Homemade Scratch Cards

 

A bit of a change from my usual beauty posts, but I thought I'd show you this project I did recently. It was a significant birthday for my better half and I had booked a surprise trip to Barcelona. My dilemma was that I still wanted to present this as a gift rather than just say it, standing there with one arm as long as the other. He's a scratch card addict anyway (wild), so I thought that would be a nice personal way to do the big reveal. Also it would be nice for him to win something for once!

• I did these up on a very basic version of Photoshop but you could use several other programs or even hand draw them. My advice is to type the message in a lighter coloured text - hopefully you won't need as many layers as I did trying to cover it up! Make sure to have the designs printed or drawn on card. I only needed one but I did a few to allow for mistakes.

• Apply clear tape over the message, on the area you want to scratch off. Mine was a square so it was simple but if you wanted to do a shape you could cut it out of sticky back plastic.

• Next gently mix around 2 parts acrylic paint to 1 part washing up liquid. I used silver to make it look authentic but you can use any colour of course! Paint it over the clear tape and allow to dry thoroughly before proceeding with the next layer. Keep topping up the layers until you can no longer see the text.

• Sometimes the brush would start to wipe off the previous layer - I'm not sure if this was because I had the consistency wrong at times or else I hadn't let it dry long enough. It's probably a good idea to let each thin layer dry overnight to be safe. Section off the squares with masking tape if you want to keep the lines neat.

Cut the cards out, grab a coin to test one and prepare to be super satisfied!

 

 

I wrapped mine in tissue paper and placed in a box with a lucky coin :)

My New Favourite Body Oil

I'm a big fan of body oils. Who has time to wait for rich body lotions and creams to sink in when you can just splash on an oil straight from the shower? They keep your skin soft for much longer as putting them on damp skin locks in moisture AND their scent remains longer too. Rubbing your skin too much can actually REMOVE moisture so using an oil and patting your skin dry with a towel after is a better method.

Speaking of scents, anything with the words "cocoa", "butter" or "vanilla" has me salivating instantly. Don't you think those products always smell like cake? And who wouldn't want to smell like cake?? Anyway my usual go-to body oil is the Palmer's one - I love their body butter too.

Image: feelunique.com

I went to pick some up the other day but I noticed this Vaseline Essential Moisture Cocoa Radiant Vitalising Body Gel Oil. I was curious about the "gel" part and it contains pure cocoa butter, so it was right up my street. 

I've been using it daily ever since and loving it! The gel texture makes it less greasy but you don't have to spend ages rubbing it in either.

Image: allaboutyou.com

For an extravagant splurge I used to love Jo Malone Vitamin E Body Treatment Oil - but I think it has been discontinued. Devo! Some of my friends found it too sweet smelling but I adored it. The scent was so powerful and long lasting, it was all you needed. I would put it on in the mornings and hours later people would compliment the "perfume" I was wearing! Let's hope they bring this bad boy back. 

Image: mrspharmacy.co.uk

Another product I have always loved is the classic Johnson's Baby Oil, especially the one with aloe vera as it smells really fresh. The classic pink lotion is great for taking off make-up and smelling baby butt clean too.

Like I said though, I'd choose an oil first for daily use. It's a good idea to let it sink in a bit before getting dressed. Just do another part of your routine like drying your hair while you wait. 

Do you prefer oils to creams and lotions?

Review: Hair Artist - Pink Hair Chalk

Image: amazon.co.uk

I received this hair chalk as a gift from a fellow bleach blonde/occasionally pastel haired friend. The chalk idea seemed a little juvenile to me when I first heard about it (bitta hopscotch anyone?), but I'm always up for trying commitment-free hair colours. It's available on Amazon for less than a fiver and I'm pretty sure I've seen the same brand in Urban Outfitters.

The first time I tried this I was rushing to get ready (as always) so I scribbled it along the ends of my dry hair, brushed it and ran out the door. The result was very subtle and no one really noticed it throughout the day. The instructions do recommend using on damp hair for a more intensified look.

My second attempt was much more successful. I washed and conditioned my hair as normal and while it was still damp I 'drew' pink lines down the front of my hair and combed through. Then, as I blow dried my hair I massaged it into the strands to create a fade-out effect and by brushing it, made it less streaky. This method gave much more impact, leaving a cool ice-pink/pale strawberry colour.

What's great about this hair chalk is that it completely disappears after one wash so it's perfect for going to a festival at the weekend if you need to be back to normal for work on Monday. My hair did feel pretty dry, which is to be expected - chalk is hardly full of moisture - so make sure you use a hair mask/leave-in conditioner when you wash it out!

Oh and a word of warning:

Do not make the same mistake as me by using it near carpet : /

Excuse the MySpace style pictures - I had no make-up on so it was for the best. TRUST.

Pros: Cheap and cheerful quick-fix, no commitment necessary.

Cons: Messy! Use hairspray to lock in and avoid it staining your clothes. May not show up on dark hair.