Did you know lavender (or Lavandula) comes from the mint family? Or that there are 47 different varieties of the flowering plant? We love it for its distinct herbaceous-floral fragrance and beautiful light purple color. Lavender is very soothing, especially as an essential oil. It's often found in spas — from the fragrance in the air to the smell of the products used. Lavender is also used as a natural treatment for anxiety, insomnia, depression and stress-relief. The plant itself has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties and produces a natural insect repellent.
What do you think of when you hear the word patchouli? Does it make you think of the 1960s and 70s — or hippie culture — or worse, grandma perfume? The patchouli plant is a member of the mint family. It's an herb with strongly scented leaves as well as tiny pink and white flower clusters. Patchouli is known for its earthly, green, herbal scent with nods to its mint relatives. It's been used for centuries for fragrance, insect repellent, tea and alternative medicine practices.
I'd been considering cryotherapy for some time now thanks to an old gym injury that has left me with chronic pain in my lower back. After trying chiropractic adjustments, yoga, stretching (basically anything non-surgical), I just assumed it was something I was going to deal with on a regular basis. Just about everything I've tried seemed to be a temporary fix and I would end up with my back throbbing, yet again.
You don't just throw on any dress or apply just any serum to your face. You're thoughtful about the clothing you allow into your wardrobe and you're highly strategic when it comes to a skin care regimen. Though your body is certainly less sensitive compared to the delicate skin on your face, it still has specific needs, too.
If you love bath bombs like we do, then you're sure to want to check out some of the latest and greatest from some of your favorite skin care brands. Made popular by Lush, bath bombs are made up primarily of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) with added skin softeners and essential oils to transport your bathtub to an intoxicating, colorful oasis. From the detoxifying to the heavenly aromas to the cutest designs ever, there's something for everyone. Check out some of our favorite bath bombs and see why Lush isn't the only go-to source anymore.
You may have noticed that watermelon beauty products are popping up everywhere. It's not only a seasonal thing, watermelon is also extremely healthy for you. Watermelon, or Citrullus lanatus, comes from a family of desert-dwelling vines and is made up of 90 percent water. Much like its cousin the cucumber, watermelon is ultra-hydrating due to the high water content.
Between the endless rows of body lotions, scrubs and washes, perusing the beauty aisles can be intimidating. There are products that promise to transform your body by providing smooth, hydrated and awe-inspiring skin, but based on a lot of trial and error, we know not every product lives up to its claims.
Whether you're always in a rush to get out the door in the morning and forget to spritz on your signature scent or you hate the overpowering cloud of fragrance often associated with classic perfumes, it's time to get to know perfume balms. Much like perfume oils, perfume balms tend to be more heavily concentrated to create a longer-lasting scent that really sticks to skin. Also known as solid perfumes, these non-liquid scents feature mixtures of hardened oils, waxes and other ingredients to dab fragrance exactly where you want it, without going overboard.
No doubt, oil is having a moment in the beauty world. From cleansing oils to facial oils to hair oils, beauty oils and their many benefits have finally gone mainstream. Now, perfume oils are the latest oil poised to be the next big thing.
There's a reason why rose tattoos have prevailed for so long: The intricate delicacy of the petals leave a lot of room for artistic interpretation, and as far as symbols go, it doesn't get much more classic or elegant. If you're worried about being too cliché (or basic, the horror), you can rest assured that there are actually a lot of ways to breathe new life into the classic tattoo design.
We've all been in situations when a shower was out of the question. Whether it was a weekend music festival, a camping trip, a lunchtime gym sesh or maybe a surgical procedure. I, myself was recently laid up thanks to a surgery and couldn't shower for a week and a half. I had to get creative in terms of products and techniques that would leave me looking, feeling and smelling like myself.
Putting something permanent on your body is a pretty big deal, so it only makes sense to really believe in the image or the message you're proudly putting on display. From a play on the classic Venus symbol to blazing girl power to subtle messages calling out the patriarch, these emboldening feminist tattoos offer up plenty of that.
Winter scents tend to be dark and dramatic, with intense sandalwood, mysterious amber and intoxicating musk as the most common fragrance notes. But once the temperatures warm up, scents tend to get a bit more optimistic and romantic, with citrus and florals taking center stage.
Whether she's your blood sister or BFF, a tattoo to celebrate and commemorate your sisterhood and friendship is a worthy investment of both money and dermal real estate. Sister tattoos range from truly sweet to silly; simple to straight up gorgeous. Check them out and perhaps let one or two of them inspire your own sister tattoo.
As winter trudges along, most parts of the world remain cold and snowy. Chilly nights and days can wreak havoc on your skin, making it the perfect time to stay indoors and pamper yourself. Hello at-home spa day!
Looking to show off some royal flair? A crown tattoo might just be your best bet. After all, they come in all shapes and sizes, from graphic Basquiat-inspired renderings to painstakingly intricate headpieces that wouldn't look out of place on Daenerys Targaryen. It turns out, there really is something out there for everyone. So, if you're ready to permanently claim queen status, keep on reading: We've picked out some of the coolest crown tattoos on the web.
When Kim Kardashian stunned the internet with her Vampire Facial back in 2013 (yup, it's really been that long), people were shocked that someone would undergo such an extreme treatment in the name of beauty. Nevertheless, as with all things Kardashian, it quickly became a trend and the vampire technique went mainstream.
Shower oils might once have seemed like an obscurity, but products from buzzy brands like Glossier are quickly bringing them to the forefront — and for good reason. Shower oils are easy to use and they're a great way to cleanse your skin without drying it out (no mean feat when you're combatting dry winter skin). And though you might think that they'd leave a residue, have no fear: These best shower oils all produce a gentle lather that rinses off quite easily.
While a perfectly positioned tattoo will look awesome no matter what, there are ways to make your newest ink stand out even more. Skip the traditional placement ideas and consider opting for a spot on your skin that is a bit more unexpected.
Let's face it -- not all of us want to spend a bundle on costly spa treatments to fix our body issues. Whether you want to eradicate stretch marks, body acne, dry skin and nails or any other number of bodily woes, the search for body-transforming products that will actually deliver visible results can prove quite the challenge.
