The Kitchen Fairy Godmother!

You are lounging in your favorite torn shirt( Don’t worry, we all have that one guilty secret we can’t part with!) ; your hair’s a mess and your face is even worse, but you just don’t care because it’s your lazy weekend. Your phone rings and OH-MY-GAWD, it’s the cutie from the office that you had prayed would ask you out. YES, it’s a date. You are busy hopping and squealing when you catch yourself in the mirror. You look like you been in a cyclone and a tsunami – a disaster of mega-scale proportions. You don’t have time to go to the spa and turn yourself in to the diva you know you can be.

The secret was in Cinderella’s kitchen!

This is where you repeat to yourself the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe mantra ( DON’T PANIC! ) and head to the kitchen! No, not to grab a comfort bite but to unleash powers of the domestic fairy godmother to turn you into Cinderella! And no, you don’t need to have the kitchen supplies of Nigella to do it either. Here are some simple yet ridiculous effective home remedies which are fail proof!

Let’s start with the exfoliating scrub. A spoonful of sugar is all you need. If you have sensitive skin, brown sugar works best. It will get the blood circulation going and give you a rosy glow to your cheeks. Also use it on your lips leaving behind a soft, rosy texture.

Now for that face mask. You have so many choices here that you can pick according to your skin type and your grocery list!

• Quick fix for your skin in 15 minutes

1. Rice flour mixed with milk or curd : leave it till it’s semi dry if you have dry skin and fully dry if you have oily skin  and then wash it off while gently scrubbing in circles. We don’t know the science behind it but we do know it gives you an instant glow.
2. Multhani Mitti or Fuller’s earth mixed with rose-water is a great astringent for oily to normal skin. Wait for the mix to dry and then wash it off.
3. Besan or Gram flour with milk or curd : Leave it to semi dry and wash it off. Improves the tone and clarity of the skin.
4. Lemon Juice : Just rub a squeezed lemon half  on your face and wait for 5 minutes and wash it off. Warning though, for some it may create a burning sensation but it leaves your skin fairer and clearer in minutes.
5. Honey : This one is a cleanser+scrub. Gives your skin a beautiful sheen. Add a little lemon juice and leave it for 5 minutes and you’ll be radiating a fresh glow. Honey can be used as a minor acne treatment.
6. Banana : Mash 1/2 of a ripe banana until creamy. Apply on face and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and cold water to close pores. Perfect for oily skin!

The real beauty of these ingredients is that they can be mixed and match to create the mask that’s perfect for your skin.

Well, you are half way there. Your skin is brimming with natural goodness and a soft rosy blush which would make your cutie check you out.. twice! Now we need to tame those wild tresses. Beer and egg are the most popular conditioners that everyone knows of ( but who wants to pour alcohol down the drain!). So we’ll be invoking the powers of mayo, coffee and honey!

• Quick fixes for your stressed tresses
  

  For Shiny Hair!

1. Mayonnaise : This is for all you people with dry frizzes. Smear generously from your mayo jar on to your dry hair (and not to your scalp)  and cover it with a towel or a shower cap. Keep it for about an hour or so before washing your hair with your normal shampoo and conditioner. You’ll be the owner of some marvelously deep conditioned hair and who would not want that!
2. Coffee : Take some warm coffee and pour it through your dry hair. Keep it for about 20 minutes before shampooing it off. It’ll give your hair a rich, dark sheen.
3. Lemon: Yes, this little bucket of citrus is turning out to be a beauty powerhouse. Lemon juice mixed with water used for the last rinse will give your hair the shine and bounce you see in shampoo ads! You can also use them to give yourself some blonde highlights. Just brush some lime juice to the parts you want to lighten. Sit in the sun until your hair dries. The lemon juice activates in the sunlight, causing your hair to lighten, so a hot and sunny day is best for this activity. Lemon juice highlights are usually temporary, lasting a few weeks.
4. Honey : This is another natural highlighter. Mix honey into the water and use it on your for both lightening your hair ( again sunshine’s the key!) or adding shine to your hair.
5. Baking soda: Mix in a little to your shampoo and not only will you remove dirt and grime from you hair it’ll also give your hair a shiny look.

Here’s another tip – always wash your conditioner or your last rinse with cold water.

Strawberry a day keeps the dentist away!?

Your hair’s fixed and your skin’s aglow. Now all that you need is to fix up your dazzling smile.  If you have some ripe strawberries,  mash it up with some baking soda and use this to brush your teeth. It’ll immediately clean up all the stains and you are all set to flash your pearly whites! ( ps: Catherine Zeta Jones swears by this!)

Now put on your little black dress and oodles of charm and you are all set, Cinderella! And You din’t even need a fairy godmother (which means no midnight curfew! )

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