BellaSugar

Get Glowing With This Easy Homemade Scrub

BellaSugar — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:05:17 PST

You don't need expensive creams, scrubs, or lotions to get skin that glows. The key is to exfoliate to help slough away dead skin cells. Luckily, it's easy to make a body scrub at home with ingredients you likely already have sitting in your kitchen. Check out our latest video to see how to make it, and get softened skin in an instant.

A 2-Ingredient Cranberry Mask That Smooths and Brightens

OnSugar Blog — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 03:05:00 PST

Check out this simple, smart, and seasonally appropriate cranberry facial recipe from OnSugar blog Beautiful Basics:

Cranberries are not only healthy, tasty, and a Thanksgiving staple, they are also full of skin-beneficial ingredients. If you want a really great (and easy to make) skin treatment, just follow these super simple instructions.

What you need:

Half a cup of fresh cranberries
Half a cup of warm water

Puree the cranberries in a blender and strain. You need the liquid from the berries, not the chunks of fruit. Combine the water and cranberry juice and soak a washcloth or some cotton pads in the mixture. Apply the saturated cloth or cotton to your face (avoiding the delicate eye area). Sit back and relax for about 15 minutes before rinsing with warm water. This will make your skin a little brighter and smoother, plus it’s an excuse to lay back and do nothing for a small chunk of time. Enjoy!

Like what you see? Start following Beautiful Basics. Or be a maverick and start your own awesome OnSugar blog. Your stories might end up featured on BellaSugar, too!

Make Your Own Pumpkin Body Moisturizer

OnSugar Blog — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 06:02:57 PDT

Here's a fun seasonal recipe by OnSugar blogger Beauty Basics. Enjoy!

Since we’ve talked about how skin can get dry and flaky when the seasons change from warm to frigid, I figured we should talk DIY pumpkin moisturizing body treatment. In addition to being delicious when baked in a pie, pumpkin is really beneficial for your skin! It’s got tons of enzymes and antioxidants that nourish skin and help get rid of dead skin cells. To find out how to make this moisturizer at home, just keep reading.

How to Make Your Own Natural Hair-Lightening Spray

Miriam Lacey — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:43:49 PDT

Gradual hair-lightening sprays like John Frieda Go Blonder and Sun-In are great because they give you natural-looking color and highlights without the damage or unpredictable results of bleach. But if you'd prefer a natural version of the product, they're also incredibly cheap and easy to make, and you probably already have all the ingredients. So if you're ready to get the sun-kissed look for (almost) free, just keep reading.

5 Beauty Recipes From the 1700s That Really Work (and 3 That Really Don't)

Miriam Lacey — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:45:40 PDT

Eighteenth-century French women had a wealth of at-home beauty treatments, and luckily many of them survive in the Toilet au Flora, a book of recipes compiled by French naturalist Pierre-Joseph Buc'hoz. Some of the treatments are still great DIYs, and some are absolutely horrifying. Here are five simple, effective recipes you should try, plus three treatments from the book you definitely shouldn't.

Michelle Phan's DIY Skin Care: Smoothie Mask

Michelle Phan — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:50:14 PDT

We're excited to announce our new partnership with YouTube star and all-around beauty guru Michelle Phan! Every other week we'll be bringing you the best advice and prettiest how-tos from her website, MichellePhan.com. We're kicking things off with this sweet recipe for a complexion-boosting smoothie mask:

Hi everyone,

Whenever I'm traveling, I try to pick up new beauty tips and tricks from the unique places I visit. For example, I learned about today's DIY skin care recipe while visiting Thailand! I love how easy this smoothie mask is to make and the way it naturally brightens your skin's complexion.

Michelle Phan's DIY avocado tea mask recipe

Just keep reading to see how Michelle makes her smoothie mask.

A DIY Foot Scrub That's Quick, Easy, and Affordable

OnSugar Blog — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:05:00 PDT

Here's a quick and easy DIY foot scrub post from OnSugar blog Beautiful Basics.

When my feet are feeling more like alligator skin than feet, I whip up a batch of my favorite foot scrub ever! It helps my feet look and feel their best. All you need is:

Olive Oil
Brown Sugar
Sea Salt

I don't have specific measurements for you because I just make it by feel. You'll know what I'm talking about when you make up your own. You don't want it to be too thick, or too runny. You also want more brown sugar than sea salt. Rub onto your damp feet and massage for as long as you'd like. It feels lovely, albeit a bit tickly for those with sensitive feet, like myself. When you rinse, you'll have the smoothest feet you have ever had. I guarantee it!

Have a few beauty tips to share with us? Why not start an OnSugar blog of your own? You could be featured right here on Bella, too.

2 Scents (and 1 Massage Technique) Your Guy Will Love

Jaime Richards — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 03:15:00 PST

Back in the day I worked in a salon, and I noticed a few techniques, services, and scents the guys seemed to gravitate toward. Stacey Parks, the spa director of Spa Claremont in Berkeley, CA, confirmed what I believed to be true. Generally speaking, when it comes to spa treatments, whether it be at home or at the spa, guys tend to like everything with a little extra spice. So to add some excitement to your man's Valentine's Day, just keep reading.

DIY Valentine's Spa Treatment: A Quick, Easy Cocoa Soak

Jaime Richards — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 04:45:00 PST

With Valentine's Day just about a week away, you might be looking for a few ideas for creating a relaxing spa-like atmosphere at home for you and your significant other. Many spas, like the posh Spa Claremont at The Claremont Hotel Club and Spa in Berkeley, CA (where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stayed when they visited the East Bay last August), offer up some amazing couple's packages. Their Duet Suite Service ($250 per person), for instance, includes 90 minutes of pampering, decadent treats, and a panoramic view of the San Francisco Bay. While a trip to the spa (or the SF area) might not be in your future, Claremont's spa director Stacey Parks has a few DIY ideas for making lover's holiday all the more sensual. To see her tips, just keep reading.

A Totally Unsexy but Very Comforting Thing We Love

Annie Tomlin — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:00:13 PST

OK, so this is really not the sexiest item we've found lately, but hear me out. Sometimes, function is more important than fashion, and though CVS's neck heat pack ($8-$13) won't win any design awards, it is a nice little sybaritic goody to have at home. The sturdy vinyl pack is filled with a nontoxic liquid and a small metal disc; bend the disc back and forth, and the liquid turns into a warm crystalline gel. It stays heated for about 45 minutes before hardening, at which point it can be dropped into boiling water for about 10 minutes. Then, it's ready to be used again and again. Placing the heat pack on tired shoulders is relaxing, and you can always rest it on your abdomen the next time you're ready to claw someone's eyes out due to cramps. Like I said, it isn't all razzle-dazzle, but it feels so good.