Galmeetsglitter

I feel lips are the most noticeable part in any one's face. Having soft, kissable lips will definitely make heads turn towards you. Unfortunately, cold weather is the worst enemy that can make our lips dry and lifeless. Now that we are in winter, I would like to share some lip care tips with you. So what are you waiting for? Go grab a herbal tea, get cozy in bed and enjoy reading them all!!

• Hydrate, Hydrate and Hydrate!!! I think this tip gets mentioned in many of my posts, but guys, this is the basic and key step for staying fab! 70% of our body is water  and when you don't drink enough water, it shows on your skin. Keep yourself hydrated and get relief from dry lips to some extent.

• A night routine is absolutely essential during this season to maintain your lips. Gently scrub off the dead skin using a tooth brush and apply a layer of Ghee(clarified butter) or cocoa butter. Shea butter is also great for lips.

• The Sun may not be a regular visitor during these chilly days but that doesn't mean you should neglect your sunscreen. Use a good quality lip balm that contains SPF, to protect your lips from UV rays.Yes To Pomegranate spf 15 Naturally Smooth Lip balm is my absolute favorite. 

•  The dead skin on your lips makes them appear even worse. So be sure to exfoliate them at least twice a week. Before exfoliation, massage your lips with avocado oil. Avocado oil is rich in Vitamin E and it makes your lips hydrated and super soft. It is also great for treating the fine lines on your lips. Leave it for some time and let your lips absorb all the goodness from this omega rich oil. The dry, flaky skin on your lips will soften and all the dead skin will come off easily during exfoliation. Use scrubs that contain moisturizing ingredients during this season. Always remember to moisturize immediately after exfoliation. This Mint Julips Lip Scrub from Lush works wonders on lips. It is packed with goodness from organic jojoba oil, pippermint oil and sugar.

• Matte lipsticks are my favorite. But during this season, I try to stay away from them as much as I can. Matte lipstick has the tendency to dry out your lips and I feel that it is the last thing your lips need this season. Try to stick with just the lip balm and if you need a pop of color, choose a tinted lip balm or lip gloss. If you want to use a lipstick, then choose the ones with moisturizing ingredients.I am currently in love with this Conditioning Lip Color from Juice Beauty . This anti oxidant rich formula  made with Jojoba and sesame oils, Acai and Goji Berries and Sweet Oranges is to die for!! 

Cozying up in bed watching Netflix, eating warm foods, lazy mornings, stylish sweaters -- aahh!! winter is my favorite season!! But with that also comes, the dry skin problems!! Winters can make our skin dry and flaky which none of us want. The dry air pulls of the moisture from our skin, making it itchy, dry and flaky.  If you are one of those people who experience this problem, follow these tips to keep your skin healthy and smooth throughout the winter months.

1. Avoid Very Hot Showers:

Even though treating your body with very hot water during shower is very comforting during winters, it will make your skin feel uncomfortable. It pulls of the moisture from your skin, leaving it dry. Hence, we should use lukewarm water only.

2. Avoid Harsh Cleansing Products and Clay Masks:

Use mild and gentle cleansers and stay away from the harsh products. Clay masks pull off the excess oil from your skin. If your skin tends to get dry during winters, then it is recommended to avoid clay masks during this season because they will make your skin more dry and flaky. If you feel like you must use a clay mask during this time, then add a few drops of avocado oil to the mask to combat dryness.

3. Hydrate frequently:

No matter how much ever hydration you provide your skin from outside, your skin cells need nourishment from within. If you don't provide enough hydration, then your skin cells shrink, leaving a withered, dry appearance. When you drink enough water, they expand back to normal, making your skin look fluffy and healthy. So girls, keep your water bottle with you always, wherever you go!

4. Exfoliate:

Two key things you need to keep an eye on during winters for smooth skin are -- skin renewal and nourishment. Dead skin cells pile up,making your skin look dull. Exfoliation helps get rid of it and new skin cell renewal. While dead skin removal is important, you need to be very careful in choosing your scrubs during winter. You need one that scrubs off the dead skin and at the same time, infuses moisture into your thirsty skin. This  DIY Coffee and Sugar Scrub is a perfect, at home remedy for winters. 

5. Moisturize, moisturize and moisturize:

This is the most important tip and I am sure everyone knows it. But are you choosing right moisturizer for your skin? The needs of your skin vary as the season varies. A cream that suits you in summer may not be much beneficial in winters. Listen to your skin and choose wisely. Avocado oil and coconut oil are the best oils for dry skin. You can use them at night instead of your regular night creams in winter.

6. Oil Cleanse at night:

Oil cleansing has become very popular recently and winter is the best time of the year to give it a try. Your skin craves for moisture during winter and oil cleansing leaves a thin film of oil on your skin, making it look nourished and healthy. It removes all the dirt from your pores and prevents stripping of natural oils from your skin, unlike regular harsh cleansers.

7. Use Humidifier:

Using a humidifier in your room adds humidity to the air surrounding you making your skin supple and less dry.

That's it for now ladies!! Let me know your favorite winter skin care tip in the comments!! Also, Stay tuned for more of such winter beauty care recipes!! Stay fab and glowing.. c ya :)

If there is one product I cannot live without in winter, that has to be scrubs.  Our skin gets dry and flaky in winter. Scrubbing helps in getting rid of the dead skin and infuses moisture into your thirsty skin cells.

Speaking of scrubs, did you observe that, recently skin care market is flooded with tons of super-expensive products made from coffee? Today, I am going to share with you how to make your own coffee scrub with very few ingredients easily available in your kitchen.Homemade scrubs are amazing!! You get to know what exactly are you putting on your body. Also, as i always say, using a tomato is far better than using a super-expensive face cream made with tomato extract, both for your wallet and skin. I am sure, this DIY is a treat for coffee lovers!! Before getting into how to make it, lets see why our skin needs coffee?

Coffee is a great anti-inflammatory agent. It reduces redness and inflammation. It has diuretic acid and it plumps up  the skin making it less wrinkled. When applied topically, it reduces the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks. It brightens the skin and the anti-oxidants in coffee fight against the free radicals, making it a great anti-aging skin food. Turns out,caffeine in the coffee is not so bad after all!! When used topically, it constricts the blood vessels. So it is a great remedy for reducing swelling and puffiness!! My face usually turns puffy in the mornings and a small dose of coffee scrub in  my morning routine takes care of it. On some mornings, when I have ample time, I scrub my face with it and leave it on for 10 mins, for extra benefits.  If your face tends to get puffy like mine, then coffee should be your skin's new best friend!!

Are you excited to join me in making this scrub after reading all the amazing skin benefits of coffee?

Then read on!! All you need to make this scrub are:

1. 1 cup of coffee powder(slightly coarse)

2. 1 cup of granulated sugar (white/brown)

3. Olive oil

4. A mixing bowl

Sugar is a great for exfoliation and olive oil hydrates and nourishes the skin.Pour 1 cup of coffee and 1 cup of sugar into a bowl and mix them well. Then add 3 teaspoons of olive oil to it. Keep mixing and adding oil till desired consistency has achieved. The scrub shouldn't be too oily or too dry. You will know the right consistency when the scrub binds to the skin without falling off and at the same time, it should be grainy and shouldn't lose its exfoliating nature. I used nearly 5 teaspoons of oil to get the right consistency. It is super quick and easy to make!! Takes just a couple of minutes to make!! You can store it in the refrigerator if you want, but it stays good for a few weeks at room temperature. I usually keep mine in the bathroom in a mason jar and make a fresh batch every 2 weeks.

Your skin will feel smooth and nourished just after the first use. Let me know how you like it after trying :)

Hey girls!! Do you have a friend in your life who is super organized and the only thing that keeps revolving in your mind when you visit her room is -- where the hell is she finding time and energy in her busy schedule? Yes, we all have!! But, trust me, you don't need to invest a lot of time everyday tidying up your room.  I was once a very, very messy person and organizing things seemed to be a impossible thing to me. My things were all over the house and I used to keep on searching for things..ugh!!! But over the time, I have made some small changes to my daily routine and now, I am a proud owner of a clean and happy home!! Some things I learnt from observation and some from experience -- Let's talk about simple things you need to do/change to keep your house clean and organized.  Because a clean house is a happy and peaceful home!! A messy home disturbs your mind and you will be frustrated for very little things. This is no good, ladies!! So lets get on to the mission of organizing!!

Clean Little by Little:

I reached the point where I was super frustrated with my messy room and decided it is high time to get organized. But the biggest confusion was where to start. At first, I used to set my goal to finish cleaning the whole house in one day. Later I realized that this is a very bad idea because cleaning up a hyper-messed up room in just one day is an ambitious goal. Though you will be energetic in the beginning, it will slowly fade away and you will end up tucking away things into storage bins or hiding places without properly organizing. Instead, try to finish little by little. Set your target to one room a day or even a section of a room in a day. Do it with perfection. This way, you will not feel that you are spending your whole day tidying up your space.

Make your bed daily:

Making your bed daily makes your bed room look neat and you feel peaceful as you enter the room.

Declutter:

Get rid off all things that you don't actually need. Go through your stuff every month and see if you are actually using it. 

Don't pile up:

I used to pile up my mails and bills because I was super lazy! People with clean houses never let them pile up. Any unnecessary mails and bills should go right into the trash can as soon as you open them. Can't do it on a weekday because you are too tired? Then here is my super easy tip -- keep a storage box where you can drop off your mails and on a weekend, go through them and trash away the ones that you don't need. Store your coupons in a coupon organizer. Don't let dishes pile up. Wash them everyday.

Use Labels:

Labels are the best friends of organizing-savvy people. They help you know where your things are and you will be super-organized. I use labels for everything - especially the kitchen!! It saves me a lot of time and energy. I usually buy chalk board labels from Amazon. You can also customize your own online and print them on to sticker paper, to add more fun element.

Invest in storage pieces:

Whether you love open storage units or closed ones-- invest in some shelving units, storage baskets/bins and trays. You don't have to spend a lot for this. Dollar tree has decent quality storage supplies and they are cute too! Grab the ones that match your room and organize away!! 

Don't overload storage bins and shelves:

Overloading storage bins and shelves does no good!! You will not be able to see what's where and so you will pull out everything. If this happens in the busy mornings, then you will most probably not bother to put them back again!! Even if it is a hidden storage, organize things in such a way that you will be able to find them easily with no hassle.

Keep trash bins in every room:

Yes, this is a must to prevent trash from being all over the floor. I keep one under my desk and I have noticed a huge difference.

Pick up things everyday:

This is my go to tip to prevent my house from becoming a mess. Whenever I am moving from room to room, I pick up things on the floor. Though it doesn't seem much like a task, it helps you a lot.

Involve family members:

Involve the people you are staying with in cleaning and organizing. This will make it a team work and you will feel less burden.

Once you have finished properly organizing your room, you must have realized that it just takes you few minutes a day, to keep your house clean, on following the above rules. Picking things while going from room to room, keeping things in place after you finish using them, keeping mails in a box, making bed -- all these things are very easy to do and don't take more than 10 minutes a day, right? Happy cleaning u'all :)

One of the common concerns among people is the dark, sweaty armpits. Maintaining your underarms clean and sexy is not a hassle. Dark, discolored underarms are result of various factors. I have put together some common causes for unhealthy underarms and remedies to make them feel baby soft and super healthy again!!  Follow this underarm guide for smooth, healthy armpits and rock those sleeveless tops.

1. Fenugreek and curd mask:

Whatever be the condition of your skin, you can definitely maintain a healthy skin and achieve that goddess-like glow with some simple lifestyle changes and a good skin care regimen. So ladies, here are my top 5 tips to make your dream come true.

1. Exercise regularly:

Did you ever wonder how do some girls achieve a pinkinsh glow and shine like the princess straight our from a movie? That is because these girls do take their exercise routines seriously. Starting from today, try to get your butt off the seat and go for a run outdoors or hit that threadnill at your gym. A 10 minute cardio is more than sufficient to pump blood to the skin and get rid of the excess water or toxic accumulations from your skin. 

2. Eat healthy:

Eat healthy foods rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that give you glow from within. Add foods rich in chlorophyll and anti-oxidants to your diet to delay aging. Stop eating junk foods. The next time, before you stop at mcdonalds for burger and fries, think twice. Act smart and grab healthier choices. Opt for healthy home cooked meals.

3. Keep hydrated:

Hydration is the key for the glow in your skin. Drink atleast 8 glasses of water a day. Remember that 80% of your body is made up of water and your cells shrink when not supplied with enough water. Due to this, your skin looks dull and lifeless. When you hydrate your body enough, the cells get back to normal and your skin looks healthy.

4. Good skincare regimen:

In addition to taking internal care, your skin needs care from outside. Follow a good CTM routine, by chosing quality products suitable for your skin. No matter how tired you are, make sure to remove your makeup at the end of the day.

5.Sleep well:

While sleeping for atleast 6-8 hrs is a must for glowing skin, it is also essential to go to bed on time. Early to bed and early to rise solves most of your skin issues. Our skin cells repair themeselves during night time and so it is important to go to sleep atleast by 10 or 11 PM.

So friends, follow these rules and get a healthy, glowing skin in no time.