This winter, my skin is getting extremely dry. In addition to my dry skin, I have suffered from a few stubborn blemishes. This is why I decided to create a facial mist to help my skin retain moisture and help fight acne. Herbal tea is a common household item and is great to use for your skin. White and green tea are great options with amazing anti-aging benefits. For this mist, I am using white tea. White tea is less processed than green tea and has less caffeine. White tea is better at helping your body stay hydrated than green tea. Also, white tea releases toxins from the skin cells and helps produce a more even complexion. 
To complete the mixture, I added jojoba oil and lavender essential oil. Jojoba oil and lavender both help calm skin irritations and are anti-bacterial. Jojoba oil  is the only oil that closely resembles human sebum so it will give your skin natural moisture. Other ingredients that you can use for your mist are sweet almond oil, vitamin E, geranium essential oil or rose essential oil.

Ingredients

Distilled Water (Bottled Water)

White Tea or Green Tea

Jojoba Oil

Lavender Essential Oil

Directions:

1. Brew a cup of tea with distilled water. Steep for 5-10 minutes, then allow to cool.

 2. Fill a 2-ounce spray bottle with the cooled tea. Add in 2-3 drops of lavender and 5-6 drops of jojoba oil.

3. Screw on the top, shake well, and spray! 

The mixture should be good for about 2-3 weeks if stored in the refrigerator.

Onya'e Naturals is an emerging skincare line on Etsy with 100% handmade and natural ingredients. The line was launched in 2014 and has grown drastically since I stumbled upon their feed on Instagram. The aesthetics and brand's overall feel made me want to know more. Recently, I was lucky enough to get in contact with the young female entrepreneur who is behind the brand and below is our dialog. Also, we teamed up to give away something special so go ahead and enter down below :)

Owner of Onya'e Naturals, Jasmine Kelley

Tell my readers about yourself and where Onya'e Naturals is based?

My name is Jasmine and the name "onya'e" is my middle name and I've always wanted to use it to its full advantage. I felt that naming my business after my middle name gave it a personal touch and a friendly reminder to myself for starting my own business. I am also a photographer and graphic designer.For my second college thesis I created a skincare line for graphic design all from scratch. And it inspired me to turn it into more of a real thing. Then two years after that I finally took it to the next level and started my own business. Onya'e Naturals is based in the Napa Valley, specifically in a small town called Angwin.

What was the inspiration behind Onya'e Naturals?

It bothered me that there was so much GMO problems with our food and then I realized "what do they put in our skincare items"? So that was a big inspiration for me. I wanted to continue making clean and natural products that are all handmade and I wanted people to be able to know what went in their items and being able to pronounce it. 

What are your favorite ingredients to work with?

My top 3 favorite ingredients to work with is Sweet Almond Oil, Geranium/Sage Essential oil, and Shea Butter.

Which products would you suggest using in the colder winter months?

I highly suggest the Whipped Body Butter, Clay Mask and Lip Balms. Each are moisturizing and keeps the skin very soft. The mask lifts all impurities out of the skin which is beneficial for Winter because our skin can become so drying.

How have you established an amazing social media presence?

 I have always been such a fan of social media. Since I am a photographer, Instagram is my #1 favorite and then Twitter. I understand that the quality of photographs and captions matter and is more believable than bad quality photos. People like to see how you do your work and they want to be able to build that connection with their buyer. I always want my customers to feel comfortable with messaging me anytime and sharing photos that they take of my products. Using the right hashtags help too. There is a fine line with hashtags, you don't want o write like 20 or people will not waste their time. Keep it minimal and straight to the point. 

What sets this brand apart from other skincare brands?

That's a good question! There are so many other natural skincare companies out there and for me what I feel sets me apart from the others are my prices, the look and feel of the brand, along with the personal touch that goes along with it. Also, I do everything alone and that is mostly because I am new to the scene. It's nice knowing that I am capable of working by myself and with my own ideas.

What advice can you give to other female entrepreneurs?

Some advice I would give is that even on bad days, it doesn't mean you are failing. Having your own business doesn't come easy, work hard and never give up. It gets better each day the more creative you become and the more time you put into it. A profit doesn't happen overnight either, so make a list of financial goals and stick to it and come back to it often. Stay on top of each category of your business and don't be afraid to make some bold moves and remember that it is okay to say "no" once in a while. Don't cheat yourself, keep your health in check and take breaks once in a while.

This is my first installment of my Beauty Babe series. The first woman that I am featuring is Morgan Kristine. Morgan is 23 years old from Matteson, Illinois. She is an aesthetician and laser specialist at Solux Med Spa. I sat down with her two weeks ago. We took some photos and discussed her career along with all things beauty.

Over the past month and a half, I have created a completely new skincare routine. I threw away all of my old products and bought products that actually live up to their descriptions. Below is my current routine from start to finish.

In the morning, I wash my face with Soul Sunday's Ricewash Facial Cleanser and moisturize with LUSH's Cosmetic Lad. At night, I use the same cleanser and tone my face with Herbivore Botanicals' Skin Toning Elixir. Afterwards, I prefer to moisturize with sweet almond oil.  

Every other day or night, I exfoliate my skin with my own brown sugar scrub or Michael Todd's Charcoal Facial Scrub. On the rare occasions that my skin is really breaking out, I pamper myself with my Beauty By Earth Clear-Complexion Hydrating Face Mask twice a week. In addition to toning my face with diluted apple cider vinegar.

All of these products that I use are primarily organic and contain no harmful chemicals. The ingredients in each of these products work well with my dry,sensitive skin.  The hydrating mask does a great job at purifying my pores and the moisturizer calms any emerging breakouts. The cleanser and toner are very gentle and helps my skin stay in balance. I know that these products are a little pricey than some drugstore products but they are definitely worth it. 

I would love to know how you take care of your skin in the comments below :)

Hello Everyone! I decided to finally make a post about some of my favorite products in my everyday makeup routine. I like to keep my makeup as minimal and natural-looking as possible. Below, I listed a step-by-step guide to how I apply all of the products in the picture.

Step 1-Apply Primer
As a primer and setting powder, I usually use Too Faced Primed & Poreless Pressed Powder. It instantly blurs pores and actually keeps me matte all day long. In the future, I plan on purchasing the liquid version for an easier application without a brush.

Step 2-Fill In Eyebrows
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade is still the only thing I trust with my brows. Sometimes, I over pluck and this product continues to save my life. I learned that with a gentle hand, you can construct your eyebrows to any shape you want. After I finish filling them in, I carve them out with foundation instead of concealer for a more natural look.

Step 3-Blend In Foundation
Too Faced Born This Way Foundation is one of new favorite foundations. It just was released recently and I was compelled to purchase it online. It gives my skin great coverage and a nice glow. Since I bought it online, I didn't realize that the color Honey wasn't a perfect match. Once I mix it with a darker foundation, I think it'll be fine. Overall, I think this foundation is great for photo/video and everyday use.

Step 4-Apply Blush
Tarte's Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush is one of my favorite blushes. It has great color and lasts throughout the day. After blush, I usually apply bronzer or a shimmering highlight to further accentuate my cheek bones.

Step 5-Accessorize My Eyes
In the mornings, I don't have much time to do a full smoky eye. This I why I usually just curl my lashes and put on eyeliner. The Kat Von D Tattoo Liner was another recent purchase and I really like it so far. It's super easy to apply and lasts way longer than my old Maybelline eyeliner.

Step 6-Setting My Face
I usually set my makeup with my powder(as mentioned in step one) or Urban Decay's All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray(not pictured). Both are great and help my makeup last from morning to night.

I would love to know what your everyday makeup products are in the comments below! 

 Happy Saturday!

Clip & Shape

Clipping your nails to a short length and smooth edges. Shorter nails are easier to keep clean and healthy for the winter. 

Cuticles: Be Gone!

Soak your nail beds with a few drops of the Vanish Cuticle Softener & Remover for at least 30 seconds. Use a cuticle pusher or orange wood stick to gently push your cuticles back.

Clean Up Time

Buff and nip hang nails and dead cuticles. Then, wash your hands and nails thoroughly with soap.

Extra Oomph

Polish your nails with two coats of the Oxygen Nail Treatment to keep them strong and healthy. 

Moisturize Often

Use Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum twice a day to keep your tips hydrated and happy through dry winter months. To add moisture to your hands you can use Vaseline Intensive Care Hand Lotion. I use it every single day and I absolutely love it.

Julep Vanish Cuticle Softener & Remover and Oxygen Nail Treatment

In addition to these tips that Julep provided me with, I highly suggest implementing more Biotin in your diet. Digesting biotin daily helps support nail and hair growth and has worked wonders for me. Also, feel free to check out Julep's vast range of beautiful nail polishes here.

P.S. I am starting my spring semester soon which means I won't be able to upload as often. I hope you all understand and if you have any quick post suggestions let me know in the comments below :)