All Natural Facial Routine

 

    Recently I've been going crazy searching for some new products to buy because I have terrible acne scars. I was searching around and I found this serum called Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution that is suppose to fade away the scars. All the youtubers were raving about it so I decided to check out the price. Now, if you're anything like me, 50 dollars for a tiny bottle of serum is absolutely crazy. I really wanted to try it out, but I don't have the money so I ditched that idea.
    I did some more look and stumbled onto this fabulous site crunchybetty.com . There are so many recipes on facials and scrubs using what you have in your kitchen!

With that being said. I want to let you guys in on my current night facial routine! 

Honey Cleanser:

1.)  Wash your face with warm water. Warm water helps open up pores so the honey can do its job cleaning out the dirt. Then take a clean washcloth and gently pat your face dry. Make sure you PAT your face not RUB. Any harsh rubbing can damage your skin and cause premature wrinkles.

2.)  Take a pea size amount of honey into your fingers. Go ahead and give yourself a spa treatment by massaging the honey into your skin. Leave it for 5 minutes then rinse with cool water.



Lime Toner:

1.)  Squeeze the juice of a lime into a small container.

2.)  Depending on how sensitive your skin is, dilute the mixture with water. My skin is pretty tough so I add about one table spoon to two table spoons of lime juice. But if your skin gets irritated easily, feel free to use more water.

3.)  Take a cotton pad or ball and apply the liquid all over your face focusing on dark spots.

4.)  Let it dry on your face. Do not wash it off.



Grape-seed Oil Moisturizers (for oily skin):

1.)  The lime/water mixture has finally dried. Yay! Dab a finger into the oil and massage into skin. Make sure you get some underneath your eyes to tackle those dark circles.

2.)  Do not rinse. Leave it on for the night. Don't worry, your skin will adsorb the oil overnight leaving your skin feeling soft and glowing in the morning. I wouldn't recommend applying oil on your face in the morning or before going out. 


Disclaimer: Try this out on a small section of your face first as some people can be allergic to grape-seed oil or any of the other things listed.


Here is a list of what each step provides for you:


Honey: 
    Antibacterial
    Anti-aging
    Moisturizing (natural glow)
    Heals Wounds

Lime:
    Lightens Dark Spots
    Anti-Aging
    Removes Dead Skin

Grape-seed Oil (For oily skin):
    Tightens Skin/ Anti-Aging
    Minimizes Dark Circles
    Moisturizer

 
    I've been doing this routine for about two weeks and I kid you not, my face is the best it's ever been. Going natural is not only cheaper, but safer. You no longer have to worry about harsh chemicals damaging your skin. Give it a try and let us know how it goes for you!

Go For it!

Priscilla

Question!

What do you usually do for your facial routine?

Spinach Protein Shake

Allo lovies,

Looong time it's been and we apologize from the depths of our little hearts. Today we have for you guys a green, totally knock-your-socks-off delicious, super simple, protein shake.
I know some of you might be turned off at a green drink, but I advise you guys to expand your horizons. 

Protein is sooo good for your body. Whether you're a growing teen, recovering from an injury, starting a fitness program or amping up your workouts, protein is essential to the growth and performance of the human body.
Note that using protein powders are only a way to incorporate more protein into your diet and shouldn't be the only form of protein in your diet.

Spinach contains tons of important vitamins and minerals that help to keep our faces clear and bones strong. It's also a great source of protein. So eat up ladies!

What you'll need:

•1 ripe banana
•3 strawberries
•1 cup of milk
•1 scoop of protein powder*
•A TON of spinach (1 or 2 cups) 

* Protein powder is totes optional. Being the only vegetarian in a Hispanic household, it can sometimes be tough to make sure I'm getting enough protein into my diet.

-Cut up the banana and toss into your fave blender.
-Wash and cut the strawberries making sure to remove strawberry cores. Toss those berries into the blender too.
-Next dump in that scoop of protein powder, if you're using it. I used EAS Lean 15.
-Wash your spinach and drain thoroughly. And into the blender they go.
-Now pour in the cup of milk.

Make sure to blend this bad boy real good. The last thing you want is to be chewing spinach stems from your smoothie. When blended well, you won't even taste the spinach so blend blend blend (just don't burn out your blender :p).

Pour into a tall glass, or a shaker cup (I just left it in my magic bullet cup don't judge me!) and garnish with a strawberry and enjoy.

Xo,
Kimmie

Did you try this? Tag us in your pics on Instagram @independentgirlny and let us know what you thought about this recipe.

We're Back!!

Let's Throw a Party!

    Yes, we are back and here to stay! First let me just say, we're incredibly sorry that we were such terrible bloggers. BUT we have improved! So don't worry we were never planning to ditch the blog, we just ran into some complications and it took a while to sort them out. So please forgive us!

    Why did we stop for a while? Well, I'm just going to blame it on all our teachers that gave us too much work hence why we couldn't keep it up. Lynda and Kim with their APs and me with my job...it drained us out. Our Junior year in the high school happened to be our toughest. Good thing it's our SENIOR YEAR (woot woot!) so we can dedicate our time 100 percent to the blog. Honestly, we're happy it's all over and we can finally get off this hiatus. We missed this so much.

Before I go, I just want to say:

    We are expecting amazing things to come from this blog! We're planning great things for this blog and this school year so please do the same. Expect great things for your own life.

Again, we're terribly sorry for falling off the face of the earth...

Please don't kill us, Priscilla.

Question:
What good things are you expecting for this new school year?

Pina Colada

    Hey girlies! I hope you're enjoying the beautiful weather! Maybe I'm crazy, but I just want the spring/summer season back! I'm tired of all the snow. I just want to go outside and go on morning runs. But until then I have to pretend that it's 75 degree weather outside.


Pina Colada:

    My aunt made me this drink a few weeks ago when I was visiting Miami. I was inspired by the warm weather today to recreate it. I suggest that when you make this drink, you put on some salsa music to really set the mood. I mean who said you couldn't have the summer in the winter?

What you need:

One can of coconut juice (11.8 oz)
Four slices of pineapple
Crushed pineapple in an 8 oz can
Sugar (as much as you desire)
Ice
Pineapple wedge or cherry for garnish (optional)

Step 1: Throw in a bunch of ice into your blender. I used about to trays of ice.

Step 2: Add your crushed pineapple, four pineapple slices, sugar, and an entire can of coconut juice into the blender. (Don't mind my terrible nails)

Step 3: Blend it all up! 

Step 4: Pour into a cup and garnish it with a pineapple wedge. Don't forget a straw!

I hope you like it as much as I do!

-Priscilla

Kim's Work-out Playlist

    Hey there cuties, As a big advocate of fitness I highly recommend any kinds of workouts, no matter the length, content or structure. And while you might have the perfect workout, do you have the perfect playlist? Music plays a major role when exercising so it's important to have a good playlist on the go. Down below is my typical playlist. The faster more upbeat songs I use for cardio, and the slower songs are better(in my opinion) for weight training. 

One More- Superchick 
Lose Yourself- Eminem 
Stronger- Kanye West 
I Like It- Icona Pop 
I Can Do Anything- 30h!3 
Invincible- MGK 
Cinema- Benny Benassi 
Stay The Night- Zedd 
Till I Collapse- Eminem 
Work B****- Brittany Spears 
A Little Party Never Killed Nobody- Fergie 
All This Time- Maria Mena 
Hello- Martin Solveig 
Language- Porter Robinson 
Spectrum- Zedd 

Hope this helped you guys pick out some tunes, live happy and thanks for reading.

Question!

What's your favorite song to work-out too?

Two Foods to Keep Your Face Looking Beautiful

Hey girls! Ready for some food facts?

    Well today we have two types of food that will help you obtain that beautiful complexion we all want. Did you know that our skin is a telltale sign of what's going on in our insides? Harper MD, a board-certified intern in Austin,TX  once said, "when the body is out of balance one of the first place it reveals itself is the skin." It is important to have the right nutrients to get that beautiful and radiant skin.


1. Yogurt: 
    Yogurt is a low-calorie food that is packed with Vitamin D, calcium, protein, and potassium. Yogurt is one type of fermented food that helps maintain the lining of your gastrointestinal tract which prevents toxic bacteria from escaping. These bacteria may travel to your body, including your skin, which no one wants. Yogurt also helps keep your skin hydrated.  You can also apply yogurt to your face to keep your skin radiant.


2. Fruits: 
    We all love sweets. Who doesn't? I mean who can resist a doughnut or cupcake? However, eating a lot of processed sugar is like poison for your skin. For instance, sugar cause your collagen and elastic tissue to breakdown. This results in wrinkles, uneven skin tone and sagging of the skin. Eating sugar once in a while is not bad, but having large amounts of it can spike your insulin. The best alternative way to get sugar is through fruits. Fruits are organic products that are enjoyable and  healthy for our skin. For example, green apple protects your skin from irritation and strawberries help unclog pores. Fruits help your skin appear radiant and helps prevents blotchy spots and dryness.

Start stocking your refrigerators up with yummy fruits and yogurt!

-Lynda

Question!

How are you guys doing so far with The Water Challenge? If you missed a couple of glasses, it's okay! All that matters is that you're trying your best! We have a month to go so don't get discouraged yet!

The Water Challenge!

 

    HAPPY MARCH EVERYBODY! We hope you're having an amazing start to the new month and yes, we know that we're three days late, but we have few facts that will make you want to drink water for the rest of your life...well maybe not the rest of your life, but it will certainly change the way you view water.

It's Nature's Energy Drink! I'm pretty sure you heard that our bodies require two thirds of fluids to function normally. Well when our fluid levels dip below that, it means our body can not perform at its finest. The small decrease won't show any immediate signs, but after a while a person may begin to feel sick or fatigued. Drinking water helps bring the amount of fluid lost back to normal. Causing you to feel alive and well again.

It cleanses our body of nasty toxins. Water causes blood circulation to improve. Blood circulation helps take out the impurities and toxins. It also helps remove waste through urination.

It does wonders for our face. Surprisingly, water helps keep your face looking soft, fresh, and radiant. Your face will begin to look clear in no time. It also hydrates the lips making them look soft like a pillow and pink as a flower.

It's FREE. Why spend spend money on a coke or an artificial juice when you can have all the benefits of water for free?

    We found out that the average woman should drink, at least, 9 cups of water a day. The more active you are, the more cups you should drink. This is because as you sweat, you lose a the fluids in your body. That's why athletes drink up before and after a game. Try to stay away from drinking right before working out. Drinking water before intense activity is known to cause people to feel stomach aches.


    So in honor of this new month, we decided to start the Water Challenge! For one entire month, we challenge you to drink at least 9 cups of water daily. Trust us, it's not as easy as you think, but you owe it to your body. Don't worry, we'll be doing it along with you.

 Bottoms up!