Kathryne

Four Ways to Use Baking Soda and Vinegar

KathryneFeb 23, 2014 5 Comments

DIY with baking soda and vinegar

And no…not for a paper mâché‎ volcano.

ONE: SHAMPOO + CONDITIONER
All right, there’s a LOT of talk out on the Interwebs about how washing your hair with a baking soda/water mixture and conditioning with apple cider vinegar is like, way better for your hair than traditional shampoos that strip your hair of natural oils (and especially those loaded with sulfates, fragrance, yadda yadda). I have also heard that this method helps your hair grow faster. That’s always a plus, eh? The “basic” (pun intended) idea is that baking soda is a basic cleansing agent. Following with acidic ACV helps neutralize your hair while holding in moisture. Not one to be left behind, I did some research and decided to use this recipe:

You Have Some Sugar on Your Face, Girl: Peter Thomas Roth’s “Oilless” Squalane Oil

KathryneFeb 14, 2014 6 Comments

Leave it to Kathryne to buy more facial oils. I just can’t get enough, OK?! My skin is having a renaissance!

Peter Thomas Roth Oilless Oil 100% Purified Squalane ($38 for 1 oz.) caught my eye while I was researching facial oils because it uses the word “oilless” in its name. How can an oil be oilless? What is happening?

Sister Scoop: A Tale of Two (All-Natural) Masks

KathryneFeb 6, 2014 10 Comments

KATHRYNE: S.W. BASICS HIBISCUS MASK
We are no strangers to the awesome-ness of the S.W. Basics brand. And this Christmas, Jennifer spoiled me with the S.W Basics Hibiscus Mask as one of my lovely, all-natural presents ($22 for 2.5 ounces). Now, outside of doing a random mask that I might get as a free sample when ordering other goods, I don’t really do masks. I am a washer, a toner, a moisturizer, but not really a “mask” girl. The reason being: I spent the majority of my teen years absolutely destroying my skin with benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid in layers over layers in an effort to make my pimples disappear and my oily skin go away. Masks have the connotation of being “tightening” and “drying” to me. Now that I am older, I really only like to put moisture back IN my skin, not take it away. I embrace it! Hence, why I generally don’t buy masks for myself. But this turned out to be a really sweet surprise!

With direct-trade hibiscus, french green clay and lavender powder, the mask arrives as a powder. You mix one teaspoon of the mask powder with one teaspoon of water, yogurt or honey. Mix and apply, and you will look SOOO funny! My fiancé said it looked like I just got done murdering someone – the mask, when applied, is BRIGHT red! As S.W. Basics encourages, take hilarious pictures of yourself with your hair up, in pajamas, on your couch with pizza! (Or salad. Salad.)

Taste the Rainbow: Quinoa Salad

KathryneFeb 3, 2014 2 Comments

Anyone who knows me from my formative years (JENNIFER) will tell you that when I was growing up, I was OBSESSED with rainbows. I drew a rainbow under the “K” in my name on homework, and I bought only rainbow posters, rainbow socks, rainbow pens. I painted my room myriad colors, much to my parent’s dismay. I even wore rainbow make-up. Sometimes…I still do. Although, as I approach 30, I’ve learned to embrace more earth tones. Whatever, I still like me some purple eyeshadow! Rainbows are just FUN. They are fair, you know? Not neglecting any color, any shade. Everything is represented! Equal rights. Well, turns out, rainbows are a good way to eat your fruits and vegetables. I knew I was onto something… (but put those Skittles down, girl.)

This recipe comes from years of trial and error. And by error, I should specify that there is no bad way to make this salad. It’s just a matter of preference, as most of my recipes are! Haven’t gone to the market in a week? No problem. This is a simple and nutritious recipe, and once you have the BASE down, you can literally throw anything in it.

Love Letters to Argan Oil: Pura D’or and Acure Organics

KathryneJan 24, 2014 16 Comments

Two sisters means we have two favorite brands of argan oil and two love stories about our oil of choice. Here goes!

KATHRYNE: PURA D’OR
I found Pura D’or argan oil on Groupon. That’s right, I said it. At the time, I wasn’t even actively seeking it out. I had just heard really great things about it online: that you could use it on your hair, face, body, cuticles, you know. It seemed like an ideal product for someone like me who is always searching for a new way to de-age myself. Preserve? I don’t ever want to go under the knife or needles, so preservation is key!

I had this idea in my head that pure, organic argan oil was super duper expensive, thus it was a purchase I delayed for some time. When I saw a Groupon offering 4 oz. of Pura D’or’s 100% argan oil for 20 bucks, I jumped on it! In addition to being cheap, most brands sell argan oil in 1 or 2 oz. vials, at most, so this seemed like a killer deal. I researched the product and the company before I bought it, and it not only had stellar customer reviews, but it was praised as being “the real thing.” There are companies out there that are slapping together various oils, including soy and sunflower, in addition to argan oil, and marketing it as “pure.” I wanted to make sure I was getting true argan oil, and by golly, when it arrived, it was glorious.

Easy Stuffed Peppers

KathryneJan 12, 2014 0 Comments

Here’s a Sunday night recipe: warm stuffing inside peppery goodness…and it’s good for you, too! If you want to swap the breadcrumbs out of this recipe out for cooked couscous or cooked quinoa, feel free. You can always tailor recipes to your own unique tastes and needs…or to what you have in the cabinet!

Peppers are in season in summer and fall, and while we definitely advocate eating fresh, in-season veggies, we couldn’t wait six months to post this recipe…!

Nearly Natural: Four Make-up Picks from Sephora

KathryneJan 7, 2014 3 Comments

I received several Sephora gift cards for my birthday and Christmas recently, and I put them toward making my make-up bag less…hazardous. Since so many people are gifted with Sephora cards around this time of year and may be poring over pages of glosses and mascara, I wanted to take a moment to list my four product picks.

As you probably know, Sephora is not the mecca of natural beauty products. And though the products I purchased are not 100% natural, they are free of some major nasties: parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and a whole lot more (check the individual Sephora product pages for full ingredient lists). It’s a start!…especially for those of us who are having some difficulty switching over to all-natural make-up. Pretty much every product we post on this blog is all-natural or as close to it as possible, so consider these “gateway” products.

Tarte, LipSurgence Lip Tint and Lip Luster, $24
Korres, Wild Rose Mineral Foundation, $28
Josie Maran, Argan Tinted Moisturizer, $38
Josie Maran, Argan Lip & Cheek Color Stick Set, $34

Champagne & Self-Reflection: It’s Almost 2014!

KathryneDec 30, 2013 2 Comments

“Happy F-ing New Year!” (Martha Plimpton in 200 Cigarettes. Photo credit: risabg.com)

As 2014 approaches, we’ll be watching our ALL-TIME FAVORITE SISTA FILM: 200 Cigarettes (trust us, you need this NYE tale – which also contains every celebrity on the planet – AND takes place in the ’80s – what more you could possibly WANT?!)

Oh, and thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Right, that. Both of us feel that the New Year is an incredible opportunity to reset and recalibrate. Sounds cheesy, but it’s true. It’s hard to adopt new rituals and make major lifestyle changes all of the sudden. But the New Year brings renewed purpose and perspective. And we don’t want to let it go to waste.

We decided to highlight one goal each for 2014: a goal that we can track throughout the year, whether via our Twitter and Instagram pages or in entries down the road in 2014. Here they are!

Best Brunch: Cheese-less, Potato-less Herbed Veggie Egg Casserole

KathryneDec 26, 2013 0 Comments

If you woke up this morning with a frosting hangover and tinsel stuck to your face…only to realize that you need to feed a gaggle of hungry relatives…we’ve got ya covered.

This is by far my favorite breakfast casserole of all time. I have been making quiches and eggy dishes for years now, but the two problems I always have with them are: 1) you end up with a lot of extra starch using a basis of potatoes or tortillas, which obviously equals more calories. Or 2) using egg whites and spinach and not much else…there isn’t a whole bunch of taste there. I hate things that taste “diety,” don’t you? There are ways to pair your food so you don’t sacrifice taste for being healthy.

I recently have been trying to steer away from cheese. Not because I don’t love it, but because when it’s in my house, I will eat it and munch on it all day until it’s gone! This recipe knocked my socks off, and everyone who ate it told me it was so good they just assumed cheese was in it. And they didn’t even miss the potato base! (I swapped out the potato for zucchini and heirloom tomatoes. If you ask me, TASTIER!)

How to Beat That Winter Cold (No Chemicals Needed)

KathryneDec 17, 2013 2 Comments

I’m so sorry you’re feeling icky! I’m here to help with my tried and true natural remedies.

After I got back from a summer of travelling around Europe, (hello, jet lag!) back-to-back long days of work coupled with extreme stress (due to not having a enough time in the day…Millennial syndrome), the glands on my neck were really swollen, almost constantly. I always seemed to have some sort of “crud.” I had been checked for strep and other more serious things, but the truth was this persistent little bug I had felt off and on for months hadn’t 100% worked its way out of my body, and it was well past it’s welcome.

Pretty soon, I had a fever, was coughing every five seconds and was in sinus headache hell. I couldn’t even sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time because everything was just so uncomfortable. Ironically, I had gotten called into a commercial audition for an energy drink that day. I tried… but it was a disaster. (*hacks, keels over.*) This was a cold from the deepest dregs of hell. Yay! No magic Western medicine to fix me this time? Wah!

This is how I sped that bug out of my system. Get your notebook out: this is what you need, Sniffy McCoughington.