There is only one thing that I dislike about summer, and that would be bugs. Where I live there is an abnormal amount of insects of all shapes and sizes. I have gotten used to my white car turning green because of its layer of bugs but I refuse to get used to being attacked and bitten by them. However; I hate the smell and feel of bug spray. Nothing disgusts me more than the scent of traditional bug repellents so I knew that I had to dedicate an entire post to keeping bugs at bay.

Fun fact – Did you know that only female mosquitoes bite us? That is because female mosquitoes need our blood to be able to lay their eggs. Gross, right? Okay, enough science for today.

Not only are mosquito bites incredibly uncomfortable and itchy – they can also transmit diseases like West Nile Virus, Malaria and other harder to pronounce diseases. They have been responsible for the death of more people than all of the worlds wars combined. Malaria infected mosquitoes kill an average of 2 to 3 million people a year and people living in the United States are not immune to contracting mosquito transmitted diseases. This is why it’s so important to protect ourselves from being brunch for these pesky insects.

Here are just a few ideas for keeping bugs away from you:

DIY Mosquito Deterrent – All you need is a small spray bottle, a carrier oil or alcohol that is safe for use on skin (olive oil, witch hazel, vodka, or other cooking oils), and an essential oil. The essential oils that are good for repelling mosquitoes are castor oil, eucalyptus oil, cinnamon oil, and citronella oil. You should mix 1 part oil with 10-20 parts of oil or alcohol. Your mixture should be anywhere between 5 and 10 percent essential oil. (Around 20 drops of oil per 2 tablespoons of oil/alcohol.) Neem oil is also a very effective natural bug repellent.

You can use coconut oil as a bug repellent. You can rub it all over your body like a moisturizer to keep bugs from lunching on you.

Bonus tip – Wearing dark clothing is also helpful!

I hope that you can use some of these ideas to keep yourself safe while the mosquitoes are out in full force this summer. As always, if you have any different bug repellent recipes or tricks please let me know in the comments.

The first official day of summer took place during this past weekend, and I couldn’t be any more thrilled than I am at this moment! Summer is my favorite season, hands down. I love lounging by the pool (covered in SPF, of course), wearing cute floral dresses, short shorts, and being able to play in the sunshine all day long. No matter what your reasoning for loving summer may be, I’m sure you agree that there is no better season to keep your look casual, relaxed, and super laid back.

I don’t know how you feel about this, but I can’t stand the thought of straightening my hair when the mercury rises. Going through my standard straightening routine is not my idea of a good time when the temperatures are way above the 80s or 90s. Summer is the perfect time to give our hair a much needed break from styling, so why not embrace loose waves instead?

No hairstyle says summer to me like loose, beachy waves. I absolutely love the look of waves, and I think it’s an extremely flattering style on anyone and everyone. There are numerous companies who produce and sell sea salt or wave spray, but why buy it when you can make it yourself? It’s so easy and if you’re anything like me you like to know exactly what is in your beauty products.

You will need:

• A spray bottle (You can find these almost anywhere and they usually cost $1)
• Distilled Water
• A few teaspoons of sea salt (The more salt you add into your mixture, the more textured your hair will be – so this is all based on personal preference)
• Jojoba oil, olive oil, or even conditioner if you would prefer. This is to counteract the drying effect that the salt can have on your hair.

You just need to fill your bottle with the distilled water, leaving enough room to add the salt and oil/conditioner. Remember – the amount of salt depends on how much texture the spray will give your hair but I would suggest using at least 2 teaspoons. After adding the sea salt, you can then put in your light oil. I used jojoba oil, but if you would prefer to use conditioner or another type of oil please feel free to do so. I put in about 5 or 6 small drops.

All you need to do now is shake to mix all of the ingredients together. I told you it was simple! You’ll need to shake the mixture before using it every single time, because the ingredients have a tendency to separate. You can either spray into damp or dry hair and just “scrunch” with your fingers or twist into sections and let dry before taking down. Run your fingers through it to give it a more natural look and you’re all set!

Happy Summer beauties!

Happy Friday Beauties! I hope you have all had a wonderful week! Even if you’re super busy this weekend, I have a really easy facial toner recipe and a face mask for you to make and try out featuring kiwi fruit.

I love kiwis, a lot! I eat a plethora of them throughout the year and can never seem to get enough of the flavorful, fuzzy, green fruit. In addition to being delicious, kiwis are an excellent source of Vitamin C. They also have Vitamins A and E as well as antioxidants and enzymes. Kiwis are good for the inside and the outside of our bodies.

When used for skincare purposes, Kiwi can help nourish and calm the skin, purify, reduce oiliness, and tighten the pores. It’s a great thing to keep around!

Nourishing Face Mask - This face mask is so simple, hydrating, and soothing! Blend 1 kiwi that has been peeled, and half of a banana (be sure to eat the other half, because bananas are healthy and nutritious!) together and add 2 teaspoons of plain yogurt. Apply the mask to your clean face and leave on for 15-20 minutes before gently rinsing off with warm water. Follow with your regular toner and moisturizer.

Exfoliating Face Mask - If you’re not interested in a nourishing mask and lean more towards exfoliating and deep cleansing masks instead, try mashing one skinless kiwi and applying the kiwi to your face. The tiny seeds in the kiwi will help exfoliate and the acids in the fruit will also help leave your skin cleansed and smooth.

Toner - If you’re not a big fan of masks but want to harness the beautifying powers of the Kiwi, you can make a toner instead. For this recipe you only need 1 Kiwi and 2 teaspoons of lime juice. Add an equal amount of water and mix together until there are no chunks and it is completely blended. Just massage the mixture gently over your face with a cotton ball or cotton pad.

Make sure to store this toner in the refrigerator because it could spoil more quickly if it’s kept elsewhere. Your toner should stay good for about 4-6 days.

Let me know if you try these recipes out or if you know of other ways to work kiwi into your beauty routine. Have a great weekend!

Do you have hot, sweaty feet? Maybe even smelly feet? You’re not alone. It’s very common for feet to develop an odor in the heat of the summer months thanks to excessive sweating. There is an easy (and cheap!) solution to the problem – Jello! Yes, Jello, as in the fruity, jiggly, colorful delight that so many of us like to snack on.

All you need to do is make 3 boxes of lemon or lime flavored Jello (or a generic substitute) and put into a big tub. Let the gelatin set up in the fridge and then submerge your feet in the cool, sugary treat. Soak for twenty minutes and when you’re finished your feet will be deodorized and stink free! It’s also cooling and incredibly relaxing.

I have no clue why this works but it does so try it out next time your feet are feeling overheated!

Sunburns – They happen to even the most diligent of sunscreen wearers in the heat of the summer months. Sometimes we just can’t prevent them from happening but we can help them feel better after they occur. It is so important to cool the burn down once it happens, because it can continue to go deeper even after you are no longer in the sun. It’s important to remember that a sunburn is an injury to your skin, and it needs to be taken care of.

A cool shower or bath is a good first step in the cooling down process. The colder the better in this case, so make the water as cold as you can possibly stand to be in. If you want even more relief you can make yourself a cold oatmeal bath. It will help relieve whatever itchiness you may be experiencing and also help soothe and calm the burnt area.

You can soak a washcloth in black tea and apply it to the area or you can take a bath in herbal tea. A chamomile tea bath will really help alleviate some of the heat and calm your skin down. Adding some apple cider vinegar to your bath is another method that works well.

Keeping a spray bottle full of rose, or other flower, water in the refrigerator is extremely cooling and soothing to the skin. You can use it anywhere on your body for a cool treat. Check out the recipe I featured on Monday for DIY rose water here – http://beautifulbasics.onsugar.com/DIY-Rose-Water-18061719

You can also soak a washcloth in cold milk straight out of the fridge and apply it to the area. Yogurt is also helpful. Just slather some plain yogurt on the burn for instant relief.

Applying regular white vinegar or aloe vera gel are probably the most popular methods of sunburn relief so I won’t dive into those two.

What do you do to help heal a sunburn and put out the fire?