The first day of Winter is here and it's time to pamper ourselves thorough the cold winter months! Today on WJLA I discussed how to make homemade beauty treats like hair masks and face & body scrubs - which are great for everyone and perfect gifts! I will also be highlighting some great last minute gifts you can pick up for anyone left on your gift list!

DIY Beauty Ideas!

There is nothing better - and easier - than making awesome beauty treats with ingredients you have on hand - here are some great (and EASY) recipes to make fantastic beauty treats at home for yourself or to share!

Coffee Body Scrub:

It’s been tried and tested, and while it’s hard to completely eliminate cellulite, this body scrub works particularly well. The properties in coffee have been found to help diminish the look of cellulite and the added benefit of coconut oil in the recipe will keep your skin moisturized and silly smooth.
Ingredients:
1 cup coffee grounds
1/2 cup white or brown sugar
1 cup coconut oil
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. After you’ve washed your body, massage the scrub into wet skin for about 60 seconds per area, where you’re targeting cellulite, then rinse with warm water. Pro Tip: Use a tub stopper in your shower while using this scrub, as you’ll need to remove it from your shower and get rid of the waste in a regular garbage can as opposed to your shower drain, which can become clogged.

We all need a good exfoliator, so why not choose one with natural properties to buff all those pesky lines and dry skin? A coffee scrub will help to eliminate dead skin while working with your body’s natural renewal process to produce new skin cells, which creates the glowing effect everyone wants.

Coffee Face Scrub:

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons coffee grounds 
1 tablespoon natural oil of your choice: Olive, grape seed, coconut, or almond
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients, then add oil. Based on the kind of scrub consistency you want, add more or less brown sugar. Massage onto your face in gentle, circular motions, then rinse with warm water.

Read more: http://stylecaster.com/beauty/diy-scrub-coffee/#ixzz51r32Pooz

Moisturizing Hair Masks:

Ingredients:
1 whole egg (make sure you use the yolk!)
1/2 cup Olive Oil

Directions: Blend together and massage into hair. Cover hair in a plastic cap and let work for 20 minutes. Rinse well and enjoy your silky locks.

Ingredients:
1 cup Whole Milk
2 Tbs Honey

Directions: Blend together and massage into hair. Cover hair in a plastic cap and let work for 20 minutes. Rinse well and enjoy your silky locks.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Pumpkin 
​2 Tbs Honey

 If you still have canned pumpkin lurking in your cabinets from Thanksgiving, this might be the most beneficial way to use it up! Mix the vitamin-rich ingredient with moisturizing honey, slather it on your hair, then toss on a shower cap to keep it in place for about 15 minutes before you rinse.

Get that Summertime Glow on the Go!

I am a huge fan of sunless tanning and St. Tropez make the best products available. For a quick on the go glow I love the One Night Only line which features a body gloss and airbrush tans.  I LOVE their 3-in-1 Sculpting Bronzing Powder - it is fantastic for the face and the body!

Last Minute Holiday Gifts!

Some of my favorite holiday gifts can be found at two places: Sephora and Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's for making me look like a culinary pro, and Sephora for pretty much being my retail spirit animal. I often take my private clients to Sephora so I can tailor their beauty bag with some of the best skincare and color brands available - last weekend I was perched in their Georgetown store for 2 hours with two clients, cherry picking the best of their incredible offerings!

Their gift sets are THE BEST. I frequently them pick up just so I can try new products out before I stock them in my kit or recommend them to clients. Additionally, you can use the gift sets to make amazing gift bags and baskets. Here are some of my favorites - and you can still get them in stores!!

Sephora Favorites Fragrance Sampler - 17 generous samples to find what you love the most - one gift certificate to get a FULL SIZE bottle of that fragrance. WOW. BARGAIN!!! This is LIMITED EDITION - get it now!! Available for both Men's and Women's Fragrances.

Sunday Riley - OK - you should get this set if you want amazing skin - and you should GIVE this gift set to EVERYONE. Great for men and women - this is a MUST HAVE.

This palette is not only adorable - but a fantastic value - Go get it!! These won't last!!

Here is a blush palette that will take you through the entire year - AMAZING!!

​Need amazing lips and cheeks and you want it fast? Here you go. I love these!

Ok - I tried to cherry pick some amazing gifts - but if you just go to this link - they ALL have my approval as fantastic gifts - and I hope you post lots of photos of these bad boys all over your trees!!

Want to see the full show! Check it out here!!

Have a Question? Ask a Question - I am always available to help!! xxx

A HUGE thank you to WJLA, Sephora and St. Tropez for their incredible support xxx

I had an amazing time this morning on Good Morning Washington with one of my favorite people: VJ! We are able to talk about the importance of taking care of your styling tools and I wanted to share my tips (and my favorite tools and products) with you!

1. Why is important to clean your tools?
Styling tools, brushes, makeup brushes - all of these personal care tools are an investment - both in the tool and in yourself. If you make the financial investment you are clearly looking to put your best foot forward - so take the time to take care of your tools - with just a monthly clean you can add years to the life of your tools!

2. How do I clean my tools?
For blowdryers - take an old tooth brush and brush away the dust, dirt, and hair that can accumulate at the back of the dryer (air intake). If you have a dryer like mine (I own both a T3 and a DryBar Buttercup (LOVE this dryer (BUY ME HERE) you can remove the intake cover and use a soft, damp cloth to wipe away any debris.

For Flat Irons - I also use the DryBar flat irons (I have two - yes they are that good (BUY ME HERE) - you want to make sure you are taking care of the delicate iron plates and don't put anything abrasive on them. If you have residue from styling products, gently use a damp clean cloth to wipe away any dirt. If you have stubborn residue use a small cotton bud soaked in 70% alcohol to soften and remove the residue.

For Curling Irons -  Use a soft, damp cloth to remove any residue - also remove any shed hairs trapped in any part of the iron. I love these two irons (I have them both and I LOVE them!) Wrap Party Iron and Three Day Bender Iron

For Straightening Brushes - If you have curly hair and you lust after flawless, blown out locks - then get ye one of these stat! I LOVE my Amika straightening brush (I bought mine HERE). These are also a snap to clean: remove any extra hair trapped in the brush and take a cotton bud soaked in alcohol to remove any dirt and residue.

Taking care of your tools is the first step towards a great hair day - products are the second step! Here are some of my favorite products!

Amika makes AMAZING products - and I am in LOVE with the following:
1. Silken Up Dry Conditioner - A curly girls' best friend
2. Perk Up Dry Shampoo - A classic.
3. Bombshell Blowout Spray - This stuff is AMAZING - I used it on my dry hair and then styled (after I had let it dry) and I had incredible "Dynasty" style full blown out waves. It was epic.

Also - pro-tip - their Dry Shampoo and Conditioner spray CLEAR - if you have dark hair this is a BIG win for you. All their products smell DELICIOUS.

I also am in love with their Nourishing Mask, Heat Defense Serum, and frankly their use of Sea Buckthorn - one of my hero and favorite ingredients- makes them a winner across the board in my book. Go peruse their site and tell me what goodies you come away with!

DryBar- the majority of my hot tools are from DryBar and the reason why is that they are SUPER easy to use - which is key when you are a Makeup Artist first, and a Hair Stylist second. Truth time! I have many of their styling sprays in my kit as well as they usually bundle their tools with sprays - so they are GREAT for Holiday Gift Giving!!!  Als0 - all their products smell like magic and snickerdoodle cookies - so there is that. Here are some of my favorite products:

1. Triple Sec - The classic - you spray before styling - you spray after styling - this does it all.
2. The Sheriff - If you want serious hair, you need a serious spray. This is that spray.
3. Sparkling Soda - Everyone needs a shine spray. EVERYONE. Don't fight it - just buy it.
4. The Chaser - A great smoothing and shine cream I cocktail with other products - awesome fo controlling flyaways, bandaging split ends, and just making hair look beautifully finished.

Here is the video for you to check out!

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