If you have a problem with acne, you don't have to pay a dermatologist to tell you what's wrong with your face and give you costly prescriptions. It's all about using what you've got right in your fridge! Yes homemade products really do work, if you want to go a step further, you can make your own cost effective facial products.
Let's start from the basics, everyone knows cucumber reduces wrinkles and puffiness around eyes; carrots do a great job too. You can use egg whites to make face masks that leave your skin baby smooth. Want the ultimate relaxing spa experience right in your room?

All you need is:
30 minutes of alone time
An egg
Two slices of cucumber or carrots
Slow music
Scented candles

Here's how:
Put the music on and light those candles. Extract the egg white from your egg, shelf life is usually 2 weeks. Spread the egg white on your face using your fingers, just like you would a regular face mask. Place each cucumber slice on your eyes and lay down for 20 minutes. Don't think about anything stress related, just happy thoughts!
When you think you're all done, and I can guarantee, you may never want to get up. To remove the egg mask, wet your hands with warm water, and gently massage your face in a circular motion, then you can thoroughly rinse your face off.

Make taking care of your face part of your daily routine, start your day off using an egg mask for about 5-10 minutes. Always remember to wash your face with a facial soap or cleanser before applying the egg mask as you would with every other facial mask.

For homemade facial scrubs, mix honey and sugar together and store in a jar. The sugar acts as an exfoliant, and the honey cleans out your pores, you can finish it off with a five minute egg mask. Total time: 10-15 minutes. You start seeing positive results within a week or two. Trust me, it's being tried and tested! End your day wiping it off with a face wipe and washing it with a facial cleanser or soap.

If you need a 911 treatment on your face, consider products with seaweed extract and Dead Sea extract. The Body Shop has dozens of products with seaweed extract. For more ideas on natural/homemade facials for all skin types, check out http://www.pioneerthinking.com/mbs.html

Color Me Beautiful

When applying makeup, especially foundation, keep it soft and easy, your foundation and concealer should be well blended so no one can tell. There are countless ways to apply your foundation. You can use your fingers. Use your middle finger to dab spots of foundation on your face and the finger closest to your pinkie to rub it in with circular motions. Do it lightly to avoid streaking.
If you don't want to get your fingers soiled with foundation, you can also use sponges, you get a pack of 100 for next to nothing at Wal-Mart or Selfridges. Always remember to wash your hands first before applying anything on your face!

To learn more about applying makeup, check out Andy Paige's Cents of Style Beauty Boot camp.

When shopping for the right kind of foundation, most women of color swear by M.A.C, I use L'Oreal and I have not had a problem with it. Other great cosmetic lines for us are Bobbi Brown, Iman and Black Opal. Please stay away from Fashion Fair even my granny will not touch it! When shopping for foundation, go to a beauty counter at the mall or beauty shops like ULTA, the Body Shop and M.A.C; you can try on the right color of foundation in there. It is important because you don't want to buy something and get home to find out it's the wrong color seconds before you have to attend an event!

When shopping for color: eye and lip color. I test them on my wrist, by swiping a little strike on my wrist. Hold your wrist close to your face and look in the bathroom mirror, you'll find that they're more than likely the same complexion. It's easier to test on your wrists than having to wipe off twenty thousand color trials from your lips and eyes before finding the perfect match. So don't be afraid to experiment on your wrists!

Fabulous Hair

Okay let's face it, not all of us can afford to go to the beauty shop every week to get our hair fixed, so we have to do it at home. Some basic rules that you find on the back of every at home relaxer kit that are really important:
Allow approximately 6 weeks before touch-ups, not 4 weeks, 6 weeks! Else your hair becomes over processed and will break.
Don't scratch your scalp 3 days prior, if it itches, pat your head!
If you had braids or a weave in, don't put a relaxer in the next day after you take them out; wait for at least a week. Use Soft & Beautiful Extend-A-Perm for those in-between times to get your hair looking like normal, and invest in a ponytail!

If you want a full head of healthy and long hair, deep condition at least 3 times a week for 3 months, you'll get results. Again, this has been tried and tested by yours truly. It can be a pain, but no pain no gain! Use LeKair Cholesterol Conditioning Crème, apply a generous amount to your hair and massage it in, cover with a shower cap, and tie up with a head scarf then leave in overnight. Wash out the next morning and style as usual.

To get sleek straight hair, it's all about the heat! Make sure you use heat protecting products like Proclaim Hot Thermal Styler before using flat or curling irons. Use pressing combs for natural hair only, you're doing more damage to your permed hair than you think when you use a pressing comb to straighten new growth.

Wrap your hair up in a silk scarf, if you don't like tying your head up at night, consider using silk pillowcases instead. Keep your hair well oiled and moisturized, tea tree oil is excellent. Use the Pantene Relaxed & Natural product line; they are affordable and excellent, because it's designed especially for our hair type, the Doo-Gro line works really well too. Don't be afraid to mix up your hairstyles, we have beautiful hair and change is good for it, so with each season change up your hairstyle and get a new look, braids one season, straight n' sleek the next season, variety is the spice of life!

Lastly, to reflect total beauty in and out, stay happy and healthy. Drink eight glasses of water a day, celebrate yourself every day and stay out of the sun!