What's in my makeup case

Whether it is a case or a bag, everyone has some storage space for their makeup. I wanted a makeup case for so long just because they have always fascinated me and I wanted to have a piece that well organised. I did get one as a birthday present, however, the organised part never really came.

You may assume that being a female human being, I have a large amount of makeup, right? As seen from the evidence attached, most of the space in here is taken by random bits and a lot of hair clips I rarely use ~ there is not much hairdos you can do with my hair, what is the point?

The second level of my makeup case stores slightly more items. The eyelashes are actually from three years ago. Out of fifteen times they can be used, I only used them once then stored them for eternity. The eyeshadow palette and the lipstick are from Müller makeup kit and were given to me by a friend ~ never used those either. Lastly, there are a bunch of animal shaped bracelets ideal to cut of your circulation, and a pretty letter A.

As the most significant part of my makeup case is its bottom. Here, I store my hair lotion which I do not think it works. Also, a couple of cotton pads and some shoe laces that untie on their own. Essentials, no?

What do you keep in your makeup case? Are your organization skills Tumblr worthy?
If you would like to share your makeup storage photos with me, tag me on Instagram at andrea_benzo.

PANTENE nature fusion 2 minutes Strengthening Masque

Struggling with your hair? Welcome to the club! Wouldn't life be better if you could just roll out of bed and look presentable not having to stress so much about the mane on your head?

I was never the person to really worry about styling my hair. It always was pin straight and I found that good enough. It became stressful once I realised how rare it got and how bad that looked. After cutting it short, I started nurturing it with vitamins, minerals and all those goodies ~ inside and out ~ mainly focusing on natural homemade remedies. There is, however, a product I recently bought and really fell in love it. So let's talk about it!

PANTENE 2 minutes strengthening masque is a moisturising, repairing hair mask. It contains panthenol which is a B5 vitamin able to thicken your hair strand up to 10% and keep moisture inside it. I only got this mask because it was on a really good sale, not knowing anything about it ~ so it is quite surprising how much I love it! 

It is very easy to use. Apply it after shampooing your hair, hold for 2 minutes, then rinse it out with lukewarm water. 

The scent is very mild, not overpowering so no worries for those with sensitive nostrils! Also, it leaves your hair feeling soft and smooth and easy to brush through.

I did come across some negative points. The lid is shut quite tight ~ as it should be, we do not want any spillage, do we? Though it is unnecessary hard to open. I already scratched my finger and honestly it is just a call for a broken nail. Another thing is it takes slightly longer to rinse out. At first it feels smooth like a conditioner on your hair but after a while of rinsing out, the feeling is as if you just wash your hair with a shampoo.

All in all, I do recommend this product. It might not be right for everyone but you will not know until you try it. I like how it prevents me from breaking half of my hair while combing through it.

Do you have any recommendations for regrowing the hair for me to try? Leave them in the comments.

Thank you & have a lovely day!

5 ways to keep your skin healthy

Growing up most of us struggle with keeping our skin healthy at some point. Having inflamed acne, scars, bumps, dry patches or any blemishes is never pleasant. Even though certain things, such as our hormones, can not be influenced without paying a visit to a doctor, there are still so much you can do to prevent your skin from giving you headaches.

Here are some tips I use myself:

1. Water
Drinking lots of water keeps your body hydrated and your skin moisturised. There are a lot of moisturisers out there for you to use but they alone will not help you much. Think of it like this: a plant needs water ~ it gets water through the roots ~ if you only wet the leaves they will become old and wrinkly, like your skin. Your inside is your root so drink plenty of water to stop your skin from drying out.



2. Aggressive cleansing
I see a lot of people use scrubs or those rotating devices to take the dead skin off. I, personally, do find exfoliation important. However, using such aggressive methods can be damaging to your skin rather than helpful. Instead, opt for a gentle scrub or make your own using sugar as it is a natural source of glycolic acid which moisturises the skin and protects it from toxins.

3. NO hands
Honestly, this is what I struggle with the most. Picking at your skin is a huge no-no! Not only can you cause scabs and long lasting scars, your hands carry a whole lot of bacteria that can get into pores or blood through one of the open wounds and can cause a major infection. If you feel like you have some dead skin bits use a gentle scrub to get them off.



4. Morning routine
This is a process of a bit of a morning pampering everyone should do. With the hectic lifestyles our skin needs every bit of help so it is very important to prepare it for the day. The most important products to include into your morning routine are body lotion, suncream, face moisturiser and eye cream. Whether it is winter or summer UV rays are present and should be prevented from infecting your skin. Also, you should start using eye cream if you are not, as the area around eyes is very thin and develops wrinkles early in life.

5. Junk food
Choosing a healthy lifestyle does not only reflect on your weight but also on your mental health AND your skin. If you noticed your skin acting up, check how much sweet, oily and processed food you eat because that might be the cause of it. I know it is so easy to go and buy a burger with french fries when you manage to find a break in your schedule. Though, it really is not that hard to replace the food you like with a healthy version you can make at home and bring with you.Why would you consume junk food if you do not want junk on your face?



Hopefully you find these tips useful. They are pretty common though there probably is someone who is just learning all the beauty hacks and is figuring out the effects of things. If I was in a position where my skin is not at its best, these are the ones I would appreciate to know of. To you, all the best luck with improving your skin and thanks for stopping by! If you know of any other proven tips leave them in the comments and I shall try them out! =)

Baking ingredients beauty benefits

It is close to Christmas time and preparations are already under way. Excitement is starting to show and if you are anything like me, you are already imagining your perfect Christmas holidays. What is your favourite part of it all? I am most excited about all the baking that will soon take place and all the aromas of spices that will consume my kitchen air space. But did you know, many of the baking ingredients can be used for beauty purposes as some are very beneficial.

• Cinnamon
Adding a tablespoon of cinnamon a day to your food will help you get rid of toxins as it provides the body with fiber, thus leading to your skin not being clogged and your skin tone improved. It has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, antiseptic and anti parasitic properties which help with skin conditions such as acne, different skin infections, eczema or to soothe and soften the dry skin. It is also a good exfoliant and can be used as a hair mask to stimulate the scalp and provide nourishment to hair follicles. Some use it for plumping their skin (mainly lips) as it stimulates blood vessels and brings blood and oxygen to the surface. However, use Ceylon, not Cassia cinnamon as Cassia has high percentage of coumarin which can cause allergic reactions so before anything you should do a patch test just to be safe.

Cinnamon

• Ginger
Rich with antioxidants, ginger helps with getting rid of toxins and stimulates the circulation delivering more nutrients to the skin. As cinnamon, it also helps with acne by killing the bacteria responsible for creating acne and can also reduce the visibility of white scars by rubbing it directly on the scarred area. Ginger can help with hair growth by increasing the scalp circulation and stimulating the hair follicles. Also it is rich with vitamin, zinc and phosphorus making it good to use if you have dry hair or suffer from hair loss and split ends and it's antiseptic properties help fight dandruff.

Ginger

• Coffee
Caffeine is good for reducing eye puffiness by constricting the blood vessels under the skin sufrace. It's antioxidants eliminate free radicals that cause ageing of the skin which is why it is popular ingredient of anti-ageing creams. Also adding ground coffee to a homemade body scrub helps reducing the visibility of cellulite by extracting water from fatty cells and thus tightening the skin. Caffeine is also beneficial for hair growth. It penetrates into the roots and stimulates them while preventing hair loss and increasing hair growth and it's life cycle.

Ground coffee

• Cocoa
Cocoa is rich with antioxidants and fatty acids so it moisturises the skin and promotes collagen production. Cocoa powder contains lots of minerals such as calcium, potassium and zinc. Cocoa butter has many purposes and can even be used with your shaving lotion to prevent any irritation. It has healing properties so you can use it for any scars or even stretch marks or if you are struggling with chapped lips which is why it is an ingredient of many lotions, moisturizers and lip balms.

KRAŠ cocoa powder

• Sugar
If you are living healthy lifestyle, the possibilities are sugar is something you steer clear from. But did you know that sugar is a source of glycol acid which is commonly used in skincare products for it's capability of penetrating into skin? It reduces wrinkles, acne scarring and hyperpigmentation and exfoliates upper layer of skin. Also sugar scrubs are more hydrating than salt scrubs which can strip skin of its natural oils. Use brown sugar scrub for the face and sensitive skin since it is softer than granulated one.

Sugar

Hope this was somewhat informative to you. Are you familiar with using any of these products in your beauty regime? Or will you give it a go after reading this?
Thank you for reading if you came this far and hope you have a nice rest of the day!

My facial skin care update

Skin care is very important to me. It is one of the things I feel I know quite a lot about. I am always researching what is good for the skin, what I should not be doing or how to improve some imperfections. And I have always concentrated more on improving my flaws rather than hiding them with makeup. So if you wish to know what products I use, stick around because you are about to find out.

Before you begin treating your skin, it would be good to know the type you have. I, personally, self diagnosed myself with a dry skin judging by the fact that every time I wash my face it feels extremely tight as if I have a peel-off mask on my face and I have to put on a moisturiser. If you have oily skin, you will notice an excessive amount of oil in your T-zone that will also be quite shiny most of the time. Mixed type ~ well, bless you, you will not have these problems.

Afrodita Clean Phase Cleansing Gel

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Products that I currently use are actually mostly random ones I found or took from my mom. But hey, they seem to work. On a good morning I like to give my face a good cleanse. After I wash my face with a warm water, I apply, on still wet skin, a CLEAN PHASE cleansing gel by AFRODITA COSMETICS to get rid of any dirt. Just for an extra clean skin I use GARNIER Micellar Cleansing Water that I leave on. I also found the GARNIER Ultra Lift cream that comes in a tub for the skin under your eyes that should reduce wrinkles ~ we will see about that! Finally, because my skin is dry I often use Melem, which I know is very healthy for skin, and I apply it all over my face. I can say from experience that it's benefits are astonishing.

Garnier Ultra Lift eye cream

Melem

Recently, I faced quite a bad breakout which is unusual for me since I never (other than that one time) had more than a couple of pimples on my face. It was most of the time pretty clean and acne free and now I do not have any scars or dips left. Hashtag panic when strange things start to show up! My guess is that the pimples were showing up because of the hormonal imbalance, though I can not be sure because I am not about to have my blood checked just for acne. No thanks. However, I noticed that often the black spots around my nose get inflamed and create really painful pimples. So to keep that under control I use a paste made with lemon juice and baking soda and so far it seems to somewhat clean out my black spots.

Ingredients for black heads paste

Of course, dealing with acne is stressful and it is understandable that you will not feel the best about yourself. As with anything, it is a case of trial and error and you have to find out what works best for you. Some products with great reviews may do absolutely nothing to improve your skin and some you find accidentally may work wonders. Basically, be sure of what you are looking for, whether it is a moisturiser or an exfoliator or something to reduce an excess oil. 

Schwarzkopf Omega Repair | Instant Repair Serum & BB Beauty Balm Review

Schwarzkopf product review

Some time ago I received a really nice birthday present from one of my best friends. It was the Schwarzkopf hair repair serum and balm for damaged hair. What a way to subtly say there is a bird nest on my head ~ not that I have enough for half of the nest xP.

OMEGA REPAIR Instant Repair Serum & Beauty Balm contain ULTIME-4-complex of pearl extract, panthenol, refined protein and keratin. Side info: panthenol is a B5 vitamin suitable to use on fine hair. It has the ability to go into your hair shaft and the root of your hair improving its elasticity, moisture retention and flexibility helping your hair strand thicken up to 10%. Also it promotes hair growth.

Schwarzkopf | Instant Repair Serum & BB Beauty Balm

The best result you get with this serum and balm is the silky, soft touch to your hair. Depending on your hair type you can struggle with it being knotty and dry after washing it. If that is the case I would definitely recommend using this as it is a quick solution to getting the hair you want without going though hours of using hair masks and oils.
However, I do have to say that I am not the biggest fan of the scent. I never did like the sweet fragrances so this does not surprise me. Nor does it bother me. When looking for products I focus on the benefits not  the scent.

Schwarzkopf | Instant Repair Serum

Schwarzkopf | BB Beauty Balm

Both products are very easy to use. You can either apply them on wet or dry hair, then leave them to do their magic. I usually use them when I do not feel like using my normal hair masks because even if I only wash my hair with a regular shampoo I can still have silky, shiny hair. Being obsessive over my hair condition, it is very important to me to have easy to comb and soft hair so I can prevent ripping it off as much as I can. Every strand is important in my case!

Hopefully you decide to give this products a try because they really are incredible. As I said, if you are struggling with your hair, these could come in handy. After all, it is all about trial and error and finding out what works best for you. 

If you have any tips on regrowing the hair, please share them with me, God knows I need help!
Thank you for reading!

Hair care routine | Homemade shampoo

Homemade shampoo ingredients

I have been using homemade beauty/hair products for quite a while now. Some may not, but I do believe in healing properties of natural ingredients.

For about a year now, I have been subscribed to the BeautyKLove You Tube channel and would recommend it to anyone struggling with their hair. My favourite products I found out about are coconut milk hair mask and, just recently, a homemade shampoo.

What you need:
- 50 ml of water
- 1/4 of a teaspoon of baking soda
- half of a lemon
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel

• Based on how much hair you have, double the ingredients. Have in mind that I have little to no hair.

What you do:
Mix the baking soda with water. Add the lemon juice ~ it will fizz up quite a lot. Once you have done that, add honey and aloe vera gel. I usually skip the aloe vera gel since my plant is itty bitty tiny one still with only a few dark, thick leaves. Don't worry, it works the same! Lastly, blend the ingredients together and place it in a container of your choosing. When washing your hair, concentrate on getting the shampoo onto your scalp to cleanse it and get rid of any product build up.

Homemade shampoo step 1

Homemade shampoo step 2

Homemade shampoo step 3

Firstly, I have to say I was honestly surprised by the results I got. One major thing I noticed was the way my hair felt right after washing. Usually when I wash my hair only with a regular shampoo it gets knotty while wet. It is impossible to even finger-comb it without breaking half of it. However, when using this particular shampoo, my hair is a lot easier to handle…and it flips really nice! xP

Homemade shampoo final product

• Benefits of ingredients
- baking soda helps cleansing any product build up on your scalp
- aloe vera has amino acids and proteins important for hair growth and can help cure different scalp conditions such as dandruff and itchiness ~ it also helps strengthen your hair
- lemon gets rid of any excess oil on your hair
- honey has antibacterial properties, it moisturises your hair and can help with dandruff

If you try this recipe, please let me know what you think. I know for some this may not work as many products do not work for me. Hope you have a lovely day and thank you for reading! =)

Garnier Skin Naturals BB Cream Review

          For the longest time I lived convinced that using foundation will clog my pores resulting in having bad skin later in life. Terrified, I refused to ever put foundation on my face, (cheers mom), and seeing my sister struggle with her skin made me feel like I'm doing the right thing. So to say, I turned to facial cleansing very early on in my life.

          I never really had any trouble with my skin, other than a few red tomatoes on my forehead. I felt kind of lucky in that way…up until the point I realised just how bad my skin tone is. I would see reflections of myself randomly and would mainly notice big dark circles under my eyes! Not to mention that I am usually very pale after winter. Understandably, I set my mind on finding a foundation substitute that would give me the same results without damaging my skin.

          Garnier BB Cream is all-in-one skin perfector, otherwise known as pigmented cream, that I have been using for quite some time now. It is rich with vitamin C and mineral pigments and has SPF 15 - UV protection. I got it in the light shade as I am still pale. I did try other brands but none matched my skin tone. Also I got it as a special edition that came with micellar water my mother wanted so we saved a bit of money there (what a bargain!).

          I am quite happy with the coverage this cream provides. It is not too rich with pigment which makes it perfect if you'd like to layer it. I normally put on one layer on the rest of my face and up to tree layers under my eyes. Knowing at the same time it hydrates your skin is very satisfying, confidence boosting. It is very light on my face and as a bonus it smells incredible.

          If you are considering a lighter option of foundation I definitely recommend getting a BB cream. Of course spend some time trying out different brands and shades as not every light or medium shade is the same with different brands.

          In case you liked this review leave a comment whether you wish for me to do more. Also if you have any tips for me I am more than happy to read them in the comments.

          Thank you for reading, hope you have a nice day!

Coconut Milk Oil Hair Mask

          If you are facing unwanted changes with your hair, you definitely will want to put an end to it! If you feel like your hair may be damaged and it does not look like it use too, try to look for a source that causes the damage.Such as hair dying, using heat to style it, aggressive combing, poor diet…

          I always had really fine, soft and shiny hair. Then puberty came…and took the life of it.I admit it could be because of the hormones that go crazy during this period, but that is over now and it is time to try and get the hair back.My main worry is the thinning of my hair and it is what I focus on mainly. I do not have any scalp issues such as Alopecia or Dandruff, other than it being itchy. I also did a blood test and the test of thyroid hormones that came out close to perfect. So, my guess is it being because of the poor care I had for my hair and my body.

          Coconut Milk Oil Hair Mask is what I have been using for the past tree months. What is beneficial in it is that it is rich in vitamins C,E,B1,B3,B5 & B6 as well as iron, selenium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.Also it contains anti fungal, anti-viral and antibacterial properties.One of the characteristics of coconut oil is its capability to enter into the hair follicles, nurturing it deeply. It adds shine and smoothness to your hair, prevents split ends…thus contributing to the hair growth.

          Easy way of getting coconut milk is go to the store and buy it in a can. It is a bit pricey but you do get quite a lot of it. Since it can last tree days when opened I froze it using the container for ice cubes. I noticed that the taste is very much different than out of coconut fruit. There is a significant lack of flavour and is not as oily, which is what you would want. However, it does have the effect I need. I reduces the itching in my scalp I would say for 95 %.=

          For those with a strong mind and hands, buy a coconut fruit. Its milk is much more rich in flavour  and oils meaning it will nurture you scalp and hair better. Out of it you can also extract pure oil heating it up in a pan but personally I do not think that is necessary. The downside is that you need a lot of grated coconut to get the needed amount of milk. Coconut fruit is not that expensive but it is quite hard to extract the milk because you have to use your hands to squeeze it out of its meat. And if you can get already grated coconut that would be better.

          After you go trough the trouble of getting the milk, the easy part comes. Firstly, untangle your hair the best you can. Use your fingers, or a cotton ball if you do not want to get messy, and start applying the milk straight to your scalp. This is what you want to focus on. If there is some left apply it to the rest of the hair but do not overdo it so it is dripping. You can massage your scalp for up to tree minutes…I like to think this helps the milk to get into the follicles better. Put a plastic bag or a shower cap around your hair since you do not want it dripping everywhere. It is optional how long you keep it in your hair. I usually leave it overnight and wash my hair in the morning. For washing use whichever shampoo you like the best but do not forget to apply the conditioner on your tips too.

          And this is it! Hope you enjoyed reading and you find it useful! If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment. Thank you for reading!

Mini series: Hairy situations

Very recently I started using home made hair masks. Untill now I honestly could not care about all the other products except for the shampoo. However, since I started using a conditioner I started also liking the idea of getting my hair in better shape much more. I would not say it is damaged by any other cause other than me not really paying any attention to it. So now it is hair time!

The mask I last used was a protein mask. I mixed one whole egg, two spoons of yogurt, two spoons of honey and one spoon of oil. You can use any oil you like, I recommend using coconut oil, castor oil, olive oil sesame or almond oil. The point behind egg and yogurt is that they are rich with proteins which are always good. You can use only one or the other, because it is a lot of protein. You may know that honey is a great face mask and it is also great for your hair. It has an antibacterial effect great for if you have any problems with your scalp or infections.

Afterwards, wash your hair using your regular shampoo and conditioner and try to leave it to air dry. When it is mostly dry comb it with a wide-tooth comb to get those knots out.

Mini series: Thanks for the tip

If your nails are the annoying yellow colour there is a solution for it. Again, being a lover of natural, home made remedies, I introduce you to the lemon juice miracle worker!

If you want to get your nails to be that pearly white colour and make everyone else envy you then keep reading. Take one lemon and squeeze it's juice into a more wide and shallow container. Then, stick your fingers inside the lemon juice and keep it that way for about five minutes. I do not guarantee your nails will be white after the first time since I did not try this myself yet. Make sure you have enough juice to cover your nails and please do NOT try this if you have any wounds on your fingers!

P.S. "Smell nice"bonus tip: If you are out of your favourite fragrance take an orange peel and spray some of it's fluid onto your neck. Impressive scent guarantied!

Mini series: Hairy situations

There are many stories on the Internet on how to repair damaged hair. Whether it was damaged with chemicals and heat or just by not giving it much of your attention, it is a fact you need to start somewhere to make a recovery.

I always thought I had an amazing hair. It was the only thing I was proud of since I have always been chubby. Now the tables have turned. I am proud of my body but my hair, it seems, has lost it's shine. It still is healthy but as it would grow I noticed that it's completely see trough which irritated me. That is when I decided that it's time to start my recovery. And the first step was to cut almost half of it an leave only the healthy part.

I can not express how important it is to continuously trim your hair. That way you ensure constant growth. With time you can get split ends. It may not bother you at first but what when they reach half of your hair? You will not be able to get rid of them only with a trim. Just like that, you have lost most of the hair.

Recently I did a blood test and the results came out perfect. My iron is really high as everything else so my only guess is that I did not take good care of it. It took me a long time to be ok with the idea of having short hair but this is only the beginning. I only hope with time and often trims it will get a bit thicker because I do want it longer.