Latest Obsession: Coconut Oil

Seriously, I feel like you can’t spit without seeing something that touts the advantages of coconut oil!

Not that I am going around spitting… but I am always intrigued by (and frankly susceptible to) new and creative beauty regiments.

For example, check out this list from Buzzfeed (the king of list-making!).

http://www.buzzfeed.com/deepalakshmin/x-reasons-coconut-oil-is-your-best-friend-dmdm

Or these ideas from Pinterest…

 

These people are right. Coconut oil is MONEY. I love it. I have started using it for a variety of beauty needs. Now, Northerners with all that cold, listen up, coconut oil makes an awesome moisturizer. Just spread it on your body (face, hair — anywhere) and let the magic happen. I used it with Epsom salt to shave and I got the softest legs ever and my shave lasted two days more. But I am getting ahead of myself, here are some of the ways that I have tried and really believe can make a difference for you.

I decided to try my hand at the joy of coconut oil. I did a coconut oil deep conditioning hair treatment… I got the idea from this blog: http://made2style.com/2013/02/18/coconut-oil-hair-mask/

Here’s the in progress look…

I also did a face mask and then a soaked my face in coconut oil to prevent it from drying out.

How scary do I look?

I didn’t stop with my face and hair, I also made this sweet coconut oil scrub and tried it out on my legs and arms…

http://www.madincrafts.com/2012/08/raspberry-coconut-oil-body-scrub.html

 

I had previously used coconut oil in my lip scrub and fallen in love too. In addition, for super cold climates, I read about putting it on your skin before you take a shower it helps prevent the water from drying you out.

In the end of the day, this has been one of the most economical and versatile products I ever bought and I got it at the grocery store! Best of all, I’ve been getting compliments on my skin.

Mask party!

My friend Jess came into town this weekend and we got to get some real quality girl time in. We had a very elaborate schedule of eating, shopping, nails, and pampering…

We tried out some fun face masks. Face masks have basically been my obsession for the last couple of weeks. I keep trying different ones on for size and seeing what the benefits for skin might be. It’s been fun but I think the truth is that drinking more water, hydrating my skin, and NOT touching my face helped the most.

Here’s a glimpse into our mask adventure:

Closetvention!

My friend, S, mentioned her disaster of a closet and I threw out how much I love a good project and a mega project was born. Disclaimer: S’s closet was legit. It’s a walk in closet with plenty of space to tuck things and forget about them. What it wasn’t was a optimal use of the space. It certainly was not a place where S could be inspired to up her fashion game. That’s why she used her “phone-a-friend.”

BEFORE

AFTER

10 hours later, we created a space of which the Kardashians would approve and, perhaps more importantly, a space S could really use!

Tips:
1. Make deliberate choices about how you organize your space. S and I created a dresser-type area where she could deposit change and lay things out.

2. Color-code your clothes. I know it sounds unnecessarily OCD but the truth is it is much easier to see what you have and to find items when you need them.

3. When cleaning out, be aggressive. It can be emotional and exhausting to relive memories,
think about how much you spent on an item, or how much you loved an item. For S, a poignant moment was when we put her Doc Martens in the give away pile. She once loved those shoes but had less room for them in the closet of her late twenties self.

4. Take this time as a spiritual purge and a chance to evaluate. Do I really wear jeans and a V neck t-shirt every Saturday? Maybe it’s time to broaden your horizon or maybe it’s time to realize just how worn out your once black cardi truly is…

5. Attractive storage containers are the key. S and I picked up the baskets at Target and even assembled the white dresser drawers under the hanging clothes (also from Target) and they make a huge difference. They help make the close feel both purposeful and in control.

Dressing is a way of life.

– Yves Saint Laurent