Ways to Make Over your Look without spending a dime!

Whoever first coined the famous phrase “Beauty is pain,” was spot-on. Between trips to the hair salon, waxing appointments, and splurging on expensive skincare products, beauty is pain…painfully expensive! However, today I’m going to teach you that doesn’t have to be the case. Whenever my girlfriends or I feel stuck in the same old beauty routine, we turn to some foolproof primp tricks I keep in my back pocket. And they always work.

Without further ado, here are five ways to update your look without spending a dime:

1. Change your part.
   If you always sport a side swept ‘do, mix things up by parting your hair down the middle. Similarly, if you’re a center part kinda gal, go for a deep side part. You will be surprised how much it changes your facial features. And the best thing about it is that you can go back to your classic favourite in a matter of seconds.
2. Try a bold lip or a cat eye.
   You all know by now that my go-to eye makeup is a swipe of liquid liner on my top lid. I discovered this beauty look because I was not a huge fan of eyeshadow and I wanted to try something new. It instantly updated my look, and as you can see, I haven’t strayed from it since! Using a bold red, coral, or pink lip colour can have the same effect. It adds a touch of glamour to your everyday beauty routine. If you don’t have liquid liner or a bright lipstick, you can always visit the beauty counters at your favourite department store and play around with a makeup artist until you find what suits you.
3. Make a mask with things you already have in the kitchen.
   It’s crazy how many face masks you can make with items you use for cooking your meals everyday. Sounds crazy, I know. One of my favourite DIY masks is this Greek yogurt mask that calms acne and hydrates dry skin. I’ve also read that you can make a mask by mixing up ½ avocado and the juice from ½ of a lemon. So grab your leftovers and get to work for refreshed and moisturized skin.
4. Try a natural teeth whitener.
   Drugstore whitening strips are great for brightening up your pearly whites. But if you’re looking for a wallet-friendly option, try mixing baking soda and lemon juice into a paste, then brushing it onto your teeth with a toothbrush. Leave the mixture on for about a minute, then brush it off. According to Health.com, the baking soda will remove stains from your tooth enamel while the citric acid in the lemon juice will have a bleaching effect.
5. Stand up straight.
   Many of the best beauty secrets I’ve ever heard have been simple tips that help you not only look your best but feel your best too. Case in point: perfect posture. When I make an effort to stand up straight during the day, I find myself with a perky attitude and a more carefree disposition. Slumping over will do just the opposite, leaving you feeling lethargic and jaded. Stand up straight, ladies.

Do you have any tips for making over your look on a dime?

Saskia XO

How to highlight

I have recently moved from brunette to blonde and so thought what better than to teach all my beautiful bloggers about the best way to highlight!
So it’s time to lighten up, ladies. With summer right around the corner, now the time of year to go blonder or add some sun-kissed strands to your mane. I’ve gotten many requests to cover this topic, so I decided to compile my comprehensive guide to highlighting your hair. Below you will find my tips for keeping your highlights looking natural, your hair healthy, and your beauty budget in check.

Before I begin, let me just say that my No. 1 tip is to leave it to a professional. If you want professional-looking highlights, you’re going to have to pay for them. That said, I have a few suggestions to keep in mind before, during, and after your visit to the salon. Here’s how to keep your colour bright and your roots in check…

Know the Key to Good Colour
Step one of developing my own personal hairstyle was leaving the over-processed locks of my early teenage years behind and embracing a much more natural aesthetic when it comes to colouring my hair. My rule of thumb is that your hair looks best when it’s closer to its natural colour and texture. Embrace what your mother gave you, and then work to enhance it—not change it. The reason my own dirty-blonde locks work well is because they look like they look natural against my complexion. Work with a colourist you trust, and have faith in their professional opinion. Any good stylist would advise you not to shift your hair colour more than one or two shades at a time.

Stretch Your Budget
Since I would only recommend having a professional handle your highlights, the key to wallet-friendly colour is stretching the time between trips to the salon. Four to eight weeks is the standard amount of time between salon visits, but even that is a big window. The highlights that require the least amount of upkeep start only a shade or two darker than your natural hair colour and fade into a lighter colour toward the tips of your tresses. Depending on how light you want to go, you might want to try either a dirty-blonde-to-honey-blonde or honey-blonde-to-beach-blonde gradient. Lastly, ask your hairstylist to use a toning gloss to seal in the colour and make it last longer. This (along with a colour care shampoo and conditioner at home) will prevent your colour from looking dull as the weeks go by.

Maintain Healthy Hair
Lightening your hair automatically puts it in more fragile territory. So when I’m at the salon getting my colour done, I always ask for a deep conditioning treatment as well. It makes a big difference in keeping my hair looking healthy. If you have colour treated hair, it is also a good idea to avoid styling products that have a lot of alcohol in them, like many hair sprays. Alcohol will dry out your stresses and leach out the colour. I also recommend using use a heat-protecting product when you’re blowing out, curling, or straightening your hair.

Are you going to lighten up this summer?

Saskia XO

Summertime Sips...

Bloggers!

This is my apology post for not posting for over two months :O...However, I do have my reasons!!
I've been doing my AS Level examinations, but will be relieved to know that I am finished now and can get back in the bloggersphere! 
Here at 'A Taste of Love', we have got some exciting ideas and posts coming up over the summer period so watch this space!

Without further ado, here is my apology post:

Things are starting to warm up and since we're currently experiencing a heat wave (yes, you are not dreaming!), I figured what better time than now to showcase some of our favourite summer cocktails...

1. Riesling Strawberry Slushy {recipe via Style & Grace}
   
2. Raspberry Beer Cocktail {recipe via A Cup of Mai}
   
3. Blackberry Sage Cooler {recipe via Scaling Back}
   
4. Grapefruit Mojito {recipe via Iowa Girl Eats}
   
5. Roasted Peach Lemonade {recipe via The Naptime Chef}
   
6. Watermelon Cucumber Cocktail {recipe via Martha Stewart}
   
7. Blueberry French 75 {recipe via Eat Love Drink}
   
8. Pear, Rosemary & Lemongrass Cocktail {recipe via Green Kitchen Stories}
   
9. Sangria Bianca {recipe via Refinery29}
   
10. Cherry Beer Margarita {recipe via The Blond Cook}
    

What's your favourite summertime sip?

Saskia XO