DIY lavender lip scrub

It has been ages since we have made a beauty product of some sort on our blog, so we figured it was about time! Our first attempt was with our Moisturizing Coffee Scrub, which turned out to be pretty delightful. This lavender lip scrub was actually really easy and it makes your lips so smooth and taste delicious! Plus we had this adorable little flower jar that needed to have something in it. In a mason jar we mixed up approximately a half a cup of coconut oil, a half cup of sugar, and a couple drops of lavender essential oil (though you could use any essential oil you wanted). We have been keeping a large amount of the scrub tucked away in a mason jar, but put a little in our flower jar to put out on display. Isn't it adorable? What essential oil would you use for your lip scrub? -a clover & a bee

It has been ages since we have made a beauty product of some sort on our blog, so we figured it was about time! Our first attempt was with our Moisturizing Coffee Scrub, which turned out to be pretty delightful. This lavender lip scrub was actually really easy and it makes your lips so smooth and taste delicious! Plus we had this adorable little flower jar that needed to have something in it. In a mason jar we mixed up approximately a half a cup of coconut oil, a half cup of sugar, and a couple drops of lavender essential oil (though you could use any essential oil you wanted). We have been keeping a large amount of the scrub tucked away in a mason jar, but put a little in our flower jar to put out on display. Isn't it adorable? What essential oil would you use for your lip scrub? -a clover & a bee

create your own ribbon hair clips

I almost died when I saw these little stork scissors at Walmart over the weekend. I had been wanting a pair for so long-I couldn't help but treat myself to them. You have to treat yourself every once in a while right? Or else you would go insane (Leah's hints for living on a budget).  I have been getting so bored with my hair lately. Am I alone with the constant need to change up my hair? Am I just crazy? I didn't change the style or dye it really for the first 20 years of my life until my sister convinced me to go dark brown and I have been altering it repeatedly ever since. It doesn't help when you live with a person who has finally found the perfect hairstyle for herself that everyone (everyone) admires-hem hem erin. These hair clips are my solution to hold me over until I can plan out what I want to do next.  All I did to make them was cut a small strip of ribbon and glue it on to the clip with a hot glue gun. That easy! I think they turned out adorable and I can't wait to wear them around.  What changes have you made to your hair recently? -a clover and a bee

I almost died when I saw these little stork scissors at Walmart over the weekend. I had been wanting a pair for so long-I couldn't help but treat myself to them. You have to treat yourself every once in a while right? Or else you would go insane (Leah's hints for living on a budget).  I have been getting so bored with my hair lately. Am I alone with the constant need to change up my hair? Am I just crazy? I didn't change the style or dye it really for the first 20 years of my life until my sister convinced me to go dark brown and I have been altering it repeatedly ever since. It doesn't help when you live with a person who has finally found the perfect hairstyle for herself that everyone (everyone) admires-hem hem erin. These hair clips are my solution to hold me over until I can plan out what I want to do next.  All I did to make them was cut a small strip of ribbon and glue it on to the clip with a hot glue gun. That easy! I think they turned out adorable and I can't wait to wear them around.  What changes have you made to your hair recently? -a clover and a bee

homemade powder makeup

I came across this post on making your own bronzer, and was intrigued. How awesome would it be to have make up you could theoretically eat? My guess is that it is more along the lines of when parents make play-dough for their children and it's technically edible, but tastes like poop. Anyways, as you might guess from the measuring spoons, I was going to try and come up with good amounts for things, but I ended up just throwing ingredients in willy-nilly until I found a good color and consistency. I figured out two things, mostly. One, I'm really pale. Two, nutmeg is more coarse than the other ingredients and you probably don't want quite as much of it. I went heavier on the cornstarch.

Ingredients:
Cocoa Powder
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Cornstarch

Really, just find a small container and mix them together. Easy. I would suggest even making a larger batch and then having a smaller container you can refill.

How awesome is it, that I made an entire cup of makeup with ingredients I already had in my kitchen? It will probably take me like five years to go through all of this. This much powder would be so expensive in a drugstore.



It makes a nice light powder make-up that I can feel good about putting all over my face! I think it will be perfect for the summer heat when I just want something lighter, or as a finishing touch over other make up. Have you ever tried making any make-up?

-e plus l

I came across this post on making your own bronzer, and was intrigued. How awesome would it be to have make up you could theoretically eat? My guess is that it is more along the lines of when parents make play-dough for their children and it's technically edible, but tastes like poop. Anyways, as you might guess from the measuring spoons, I was going to try and come up with good amounts for things, but I ended up just throwing ingredients in willy-nilly until I found a good color and consistency. I figured out two things, mostly. One, I'm really pale. Two, nutmeg is more coarse than the other ingredients and you probably don't want quite as much of it. I went heavier on the cornstarch.

Ingredients:
Cocoa Powder
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Cornstarch

Really, just find a small container and mix them together. Easy. I would suggest even making a larger batch and then having a smaller container you can refill.

How awesome is it, that I made an entire cup of makeup with ingredients I already had in my kitchen? It will probably take me like five years to go through all of this. This much powder would be so expensive in a drugstore.



It makes a nice light powder make-up that I can feel good about putting all over my face! I think it will be perfect for the summer heat when I just want something lighter, or as a finishing touch over other make up. Have you ever tried making any make-up?

-e plus l

coffee coconut oil sugar scrub

Remember a while back when I made that wonderful Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub? Well, it was about time to make another one. With the multitude of kinds of scrubs around Pinterest, I decided to use what I had handy in my dorm room and go from there. The is something comforting about knowing that I could literally just eat a spoonful of this stuff and be fine. In fact, I'm sure there is some recipe for a delicious cake or something that use all these ingredients! If you get tired of using it in the shower, just transplant it to your pantry! Just kidding, I wouldn't do that after sticking soapy fingers in there - but it is a nice thought.

One thing I may not have made clear just yet is my love for coffee. Coffee is a wonderful thing, and can turn a nice relaxing morning into a glorious one. I can't resist a cup of steamy black coffee. Working in a coffee shop has only helped to encourage this addiction, but at this point in my life I'm quite alright with that.

Coffee is generally made into a tasty beverage, but if you happen to have some coffee grounds that you aren't planning to imbibe, I would highly recommend throwing them into a sugar scrub. This would be perfect for those people who love the smell of coffee brewing, but don't like the taste. Just rub it all over your body instead!

Turns out, using coffee in a scrub actually has some benefits other than making your body smell like heaven. Here are some benefits that I discovered from creeping around on the internet a bit.

• Caffeine has anti-inflammatory properties and also helps to speed the healing of skin wounds. 
• Caffeine is a natural antioxidant and has heart disease and cancer fighting qualities. Along with that, antioxidants help reduce age spots and wrinkles and can help prevent your skin from aging prematurely.
• Coffee, along with the sugar in this scrub, help exfoliate skin and make moisturizing more effective. Conveniently, using coconut oil turns it into one nice exfoliating, moisturizing scrub. I still lotion up afterwards anyways, but I also have particularly dry skin.
• Caffeine typically aids in blood flow, and consequently helps prevent the occurrence of varicose veins and cellulite.

Cool, huh?

Body scrubs are so, so easy to make and adapt to your own preferences.
You will need:

coffee grounds

coconut oil

sugar in the raw

I used raw sugar because the granules are larger and a little more scrub-like. Also, just because that is what I had on hand. If you want to go the cheap route though, regular white sugar would work just fine. Before you start, figure out what size of container you want to store your scrub in, and portion appropriately. Scoop your coconut oil into a bowl, and add the sugar and coffee. Mix vigorously. Because coconut oil can be used as a moisturizer by itself, I wouldn't worry about your proportions being a little wacky.

Once you're done, rub it all over you body, face, friends, etc.

I hope you all enjoy this scrub as much as I do! What kind should I try next?

- e 

Remember a while back when I made that wonderful Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub? Well, it was about time to make another one. With the multitude of kinds of scrubs around Pinterest, I decided to use what I had handy in my dorm room and go from there. The is something comforting about knowing that I could literally just eat a spoonful of this stuff and be fine. In fact, I'm sure there is some recipe for a delicious cake or something that use all these ingredients! If you get tired of using it in the shower, just transplant it to your pantry! Just kidding, I wouldn't do that after sticking soapy fingers in there - but it is a nice thought.

One thing I may not have made clear just yet is my love for coffee. Coffee is a wonderful thing, and can turn a nice relaxing morning into a glorious one. I can't resist a cup of steamy black coffee. Working in a coffee shop has only helped to encourage this addiction, but at this point in my life I'm quite alright with that.

Coffee is generally made into a tasty beverage, but if you happen to have some coffee grounds that you aren't planning to imbibe, I would highly recommend throwing them into a sugar scrub. This would be perfect for those people who love the smell of coffee brewing, but don't like the taste. Just rub it all over your body instead!

Turns out, using coffee in a scrub actually has some benefits other than making your body smell like heaven. Here are some benefits that I discovered from creeping around on the internet a bit.

• Caffeine has anti-inflammatory properties and also helps to speed the healing of skin wounds. 
• Caffeine is a natural antioxidant and has heart disease and cancer fighting qualities. Along with that, antioxidants help reduce age spots and wrinkles and can help prevent your skin from aging prematurely.
• Coffee, along with the sugar in this scrub, help exfoliate skin and make moisturizing more effective. Conveniently, using coconut oil turns it into one nice exfoliating, moisturizing scrub. I still lotion up afterwards anyways, but I also have particularly dry skin.
• Caffeine typically aids in blood flow, and consequently helps prevent the occurrence of varicose veins and cellulite.

Cool, huh?

Body scrubs are so, so easy to make and adapt to your own preferences.
You will need:

coffee grounds

coconut oil

sugar in the raw

I used raw sugar because the granules are larger and a little more scrub-like. Also, just because that is what I had on hand. If you want to go the cheap route though, regular white sugar would work just fine. Before you start, figure out what size of container you want to store your scrub in, and portion appropriately. Scoop your coconut oil into a bowl, and add the sugar and coffee. Mix vigorously. Because coconut oil can be used as a moisturizer by itself, I wouldn't worry about your proportions being a little wacky.

Once you're done, rub it all over you body, face, friends, etc.

I hope you all enjoy this scrub as much as I do! What kind should I try next?

- e 

what we wore

With another bout of horrid, lingering winter weather (it really wasn't that bad) we decided to channel the spring weather by dressing for it and crossing our fingers. Usually a person would instead check the weather and dress for it, but we think it should work the other way. And it did work! A warm beautiful day came our way yet again most likely because of our colored tights, pastels, and mushroom print shirt.

We  have a tendency to notice our weird little quirks when looking back through our outfit pictures. For instance, upon viewing the picture of leah's hands she could help but yell, "good lord look how crooked my pinkies are!" She swears they get more crooked each day. And when erin saw the picture of her back she noticed that the key hole in her dress perfectly framed the mole on her back. We quickly named it her key hole mole.

We have decided to embrace our weird quirks. Both the ones mentioned and others (did you know leah has a chipped tooth?). It is better to love yourself the way you are then to obsess over trying to change it.

What weird quirks do you embrace?

-e plus l

follow us: bloglovin'//twitter//facebook

With another bout of horrid, lingering winter weather (it really wasn't that bad) we decided to channel the spring weather by dressing for it and crossing our fingers. Usually a person would instead check the weather and dress for it, but we think it should work the other way. And it did work! A warm beautiful day came our way yet again most likely because of our colored tights, pastels, and mushroom print shirt.

We  have a tendency to notice our weird little quirks when looking back through our outfit pictures. For instance, upon viewing the picture of leah's hands she could help but yell, "good lord look how crooked my pinkies are!" She swears they get more crooked each day. And when erin saw the picture of her back she noticed that the key hole in her dress perfectly framed the mole on her back. We quickly named it her key hole mole.

We have decided to embrace our weird quirks. Both the ones mentioned and others (did you know leah has a chipped tooth?). It is better to love yourself the way you are then to obsess over trying to change it.

What weird quirks do you embrace?

-e plus l

follow us: bloglovin'//twitter//facebook

How to ombre your hair

Erin and I tackled the ominous task of ombring my hair this summer and it actually turned out really well! I kept it for a long time and really loved it  but I eventually grew out of it and decided to dye it all back to brown.

When my friend Rachel asked me to help her out at the beginning of the year I was super excited to help her out and I just touched it up this past week. Here's how we did it:

Ombre Dying your hair looks a little difficult to do but it is actually really easy, granted you get the right dyes. I've tried other box dyes and it just didn't work. When dying my own hair, no matter what color, I only use John Frieda Hair Dye. I have seriously never had a problem with it coming out poorly (as I have with other brands). It comes out really evenly, lasts for a long time, it doesn't stink as much as other dyes, and it is foamy and awesome. It is a little more expensive than the other brands but it is well worth it.

For Rachel's hair I used John Frieda's 2N Natural Black for her top color and the bleach from Splat's Pink Fetish for her tips. Sadly we weren't able to find Splat's plain bleach box in town anywhere, but you can get the colored boxes and not use the colored dye.

Step one: Using the John Frieda Natural  black, dye your hair as usual. You can focus a little less on the ends of your hair so that they are a little lighter to start. If you want to have your natural hair color on top you can also just skip this step.

Step two: After you have rinsed out the first dye, blow dry your hair until it is completely dry again.

Step three: Divide your hair into four sections. One section over each shoulder and two sections on the back.

Step four: Apply the bleach to each section of your hair, twisting the hair as you go. Try to get more of the bleach towards the tips of your hair.

Step five: Once each section of your hair is fairly well bleached, untwist the sections. Then take smaller sections of hair and go a little bit higher with the bleach so there isn't a straight line.

Step six: rinse and style! You are done!

***Remember to also follow the instructions on each box of dye for how to use the chemicals and how long to wait before rinsing***

Isn't Rachel adorable?? I love the way it looks on her, plus she is so stinkin' cute anyways. We would love to see how yours turns out! You can tag us on facebook or twitter or leave a link to your post here on the blog!

-(e plus) l.

Erin and I tackled the ominous task of ombring my hair this summer and it actually turned out really well! I kept it for a long time and really loved it  but I eventually grew out of it and decided to dye it all back to brown.

When my friend Rachel asked me to help her out at the beginning of the year I was super excited to help her out and I just touched it up this past week. Here's how we did it:

Ombre Dying your hair looks a little difficult to do but it is actually really easy, granted you get the right dyes. I've tried other box dyes and it just didn't work. When dying my own hair, no matter what color, I only use John Frieda Hair Dye. I have seriously never had a problem with it coming out poorly (as I have with other brands). It comes out really evenly, lasts for a long time, it doesn't stink as much as other dyes, and it is foamy and awesome. It is a little more expensive than the other brands but it is well worth it.

For Rachel's hair I used John Frieda's 2N Natural Black for her top color and the bleach from Splat's Pink Fetish for her tips. Sadly we weren't able to find Splat's plain bleach box in town anywhere, but you can get the colored boxes and not use the colored dye.

Step one: Using the John Frieda Natural  black, dye your hair as usual. You can focus a little less on the ends of your hair so that they are a little lighter to start. If you want to have your natural hair color on top you can also just skip this step.

Step two: After you have rinsed out the first dye, blow dry your hair until it is completely dry again.

Step three: Divide your hair into four sections. One section over each shoulder and two sections on the back.

Step four: Apply the bleach to each section of your hair, twisting the hair as you go. Try to get more of the bleach towards the tips of your hair.

Step five: Once each section of your hair is fairly well bleached, untwist the sections. Then take smaller sections of hair and go a little bit higher with the bleach so there isn't a straight line.

Step six: rinse and style! You are done!

***Remember to also follow the instructions on each box of dye for how to use the chemicals and how long to wait before rinsing***

Isn't Rachel adorable?? I love the way it looks on her, plus she is so stinkin' cute anyways. We would love to see how yours turns out! You can tag us on facebook or twitter or leave a link to your post here on the blog!

-(e plus) l.

leah's makeup routine

I feel as though I must preface this by saying, I was never formally taught how to do my own make up. I started wearing eye liner in middle school after seeing my best friend wear it and my little angsty seventh grade self wanted to join in. Since then I learned by observing my sister, my roommates, and other bloggers. I feel pretty good about what I have come up with through these observations.

(If you want a mental picture, I usually am awake around 6 to go to work at the coffee shop and in order to not disturb my sleeping roomie, I sit cross legged in the hallway in front of the mirror huddled under a blanket, grunting at anyone who happens to wake up in the middle of their night to use the restroom.)

1. I start by putting on L'Oreal True Match concealer underneath my eyes and anywhere I need general touch ups. My cheeks tend to be pretty red and I occasionally need to cover a few blemishes here and there (we can't all be perfect, am I right?)

2. I then use Cover Girl's Professional Loose Powder all over my face to even things out a little.

3. For my eyes I start by applying Maybelline Color Tattoo Eye Shadow in Gold. I may have taken this tip from Erin awhile back... she is so wise.
4. Next I do a good ole wing tipped eye with my NYC Liquid Eye Liner. This post is really helpful when attempting wing tipped eyeliner.
5. Next, if I am in the mood, I use my Cover Girl Perfect Blend Pencil Crayon on my bottom lid. I only do this occasionally.
6. I use L'Oreal's Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara and cake it on. I love this stuff. I was once asked if I was wearing falsies. To which I replied, no, no I am not I just have really awesome mascara. Plus this stuff comes in a gold tube and looks pretty dang cool.

7. For my lips I alternate between just wearing plain old (wonderful) Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm, Cover Girl Nature Luxe Balm in Anenome, and Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm in Rendezvous and Lovestick. The Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm in Lovestick is by far my favorite, which you can tell by the label's worn off state. 

8. This is where I get a little weird, for blush I actually use my Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm. I just draw a line with it under my cheek bones and blend it in with my fingers. I have found that it works really well, and I don't have to worry about dropping my powder all over the floor like I seem to always do.

Of course, things work differently for everyone, this is just what works for me! Let me know if I am doing something horribly wrong or if you have any tips!

-(e plus) l.

You can find Erin's post on her makeup routine here.

I feel as though I must preface this by saying, I was never formally taught how to do my own make up. I started wearing eye liner in middle school after seeing my best friend wear it and my little angsty seventh grade self wanted to join in. Since then I learned by observing my sister, my roommates, and other bloggers. I feel pretty good about what I have come up with through these observations.

(If you want a mental picture, I usually am awake around 6 to go to work at the coffee shop and in order to not disturb my sleeping roomie, I sit cross legged in the hallway in front of the mirror huddled under a blanket, grunting at anyone who happens to wake up in the middle of their night to use the restroom.)

1. I start by putting on L'Oreal True Match concealer underneath my eyes and anywhere I need general touch ups. My cheeks tend to be pretty red and I occasionally need to cover a few blemishes here and there (we can't all be perfect, am I right?)

2. I then use Cover Girl's Professional Loose Powder all over my face to even things out a little.

3. For my eyes I start by applying Maybelline Color Tattoo Eye Shadow in Gold. I may have taken this tip from Erin awhile back... she is so wise.
4. Next I do a good ole wing tipped eye with my NYC Liquid Eye Liner. This post is really helpful when attempting wing tipped eyeliner.
5. Next, if I am in the mood, I use my Cover Girl Perfect Blend Pencil Crayon on my bottom lid. I only do this occasionally.
6. I use L'Oreal's Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara and cake it on. I love this stuff. I was once asked if I was wearing falsies. To which I replied, no, no I am not I just have really awesome mascara. Plus this stuff comes in a gold tube and looks pretty dang cool.

7. For my lips I alternate between just wearing plain old (wonderful) Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm, Cover Girl Nature Luxe Balm in Anenome, and Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm in Rendezvous and Lovestick. The Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm in Lovestick is by far my favorite, which you can tell by the label's worn off state. 

8. This is where I get a little weird, for blush I actually use my Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm. I just draw a line with it under my cheek bones and blend it in with my fingers. I have found that it works really well, and I don't have to worry about dropping my powder all over the floor like I seem to always do.

Of course, things work differently for everyone, this is just what works for me! Let me know if I am doing something horribly wrong or if you have any tips!

-(e plus) l.

You can find Erin's post on her makeup routine here.

erin's makeup routine

Over a few years of wearing make up I've come to find what products I really like, and which one's I should probably just get rid of. I've fallen into a routine lately, which is good when it comes to speedily getting ready, but I guess that could be bad if what you're looking for is some variety. While sometimes I'll mix it up a little, these are my go-to products that I use on a daily basis.

1. I have verry dry skin, and have struggled to find a moisturizer that can handle my face. Until I ran accross Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer. This stuff is a lifesaver. I slather that all over my face every morning.
2. Second, I use Almay Smart Shade Smart Balance underneath my eyes. I found that this gets a little splotchy if you try and use it all over your face, but for small spots it works great.
3. Then, for my foundation I use American Beauty Perfectly Even Natural Finish Foundation. This is a recent discovery of mine, and a little the pricier side of my usual drug store make up, but I love it.

4. To dust on my cheeks I use Almay Powder Blush in 140 Pink. I've found it to be a good standard powder blush, not too obtrusive.
5. As a second layer, I've discovered that using Covergirl Gold Sizzle Eye Enhancers as a bronzer of sorts adds just a nice touch of shimmer.

6. For eyeliner, I'm personally a fan of liquid eyeliner, it just tends to be less smudgy. Also, its easier to lighter, and still have a nice line. This could just be my lack of make up expertise shining through though. My favorite that I've used is Covergirl Line Exact in Very Black.
7. Mascara is another thing that I've slowly become with splurging a little bit on. Flirt! All That Lash in Kickin' Blue is the best thing that I've come across. The blue isn't blaring, so you can only tell in certain light, and it fills out your lashes so well. Also, no problems with smearing. It is just wonderful. And the tube is pretty, so that always sells me. (Victim of advertising, right here.)


6. Lastly, I top it off with a little chapstick. I have so many choices there, but I've recently been really into Babylips Lip Balm in Twinkle. It has a nice shine, while being super moisturizing at the same time.

What are your make up staples? What do you love that I'm totally missing out on?

-e

Over a few years of wearing make up I've come to find what products I really like, and which one's I should probably just get rid of. I've fallen into a routine lately, which is good when it comes to speedily getting ready, but I guess that could be bad if what you're looking for is some variety. While sometimes I'll mix it up a little, these are my go-to products that I use on a daily basis.

1. I have verry dry skin, and have struggled to find a moisturizer that can handle my face. Until I ran accross Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer. This stuff is a lifesaver. I slather that all over my face every morning.
2. Second, I use Almay Smart Shade Smart Balance underneath my eyes. I found that this gets a little splotchy if you try and use it all over your face, but for small spots it works great.
3. Then, for my foundation I use American Beauty Perfectly Even Natural Finish Foundation. This is a recent discovery of mine, and a little the pricier side of my usual drug store make up, but I love it.

4. To dust on my cheeks I use Almay Powder Blush in 140 Pink. I've found it to be a good standard powder blush, not too obtrusive.
5. As a second layer, I've discovered that using Covergirl Gold Sizzle Eye Enhancers as a bronzer of sorts adds just a nice touch of shimmer.

6. For eyeliner, I'm personally a fan of liquid eyeliner, it just tends to be less smudgy. Also, its easier to lighter, and still have a nice line. This could just be my lack of make up expertise shining through though. My favorite that I've used is Covergirl Line Exact in Very Black.
7. Mascara is another thing that I've slowly become with splurging a little bit on. Flirt! All That Lash in Kickin' Blue is the best thing that I've come across. The blue isn't blaring, so you can only tell in certain light, and it fills out your lashes so well. Also, no problems with smearing. It is just wonderful. And the tube is pretty, so that always sells me. (Victim of advertising, right here.)


6. Lastly, I top it off with a little chapstick. I have so many choices there, but I've recently been really into Babylips Lip Balm in Twinkle. It has a nice shine, while being super moisturizing at the same time.

What are your make up staples? What do you love that I'm totally missing out on?

-e