Last Friday kicked off the Do It Yourself at home spa recipes for facials and masks. Here’s a scrub to try this weeked:

This sea salt body rub cleanses and polishes skin. The high mineral content nourishes the body, leaving it toned, tightened, refreshed and luminous.

Sea Salt Scrub

• 2 cups unbleached sea salt
• 2 tablespoons dried, chopped orange peel
• 3 drops essential oil of ginger
• 2 drops essential oil of cedarwood

Mix ingredients together. During bath or shower, gently rub sea salts over the skin. Massage with a loofah or soft sisal or fabric buffer. After bathing apply a light natural body moisturizer.

Next Friday: Lotions

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Tags: scrubs, spa

If you are like me, your knowledge of a corset is some brutal device forced upon women in ye olden days, or a memory of Kate Winslet’s mom in Titanic painfully strapping her into one. Ouch! But in recent years, the corset has slowly lost its death grip on our mid sections and has become the hottest trend. You can find all the hippest stars sporting them, from Jessica Simpson to Beyonce.
It’s quite easy to incorporate it into your style. During the day, layer one under your jacket or favorite v-neck sweater. Or at night wear one with a slim fitting skirt. Don’t forget to jazz it up with some fabulous accessories like jewelry and purse. Think you have what it takes to step out in corset style?

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Tags: corsets, fashion, trend

Everyone has their own favorite color, but when it comes to buying lingerie, did you realize how much hair color played into the final look? Well it does and here are some tips to look your best, keep in mind hair color is only the starting point, skin color and tone are also an important factors.

Blondes, you ladies look fabulous in the color black and in all shades of blue.

Redheads your color is any shade of green, especially teal. You also look muy caliente in pinks and pastel tones.

Brunettes are gorgeous in white and red, and, depending on skin tone black.

Disappointed your favorite color isn’t matched to your hair color? Don’t despair, this is just a general guideline, the color of lingerie is still a personal matter between you and your sweetie and if canary yellow drives him wild, that’s the color for you.

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Tags: hair, color,, shopping, tips

As most of the country continues to dig itself out of the winter snow or is bombarded with rain, for the next few Fridays I’ll share some home made recipes you can use to bring the spa home each weekend. These recipes are fun to make and many ingredients are right in your own pantry or fridge. This week, a mask and a facial. Enjoy!

Banana and Honey Mask

• 1/2 mashed banana
• 1/4 cup oatmeal, cooked with milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tablespoon honey

Mix ingredients together. Massage onto face in a slow, circular motion and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse with tepid water. This mask is good for both sensitive and dry complexions: oatmeal is high in nourishing vitamins and minerals, and gently cleanses and heals skin; bananas contain vitamin A; eggs contain lecithin, a natural skin emollient; honey helps to maintain the skin’s natural acid mantle.

Strawberry and Buttermilk Facial

• 4 to 6 mashed strawberries
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons rose water
• 1 tablespoon powdered rose hips

Mix ingredients together. Apply to face, neck and hands, gently massaging, then resting for 15 to 20 minutes. As the mixture dries, skin will feel slightly taut. Rinse and pat dry. Pureed fresh strawberries soften the skin and cool inflammation; rose hips are rich in vitamin C; buttermilk contains proteins and vitamins.

Next Friday: Scrubs

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Tags: mask, facial, recipes

A perfectly fitted bra gives you maximum comfort and helps you look stylish best. But where does one begin? Especially when you have to choose between so many sizes, shapes and colors, it makes sense that’ you’ll feel overwhelmed. Heck, even Oprah dedicated an entire show to finding a bra that fits. So here are some quick tips to help you in your quest:

• First thing you need to do is measure yourself with your bra on tightly
  around the top of the rib cage just beneath the bust. If it’s an odd number
  of inches, add 5 to find your bra size; if it’s even, add 4 (so if you measure
  31, your bra size is 36).

  To figure out your cup size, measure around yourself again, but this time
  place the tape measure loosely over the fullest part of the breast. Subtract
  the first measurement from the second. A 1-inch difference is an A cup; 2-inch
  difference = B cup; 3 = C; 4 = D; 5 = DD; and 6 = DDD or E.

• Cups should hug your breasts and be full while hugging the outer edges
  of the breast. If your breasts spill out from the sides or over the top of
  the cups, you may need a larger cup size or a cup with more coverage on the
  sides or top.
• The straps should not fall down nor cut into your skin. If they fall down,
  your breasts may not be filling out the top of the cups and you should go
  down a cup size. If they leave a mark, you may need a more supportive bra.

Some style tips:

• Smooth, silky bras look best under all fabrics.
• Match bras to your skin tone, not to the color of the shirt you’re wearing.
• And even if your weight doesn’t change, get fitted every year.

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Tags: bra,, perfect, fit