NOTD: Nicki Minaj by OPI

Super quick post today. Unfortunately, I'm currently in the process of packin my life up so I can move on Wednesday. However, I did my nails last night & wanted to show you! I realize they're messy, and one is chipped already, but I don't care. I really suck at applying nail polish and it's never gonna change. I love this polish, it completely suits my personality. I'm wearing "Save Me" from the Nicki Minaj OPI Collection. As well as a really adorable Hello Kitty nail sticker.

Hand Hydration: Winter Edition

It seems as though winter has finally decided to hit Canada full blast; and man, my hands are hating it.

I've never really had a huge problem with dry skin, especially my hands, until I start my job as a pharmacy assistant. Working in the health care field means washing and sanitizing your hands every second possible, and trust me, your hands will forever hate you. Last year was my first year working in the pharmacy, my hands were dry, cracked and at times bleeding. It was so painful and looked absolutely horrifying. Let me share a tip with you at how I'm keeping my hands a little but more moist now that winter is here!

I purchased Uremol 20 and a pair of cotton gloves. Seems simple right? That's because it is! Uremol 20 contains 20% urea, a moisturizer naturally present in the skin but reduced in dry skin conditions. All you need to do is plaster your hands in the Uremol (or other cream containing urea) and place the cotton gloves on your hands. I do this right before bed and sleep with them on. I do this 4 or 5 times a week. If I don't keep up with it, my hands get just as bad as they were before. You will definitely notice a difference as soon as you wake up and remove the gloves the first morning!

In addition to this, I moisturize with foot creams during the day. Why foot creams? Well, typically they are more moisturizing than hand creams. I also avoid alcohol based hand-sanitizers. These will dry your skin out so much quicker than actually washing your hands with anti-bactieral soap and water!

Hope these tips help!

You Can Do It: Lip Balm

I've seen a lot of people make their own lip balms. & most recently I saw it on Chick Advisor! (Check it out here: http://www.chickadvisor.com/article/diy-beauty-create-your-own-tinted-lip-balm/ ) It looked fairly simple and extremely customizeable. The truth is, it is! I had a day off today and decided I'd test it out!

What you need:
- petroleum jelly
- peppermint oil
- pigments
- container for your creation

Grab some of your petroleum jelly and place it in a bowl. Mix in your choice(s) of pigments until completely blended and until you have the colour you desire. I used a red, orange-red & golden pink pigment. After your pigment and petroleum jelly is mixed completely, add a couple drops of peppermint oil to the mix to get a desireable scent. Mix well. You're done!

Easy as that! It's simple and cheap! Your supplies will last for multiple batches. The colour combinations are quite endless as well. If you're not a peppermint fan, you could use a different essential oil; cinnamon, lavender, or orange oils are all options.

I purchased the peppermint oil from work (I work in a pharmacy!) As well as the petroleum jelly. The pigments were from a couple different companies.

Hope you enjoy this! Try it out & let me know how it goes for you!