroleum jelly
Then once you’ve asked your mum’s permission and explained to her the importance of your project ( We suggest you give her a call if she’s 65 and you’re at work ! ) you simply combine the ingredients in a plastic jar, stir really well and heat the mix in the microwave for two minutes on a medium heat.
When you hear the ding, stir the mix again and place your lipgloss in an airtight container and allow to cool thoroughly before you begin your preening and pouting.
If you’re not already convinced of the merits of the recipe we have the notion that you can add a touch of food colouring to the mix at the beginning if you need to tinge or tint the colour. Whether this will affect how long your lipgloss is good for we can’t really say but we think it might be worth the gamble because if the whole thing goes wrong you can always pop out and buy some lipgloss for the not-particularly-expensive-sum of about €4 !
More Mary Make and Do’s coming soon !

lipgloss_homemade

If it’s Monday it must be Mary Make and Do !

Yup, over the weekend L’Onglex found this recipe for homemade lipgloss which even if we do say so ourselves is a bit of a keeper.

Because it’s Monday and you are probably not in the best of moods we appreciate that some of you will be muttering under your breath something along the lines of …..

“You know something L’Onglex …. why would I make my own lipgloss when I can buy some for €4″

To which we would reply ….

“Oh reader …. you can’t buy the satisfaction of knowing that you made your own or that you look beautiful in a thrifty kind if stylee !”

So, without further ado and having explained where we stand on the subject all you now have to do is head to the press and dig out the following ingredients ….

1 tsp. aloe vera gel

1/2 tsp. coconut oil

1 tsp. petroleum jelly

Once you’ve asked your mum’s permission and explained to her the importance of your project ( We suggest you give her a call if she’s 65 and you’re at work ! ) you simply combine the ingredients in a plastic jar, stir really well and heat the mix in the microwave for two minutes on a medium heat.

When you hear the ding, stir the mix again and place your lipgloss in an airtight container and allow to cool thoroughly before you begin your preening and pouting.

If you’re not already convinced of the merits of the recipe we have the notion that you can add a touch of food colouring to the mix at the beginning if you need to tinge or tint the colour.

Whether food colouring will affect how long your lipgloss is good for we can’t really say but we think it might be worth the gamble because if the whole thing goes wrong you can always pop out and buy some lipgloss for the not-particularly-expensive-sum of about €4 !

More Mary Make and Do’s coming soon !

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Posted in Beauty treatments, DIY beauty, Lipsticks and gloss, Mary make and do, Natural Beauty |

If it’s monday it must be mary make and do …..

August 30th, 2010

hair_oil

No matter how bare the cupboards are we at L’Onglex like to think we can turn a sows ear into a silk purse.

Having spent all our monies on a variety of glamourous goodies , gimmicks and beauty gadgets all we have left in the larder are some dried herbs, a pot noodle and some olive oil.
Leaving aside the idea of eyemasks made from Barry’s teabags our Monday Mary Make and Do is a simple hot oil treatment for hair.
Quick, simple and relatively hassle free it’s a perfect budget pick me up for any of you who use Monday evenings to recharge the batteries.

Here’s what you need ….


1/2 cup of ‘nearly’ boiling water
1/2 cup of olive oil

Here’s how it’s done ….
Place the oil into a plastic container with a lid and put the kettle on.

Add the ‘nearly’ boiling water to the oil and put the lid on. Make sure the lid is 100% secure and shake the container vigorously until the oil and the water have mixed.

Allow to stand for 10 or so minutes or until the water has cooled from boiling to warm and apply to hair from root to tip. Leave the mix in hair for twenty or so minutes and then shampoo as normal.
More Mary Make and Do’s coming soon.

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Posted in DIY beauty, Hair care & styling, Mary make and do, Natural Beauty |

Make like Cleopatra …. it’s Mary Make and Do.

August 23rd, 2010
Make like Cleopatra …. it’s Mary Make and Do.
Fancy the warm sensuous decadence that only bathing like an Egyptian Queen can give you ….
Thought so ! This weeks Mary Make and Do is a homemade version of the fabulous Cleopatra milk bath and not only is it rather good fun it’s also terribly good for your skin.
Apart from the novelty of it milk has been proven to work wonders on the skin for the not very simple reason that it contains loads of alpha hydroxy acid. Whilst we won’t claim to be too up on the sciencey bit we can at least say that we know that alpha hydroxy acid hydrates, nourishes and also acts as a natural emulsifier to help with skin to help regeneration.
Here’s what you’ll need ….
2-3 cups powdered milk (dry)
1 Tbsp. dried orange peel
2 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Here’s how it’s done …..
Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a clear glass bottle add some warm water and allow the dry ingredients to soften and mix well before pouring into a warm bath half a cup at a time. Once the mix has made the water go a translucent colour simply pop on a shower-cap ( don’t get the milk too near your hair ) and sing badly until the water goes cold.
Although the bath is divine, L’Onglex recommends removal of personage before you look like an orange peel.
More Mary Make and Do’s coming soon …. probably on Monday as this rhymes !

milk_bath_recipe

Fancy the warm sensuous decadence that only bathing like an Egyptian Queen can give you …thought so !

This weeks Mary Make and Do is a homemade version of the fabulous Cleopatra milk bath and not only is it rather good fun it’s also terribly good for your skin.

Apart from the novelty factor milk has been proven to work wonders on the skin for the not very simple reason that it contains loads of alpha hydroxy acid. Whilst we won’t claim to be too up on the sciencey bit we can at least say that we know that alpha hydroxy acid hydrates, nourishes and also acts as a natural emulsifier to help with skin to help regeneration.

Here’s what you’ll need ….

2-3 cups powdered milk (dry)

1 Tbsp. dried orange peel

2 teaspoon dried lavender flowers

2 teaspoon dried rosemary

Here’s how it’s done …..

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a clear glass bottle. Then add some warm water and allow the dry ingredients to soften and mix together before for twenty minutes. Once the mix has softened run a bath and pour the mix into the bathwater half a cup at a time.

When the mix has made the water go a translucent colour simply pop on a shower-cap ( don’t get the milk too near your hair ) and sing badly until the water goes cold and everyone else is outside banging on the door.

Although the bath is divine, L’Onglex recommends removal of personage before you look like too much like the dried orange peel in the recipe.

More Mary Make and Do’s coming soon !

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Posted in DIY beauty, Mary make and do, Natural Beauty, Skincare |

Mary Make and Do – the porridge facial

August 17th, 2010
Glowing skin is something we’re all after here at L’Onglex HQ so when we came across a recipe for a face mask which promises to take the grey away we were even more surprised that the main ingredient is porridge.
Yup seems that as well as being a not so delicious but incredibly nutritious breakfast time treat the oats contain an ingredient called beta glucam which works a treat on wrinkles and restores sun damaged skin. Along with cucumber which is great for cleaning and cleansing we imagine that this does no harm either.
The ingredients for this one are quite simple but there is some chopping involved so make sure to give yourself a bit of time.
To make the mask you will need….
1/4 cup of chopped cucumber
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 cup of porridge oats
Here’s how it’s done ….
Pop the ingredients into a bowl and pulse blend with a hand blender for about a minute or until the mixture looks soft and pulpy.
Once it’s soft , apply it to your face and neck and let it work it’s magic for 20 minutes before gently rinsing with warm water.
So there you have it – soft, smooth, glowing skin can be yours in no time at all and we’ll bring you more Mary Make and Do’s next week.

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Glowing skin is something we’re all after here at L’Onglex HQ so when we came across a recipe for a face mask which promises to take the grey away we were even more surprised to discover that the main ingredient is none other than porridge.

Yup seems that as well as being a not so delicious but incredibly nutritious breakfast time treat the oats contain an ingredient called beta glucam which works a treat on wrinkles and restores sun damaged skin. Along with cucumber which is great for cleaning and cleansing this one we think is a bit of a keeper.

The ingredients for this one are quite simple but there is some chopping involved so make sure to give yourself a bit of time.

To make the mask you will need….

1/4 cup of chopped cucumber

1/4 cup of milk

1/2 cup of porridge oats

Here’s how it’s done ….

Pop the ingredients into a bowl and leave to soak for half an hour. Once the porridge oats have softened slightly pulse blend with a hand blender for about a minute or until the mixture looks soft and pulpy.

Once you’re sure there aren’t too many lumpy bits apply  the mix to your face and neck and leave to work it’s magic for 20 minutes or so before gently rinsing with warm water.

There you have it ! Soft, smooth, glowing summer skin can be yours in no time at all. We’ll bring you more Mary Make and Do’s next week.

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Posted in Beauty trends, DIY beauty, Mary make and do, Natural Beauty, Skincare |

12 cent cellulite treatment – It’s Mary Make and Do

August 9th, 2010
Morning peeps …
Those of you who frequent these pages on a regular basis will know that we in these parts are quite taken with the idea of homemade skin care recipes. In view of the fact that there’s still time for a late holiday and that for once our Irish summers are proving to be warm enough to allow a day at the beach to be pretty much geansaí free we thought that this weeks Mary Make and Do might just touch on the subject of cellulite.
Obviously the subject is a touchy one and what works for one of us might not work for the next but what is a recurring theme in every treatment we’ve ever seen is that most treatments involve us parting with significant amounts of our hard earned money.
Thinking that there must be a more frugal alternative to beating the bumps we’ve been looking for a recipe you can make at home that will do the trick but won’t cost a fortune and as luck would have it we came across this coffee body wrap that won’t cost a fortune.
You will need ….
1 pot of freshly brewed coffee
Hand lotion
Cling film
Here’s how it’s done …
Make a pot of coffee and keep the grinds
Mix the grinds with the hand lotion to make a paste
Apply the paste to the bumps and lumps
Wrap the treated areas with cling film and allow the mix to sink in for thirty minutes
Repeat twice weekly for ten weeks for best results
As we’ve only just got this we haven’t done the ten weeks and like all cellulite treatments what works for one will be lost on another. That said, it does contain quite a healthy dose of caffeine which as everyone knows is a pretty good at tightening the skin and waking up those cells so there’s no reason this won’t work. In the event you don’t see the most amazingly spectacular transformation you’ve only actually spent about 12c on the whole thing anyway !
More Mary Make and Do’s coming soon !

homemade_cellulite_treatments

Afternoon peeps …

Those of you who frequent these pages on a regular basis will know that we in these parts are quite taken with the idea of homemade skin care recipes.

In view of the fact that there’s still time for a late holiday and that for once our Irish summers are proving to be warm enough to allow a day at the beach to be pretty much geansaí free we thought that this weeks Mary Make and Do might just touch on the subject of cellulite.

Obviously the subject is a touchy one and what works for one of us might not work for the next but what is a recurring theme in every treatment we’ve ever seen is that most treatments involve us parting with significant amounts of our hard earned money.

Thinking that there must be a more frugal alternative to beating the bumps we’ve been looking for a recipe you can make at home that will do the trick but won’t cost a fortune and as luck would have it we came across this coffee body wrap that won’t cost a fortune.

You will need ….

1 pot of freshly brewed coffee

Hand lotion

Cling film

Here’s how it’s done …

Make a pot of coffee and keep the grinds

Mix the grinds with the hand lotion to make a paste

Apply the paste to the bumps and lumps

Wrap the treated areas with cling film and allow the mix to sink in for thirty minutes

Repeat twice weekly for ten weeks for best results

As we’ve only just got this we haven’t done the ten weeks and like all cellulite treatments what works for one will be lost on another. That said, it does contain quite a healthy dose of caffeine which as everyone knows is a pretty good at tightening the skin and waking up those cells so there’s no reason this won’t work.

In the event you don’t see the most amazingly spectacular transformation you’ve only actually spent about 12c on the whole thing anyway – more Mary Make and Do’s coming soon !

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Posted in Beauty treatments, Body creams, DIY beauty, Mary make and do, Natural Beauty, Skincare |

Mary Make and Do – cooling cucumber eye mask

August 3rd, 2010
Oh bank holidays….. sleeping in, time to catch up with friends and for some of us who over did the the whole thing a few too many !
Given our heads are now clear it’s our eyes that are suffering now that the cold light of Tuesday afternoon has finnally dawned we at L”onglex have been scouring the net for a recipe to revive, restore and cool down our peepers.  Enter our Mary Make and Do for a cooling cucumber eye mask.
To make it you will need….
One tablespoon of aloe vera
Two tablespoons of peeled and seeded cucumber
1/2 a teaspoon of honey
1/2 a teaspoon of cold camomile tea
To make the gel….
Pop the aloe vera, the cucumber and the honey into a blender and pulse blend on a low setting until you get a nice paste. Next add the tea and stir until smooth.Finally pop the gel into a tub and put the whole mix into the fridge for four to five hours. Once the mix is cool, reduce swelling, redness and that look that says ‘deathly pallor’ by applying under the eyes for twenty minutes.

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Oh bank holidays….. time to sleep in, time to catch up with friends and if, like us, you overdid over the long weekend – time to mend those bleary bank holiday eyes !

Given our heads are now clear and the cold light of Tuesday afternoon has finnally dawned on us we at L”onglex have been scouring the net for a recipe to revive, restore and cool down our peepers.  Enter our Mary Make and Do for a cooling cucumber eye mask.

To make it you will need….

One tablespoon of aloe vera

Two tablespoons of peeled and seeded cucumber

1/2 a teaspoon of honey

1/2 a teaspoon of cold camomile tea

Here’s how it’s done ....

Pop the aloe vera, the cucumber and the honey into a blender and pulse blend on a low setting until you get a nice paste. Next add the tea and stir until smooth.

Finally, place the mix into into a tub and put the whole thing in the fridge for four to five hours to chill. Once the mix is set, reduce swelling, redness and that vague look that screams ‘deathly pallor’ by applying under the eyes for twenty minutes. More Mary Make and Do’s coming soon.

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Posted in Anti ageing, Beauty dilemmas, Beauty treatments, Eye creams, Mary make and do, Natural Beauty |

If it’s Monday – it’s Mary Make and Do

July 26th, 2010
If it’s Monday – it’s Mary Make and Do
L’Onglex has been enjoying the sun this weekend and of course whenever the sun shines for more than four consecutive minutes we think thats plenty of time for a BBQ.
Now quite what burnt sausages and too much beer have in common with a beauty blog I cannot say, except for the small matter of our hair being really quite smelly, and really quite dry.
Anyhow, having drank and ate far too much we think it really time that we did something healthy this morning and what could be better than a homemade banana hair mask to nourish our tresses, bring some shine back and restore some balance to the whole thing.
As recipes go this ones a doddle and costs virtually nothing. All you need is …..
1 banana
1egg
3 tablespoons of honey
4 tablespoons of milk
5 table spoons of olive oil
Here’s what you do ….
Empty contents into a bowl. Mash with fingers until the mixture is soft and all the ingredients have combined to form a paste. As the banana will go off quite quickly you might want to get this one on without too much delay so apply the mixture to hair from crown working into the routes and then out toward the ends. Once the mask is applied, leave to stand for fifteen to twenty minutes before washing out with your usual shampoo. Simple.

banana_hair_mask

L’Onglex has been enjoying the sun this weekend and of course whenever the sun shines for more than four consecutive minutes we think thats plenty of time to put the BBQ on for an evening of burning everything we touch..

Quite what burnt sausages and too much beer have in common with a beauty blog I cannot say, except for the small matter of our hair being really quite smelly, and really quite dry.

Anyhow, having drank and ate far too much we think it really time that we did something healthy this morning and what could be better than a homemade banana hair mask to nourish our tresses, bring some shine back and restore some balance to the whole thing.

As recipes go this one’s a doddle and costs virtually nothing.

All you need is …..

1 banana

3 tablespoons of honey

1egg

5 table spoons of olive oil

4 tablespoons of milk

Here’s what you do ….

Empty contents into a bowl. Mash with fingers until the mixture is soft and all the ingredients have combined to form a paste. As the banana will go off quite quickly you might want to get this one on without too much delay.

Apply the mixture to hair from the crown working into the routes and then out toward the ends. Once the mask is applied, leave to stand for fifteen to twenty minutes before washing out with your usual shampoo. Simple.

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Posted in DIY beauty, Hair care & styling, Mary make and do |

Mary Make and Do for a miserable Monday

July 19th, 2010
Afternoon Peeps – It’s time for Mary Make and Do !
As it’s monday we figure it must be about time for our weekly suggestion for beauty treatments you can make from the comfort of your own kitchen. How we came by this we’re not too sure and having made it I’m not exactly convinced it was quite the recipe I needed but there you go. Not everything we do in these parts is a complete and overwhelming success.
On the downside, it does feel a bit greasy if you overdo it and there is a bit of a residue, but on the plus side, despite the formula being a bit thick, it does keep for a while. If your hands really are bone dry this mixture will work quite well for overnight repairs and intensive conditioning. So without any further ado, here is our Mary Make and Do for Beeswax Coconut Moisturizing Hand Cream ….
You will need -
4 Tbsp. Beeswax
2 Tbsp. Avocado butter
8 Tbsp. Coconut oil
Directions:
Melt together wax and butter. Add oil. Mix completely until smooth. Pour into jar and leave the mix to harden at room temperature. Once the mix is set ( about four hours ), take a couple of dabs and apply to hands.
Eh Voila !

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As it’s monday we figure it must be about time for our weekly suggestion for beauty treatments you can make from the comfort of your own kitchen.

How we came by this particular recipe we’re not too sure and having made it I’m not exactly convinced it was quite the thing my hands needed but there you go. Not everything we do in these parts is a complete and overwhelming success !

On the downside, it does feel a bit greasy if you overdo it and there is a bit of a residue, but on the plus side, despite the formula being a bit thick, it does keep for a while. If your hands really are bone dry this mixture will work quite well for overnight repairs and intensive conditioning. So without any further ado, here is our Mary Make and Do for Beeswax Coconut Moisturizing Hand Cream ….

You will need –

4 Tablespoons of  Beeswax

2 Tablespoons of Avocado butter

8 Tablespoons of Coconut oil

Directions:

Melt together wax and butter. Add oil. Mix completely until smooth. Pour into jar and leave the mix to harden at room temperature. Once the mix is set ( about four hours ), take a couple of dabs and apply to hands.

Eh Voila !

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Posted in DIY beauty, Mary make and do, Natural Beauty, Skincare |

Mary Make and Do – Strawberry and Almond Scrub

July 12th, 2010
Mary Make and Do – Strawberry and Almond Scrub
It’s Monday peeps and by that reckoning we make it about the right time for another installment of Mary Make and Do !
We’ve been saving this particular recipe for a suitable occasion and we think that since it’s so sticky by the time the day is done we could be long overdue the indulgence of a Strawberry and Almond Face Scrub.
Essentially this works best on oily skin but if you spent the weekend in the mudfest that was Oxegen or you’ve been stuck in a hot office all day this could be the one for you.
To make your Mary Make and Do you will need …
• 5 strawberries, washed and with the tops off
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons yogurt
• 1/4 cup of ground almonds
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions:
Puree the strawberries in a small food processor. Once the strawberries have reached a nice pink mush stir in the the other ingredients slowly and blend the mix until creamy. Store in a covered jar for no longer than three days.
Once you’ve got the mix simply wet your face with water and scrub in a gentle circular motion. Avoid the eyes and once you’ve scrubbed rinse off the scrub with warm water followed by a cold rinse to seal the skin. More Mary Make and Do’s coming soon !

strawberry_facemask

It’s Monday peeps and by that reckoning we make it about the right time for another installment of Mary Make and Do !

We’ve been saving this particular recipe for a suitable occasion and we think that since it’s so sticky by the time the day is done we could be long overdue the indulgence of a Strawberry and Almond Face Scrub.

Essentially this works best on oily skin but if you spent the weekend in the mudfest that was Oxegen or you’ve been stuck in a hot office all day this could be the one for you.

To make your Mary Make and Do you will need …

• 5 strawberries, washed and with the tops off

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 3 tablespoons yogurt

• 1/4 cup of ground almonds

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

Puree the strawberries in a small food processor. Once the strawberries have reached a nice pink mush stir in the the other ingredients slowly and blend the mix until creamy. Store in a covered jar for no longer than three days.

Once you’ve got the mix simply wet your face with water and scrub in a gentle circular motion. Avoid the eyes and once you’ve scrubbed rinse off the scrub with warm water followed by a cold rinse to seal the skin.

More Mary Make and Do’s coming soon !

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Posted in DIY beauty, Mary make and do, Natural Beauty, Skincare |


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