Whipped Brown Sugar Scrub

I can't get enough of these homemade scrubs!  My friend's birthday was on Sunday (Hi Julia!) and I wanted to make her a little something special.  The last scrub I made was a coconut almond sugar scrub, the recipe can be found here. I wanted to try to make a different kind and I love how it turned out. The scrub is light and soft, yet exfoliates so well.  Coconut oil is so great for your skin and it's been making my skin so soft.  Below is my recipe for whipped brown sugar scrub.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of coconut oil (solid)

1/4 cornstarch

3/4 cup of brown sugar

3/4 fine white sugar

2 drops of vanilla extract or essential oil

Start by adding the solid coconut oil (not melted) into a stand mixer.  Begin whipping it for about 2 minutes or until fluffy.  Add in the cornstarch, continuing to whip together.  Once whipped, add in the two sugars and drops of vanilla.  The consistency should be light and fluffy, slightly crumbly.  If the consistency is too moist, add more sugar, or if too dry add a small amount of more coconut oil. 

The scrub smells so good and knowing that it's made from pure ingredients makes me love it even more.  Side note:  The other night, my toddler requested that Daddy would read to her before bedtime.  You better believe I kissed her goodnight, ran down the hall, started the shower and locked that door!  Mommies need time outs too! ;)  This scrub is just a little indulgence at the end of the day.  

Enjoy!

How to Winterize Your Nails || Julep

{My new favorite clutch shown above can be found here}

Winter can be so tough on your skin, hands, and nails!  I wanted to share some tips on how to winterize your nails so you'll be ready to take on colder, drier weather with fresh, strong nails.  I'm a huge fan of Julep products and especially love their oxygen nail treatment and mighty nail and cuticle serum.   Following this guide will help you get your nails winterized in no time...

 

I always keep my nails on the shorter side because I'd hate to scratch my little one, and I'm a fanatic about filing them to make sure they are smooth and shaped.  I love the tip to warm the cuticle softener to create a spa-like treatment...perfect for momma time ;)  

My typical at home manicure consists of these steps:  

1.  Remove all polish to create a fresh, clean nail surface.

2.  Apply the oxygen smoothing base coat to fill in any fine lines and smooth the top nail layer.

3.  Apply two coats of your favorite nail polish and let dry between coats.  

4.  Apply the Freedom Polymer top coat (one of my favorites!) to create a gel-like finish.  

5.  Finish with the mighty nail and cuticle serum to keep those cuticles moisturized throughout the day.

*One of my favorite time tips is applying the Ta Da quick dry drops after completing the steps above.  Seriously a time and nail saver!

Julep has also released their new trending nail polish colors, which can also be seen here... I'm loving the "Isla" and "Joanne" for winter!

One last tip that I'd like to add is to exfoliate your hands.  Exfoliating really helps to rid your hands of dry, dead skin to reveal soft, smooth hands.  Have you tried to make your own sugar scrub?  A coconut almond sugar scrub would be wonderful to add to your beauty routine.  I shared mine here. 

Do you winterize your nails?  I'd love to hear some more tips on how you keep your nails hydrated and ready for colder weather.   Be sure to check out more Julep products here.  

*Disclaimer:  The Birds Nest was not compensated in any way to write this post or include any Julep products.  Opinions are strictly my own.

Coconut Almond Sugar Scrub || Homemade

Hello!

I hope you enjoyed some festive New Years celebrations.  We had a low key night at my sister's house and everyone was in bed before the ball dropped,  #lifewithatoddler.  Anyway, it has been freezing the past few days and I have been wanting to try to make a sugar scrub to help with dry hands and skin from the cold.  This. Is. Amazing.  It smells so good and it is so easy to make!  Here is how I made my own sugar scrub.

1/4-1/3 cup of coconut oil
1 cup of white sugar
A few drops of almond extract (or almond essential oil)

Melt the coconut oil and stir in the almond oil and sugar.  Mix until ingredients are incorporated and store in an airtight container.  For use as both a hand scrub or body scrub.  Enjoy!

I can't wait to try to make a different scent next.  I'm thinking coconut vanilla or lemon sugar sound good.  I used a small amount after washing my hands and it really made them so smooth!  I'm a hand cream fanatic and I haven't reached for it once since I've been using the scrub.  This would be the perfect little gift for friends or as a hostess gift too! Let me know if you try it, I'd love to hear.

Naptime Game Changers

Good morning!  I decided to try Julep products and got my first box free using the code freebox, here.  My first box came with three nail polishes, an eyeliner pencil, and a nail and cuticle treatment.  Pretty awesome for just $3 shipping, right?!  I ordered a few more products separately after reading some reviews on other blogs.  

The Ramona nail polish, Freedom polymer topcoat, the oxygen smoothing base coat, and the Ta Da quick dry drops.   Also pictured is "Gelous," which is a gel nail coat which creates a gel-like finish on your nails.  I purchased that at Sally's Beauty Supply.  I applied the oxygen base coat first, then one coat of Gelous, one coat of nail polish, one coat of Gelous, one coat of nail polish, then the Polymer topcoat. It's a lot of layers, but gives you a great gel-like manicure for a fraction of the price and lasts just as long!  For extra gel-like protection, I put my nails under a 60 watt lightbulb for two minutes to really seal the top coat.  Also, make sure you let each layer dry for 2-3 minutes in between coats. Ignore the wrinkled cuticle area...seriously where is the cuticle area wrinkle cream?!

Now for the naptime game changer... the Julep Ta Da drops is my new favorite product. Seriously, who has time to paint their nails in the 17 minutes of baby less freedom?!  Ok, my child is an awesome napper but still ain't nobody got time for that.  Normally, after strategically planning when the best time to paint my nails is, they're smudged or chipped by the time I close the nail polish and grab the baby out of her crib.  These drops are amazing...let your nails dry for one (!!) minute and apply one or two drops directly to your nails and you're done.  Set for the day with smudge free, gel-like nails...simply amazing.  It's the little things in life, right?  

I'd definitely recommend these products again...let me know if you try them and your experience!  On to begin the day with the munchkin! Enjoy!