Exfoliating Face Wash

Instead of buying a separate face wash with microbeads, or whatever the current terminology is, add a bit of baking soda to your face wash.  I've read using just baking soda and water, making a paste, and lightly rubbing it on your face also works, but I tried adding it to my normal face wash.

First, I wet my face.  This is recommended if you have sensitive skin because putting the baking soda on a dry face may be a bit rough for facial skin.

Next, I put a small amount of my normal cleanser in the palm of my hand and adding baking soda- maybe a teaspoon amount, though I just guessed.

Then I rubbed that all over my face.

You can leave it on for a while.  Some people suggest letting the mixture almost dry and rub it around again before washing off.  I did not.  I rinsed it off almost immediately.

The results?  Well, here's my freshly washed, no makeup face, so you can be the judge.  Overall I think it left my skin much softer to the touch.  Don't over do it.  Use this at most, once or twice a week.

Jamberry Nails

I attended a quarter auction last night where I came home with a cute manicure set that included a set of Jamberry Nails wraps.  After looking at the website, I see that these are around $15/set so I'm not sure if these truly qualify as Budget Beauty items, but if the manicure lasts long enough, it just might.

Now I have used other adhesive nail wraps in the past, so the instructions that included the application of heat threw me off a bit.  They have a couple of instruction videos on the website, so I recommend at least glancing it over, especially the hints and tips which will help eliminate some problems before you start.

Overall, it took me approximately an hour to apply the wraps, from prep to completion.  It was fairly easy and though my free set came with a cute little rice bag to apply the heat, I actually used my hairdryer as I did not want to have to keep running to the microwave to warm up the rice bag.

I'll update this post as to how the manicure does over time, but I've included a picture.  The flash on my phone makes this particular wrap to appear to have black in it, but it really is just pink and silver.

I'd love to hear about your own experiences with Jamberry Nails.  Please comment below.  If you have suggestions on other items you'd like to see reviewed here, mention it in the comments!

Edit:  If you're a crafter, especially a hot glue gun user, you may want to skip this wrap.