How to {SAGE} your home

 

Before you begin to cleanse the energy in your home, please make sure you have decluttered your home.

 

 

1. Purchase a sage smudge stick from a metaphysical shop, even some candle stores now supply it. Next find a small fire proof bowl or ashtray to hold it over as the stick smokes. (Traditionally an abalone shell is used).

    2. Open the windows in your house and turn any fans. This will help the negative energy flow out of the window allowing the positive energy to fill the room in its place.

3. Light your smudge stick and once it begins to burn, blow out the flame and allow the embers to start to smolder and smoke (similar to lighting incense).

4. Say an affirmation or a prayer of cleansing your home. I like to say, "Bless this home and all who enter, please cleanse this home of all stagnant and negative energy, fill this home with light and love and with positive energy of the highest vibration."

5. Walk around the room, waving the sage stick so its smoke drifts into corners, along walls, around windows, and along ceiling lines. Also imagine the smoke absorbing negativity. See the smoke dissipating and floating out the windows, and imagine that bad energy flowing out of your space, making room for positive, fresh energy.

6. Bless every room in your home with sage, including basement and attic space. When you are done imagine your whole home being filled with white light and positive vibrational energy.

7. Extinguish the smudge stick in the cup of water or in an ashtray. Make sure that it is no longer smoldering and extinguished.    

 

 

 

xoxo, karabears

A pale girls advice on getting {THE BEST EVER} sunless tan

Last year I decided to stop tanning...and for someone that had worked and visited a tanning salon nearly every single day for the past 10 years, this was a major decision. But I knew that it was a decision that I needed to make for my health. Watching my grandfather battle with skin cancer and constantly having to go to the Dr. to have areas from his face, neck, and ears burned and scraped off due to years of farming and being out in the sun unprotected...I didn't want that to end up being me a few more years down the road. So anyways, I started testing out faux tanning formulas. Currently, I use Norvell One Hour Rapid One Sunless Mist which can be purchased from Amazon for under $20! But I have also heard wonderful things about the St. Tropez Self Tanning Bronzing Mousse which is also on Amazon for around $45.

 

 

As someone who worked at a tanning salon for nearly 6 years and who also professionally spray tanned customers for 3 of those years, I know a little thing or two about spray tanning. So here I am...about to share my secrets with all of you beautiful mermaids, so listen up if you want to get the most out of your spray tan :)

 

 

 

8 Tips & Tricks to Get the Perfect Faux Tan

 

 

 

1. Always exfoliate very well before applying self tanner! If you don't, you won't be able to get that even coverage, you will notice areas of your skin might be darker than others and you might have that "dirty" look. So this step is the most important to remove any dead skin so this doesn't happen to you!! 

 

2. Also, shaving. You want to shave a day or two before applying sunless tanner. I've made the mistake of shaving the day of numerous times and the results are always iffy. I've found that when I apply sunless tanner directly after shaving my legs the solution gets clumped up in literally every single hair follicle on my leg haha! So it looks like I have tons of brown spots. With that being said, shave a day or two before spray tanning your legs :)

3. Now, this step is the second most important after exfoliating..be sure that before applying your sunless tanner that you moisturize your joints (knees, ankles, wrist, elbows, fingers, toes). These areas tend to get color clumped. They can look darker, dirty, etc.  So always put lotion on these areas so that you get a more even distribution of color. 

 

4. To apply my norvel tanning solution, I use a hand mitt which you can purchase for around $3-$5 on Amazon. I spray the solution onto the mit NOT directly on my body. Sometimes if you spray the solution directly onto your body, you can get streaks if your not careful to blend and rub it all in. So for me, it's much easier to spray directly on the mit so I don't have to worry about the solution dripping. 

5. When you're ready to spray, start from the bottom up! Start at your ankles, work your way up to your shoulders..this will prevent any weird marks when you bend over. Always save your hands and arms for last! 

 

 

6. When applying sunless tanner to your face go very easy! Only apply tanning solution to the places where you'd naturally tan (forehead, apples of your cheeks, bridge of your nose, and your chin) then blend outward with your fingertips. Be careful around your nose and the top of your lip. These areas will pick up more color as they tend to be drier. 

 

 

7. If your solution says it dries in 10 minutes, wait 20. Always make sure that your 100% dry. Then, you can apply a talc free baby powder all over your body so you don't transfer the solution to your clothes. Then avoid showering or sweating for 6-8 hours. I always apply before I go to bed. 

 

8. To get the most out of your tan, be sure to stay moisturized and use a gentle cleanser. Avoid using retinols and acne treatments as well as they can dissolve the color on your face.

 

 

 

If you have any questions or even have some tips of your own that I haven't mentioned, feel free to comment below!!

 

 

 

xoxo, karabears