How to Make Your Own Deodorant

I have been making my own deodorant for two years now. I see several benefits to it:

• It's cheaper then buying commercial deodorant / antiperspirant
• Less waste (no more little blue plastic containers to throw away - and anything that reduces plastic waste is a good thing)
• I never run out, as long as my ingredients are well stocked (and they always are)
• Fewer chemicals on and in my body. There is a great deal of Internet debate about whether or not the chemicals in deodorant and antiperspirants cause cancer and/or Alzheimer's, but whether or not it's true, I'd rather not take the chance...especially if I have a natural alternative that works just as well as the commercial solutions.

What You'll Need:

-Coconut Oil (available in the baking aisle of most supermarkets)

-Corn Starch

-Air-tight container for storage

-Baking Soda (optional)

-Tea Tree Oil or lavender oil (optional)

I find it's easiest to mix if you first melt the coconut oil in the microwave. I remove the jar's lid and microwave on high for 2 minutes until most of it is melted.

My preferred recipe is simply 1/2 C. Corn Starch and 4 Tbsp. Coconut oil, mixed together and stored at room temperature. I apply it with my fingers and it works well for me, even in the Summer. 

If that doesn't work for you, an alternative recipe would be 1/4 C. Corn Starch, 1/4 C. Baking Soda, and 4 Tbsp. Coconut oil. If that still doesn't control odors, you can add 10 drops of Tea Tree or Lavender oil to the mixture. 

Store in an airtight container and just mix more when you need it. I also use a little travel size container (that used to contain eye cream) for traveling.

This is a deodorant only, not an antiperspirant, so you'll still sweat (but you shouldn't stink). If I was a teenager, though, I'm not sure this would be a good solution, but since I'm older and don't sweat as much as I used to, this works great for me. 

Another important note - sometimes it takes a couple of weeks for your sweat glands to adjust to not being squelched by a commercial antiperspirant. So, if you feel like this isn't working because you're so sweaty, try giving it 10 days or so to see if your body adjusts. It really is worth it!

How to Throw a Mad Men Party, Part 2 of 4: Dress

Who doesn't love to dress up, right? And the '50's and '60's fashions that we see in the Mad Men episodes are not only still very stylish and elegant, they're widely available as vintage clothing in local thrift and vintage shops, as well as online on sites such as Etsy and eBay.

For over a month, I searched for the perfect dress. I did find some gorgeous ones on Etsy, and some were on year-end clearance and priced to move. Unfortunately, though, vintage sizes run much smaller than modern sizes, so most of the stylish dresses were too small for me.

Every few days, I stopped by our local Goodwill second-hand shop to see if they had any vintage dresses for sale. Lucky for me, my local shop always has a good selection of dresses, and even though none of their actual vintage dresses were my size, I did find a lovely modern dress in a vintage style that reminded me of many worn to the office by Peggy.

I picked it up for $9, and found a pair of plain pumps for another $5. I added in a string of pearls (formerly my grandmother's), gold-tone earrings, and some beige stockings (the less sheer, the better!), and my party dress was complete!

Now, for the hair and make-up. I have really thick, shoulder-length hair, and I toyed with the idea of putting it up, Joan-style. I didn't have any luck, though - my hair was too heavy, and as the hostess trying to get all the food ready before guests arrived, I ran out of time to try any longer. Instead, I pulled the front back, with a bump, and left the very front section loose. I then pulled the loose section to the side and secured it with a bobby pin in order to give me a faux set of Peggy short bangs. I used my curling iron on the bottom sides to give me a little flip.

I didn't do anything too outlandish for makeup - I used liquid eyeliner on the top only, making sure to get the eyeliner as close to my eyelash as possible. I also put mascara only on the top. I used the brightest red lipstick I could find.

Dry Hair Haiku

Hair, dry and brittle

Don't fear ethnic hair care aisle

Hair is smooth once more

My skin is just about as pale as a human's can get, but these really have been the greatest products for my dry, frizzy blond(ish) hair. We have well water, and the extra minerals dry out my hair even more. I don't know why the company that makes these products doesn't market them more broadly - I mean, dry hair is dry hair, regardless of your race, right?

Anyway, you can check them out here.

Salvage That Cracked Blush, Part 2

In Part 1, I turned my crumbled blush into a cream. That works better if you travel or otherwise move your make-up around quite a bit. If you don't, though, and want a dry blush in its original container, try these steps!

What You'll Need:
Rubbing alcohol
Cracked blush
Old bowl
Spoon
Original blush container

1. Pour your crumbled blush into the bowl, and crush the larger pieces with your spoon.

2. Make a paste by adding a small amount of rubbing alcohol. Don't worry about adding too much - it dries quickly.

3. Spoon the paste into the original blush container.

4. Spread it out by tamping the container a few times.

5. Place the container in a flat area where it won't be disturbed. The alcohol will dry, leaving you with smooth blush! Mine dried in less than a day, but drying times will vary based on humidity and temperature.

Salvage That Cracked Blush, Part 1

Do you ever find yourself trying to use blush that is cracked and loose? Mine fell off the bathroom counter and I have trying to use it up as is, but it's messy and difficult to handle and store. So, I tried out a couple of solutions that turned the pile of crumble into something more useful.

Both options were easy to do and worked well, so hopefully one will help you! This first option makes a blush that travels better, so if you travel a lot, or keep your make-up in a bag that gets moved around, you might want to try this option.

What You'll Need: 
Cracked blush
White facial moisturizer
Spoon
Old Bowl
Small, airtight container

1. Put a small amount of cracked blush into the bowl. You might want to start with just a little bit until you're sure you like the results. Use your spoon to crush the larger pieces.

2. Add a little moisturizer, then mix into the powder. 

3. Move the cream to your container, and that's it! 

I have always preferred powder blush, but I really like how this cream looks and feels on my skin. A little bit goes a long way - it only takes a dab for great color!

I will post Part 2 soon, which will restore the crumbled blush back to a usable powder.