VB's Beauty Tip of the Week – Don’t Put Your Money Where Your Mouth is - D.I.Y. Grill Polish

I’m an old fashioned kind of girl, of the ex-smoker current coffee drinker variety, so maintenance of a pearly white smile is a perpetual responsibility for me. I believe in sound investments and earned value when it comes to beauty, which is why I don’t enjoy spending a ton of money on teeth whitening products. So here is a little INEXPENSIVE and QUICK trick I came up with after dishing out $120 last year for Go Smile – a very brilliantly branded style teeth bleaching system that packages a peroxide gel in a single serving glass ampoule applied to each tooth for six seconds. Its branding strategy and packaging was actually more impressive than its delivery, which is why I decided to make my own version, more so a tooth polish than a bleach, since the whitening process is natural, not severe, and painless, with results just as effective if not more than the Go Smile System, and you’ll be left with the cleanest teeth you’ve ever experienced. And these days, I’m very smiley, since I don’t have to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak, cause that money gets diverted right into to my fragrance fund, but that’s another story….

What to buy: Box of Baking Soda ($0.75), Bottle of Peroxide ($1.50), Tube of Toothpaste, Cotton Swabs





Instructions: Dip a cotton swab into the peroxide, then dip it into a container of baking soda. In a circular motion, rub the cotton swab on each tooth, making sure to include the backs of the teeth as well. For best results, this process should take 10 seconds. Follow with brushing your teeth as you normally would.

The baking soda gets your teeth impeccably clean by buffing away stains, the peroxide whitens, while your normal toothpaste hides the taste.

Enjoy and stay posted for more beauty tips to come next week!!

VB's Beauty Tip of the Week – D.I.Y. Hair Freshener

Sometimes you just don’t have time to shampoo your hair, which is quite often my jam, in addition to having chemically treated hair that easily becomes dry and damaged from daily shampooing and styling. Here is a quick fix for when you need good looking hair in a hurry.

This week’s tip is how to freshen up your hair with good old baby powder.

Hair powdering dates back to 18th century Europe. Then, it was common fashion for men and women to powder their hair a gray or white hue, or wear a wig with this same bearing.

The powder served two purposes:
1) Aesthetic - To color the hair in the appropriate fashion
2) Hygienic - To absorb moisture and odors, and to scent the hair.

As a lover of beauty and fashion history, here is a modern, practical, and minimalist approach to hair powdering, a salute to beauty of a bygone era.

What to buy: Baby Powder, Shine Serum hair product such as Biosilk Silk Therapy, Hairspray optional








Instructions: Brush hair out, then sprinkle about half a teaspoon of baby powder into your hands, rubbing palms together to distribute. Run palms through hair, then apply a bead size amount of shine serum to the ends of your hair, and finish with hairspray (my favorite is Bumble and Bumble Does it All Styling Spray).



Enjoy and stay posted for more beauty tips to come next week!!

VB's Beauty Tip of the Week – Eyelash Spoonin’ D.I.Y. Eyelash Curler

Before the Shu Uemera eyelash curler had its cult following in the states and Talika added heated silicone to its products, there was………

The Spoon.

I’ve been doing this eyelash curling trick since middle school thanks to my lovely aunties, who used this eyelash curling method back in the day.


What to buy: 1 Metal Teaspoon


Instructions: Place the convex side of the spoon against your eye with one hand, and with the index finger of your dominant hand, lightly roll sections of your lashes over the edge of the spoon. (One eye generally will have 2-3 sections of lashes to curl.)

This eyelash curling technique will give your lashes a very natural curl, sparing you from the crimping tendency of conventional eyelash curlers. And for a more intense, longer lasting curl, heat the spoon under a blowdryer for 10-15 seconds, making sure to test the heat level of the spoon on the back of the hand before applying to the eyes.


Enjoy and stay posted for more beauty tips to come next week!!

VB's Beauty Tip of the Week – D.I.Y. Vixen Feet

Whether you have a stiletto heel shoe fetish like myself, or it’s from a wild night of dancing or from a job that keeps you on your feet for 12+ hours, here is a quick remedy to soothe tired, aching feet using Vicks Vaporub. This is possible since Vicks contains eucalyptus oil and menthol, natural ingredients that stimulate circulation and loosen muscle tissue, and includes camphor as well, which is a topical analgesic, or basically just a mild topical painkiller.

What to buy: 1 jar Vicks VapoRub or comparable generic brand


Instructions: Take a dab of Vicks the size of a quarter and rub/ massage into the soles of your feet. For an instant reflexology treatment, be sure to include the top of the foot as well as the back of the heel. You’ll feel a slight tingling sensation as the Vicks is absorbed into your skin, and your feet, along with your entire body, will feel much more relaxed. Finally, cover your feet with socks and you’re ready to start or end your day!

Enjoy and stay posted for more beauty tips to come next week!!

VB's Beauty Tip of the Week: D.I.Y. Miracle Muscle Scrub

I LOVE this body scrub. As a matter of fact, I use it everyday in the shower. Epsom salts are a natural topical muscle relaxant and skin exfoliator, and these salts are infused with lemon and eucalyptus essential oils. The lemon essential oil enlivens the senses; the eucalyptus essential oil is an anti-inflammatory and helps increase blood circulation. The combination of the two creates a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. The perfect way to prep yourself for that 8+ hour workday.

What to buy: Epsom Salts, Lemon & Eucalyptus Essential Oils



Alternate recipe: *Basically, you can add any combination of essential oils to this salt mixture for varying effects. For an even more relaxing experience, use a lavender essential oil/eucalyptus combination. This is great right before bed, or when you don’t mind feeling a bit sedated.

To Use: Scoop up a handful of this muscle scrub and rub it all over your body. Feels especially nice on the soles of feet, the back, and shoulders.

CAUTION: DO NOT GET THIS IN YOUR EYES!!! The combination of Epsom salts and essential oils will feel similar to getting pepper spray in your eyes!!

Enjoy and stay posted for more beauty tips to come next week!