Kitchen Glamour - Refreshing Face Mojito.

I love Mojitos, they are the epitome of summer fun and frolics. So with spring in full throw and the promise of summer getting nearer I was inspired to make a mojito for my face. My pot of mint is thriving under the windowsill, I love rubbing the leaves as I walk past and smelling the fresh scent. I put about 3 healthy springs in this refresher, mint is really good for the skin, not only can it be soothing for irritated skin, but its high amounts of salicylic acid loosens up dead skin cells, which can help stop your pores from clogging. Mint also has vitamin A in it which means that it can strengthen and balance oily skin.

The other ingredients in this face refresher are 2-3 slices of cucumber, 1 tablespoon of caster sugar and the zest of an orange. I have raved about cucumber in my 3 Ways to Combat Puffy Eyes post. Cucumber is 90% water so its cooling and hydrating for your skin, the cucumber acts as the liquid ingredient of this recipe. I also zest an orange into this, this is optional but I think it adds a lovely zing to the aroma. Citrus is also amazing for the skin because of its high content of vitamin C, it can tighten pores and make your face look and feel a lot fresher, you can read more about how oranges are good for your skin here. The last ingredient I add is caster sugar, this helps to grind everything into a pulp in the pestle and mortar.

Once you have all your ingredients ready, put them into a pestle and mortar and grind away until it is a pulpy consistency. You could pop it into a food blender if you wanted. Once you have your face refresher ready you could place it into the fridge for half an hour just to chill it down or you can use it straight away. I massage the pulp around my face (over the sink to catch any drips). Once I have used all the pulp I rinse it off with some cold water and towel dry. This makes my face feel wonderfully soft, refreshed and ready to slip out for an evening of adventures. 

Hope you have a great, glamourous weekend <3

xkx

Kitchen Glamour - 3 Ways to Combat Puffy Eyes!

My eyes are super sensitive, they get puffy if any random allergies flare up, I have used make up wipes, there is a lot of dust around, basically they are the equivalent of a High Society Victorian lady who has forgotten her smelling salts. I have found that if I can take care of them as soon as the they start to inflate I have a better chance of restoring face status quo.

I have tried quite a few different things ranging from natural remedies to over the counter creams. But these are my favourite three 'go to' remedies. 

Cucumber is lovely and you will probably have it lingering in your fridge. Cucumber is 90% water and if you chop two slices of cucumber straight out of the fridge they are wonderfully cooling and hydrating for your eyes. 

Tea bags are an age old remedy for eyes that are in desperate need of R&R. The tannin in the tea bag gently reduces swelling and discolouration whilst the caffeine will help get your eyes back to their sparkly selves. Regular black tea is the best to use, keep some tea bags after you have made yourself a cuppa, let them cool (or put them in some cold water for a few minutes) give them a gentle squeeze and lay them on your eyes. You can put them in the fridge before you use them so they are nice and cool if you have the time. Lay them on your eyes for about 20 minutes and relax, I usually do this before bed so I can really chill out. After 20 minutes take the tea bags off and rinse your face with some cold water or you will look like a tea stained panda! 

The third trick I have up my sleeve is aloe vera, I usually use this if my eyes are feeling itchy and grainy. I chop off a little bit and squeeze the goo out and massage around my eyes. You can put the rest of the aloe in the fridge to use again if your eyes persist in being pests. You can pick up an aloe vera plant from about £5 and they are so useful, I keep one in the kitchen because they are brilliant to use on burns.

I have found that none of these are miracle cures that work right away, I will use a combination of these methods 2-3 times a day to get the best effect. Hope these tips will help your tired, puffy, peepers <3

xkx