New Website

Hey guys!

I'm so busy at the moment, and I completely forgot to post here about my new website.

I will no longer be writing here, and instead all my posts have been moved over to:


http://skindividualblog.wordpress.com/


I'm so much happier with the layout and overall look of this page, and I hope you enjoy it too.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts over on the new site!

Sinéad x

DIY Makeup-brush Cleanser

Happy Sunday everyone!

Sunday is always my favourite day of the week. I love to just relax around the house in my pyjamas, watch some documentaries, go for a nice walk, cook some food, and do some preparation for the week ahead. One thing I always do on a Sunday is wash my makeup-brushes, to have them nice and clean for the week ahead. For a long time, I was using store bought brush cleansers, but I was going through them quite fast and therefore the cost was beginning to add up. I became determined to create a simple DIY cleansing method for brushes and I finally have one I'm really happy with. It leaves my brushes soft, clean, and most importantly gets rid of any bacteria and build-up!

Why do we need to clean our brushes and how often should we do it?
This may seem a little obvious to say, but when you use your make-up tools bacteria, oils and dirt will build up on them if they are not cleaned regularly! If you continue to use the same brushes on a daily basis without ever washing them, this bacteria and dirt is getting transferred onto your skin, which can cause breakouts and/or irritation of the skin. I try to clean mine now every two/three days, and with this DIY method it's so simple that you can do it in a few minutes.

DIY Brush cleanser

You only need two ingredients for this, and as they are two of the most common things found in the kitchen, the chances are you already own them!

What you'll need 

Anti-bacterial washing up liquid

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Plate

Method

Pour equal measure of the washing up liquid and olive oil onto a plate.

Swirl the brush/beauty blender around the plate.

Massage the liquid into the brush with your fingers and then simply rinse.

Repeat with the same brush until the water runs clear, meaning the brush is completely clean.

After you've washed your brushed, simply squeeze the excess water out of them and leave them lying flat on a towel to dry.

The anti-bacterial washing up liquid will thoroughly clean the brushes and get rid of any bacteria and residue build up. Using olive oil ensures that the bristles will not dry up and are left lovely and conditioned.

Enjoy the rest of your afternoon!

Sinéad


Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/skindividualblog

Food for Beautiful Skin: Turmeric

If you read my last post, about how to make your very own turmeric face mask, you will be aware of some of the reasons this bright yellow powder is so great for topical application on our skin! So now let's looks at it's health benefits and the ways in which it can improve your complexion.

Can help to lower cholesterol

Obviously this is a big claim to make, and eating turmeric alone will not give you such benefits! But, if you include turmeric in your diet, as well as eating well and exercising, you can really reap these rewards as it has a positive effect on cholesterol buildup in the blood vessels.

Fights colds and flu

Turmeric is great for the immune system. Therefore, it's a great ingredient to include in dishes for the coming chilly months!

Combats inflammatory diseases

Turmeric's natural anti-inflammatory qualities mean it may work as well as some anti-inflammatory meds, without the side effects. If you google 'turmeric and pain relief' or 'turmeric and arthritis', you will see a number of stories about how it has helped in cases of people having severe strain or pain in their joints. Pretty amazing!

Fights the symptoms of acne

Again, because of it's anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric is the perfect ingredient to include in your diet if you suffer from acne. Acne results in inflammation of the skin, so including turmeric in your diet (and applying it topically) can help to calm down this inflammation.

Controls oil, brightens skin

Turmeric is great to include in your diet and apply topically to the skin as it both controls oil and brightens the skin, reducing any pigmentation marks or redness.

And now for my favourite part of this post, how to include turmeric in your diet! Recently, I've simply been adding it into many things I cook, such as stir fries, casseroles, soup, curries. Here is one recipe I've been absolutely loving that features this bright yellow gem!

Coconut and turmeric veggie curry

What you'll need

1 can coconut milk

Turmeric

Ginger

Tomato puree

Chopped tomatoes (optional)

Curry powder

Mixed herbs

Fresh chilli (dried is fine too)

black pepper

garlic

onion

chickpeas

sweet potato

peppers

Method

Fry your onions and garlic in a large sauce pan

Add in 2-3 teaspoons of turmeric and 1-2 teaspoons curry powder, stir.

Grate a thumb sized cube of ginger and add to the pot.

Next, add your tomato puree and the chilli. I use a whole chilli (or two!) but add according to your taste.

Shake the can of coconut milk and then pour into the mixture. Add in half a can of water too.

Once this boils, I like to add in a few tablespoon of chopped tomatoes.

Now, you will have a bubbling saucepan of liquid. Add in chopped sweet potato, peppers and chickpeas and simply leave to simmer (not boil) for about 30 mins.

You can choose your own quantity for the veg and liquids, depending on how much curry you want to make. Its tastes even better the next day, so I recommend making a lot!

Serve with fresh basmati rice.

This dish is truly delicious and it's the perfect healthy comfort food for when the weather is colder, like it is now.  In fact, I'm off to make some!

Enjoy!

Sinéad