Mixology || Shea Butter Conditioner from Scratch

You do not need a lot of ingredients for this mixture nor do you need any hard-to-find ones.  All you need are an inexpensive conditioner, shea butter, and olive oil.

Ingredients:
4 parts cheap conditioner (e.g., VO5, Suave, etc.)
2 parts shea butter
1 part extra virgin olive oil
*Optional: feel free to use another oil instead (e.g., safflower)

Instructions:
1. Melt the shea butter until soft but not until a liquid.
2. Whip the shea butter the safflower oil and conditioner.
3. Apply the concoction to freshly washed hair.  Let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse and style as usual.

Mixology || Curling Pudding (or Twist-out Definer)

Do you want to make your own curling pudding or twist cream?  Or do you want a product that holds without the dryness or flakiness?  Here is a recipe worth trying:

Ingredients (large batch):
1 tbsp castor oil
1/4 cup shea butter
1 1/4 cup your favorite gel

Instructions:
Whip the shea butter with the castor oil using a hand mixer (ideal) or a fork. Then mix in the gel thoroughly.  Use to define curls or apply before twisting for a defined twist-out.

Moisturizing Spritz Recipes

The moisturizing spritz is ideal for those with fine hair or those who prefer a lighter alternative to thick butters.  Additionally, it may be used to revive twists or another style that has gotten dry over time.  Below are a couple of quick, easy recipes.  Feel free to tweak to your own liking!

H2O Spritz
- water
- few drops of essential oil (your favorite)

ROSE-GLYCERIN Spritz
- 4 parts rosewater
- 1-2 parts glycerin

LEAVE-IN Spritz
- 5 parts water
- 1 part conditioner (your favorite)

THE WORKS Spritz
- 3-4 parts water
- 2 parts aloe vera juice
- 2 parts glycerin
- 1 part coconut oil
- 1 part olive oil
- few drops essential oil (your favorite)

NOTE: Some of these spritzes have a short shelf life (few days to a few weeks), so be sure not to create too much in one sitting.  Refrigeration may extend the shelf life a bit.

Household Makeup Removers

Yesterday evening. Concealer caked under my eyes. Mascara loaded on my eyelashes. Toss in some thick black eyeliner, glamorous eyeshadow, and loose powder. Rummaging through my product stash for something to remove the makeup. Wait. I own none of that stuff. Time to improvise:

Olive oil as a makeup remover.
Regular cleanser + brown sugar for a scrub.
Witch hazel as a toner.

It worked out well!

If you decide to try these household options, be careful in the region around your eyes.

OTHER OPTIONS:
*makeup remover - jojoba oil, safflower oil, castor oil
*scrub - white sugar + cleanser
*toner - lemon juice or rubbing alcohol (may be drying though)

FOR MIXOLOGISTS:
TONER RECIPES #1
TONER RECIPES #2
MAKEUP REMOVER RECIPES