how to look like a monster (or be gorgeous!)

As a girl, I consider it my sacred duty to look gorgeous... 90% of the time. Why not 100%, you may ask? Well, because that extra 10% is spent in looking absolutely horrendous (one of my friends described it aptly when she said "Iike a swamp monster") in order to look even better later.

I'm talking, of course, about the application of beauty products. Who amongst us has never tried applying a facial? They're fun, easy, and painless. (Well, mostly.) Here are some I like using!

Hair

As a natural blonde (mostly) sometimes I find my colour getting a little dull. In order to brighten myself up, I use one of these two solutions.

Honey- Wet hair. Towel dry (so that it's not dripping) and apply a thick coat of honey from roots to ends. (The amount necessary depends on how much hair you have; I use around 3 tablespoons.) Leave for approximately an hour (or until your hair is mostly dry) then wash out. (Put in lots of conditioner afterwards- you might be feeling a little dry.)

Lemon juice-  Squeeze juice from a lemon. Apply to hair. (I use around 1.) Go outside (in the sun) and let it dry; wash out. (Like the honey, it's drying, so use extra conditioner.)

Afterwards, you might want to try this!

Avocado mask: Mash up 1/2 an avocado. Add 1 egg and 1/4 cup olive oil. Apply to damp hair. Let sit for 1/2 an hour (or so...) then wash out. (This is best if your hair is already dry, otherwise it might get a bit greasy.)

Face

I have fairly oily skin, so I like to do one of these once or twice a week to reduce it. Always apply lotion after so you don't get too dried out!

Strawberry: Mash up a strawberry (or two, depending on the size) and mix in a drop or two of honey. Apply to face; let dry for approximately 10 minutes, and wash off. (Be warned: you'll look like a burn victim. Also, don't go outside- bugs quite appreciate it. This one is drying, and good for acne-prone or oily skin.)

Oatmeal: Grind a teaspoon of oatmeal. Mix in a teaspoon of plain yogurt and a few drops of honey. Apply to face; let dry for around 20 minutes, then wash off. (Feels nice and refreshing, although you'll look like all the skin on your face is flaking off... Here's a picture:

 Gorgeous, isn't it?)

Orange peel: I buy orange peel power like this:

...mix in a bit of water, and apply it to my face. This one truly gives you the swamp monster look!

Let dry, and once it's cracky and flaky, wash off. It's quite drying, and your face is red for a few hours afterwards, but it's also very cleansing.

Tomato: So, okay, this one isn't really a mask... Just take either a slice or one baby tomato and rub it all over your face. Let dry (around 10 minutes) and wash off. (Don't the seeds fall in your eyes!)

Peel: This one's good if your skin feels extremely dirty. Take 1 tablespoon of Knox gelatin (make sure it's fresh, otherwise this won't work!) and mix in 1 teaspoon of water. Heat it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Stir. Apply to face with makeup sponge (not one you're planning on using again, obviously) then let sit. Peel once it feels a little drier, but not completely dry. (This part is SO MUCH FUN! However, I stress again, don't leave it too long or put on too thin a coat, because then it HURTS.) You can also use Jello to make a sugar scrub.

And, just so that your body is nice and clean too:

Exfoliating Body Scrub

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla (or other scent)

2 tablespoons olive oil (or other oil)

(This smells- and will make you smell- extremely dessert-like. Even knowing the contents, I was tempted to eat a spoonful.)

And that's the end of it! Easy and cheap recipes, made with everyday ingredients. Have you ever done any of these? What kind of beauty tips and tricks do you use?