When you cannot afford a haircare treatment at your favorite salon or spa, do-it-yourself at home. Below are some of our favorite easy to make haircare treatments that your can whip up and enjoy at home.

Restore Moisture. Moisture is key to having healthy hair and the best place to start is your scalp. To restore moisture back into your scalp with the added benefit of nutrients to help protect your hair use a tablespoon of Jojoba oil. To make this treatment both beneficial and relaxing, massage the oil into your scalp using your fingertips and then wrap your head in a warm damp towel for 20 minutes. Wrapping your head in a towel will help the oil penetrate your scalp so you'll receive the maximum benefit that the Jojoba oil has to offer.

Breakdown Buildup. After a week of using styling products it is safe to assume that even regular washes with your favorite shampoo may not get rid of the buildup that continual use of hair products can cause. You can create your own clarifying rinse with a cup of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar in order to start the following week off fresh. With just a cup or either vinegar, thoroughly rinse your hair and then follow up with your usual shampoo. Both apple cider vinegar and white vinegar work as a natural clarifier that work to remove product buildup without the worry of stripping color.

Moisture Mask. If your hair is feeling dry or brittle it's probably time to treat your mane with a moisture restoring mask. Mash up half of an avocado with two tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl,then coat your hair from root to tip with your homemade mask. After coating your hair, wrap it in a hot towel for 20 minutes. The essential oils and proteins in this homemade mask will help hydrate your hair and turn it from brittle to beautiful.

Check out our newest video on how to apply nail polish strips:

Ever been on a date or at a job interview and had a beauty blunder with no makeup in your purse to fix it?

We've been there too and learned some stealthy tricks along the way. Anyone can become a Beauty MacGyver and these tips can help you nix any imperfections with everyday items:

Zit On The Way. Feel a zit coming on and don't have a spot treatment handy? Grab that bottle of hand sanitizer and dab it on your emerging blemish. The alcohol in the hand sanitizer will help dry out the zit and keep that whitehead at bay.

Melting Mascara. Have mascara or eyeliner everywhere except where it's supposed to be? Don't rub it off, the skin around your eyes is very delicate rubbing can cause redness or irritation. Instead, use a dab of hand lotion on a tissue and gently swipe away the excess makeup. Your lotion works as a cream cleanser and erases any mistakes‐just be sure to not get it in your eye.

Food In Your Teeth. Got a piece of food in your teeth with no floss or toothpick in sight? Use the corner of a business card or pinch a drinking straw together to create a sharp edge and dislodge the offending food.

Wine Stained. To prevent a wine stained smile rub a very thin layer of lip balm over your teeth. The balm will help create a barrier and not allow your smile to become tarnished. Got wine stained lips? Mix a sugar packet with a bit of water in the palm of your hand to create an exfoliator and gently buff the sugar water onto your lips to work away the stain.

Grease Zone. T-Zone feeling greasy? Excuse yourself to the restroom and use a toilet seat cover as an oil blotting sheet.

Have any beauty tricks? Leave us a comment, shoot us an email, find us on Twitter or Facebook and let us about your beauty trick that saved the day!

There are a lot of hair brushes on the market. Ever wonder what they're for or why you would ever need more than one hair brush? Don't worry we'll brush you up on the basics.

Oval Boar Bristle Brush. This brush works well on nearly every hair type and can be used for everyday brushing. The boar bristles in this brush help stimulate the scalp and distribute oils evenly which help create shine.

Vented Brush. This brush is ideal for short hair. This brush can be used with or without a blow dryer because it is vented and the wide set bristles help create volume.

Round Ceramic Mixed Bristle Brush. This ceramic brush is great for use with a blow dryer and its round shape helps lift roots and create volume.

Large Paddle Brush. This brush is for long-haired gals. The large size of the paddle covers a lot of hair at one time and the plastic ball tipped bristles make for safe detangling.

Wide Tooth Comb. This comb is great for detangling wet hair because the wide set teeth will not cause any snagging when tackling tangles.

Teasing Brush. This brush creates volume in a flash.

Summer may be coming to a close and as you're off to escape the norm at the beach, remember not to ditch your routine entirely—your beauty routine that is. We like to tone down our beauty routine while soaking up the sun but there are some essentials you just can't skip. These are our beach bag beauty essentials:

• Sunscreen. Don't ever think of spending a day in the sun without it. We recommend using a sunscreen that is waterproof so you'll be protected while you're in and out of the water.


• Waterproof mascara. Sometimes all you need is a bit of mascara to look put together and if we were to only have one piece of makeup with us on a deserted island a great waterproof mascara would be it.


• Wide tooth comb. You may lust over beachy waves but all the salt water and wind can cause major tangles. Keep a wide tooth comb handy to help smooth out any knots without pulling and snagging your hair in the process.


• Lip tint with SPF. Your lips can burn too. Keep them hydrated, protected, and looking rosy with a lip tint. We like Fresh Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment.


• A hat or head scarf. Have you ever had a sunburn on your scalp? Not pretty! Putting sunscreen on your part or in your hair line can make a greasy mess, so to stay protected without having an oily mane put on a hat or tie your hair in a scarf. You won't have to worry about getting burned and you'll look chic in the process.

Okay, we've hopped on the nail strip bandwagon and we're never getting off. They're so much fun and easy to apply. Goodbye messy polish, hello perfect manicure in a super cute print.

Have you tried nail polish strips? Love 'em or leave 'em? Leave a comment letting us know (we'd love to see pics if you have any) or send an email.

Check out our new tutorial video on how to create newspaper nails:

Alright, we're not guaranteeing that you'll be in charge of a kissing booth after this "how to" but we can guarantee that your lips will be irresistibly soft.

Follow these steps before getting your beauty rest and wake up with smoother, softer lips:

1. When washing your face before you go to bed, gently work some of your face wash over your lips for a few seconds to help remove any makeup or oils.
2. Exfoliate your lips by gently running a clean and soft toothbrush over your lips. Don't have an extra toothbrush handy? A moisten wash cloth should do the trick or use your powered cleaning tool if you have one.
3. Moisturize your lips with a hydrating and protecting balm—we like Burt's Bees medicated Lip Balm.

Okay, the song doesn’t go exactly like that but it should when it comes to the life of your cosmetics.

Here is a quick guide to know when to let go and start anew:

Mascara: Typically mascara lasts about three months. Around this time you may notice that your formula will become dry or clumpy which will make for a messy application. If you get an eye infection toss out your mascara—using it will only cause a reoccurring infection.

Facial Creams: These can last up to one year, which is great news for those of you who are feeling iffy about spending money on expensive creams. But if the cream is in a jar you should toss it out sooner because your fingers can introduce bacteria in the jar each time you apply the cream.

Nail Polish: Polish should last for about 12 months. Once you notice a change in color and consistency it’s time to toss it. If it doesn’t go on smoothly it does not belong on your nails.

Perfume: Over time, each spray of your favorite fragrance allows air into the bottle which will speed up oxidation that may change the scent. The change will be slight so you can count on your signature scent being fresh for 2 years.

Do you love those pore strips that remove blackheads from your nose?

We do too! But we don't love the extra cost. Luckily, there is an easy and affordable way to create your own homemade strips with ingredients you may already have in your kitchen.

How To Make Homemade Pore Strips

You'll Need:

• Milk (any grade will be fine)
• Unflavored gelatin
• Microwave safe bowl
• Makeup brush

Steps:

1. Put one tablespoon of milk and unflavored gelatin into your microwave safe bowl.
2. Mix the ingredients. They should form a chunky paste.
3. Heat the ingredients in the bowl in a microwave for 10 seconds. The paste should be a gooey liquid after being heated.
4. Allow the mixture to cool a bit so as to not burn your skin.
5. Once the mixture is warm enough to apply, use your makeup brush to brush the mixture across your nose in the area where a pore strip would normally reside.
6. Allow your homemade pore strip to dry for about 10 minutes.
7. Once it's dry, peel it off and reveal your freshly cleaned pores.

Let us know how your homemade pore strip experience went by leaving a comment, sending us an email or giving a shout or on Twitter or Facebook!

Ever wonder what makeup brushes to use where and with what product? Check out this video to get the low down on the variety of makeup brushes that are available and their uses:

Dim lights

Check out our new tutorial video on how to style your hair into a top knot:

Dim lights

We are going to be working on more vlogs in the future so let us know if there are any tutorials you'd like us to create!

We have a girl crush on Zooey Deschanel. She is especially cute in this music video. Her teased half up half down hair-do and cat-eye makeup are adorable without looking fussy. Natural beauty!

Dim lights

In the hot summer months no one wants to spend time under a hot hair dryer. Try these styling alternatives to save yourself from the heat:

• Commute to work or school? Try driving with your windows down to air dry your wet hair. Just be sure to keep a brush with you so no one will catch on to your windy ways once you reach your destination.
• Shower in the evening and braid your damp hair before you hit the hay. In the morning, undo the braids and admire your bohemian waves.
• Don't shower in the evening? Try braiding your damp hair in the morning in a chic side braid.

If you still don't want to give up the dryer but don't want to sweat in the process try drying your hair in a room with an open window and use your dryer on the cool setting.

Have any damp hair styling tips? Tell us about them in the comment section below!

We love nail polish but we are currently digging these nail styles:

Ombre Nails

Have a lot of polish? It's okay, so do we! That's why we love ombre nails, you can utilize varying shades of polish to create a fun look. It's also a good excuse to buy more polish.

Photo: TheBeautyDepartment

Accent Nails

Can't decide between two colors of polish? Don't! Try an accent nail (we prefer the ring finger) in a different color or shade to mix up your manicure.

Photo: FlouncySkirts

I have always felt that I look my best after a long workout at the gym. Which I know sounds strange since I don’t have a stitch of makeup on (yikes!) and am drenched in sweat but despite the lack of makeup and abundance of sweat I love the rosy glow my cheeks have. The natural flush on my cheeks makes me feel like I’m effortlessly glowing from the inside out (even though it took me 30 minutes of treadmill time to achieve it). Wanting to keep that glow all day got me on a one woman search for blush that would last for hours on end and look natural too.

This search led me from trusted friends that always look flawless to cosmetic counters and everywhere in between until I found my answer: Benefit’s Benetint cheek stain. I love this product!

Every now and then a girl gets lucky and finds her forever product and for me, Benetint is the one. Most women have at least one forever product whether it’s her signature scent or the mascara that makes her lashes look like they go on for miles. While those women who have their trusty go to products don’t often share their secrets, I am more than willing to share mine because every girl deserves to look stunning.

Hair bows are a popular accessory but have you ever wanted to learn how to turn your hair into a bow?

Check out this easy tutorial video showing you how to turn your hair into a bow.

We all want to smell good but when it comes time to choosing a perfume and knowing where to apply it without leaving a trail of innocent coughing bystanders in my wake, I must admit, I’m at a loss. But with a little research and the opinions of great smelling others, I have found the solution to smelling like a rose.

Testing a new scent is great but knowing how to test it is better. Sure, that department store perfume smells amazing on its paper strip but to really know if it’s right for you test it on your wrist. Spritz on your wrist and wait a few minutes, if it still smells great then you’ll know that the perfume mixes well with your body chemistry.

Don’t apply it the way you think you would. A common mistake with applying perfume is rubbing your wrists together after spraying. Letting the perfume air dry allows it to hold its true scent, when you rub you’re changing the evaporation process.

Where to keep it when you’re not wearing it. It’s hard not to want to keep your perfume on display (the bottles are like tiny sweet smelling sculptures) but if you want your perfume smelling good till the last drop then keeping your bottle in a cool dark place is best.

Here, there but not everywhere:

• Subtle hints of fragrance: Try dabbing your perfume behind your ears, knees and elbows.
• Long lasting scent: Spritz your hair and your chest.
• For a scent that lingers: Try spraying your wrists, throughout your day as you move your scent will follow close behind.

Do you suffer from the "too much blush" syndrome? You know the feeling you get when you catch yourself in the mirror and you're seeing red? No, you just didn't run into your ex, you overdosed on blush.

Have no fear, it can easily be treated.

On the go with no makeup sponge? Improvise with a tissue or your fingers (clean, of course). No makeup to cover up all the red? Dampen a tissue and gently swipe across your cheeks.

Crisis adverted and no one will be the wiser to your overzealous ways.