My Lip Life Saver!

Hi Ladies,

this has AB-SO-LUTE-LY  been my life saver for the last couple of days. Because of this " beautiful" freezing spring weather my lips just decided to no longer put up with it. They cracked and went so so sore, but this miracle worker saved my day! 

I think I applied it over ten times yesterday, and a a thick layer before bed, and today I can say my lips are back to life. The Shea butter I've used is a refined one, that means that the colour and smell are taken out. I prefer it to use on my lips, because the smell of unrefined Shea can linger, and I don't really care for that right under my nose. But has to be said, unrefined Shea Butter has far more nutrients and other goodies. So for body purposes I prefer the unrefined Shea. Here is how it looks right out of the jar.

It is a creamy butter that melts on contact with the skin, a little goes a long way. Even this little dab was to much for both hands. By the way it makes a perfect hand cream too, it nourishes the skin without leaving a oily film. And absorbs quite quick, but lasts longer then usual hand creams. Shea butter is very versatile, I use it for hands, feet, cuticles, lips, baby cheeks ( both ;-), and when mixed it makes a very nice body butter. See my other article about that here.

This is how it looks rubbed in, shiny but not oily.

Have you tried this "multi purpose savior" yet?

 When you do make sure to get the 100% pure one, a lot of brands sell products with Shea butter or butyrospermum parkii. Just check the ingredient lists on the back, and you will see the butyrospermum parkii more often then you would think. 

But why get 00.1% of this goodness, when you can have the benefits of it pure? Shea butter isn't so easy to come by off the web, but I know Yves Rocher sells one. I got mine from the Dutch brand Erica, 90 ml for €3.99, what I believe is a bargain. Especially for it being so versatile, and being all natural.

So have you tried it yet?

hugs and kisses DIY Mama.

TBS Moringa showergel & Petal fresh Rosemary & Mint shampoo

Hi Everyone, today I had to buy some birthday presents for sisterinlaw, and whilst doing that I figured DIY Mama could use some pampering and indulgence as well ;-)

So I treated myself on these 2 beauties today. I haven't had the pleasure of trying them out, since having them for just a few hours :-P But I can't wait to get in the shower with them! The smell of these are just heavenly! 

Lets start with the Body Shops Moringa showergel Here is where you can get yours. Its very reasonably priced at € 6,50 for 200 ml.

The smell really brings back memories, I LOVE the smell of frangipani, en this is a nice fresh variant of that. It's soap free so less drying to the skin, sounds good, because mine seems to want to emulate the sahara dessert. 

Now over to the Rosemary & Mint Shampoo from Petal fresh. 

It is a big 16 fl oz/ 475 ml bottle that I bought it from De Tuinen for €6,99, so I think this is reasonably priced as well, most certainly for a sulfate, paraben, petrochemical free shampoo.

Due to it's lack of sulfates it lathers much less then regular shampoos ( I did a test run on my hands ).

I love the smell of rosemary and mint, and after rinsing it of my hands the smell of mint is what's left behind.

Rosemary and mint are good for hair and scalp for numerous reasons, so can't wait to see what this shampoo can do for my hair. I'm trying to cut out sulfates out of my hair care regime for a while now, but it's hard! Finding a product that takes care of my hair, doesn't contain sulfates etc. AND is friendly on the pocket book.

Now I just have to wait if it lives up to expectations, I'll keep you updated, but will have to try it out now for a while.

This is what's in it:

 

Have you tried either of these? Would love to here what you think, leave comment down below.

Hugs and kisses DIY Mama

My MUA mini HAUL! First Impressions Undress range. Picture heavy ;-)

After just 3 days after ordering my order came in today!! Party!!! it always feels like Christmas and my birthday at the same day, a package at the door, all your goodies wrapped up, and then the excitement of unwrapping them....The simple pleasures of live ;-)

As usual MUA sends their products in a brown paper bubble wrap envelope, and all the fragile items are securely wrapped in some more bubble wrap. (Yay some more bubble wrap to pop ;-)

I'll start with the Undress your skin Highlighting Powder, what a amazingly beautiful product, I think I have a new crush!

 First of all its appearance; it comes in a sleek white plastic container with a clear lid, I think that it is a great match for this range, it gives a clean and crisp appearance  as it should when you call it undress your skin, in my humble opinion that is. 

Then the product itself, it is pressed in this pretty swirly 3D pattern, gives a real feel of luxury I think. 

This is how it looks "on skin".

It gives that beautiful glow to your skin, without being to obvious, or glittery, it is a cool champagne/ rose gold .

Now over to there other new release from their Undress range;

The Undress me too palette.

Again packaged in sleek white, the complementary applicator is in black. This palette brings beautiful nudes, warm and cool toned. Perfect for everyday, office looks and smokey eyes.

First row swatched. The first shade "Naked"  didn't show up as well on my skin because, well, it's about my skin tone. 

Second row swatched.

Here are the Undressed and Undress Me Too side by side. Undressed has been a favorite of mine for a while now, and I think the undress me too is a good competitor in the running for my #1 everyday palette.

Lastly I'd love to show you the Undress Your Skin Illuminating foundation.

The Illuminating Foundation comes in a flexible mauve tube, and contains 35 ml, I prefer pump bottles because they keep air out, but this is OK too.

The foundation itself is of a light consistency, creamy but not thick and smothering. I'm wearing this today and I love the fresh face feel AND look it gives.

To prevent this piece becoming tooooooooooo long I will stop for today, but more to come on the other products.

Which MUA product would you love to see and read more about?

Hope you enjoyed my Mini Haul, 

Hugs and Kisses DIY Mama

MUA retweeted meYAY!

@diymamazelfdoen has a blog post about some of our Undress Your Skin products mamazelfdoen.blogspot.nl/2013/03/my-mua…
— Make Up Academy(MUA) (@MUAcosmetics) 22 maart 2013

MUA got some new beauties

Hi Beauties,

after being kept in suspension, and checking their Facebook page religiously, MUA came with there new beauties:  the MUA Power Pout
My latest order just came in today, so I'll behave and not order them right away. But if I would I'd love to try out "Irreplaceable", "Rendezvous" and... OK "Crazy in love" too. For just £3.00, again MUA offers us these beautiful products for a price you just cant help yourself but picking them up.


Now this is what MUA has to say about them:



 

"Available in six rich bold shades from chic nude ‘Rendez Vous’ to deep rich raspberry ‘Broken Hearted’, our new colour intense lip tints will ensure your lips will look good enough to kiss!

MUA Power Pout is a lip treatment with colour intensity that relieves dry, cracked lips providing immediate moisturisation. The handy pencil-style applicator provides easy to apply sheer soft lip colour and rolls up for easy use.

Ensure you have the most kissable lips this spring and kisses they will remember forever…

Available in shades Rendez Vous, Irreplaceable, Crazy in Love, Runway, Justify and Broken Hearted"

Sounds good, something that gives colour and care, I'd like that. 

So what do you think, hit or miss?

Hugs and Kisses, DIY Mama.


For anybody who is not yet familiar with MUA, this is their video introduction:

Yay's and Nay's #1

Yay: I ordered again with MUA!! I told myself not to, but MUA kept making that harder and harder by bringing out such nice products lately. 
So I finally caved in ;-)
                               



Yay: I posted my first ever Youtube video, I concurred my shyness and just did it!

         



Yay: The first spring day was here, 15 degrees and sun, loved it!!


                           


Yay: I got 1.199 views on my blog!! Thanks everybody for checking out my blog, I am so happy and grateful for every single viewer. Please subscribe to bloglovin and make my day!

Yay: I FINALLY saw Skyfall, after several attempts of going to see it in the theater, I decided to buy the DVD and yesterday we finally came around to it. 

             

Yay: My Catrice camouflage cream, have bin using this for the last couple of weeks and am still loving it! Without setting this will crease a little around the eyes, but with a bit of powder it will stay put. This is the first concealer I actually like. Surely recommend this! Check my review HERE.

    

Nay: Hardly a week later the temperature plummeted to minus -3! A 18 degrees difference in a week brrrrrr , funny how in the beginning of winter you can have joy with every fresh flake of snow, but now I can't stand it anymore, GIVE ME SUN PLEASE, enough already with the snow ;-)

                      

                                           

Nay: Sickbay at DIY Mama's house, my kiddies both suffer the effects of chicken- pox, so sad to see them all covered in spots :-( But it does gives me the opportunity to try out my home remedies. More on that in a other blog-post. 

                                         

So what are your Yay's and Nay's? Let me know in the comment section below!

Hugs and Kisses,

DIY Mama

DIY Mama goes on Youtube!

Hi lovelies, 
I jumped my biggest internet hurdle yet; Posting on youtube. I always resented my own voice on camera, but here it is my first DIY post in film form. Hope you enjoy!

As for the tutorial being Dutch, here is the description in English:

I'm making Flax seed Rosemary.

Ingredients:

• 500 ml water.
• 4 tablespoons flax seed.
• 1 tablespoon rosemary.

Put the water, flax seed and rosemary in a saucepan and bring up to a boil. Make sure to keep stirring to prevent the flax seed from sticking to the pan.

After approximately 10 minutes of stirring and cooking the gel phase of the flax seed will start.

When the substance is gloopy as shown in the film, strain the liquid and pour in your container.

Your done!

Flax seed is know for it's hydrating properties, it's loaded with omega 3 fatty acids which will help making the hair fuller and shiny. Rosemary is known for promoting blood circulation and hair growth, it leaves your hair silky smooth and even combats dandruff. I cant vow for that, because I'm not having any.

So are you looking for a light fixing gel, that wont make your hair dry and brittle? Give this a chance. I use it as a anti frizz gel, in wet hair, comb it through and let my hair dry. I personally don't care for the wet hair look, so like to comb it through after it is completely dry.

Let me know what you think!

Love and kisses DIY Mama.

Argan Oil first impressions

Hi Lovelies, today I'm reviewing Argan oil, I thought I'd jump on that band wagon and see what all the fuss is all about. 
They say about Argan oil aka Moroccan Oil that it's good for hair, skin and nails. It moisturizes and nourishes, contains vitamin E. It also contains Carotenoids that have a anti oxidating effect. 

I got my Argan Oil from a drugstore that's selling the brand Erica for € 18,95 it is bio organic and cold pressed and contains only one ingredient : Argania Spinoza.
I made sure to pick one up with no additives like silicones, parabens, I wanted to test the " real deal" .

Now for the review of the oil itself;

it is a clear light golden green oil that is kind of viscous. So the oil isn't extremely runny or anything.
Its smell reminds me of olives but not olive oil, kind of nutty. The smell is there when you apply it, but doesn't linger around.

I've tested it in my hair and on my skin. I do have to say my hair looks greasy extremely fast, it has to do with the type of hair I have. It is called ribbon hair, I'm very "blessed with this, perms, heated rollers, anything! It wont hold. It is very fine hair and tends to look greasy when I just think of anything oily. 
So using it as a leave inn serum is not really a option for me, even with a mini drop and a light hand it looks like I haven't washed my hair for weeks. ( wash it every morning because of that).

But as a pre-poo it is useful, I lathered my hair with the Argan oil before going to bed, and washed it the next morning. My hair felt really soft and full! So far so good.

My skin tends to be really dry, dehydrated, sensitive, and " hormonal" on certain area's, so I'm always looking for skincare that can take care of my skin but not irritate it more than it already is. Perfumes  parabens the whole shabam, my skin wont take it. 
I tried the Argan oil pure on my skin without moisturizer, but that's not enough for my skin. It keeps feeling dehydrated but with a oily "topcoat" .
But when I add a few drops to my regular moisturizer... My skin feels plump, hydrated, no dry patches, so I really like it as a additive to my moisturizer.


I haven't used it on my nails yet but will start that swiftly, my nails and cuticles are so very dry in this wintery weather.


So have you used Argan oil or products with Argan oil? What do you think.



Hugs and Kisses DIY Mama

Calendula Shea Baby Salve DIY

Hi Lovelies,
once in a while I get that urge of brewing a new concoction. And today I came up with this, a Calendula Shea Butter baby salve. I chose my ingredients carefully; mild nourishing ingredients suitable for baby's sensitive skin. 

Ingredients;

• Grapeseed oil, approximately 120 ml after sifting there is about 100 ml left; this is a nutrient-rich oil derived from grape seeds ( name says it all lol) The benefits of grapeseed oil include anti aging benefits and supple skin. Grape seed oil is full of antioxidants which combats the free radicals.

• Calendula/ Marigold petals, 2 table spoons: Has bin used for centuries, to treat eczema, minor burns like sunburn, reducing inflammation and promoting wound healing. Ideal for those sore baby bottoms ;-)

• Thym, 1 teaspoon: Thyme is used because of its antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiseptic and fungicidal properties. 

• Chamomile, 2 tea bags: Used for numerous reasons, like inflammations, skin disease. It's antibacterial, antiseptic, anti allergenic and so on and so on ;-) 
• Beeswax, 15 grams grated.Acts as a barrier but allows the skin to breathe. I got mine from a local beekeeper, I like the thought of knowing where my ingredients came from.
• Lanoline, 5 grams. Also referred as wool wax, acts as a strong moisturizer, it mimics the properties of sebum.
• Shea butter, 30 grams, excellent moisturizer, helps with dry skin, eczema ( haven't tested that out my self, no eczema) I'm totally in love with shea butter, I use it pure, unrefined or deodorized. The smell on unrefined shea can be overwhelming so I used deodorized for this recipe.
• Almond oil, 10 grams,  contains vitamins E and B, overall goof for the skin. Mild not to greasy oil.
• Tea tree oil and lavender oil, I used 5 drops of each, to not over scent it, because of it being for a baby. Tea tree oil is a strong antiseptic, anti fungal oil that is beneficiary for the skin as well the salve it self. Lavender is soothing to the skin, and the smell tends to calm the nerves.

Start by putting the herbs; calendula, chamomile, thyme and put them in a crockpot, pour your grapeseed oil until all herbs are under. Heat the oil and herbs very gently, I used keep warm setting. Until oil is infused with the herbs, about half an hour. 

Then sift and strain the herbs out of the oil.

Take a stainless steel bowl and a little saucepan for " au bain marie" and bring water to a boil and place the bowl on top of the pan. In the bowl place the beeswax, almond oil, lanolin, and shea butter and let it melt.

Then combine the two oils and stir.

Add the essential oils when the mixture isn't scorching hot any more, to prevent the properties of the oils evaporate.

Mix for one more time, then pour in a jar and let it cool, settle.

And your done, enjoy!

It isn't just for baby bottoms, can be used for chapped lips, dry cracked skin etc.

Hugs and kisses,

DIY Mama

Disclaimer: all information on the benefits of the ingredients I used are found through Google, and tested by/ on me. So no medical or scientific research! 

• www.herbwisdom.com  
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanolin
• http://www.ehow.com/about_6707301_information-lanolin-
• http://www.naturepurity.com/holistic/sheabutter.html
• http://www.livestrong.com/article/97593-almond-oil-benefits-skin/

MUA Brushes review.

Hi Lovelies, 
today I want to share with you my lovely brushes from MUA. Let me tell you I LOVE THEM !!
First of all they are so incredibly soft my daughter keeps on "cuddling" with them when mommy applies her make up. 
I ordered these in their massive 50 % off deal, let me state: they aren't that expensive to begin with, but in this deal, I can imagine why these were the first to go out of stock!

The brushes that I got are:

• E1 Eyeshadow brush £1.95
• E3 Eyeshadow blending brush 
• E7 Angled eyebrow brush 
• F2 Stippling Brush £3.00
• F6 Blusher & Contouring brush £3.00

The eyeshadow brush is a rounded flat brush, dense enough to pack on colour and precise enough to even line under the eye.

The blending brush is a soft quit dense brush, you have to use a light hand with blending otherwise you might wipe the shade right of. But I really like it, I use this brush as a highlighter brush as well on the cheekbones, just big enough and because of it's shape applies in a fluffy way so you don't end up with involuntary striping (we don't want to look like the car of our younger brother now do we ;-).

The Angled eyebrow brush I use for my MUA eyebrow kit (more on that later on), it is ideal to create that sculpted brow. It's very precise, with the point of the brush start at the biggest inner part of the brow and " sharpen" the edge. Then line the upper line of the brow, and fill in the " tail" of the brow. Love it!

The stippling brush is very nice for applying liquid foundations, haven't tried cream blushers, but you could use it for that to. I really like to buff in my foundation, I firstly stipple the foundation then work it in with more buffing motions.

The angled blusher and contouring brush is ideal for just that! Because of the angle and shape I tend to really get in the hollow of my cheek for the contouring. Getting repetitive here: I Love these brushes.

None of the brushes shed a hair, even after several wash sessions. I tend to wash my brushes almost after every use due to the eyeshadows of MUA being SO pigmented. 




Pro's : 

• Good quality
• Good price
• Soft
• Does its job
• No shedding, mine haven't, some might though.
• Even with shipping they cost less then the brushes that I can buy in store, and better quality to. I tried MAC 217, my MUA E3 one is less "prickly" .

Con's:

• Only sold online here .
• I can't run to the store and buy more!

Final verdict:
Definitively go get some if you can!

Hugs and Kisses,
DIY Mama