skin care & beauty routine, for a little spender

   One's beauty/skin care routine is very personal. Not personal in a way that it is private, but personal in a way that not many see inside of all of those products/recipes they use daily. I share make-up and diy skin care secrets with my friends, talk about what color of lipstick we are lusting over this season, and what kind of perfume is their go-to scent.. but I don't actually know any of their beauty/skin care routines and all the products being involve in that. But the thing is, I love learning what other's use in their beauty routines, which is one of the reasons why I am sharing mine here. 

   I have had a handle of people, over the past few months, ask me to share my diy beauty secrets and my make-up products. I was a little hesitant to share this post, because not all of my products are completely natural/diy and most of which are purchased from a drug store, but I decided to share this with those who are also college students/budget-grounded as I am. Much of my skin care products are items you would find right in your kitchen, which is mostly for the reason of using more natural products, but also because.. well, it's completely in my price range. Being a student means you are always on a budget, so I have been working with what is given to me. And honestly, most of it seems to work better than the brands I used when I was younger. 

Skin 

a. Coffee Beans: I use the beans that I grind in the morning for my coffee for a body scrub when I shower in the mornings. Simply take the grinds out of your french press or coffee machine and mix with some olive oil (or use my scrub recipe here). b. Raw Sugar: I am constantly making simple scrubs with sugar, nutmeg, and oils. I use these daily when I shower or on my face. c. Honey:. I mix honey in with whatever scrub I am using for the day, I also make sure to use this in my facial scrubs to make my skin extremely smooth. d.  Oats: I like to use oats for a bath soak at least a couple times a week, because they make your skin so soft and remove any itches or redness in your skin. I grind up my oats in a blender, then mix with some bath salts or tea tree oil for the soak. e. Japanese Cherry Blossom Shower Gel and Lotion: This is my favorite scent and has been for body washes for many years. I use this after I use a scrub, and I also use the lotion throughout the day. f. Coconut Oil: I use this after I shower or bathe for a moisturizer for my skin, I try to use it while I am still damp from getting out of the water.

Hair

a. Rice Vinegar: I use Vinegar to wash my hair, usually after a bit of baking soda with some warm water. I mix a couple tablespoons of vinegar with some warm water and massage it through.  b. Suave Hairspray: I like to lightly spray my hair with hairspray before I'm off for my day, I have found this to work quite well and be an extremely reasonable cost. I hardly do extravagant things with my hair, so I light spray works best for me. c. Suave Dry Shampoo: I hardly wash my hair, so I am constantly using dry shampoo to keep my hair from becoming oily and still maintain volume. d. Murray's Hair Pomade: My boyfriend and I actually share this item, because nothing works the way Murray's does! I use a small amount of this when my hair is damp, and crunch/sculpt waves with my fingers. I also use this for any styling I do with my bangs. e. Sea Salt: I have been using sea salt in my hair to create "beach waves" since I was 17, when I read an interview with Mary-Kate Olsen about how she got her beachy hair. I simply pour some sea salt into my palm, along with a drop of coconut oil, and mess my hair around with it while it's damp. f. Coconut oil: I use coconut oil for a leave in conditioner before I shower, in which I put some on the ends of my hair for about an hour before I shower. I then use it as a conditioner after I wash my hair.

Makeup

a. Almay Eye Make-up Remover: I have been using this for years, and this is by far the best make-up remover I have found. b. Sally's Lip Inflation: I have also been using this for years, and it is my favorite lip gloss. I used "Nude" and I like to add a coat over my lipstick. c. Mosh Brushes:   d. Elf Eye Shadows: I adore Elf products, not just for the price, but also because they are a quality product. I have many of these pallets and use them everyday. e. MegaVolume Wet & Wild Mascara: I have recently switched to this product, after finding it on sale at Walgreens, and it honestly works as well as any other drug store mascara.  f. Rimmel London Foundation and Powder: This brand has wonderful pricing on their powder and their foundation (which drew me to them at first, not going to lie), but I actually really have grown fond of this brand. There foundation doesn't have that "make-up" smell to it, and their powder creates a completely matte effect on the face. g. Covergirl Blush: I wear the "Rose Silk", and I have recently switched to a lighter shade from my normal darker tint.    h. NYX Matte Lip Color: NYX is one of my favorite make-up brands, and I love using matte lipsticks. The one I use is "Nude" and works as well as Mac lipsticks, in my opinion. i. Nail Color: OPI is my all time favorite brand, in which I am constantly wearing Black Onyx and A-Piers to be Tan. I also love my new Essie Cute as a Button, and I always use a matte top coat from Salon Basics. j. Catbird Tarot Deck Solid Perfume: My boyfriend gifted me this for my birthday, and I am beyond in love with this sent. I feel like it was made for me. Also, wearing a solid perfume is probably the best way to wear a scent, in my opinion.

Miscellaneous 

a. Revlon Colorsilk in Black: I have been dying my hair black for the last couple of years (my hair is naturally a medium brown), and this has been my go-to hair coloring kit for that time. b. Vitamin B-12 and C-250: Since I do not eat meat, taking a B-12 vitamin daily is no option for me. I also take a Vitamin C everyday. c. Handsanitizer, Japanese Cherry Blossom: I always carry a small bottle of this with me. d. Green Tea: This is not just for drinking, but also for soaking them in your bath and placing them over your eyes (instead of a cucumber) during a facial) e. Dove ReBalance Deodorant: I have tried my fair share of organic and making deodorant in the past, but my go-to has always been this scent/brand.