DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent

Hey guys! I am going to start a new section on this blog and I may end up separating it from the beauty blog, but I am not quite sure yet! I have been trying to live more natural, so I have started making my own cleaning supplies, I am just really trying to be healthier and more economical all in one. For the first Do It Yourself, I wanted to share with you a recipe I have been using for 2 years now. Homemade Laundry Soap. This recipe will make a ton and it will last for a while because you only need to use 1 to 2 tablespoons per normal load of laundry, now if your laundry is a little more soiled you might want to use a little bit more!

Let's get started....

Ingredients

Oxy Clean Substitutes ( Dirty Jobs = Wal-Mart & Sun Oxy Clean = Sam's Club)

Note: Purex Crystals are optional & Not shown Fels Napha

1 tub of Oxy Clean ( will share cheaper substitutes down below)
2 Bars of Zote
1 bar of Fels Napha (optional)
1 box of Borax
1 box Washing Soda
1 Bottle of Purex Crystals (optional)

Tools:
Cheese Grater
Blender(optional)

Step One:
In a large bowl grate your Zote and Fels Napha if your using it. Fels Napha just helps to fight against stains! I use a medium to fine grate it makes it easier to dissolve in the washer that way.

Step 2:
I put all ingredients in the bowl.... you'll need a rather large bowl as you are making a big batch. Use the whole tub of Oxy Clean, whole box of Borax, and a whole box of Washing Soda.... NOTE: This makes a ton.... it will fill up at least 5 of the Oxy Clean containers if not more. Now for a smaller batch use one bar of Zote and 1/3 of each other ingredient.

All the ingredients in a large bowl.

Step 3:
With a large spoon mix while. If you are using the Purex Crystals for fragrance you would add them here, gradually as you stir.

This is after it has been ground up in the Ninja. Stir again for best results.

Step 4: (Optional)
I use a Ninja Blender (that I have specifically for soap making) and I grind up the powder, I find that it dissolves better and if your using the Purex Crystals really help the fragrance in the clothing. After its all blended stir it all again and place into containers!

That's it guys, super easy and I love it. The picture below doesn't show it well but that is a coffee measuring cup and that's all you really need now there have been times where I have used as much as 1/2 a cup to some really soiled loads. I hope you enjoyed this blog. Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought. Also don't forget to add us to your circles or follow us, to make sure you don't miss out on future blogs and possible giveaways!

This is a coffee scoop... that's all you need! 

Buy it or Leave it: The Balm Meet Matt(e) Nude

On of the things I got for Christmas is the Meet Matt(e) Nude palette from the Balm. This is going to be a quick review of the product and whether or not I think its worth the money!

The palette is completely matte and its very neutral both cool and warm. The shadows are creamy, and they blend out nicely. This palette has every thing you will need from a nice highlight to a perfect transition color. They say this palette has creamy shadows and perfect liners. I think that the darker colors make wonderful eyeliners.

Let's talk packaging for a second. The Balm's packaging draws me in every time. The name's the art work its all wonderful.

I usually use my matte palette from Physicians formula in Classic Canyons to do my transition color and highlight, but that costs $7.25 and though I love it, its not as creamy and pigmented as the Meet Matte Nude palette is. The cost of this palette is $42.00. If you do the math that makes each shadow $4.67 each shadow is 0.01oz. In the Physicians Formula palette you get four shadows at  1.58g each that is a total cost of $1.81 each. Now the claims for the Meet Matte Nude palette is that they are perfect all over shadows, can be used as liners or they can be used wet or dry. Now you maybe thinking that $42.00 is a lot for 9 shadows and I would agree, but you can usually find The Balm on www.hautelook.com  where you can usually get The Balm at 50% off. You can also go to The Balm Cosmetics website, click here.

In my opinion this palette is well worth the $42.00. They are pigmented, creamy, blendable, can be used in multiple ways from wet to dry and as liners. Give it a shot I am sure you'll at least like the packaging.