DIY Beauty

From the amazing soundtrack to the designer costumes, there's plenty of Jazz Age inspiration from The Great Gatsby, and I turned to the art deco style of the period for this striking nail design. This look is surprisingly easy to DIY; all you need are scissors, tape, and black and gold polish.

First, I applied two coats of Nails Inc. Black Taxi ($10) over my base coat. Once my nails were dry, I started cutting pieces of tape into small triangles to form the angular design. (You can see how the technique works from this starburst nail art tutorial.) I placed the cut pieces of tape onto the parts of my nail that I wanted to stay black, using three pieces of tape per nail to create four gold points shooting out from the base of my nail. Once the tape was laid down, I went over my nails with the gold-toned Deborah Lippmann Nefertiti ($19). I made sure to rip the tape off right after, or else you won't get crisp lines as the polish dries. Next, I added a little flapper flair with the glittering Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow ($20) on top of the gold polish. Seal everything in with your favorite top coat, throw on a sparkling headband, and you're ready to hit a Gatsby party.

Overstuffed purses or just plain clumsy moments can lead to pulverized powders and chopped ChapSticks. But you can still squeeze more months out of your favorite product with a bit of craftiness. Plus, you can even use these mishaps to your advantage to create a completely customized palette. Learn how to bring broken cosmetics back to life when you read more.

Like it or not, bikini season is around the corner, and that can mean red bumps around the bikini line after waxing or shaving. Before you head to the store for relief, take a look inside your medicine cabinets and pantries. We've gathered together some of the more unconventional remedies that can be applied post-hair removal. Find out these DIY treatments after the jump.

This weekend is sure to include tequila-induced debauchery as Cinco de Mayo descends once again. But don't let all your extra cocktail party ingredients go to waste. After you're done gorging on guacamole and guzzling margaritas, use your leftovers to make these DIY beauty recipes. Become a morning-after mixologist and pull a Houdini on that hangover. Find out some of the skin care perks to your common cocktail sips and snacks when you read more.

With all the new makeup launches, it's pretty clear that turquoise nail polish is the must-have shade for Spring and Summer. Not only does this blue-green color pop against springtime pastels, but also, it looks even cooler set against a golden sparkle.

For this mermaid-inspired look, I used the teal-hued Paul & Joe Nail Enamel in Caribbean ($14), along with the gold-glittered Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow ($20). Start off with a base coat like Butter London Nail Foundation ($19), and then swipe on two coats of the turquoise polish. Next, dab the gold glitter polish on the base of the nail to create a gradient effect. Once you have your desired look, seal everything with a top coat like Essie Good to Go ($10) for fast-drying shine. Even if you're not soaking up some sun at the beach, one glance at your nails will take you there.

For even more nail art and polish trends, be sure to check out our ultimate nail guide!

Gone are the days when splotchy white zit cream was the cure-all for the pimple blues. Gone also is the notion that you have to sacrifice using natural ingredients for chemicals in order to get the acne-zapping job done. In Sophie Uliano's book Do It Gorgeously, the eco expert has lots to say about how we can go DIY with natural ingredients. Her soothing acne gel recipe is perfect for calming inflammation and preventing breakouts. It includes marigolds (which contain natural acne-blasting salicylic acid), bacteria-fighting tea tree oil, and just a dash of vodka. Get the instructions when you read more.

Earth Month is the perfect time to experiment with eco-friendly beauty recipes, like this three-ingredient, skin-softening lip scrub from founder of LaLicious, Jessica Kernochan. "Honey is a natural skin softener and sugar is used to exfoliate," she explains. Kernochan also likes to add a little coconut oil for added nourishment. The details below:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon honey
A dab of coconut oil

Directions:
Apply the mixture to your lips with your fingers and scrub them gently in small circular motions. Rinse the scrub off with warm water, pat dry, and apply your favorite balm.

Want to get in on more Earth Month action? Proceeds from the LaLicious Sugar Reef Collection will give back to Save Our Shores, which protects and preserves the marine life of Monterey Bay in California.