Happy Valentine's Day!

It's also Manic Monday! Why did I name my Monday posts manic? Because I have so many crafty/natural/cooking interests that it's almost... well... manic! The above photos are in honor of the holiday... taken from a trip to Philly with my husband last summer. My husband has been so sweet to me for Valentine's... flowers, card, and a new lens... the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8! What we both thought was an urban legend! I need to make this up to him somehow... :)

Today's post is another homemade cosmetic: Cuticle oil. I fell in love with this version from Sephora, but at $12 a pop, lasting me about 2 months, I thought that I was in the midst of a serious problem! So, I set out a search for ideas for concocting my own mixture at home. Here's the recipe:

Cuticle Oil
Mix the following in a small, lidded glass container, such as a recycled or new spice jar or sample cosmetic jar:
2 Tablespoons Sweet Almond oil (I use this one)
4 drops Lavender essential oil
4 drops Rosemary essential oil
4 drops Tea Tree essential oil
4 drops Lemon essential oil
1 large or 2 small Vitamin E capsules, gelatin coating punctured with pin and contents squeezed into mixture

The almond oil is a nice, moisturizing, neutral base. The lavender, rosemary, and tea tree essential oils act as antimicrobial agents, and the lemon oil helps to whiten nails. The vitamin E acts as a preservative to keep the oils from turning rancid.
Swirl the mixture in the container to blend. Apply with a cotton swab. I love the look of natural nails, and I use this on my fingers and toes! This version is very inexpensive in comparison with those on the market, and you don't have any of the yucky preservatives you can find in so many other cuticle oils. You can do so much with essential oils. It's kind of expensive to get the basics, but they last for months and can be used for all kinds of things... even cleaning. But that's for another Monday... have a great week!