[I love spas, but being on a college budget doesn't allow for visits to them. I like to create my own spa days at home, and this is something you all can do too! So I will be bringing you some of my favorite at home treatments with ingredients you already have.]

Scrubs are one of my favorite things to make at home because there are so many different kinds. You can make a scrub out of almost anything from your kitchen. At home scrubs are super cheap and can actually be better for your skin because you’re not using a bunch of chemicals that can be found in store-bought ones. Do be aware though not to get too crazy and start throwing random ingredients together especially if you have really sensitive skin.

I’m going over two face scrubs and a body scrub in this video that I use on a regular basis. They’re extremely easy to make and won’t put a dent in your wallet.

On my face: Painted Earth Pore Perfecting Primer, Painted Earth concealer, MAC Studio Fix Powder, Painted Earth liquid blush in Flutter, Painted Earth eyeshadow in Unforgettable, Painted Earth mascara

On my nails: OPI Siberian Nights

Got something you want me to cover? Post it in the comments below. And don’t forget to follow us on YouTube and check out my other videos right here! And for more beauty related tips, check out my website and follow me on Twitter!

In the last few years, collective buying sites like Groupon and Living Social have become increasingly popular. The concept is fairly simple: a daily deal is offered with a set minimum number that must be sold in order for the deal to become available. Examples of the types of deals offered through these sites include 50% (or more) off food at a restaurant, 2-For-1 tickets, and one-month unlimited gym passes.

SpaRahRah! provides a twist on the collective buying model: it offers exclusive deals on spa, beauty and wellness at up to 75% off their original prices. It’s run through SpaFinder, the “Global Spa and Wellness Resource.” Each deal is available for purchase for one week, unlike most other sites of this type, which only give you 24 hours to purchase a deal (great news for those like me who have a hard time making decisions).

I had a chance to try out a SpaRahRah! deal for myself: a one-hour yoga class, followed by a foot soak and reflexology treatment, at Creative Chakra Spa in Marina Del Rey, California (FYI: for anyone living in or visiting the Los Angeles area: you have to try this place! It’s not like your usual quick-appointment salon/spa — it focuses completely on healing). Since no one else had signed up for yoga that evening (the owner noted that the classes are usually small anyway — that way every student gets attention), I ended up having a private lesson, which was wonderful since I’m still a Yoga beginner. The class was the perfect way to relax at the end of a stressful day and stretch my body, which spends so many hours hunched at a desk behind a computer. After I was fully relaxed from my class, I was wrapped in a plush robe and proceeded to have a warm foot soak with aromatherapy salts and a reflexology treatment with Sandie, the friendly owner. My experience was nothing short of amazing, and I’m sure I’ll be back there soon.

After such a good experience, I’m definitely excited to see what other types of deals SpaRahRah! has to offer in the future. It’s a great way to be pampered — on a college girl’s budget!

[SpaRahRah was kind enough to provide Laura with these services for free. So thanks SpaRahRah!]

Happy Presidents’ Day, ladies!

That’s why your classes were canceled today, in case you were wondering. And why mattresses are “60% off TODAY ONLY!” So while we sleep in and high school students get a week off, and the rest of the world remembers all the great things our nation’s leaders have done for us, I’m going to  do some remembering of my own, but remembering a bit closer to home…

Remember (see I told you) when you were a little kid and you use to have to write those essays about what you did over summer vacation, what you wanted to be when you grew up, and oh yeah, what you would do if you were president for a day? Well, I’m finally getting around to writing mine. (Because I don’t know what else to do with myself now that I’ve finished my senior thesis.) In honor of Presidents’ Day I present to you, the top ten things I would change if I were president.

Disclaimer: This list is not to be taken seriously. These are not serious suggestions nor are they things I would ever actually consider doing if I were in such a situation of power. It’s just a little bit of fun.

10. Instead of the president’s most trusted advisors the cabinet will include the hottest guys in the U.S. Sure they may not be the brightest advisors a girl ever had, but they will sure make the work day a lot more enjoyable (And I’m sure they’d give quite a few of our past presidents’ advisors a run for their money.) First issue of discussion: who has the hottest abs? Well, I guess you’ll just have to take your shirts off and discuss.

9. Replace the White House bowling alley with a White House spa. Seriously, I mean I don’t know what the previous presidents were thinking. Who relaxes by bowling? Especially with those horrible shoes. Thanks but no thanks. I’ll take a massage table, some scented candles, and a facial any day.

8.  Instead of vacationing at Camp David I’ll vacation at Disney World. Why vacation at a country retreat when you can go to Disney World – the greatest place on earth? I don’t know about you, but if I’m gonna be spending a week surrounded by rodents, I prefer mine with squeaky voices and comically oversized shoes.

7.  Upon completion of their degrees, college students get their tuition back. My gift to college students everywhere. If they managed to make it through four years of partying hard work and dedication to their studies they deserve a reward. I would know.

6.  There really will be a Starbucks on every corner. And of course, the president drinks for free. What? I’d need to stay caffeinated, okay? Have you ever seen me with less than sixteen ounces of caffeinated caramel goodness in my system? No. You haven’t. And there’s a reason for that.

5. Margarita Mondays will become a nationally observed holiday. Okay so maybe margaritas all day wouldn’t be the best idea. But at least a mandatory margarita during a mandatory 5 p.m. cocktail hour on Mondays. It will boost everyone’s mood and make it all the more interesting for those that have to return to work after their drinks. Don’t you think?

4. Add zebra stripes to the white house. Come on. The place hasn’t been painted since 1800. It could use a bit of a spruce up.

3. State of the Union address will involve a rundown of the previous year’s fashion trends. Okay so I don’t actually have a legitimate excuse for this one, but I just think that it would be more fun to go back and pick out the best and worst fashion mistakes of the past year than to discuss the nation’s successes and failures. Not necessarily as productive, but definitely more entertaining. Especially if my Secretary of Style, Joan Rivers, was sitting behind me.

2.  My presidential salary will include a special shoe shopping budget. This is totally reasonable. I mean I’ll be attending tons of important functions every week. That will require lots and lots of cute outfits and lots and lots of cute shoes to go with said outfits. And if my budget allows for those shoes to be Louboutins, Jimmy Choos, and Manolo Blahniks, then so be it. I am serving my country, after all.

1. Make CollegeCandy the required reading material for the entire universe. If not for the entire United States population (I’m not sure I want my mom gettin’ this on her Google Reader) than at least for all the college girls out there. It’s for their own good, I assure you.

[Check out Jenn's other musings-in-the-form-of-a-list here.]

In Australia, the ultimate fantasy man-cation is about to become a reality.  The Lynx lodge, a male-only resort boasting on-staff models and a list of cringe-worthy activities, is opening this November.  Now you can send your boyfriend, brother, and dad to play Twister with gorgeous Aussie girls, sit front row at a mud-wrestling match, and then embark on manly sporting endeavors like golf and fishing.

Sounds like a dream, right?  Wait, no?  Not so much?  Yeah, I didn’t think so either.  I say give the men all the boobs and beer they could ever dream of.  I’m much more interested in putting a female spin on it and creating the most do die for girls-only resort.  And if the BF tells you it’s going to be all pillow fights and whipped cream, pat him on the head and set him straight.  This is our fantasy, not his.

First off, I like to think the dream resort would look a little bit like Jennifer Aniston’s house.  Actually, let me take it one step further and say I’d like Jennifer Aniston to be the president and manager of this dream destination.  Without offending her holiness, I think it would take the ultimate independent girl to design and decorate the perfect girl retreat.  Rest assured, every room would be appointed with giant luxurious beds, DVD box sets of Sex and the City, fully stocked mini bars, and the most worry-melting Jacuzzis you’ve ever seen- compete with champagne scented bubble bath.

While dudes think it’s all-that hanging out with strange women in string bikinis, I’d actually prefer for our resort to be a man-free zone.  Just think — hair can remain in sloppy buns, spandex will become perfectly acceptable outside the gym…no bros around to complain when you blast your favorite ’90s girl group hits (helloooo Spice Girls)!

Suggested activities would include sleeping in, lounging by the pool, hanging out and looking cool, visiting the award-winning spa, and eating chocolate-covered strawberries.

To cap off a day of bliss, it would only be appropriate for the hotel to offer cocktails on its sweeping veranda.  (Of course there’s a sweeping veranda.  And from it you can see Brangelina’s French chateau.  Did I not mention we’re in France?  Ooh, look, there’s Shiloh!)

What else would your ultimate girls-only getaway include?  Maybe sparkly ponies to take you to dinner?  Or amazing stores where everything is free?  I got it, vodka fountains!

Now, we just need to figure out who’s going to commission this fabulous dream…

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, TFLN…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like Dear Blank, Please Blank; Specials Agent; and Shop It To Me) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

Confession time!

I am completely obsessed with shopping for beauty products. Lipsticks and eyeshadows and mascaras (oh my!) are my guilty pleasures (OK, just some of my MANY guilty pleasures, right up there with brownie sundaes and True Blood).  I literally have entire shelves and drawers dedicated to my vast collection of body lotions, perfumes, hair products, and makeup, and I’m always buying more.  It’s sort of a problem, but at least most of what I buy isn’t too expensive or it’s from the drugstore, since I can’t really afford the fancy department store and designer brands.

Until I found out about Beauty Story, a site designed just for beauty-obsessed people like me. Beauty Story is a members-only sale site (similar to Gilt, HauteLook, RueLaLa, etc….) that’s dedicated entirely to the beauty industry.  It offers amazing discounts–up to 80% off!–on all things beauty-related, including skincare, makeup, and salon and spa services for its members.

I know – I can barely contain myself either. But it gets BETTER!

Beauty Story is totally free to join!  All you gotta do is sign up and you’ll have access to all the insanely good sales.  There’s usually a few sales going on at once, as well as previews of upcoming sales so you can prepare yourself (and your wallet) for all the goodies.  And you’ll definitely need to prepare and hit up the sales soon after they start, so you can pick up all the good stuff before it’s sold out!

Trust me, you’re going to love this site.  It’s awesome to be able to get designer brands on sale, and the deals are so good, it’s hard to pass them up.  Sure, I probably don’t need another tube of lip gloss, but at these prices I don’t know if I’ll be able to resist!

I myself am stressed to the max with work and am not at all appreciative of the bags under my eyes right now (I look a little something like this). I swear I saw my first wrinkle today. And then I cried.

All I want is a little R&R so I can be fully recharged and ready for Spring Break. After all, you need to look and feel your best before you go off and party for an entire week (duh). I’d love to just take a day and chill out at the spa. Relaxing music, soothing body treatments, a little “me” time is all I really need to feel better and look a whole lot more rejuvenated.

Too bad I’m in college and have to spend all my money on tuition instead of a fancy $80 facial or $60 body exfoliate. But that’s OK, because with a few key ingredients and a couple of hours, I can bring the spa and relaxation to me. And you can too, sister.

Here are a few DIY recipes and tips to create the perfect spa day that will have you feeling less stressed and more relaxed, guaranteed!  It worked wonders for me and now I no longer look like the Wicked Witch and look (or feel like I look) more like this.

What You’ll Do
1. Turn off your cell phone. Yes, do it. I dare you. The freedom and relaxation that comes from not hearing your phone buzz every few minutes is amazing.

2. Turn on some smooth jams. I prefer Miss Norah Jones (she’s the bomb.com). But if you really want that spa ambiance, turn on Spa Radio station on Pandora Radio so you really feel like you’re at a pampered place.

3. Detox your bod by drinking tons of ice-cold water throughout the day. Add some cucumber slices for a crisp taste and spa feel.

4. Scrub up with the Lemon-Brown Sugar Body Scrub (recipe below).

5. Freshen your face with the Citrus Facial (recipe below).

6. Sit back, kick your feet up, and relax with a bowl of organic fro-yo with fresh fruit.

7. Leave the “spa” feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for whatever the week has to offer.

Lemon-Brown Sugar Body Scrub
Body scrubs exfoliate the skin, which can help remove toxins from your body (like the ones from all those games of beer pong and late-night TBell runs)! Scrubs also remove dead skin, leaving your skin with a renewed, healthy, and natural glow.

What You’ll Need
1/4 cup coarse brown sugar
1 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup grated lemon peel

What You’ll Do
1. Mix together all ingredients. The brown sugar will help to exfoliate the skin, the grapeseed oil will moisturize the skin, and the lemon peel will create a tingly feeling that stimulates your senses.
2. Gently rub on your body.
Tip: Scrubs can be very messy and goopy, so use this in the shower or bath for easier application.
3. Rinse with water.
4. If you want to make a bigger batch, multiply all ingredients by 4 and store in a cute jar. Mason jars work best for a retro, vintage feel, and will add that extra unique touch to your homemade scrub. You can find Mason Jars at Walmart and other home stores.

Citrus Facial
This facial, like the body scrub, will remove dead/dry skin and revitalize your face. And citrus is a natural ingredient that helps further detoxify your skin (plus it smells delicious!).

What You’ll Need:
1 teaspoon lemon juice (or other citrus juice!)
2 teaspoons honey
6 ounces plain yogurt
1/4 cup oatmeal

What You’ll Do:
1. Blend ingredients.
2. Apply to face and allow to dry
3. Rinse with water and bask in your freshened face!

Recipes from OrganicAuthority.com.

There are very few girls out there who don’t like to feel pampered occasionally. Whether it’s getting highlights at a fancy salon or doing an at-home pedicure, we all deserve a chance to feel beautiful. What I’m unsure about is whether to choose the DIY route for my facial/hair treatment/manicure or leave it to the professionals.

Help, I’m torn!

Love it: It’s rainy days like today that all I want is a good DIY pedicure. Why would I venture out of the apartment into inclement weather just to pay someone $20 to paint my toes? I have all of the tools (nail polish, lotion, exfoliant and a nail file), so why not do it myself? Plus, while I’m at it, I could scour the Internet for some other great DIY treatments, like this brown sugar scrub to soothe my skin. Between my fridge and pantry, I probably have all of the necessary ingredients. Plus, with the money I save, I can buy a new pair of shoes!

Loathe it: I’ve had my share of DIY beauty flops, mostly involving hair dye. (Including splashes, splatters and squirts of the stuff that are still stained on my walls and ceiling.) And you know what, after I screw up at home, I wind up having to go to the salon anyway just to fix the damage. If you’re going to have to pay for professional beauty treatments anyway, why not start out in the salon and not risk permanent damage to hair/skin/nails?

And when it comes to creating your own face masks/shampoos/etc, why the heck would you EVER want to rub a raw egg anywhere on your body? Or mayo. Just the thought of squeezing that burger topping in my hair makes me want to vomit. As does the thought of having to clean everything up when I’m done. That’s not relaxing. That’s not being pampered. And now that most salons are offering natural-based treatments, I don’t have to scramble an omelet on my face to avoid all those harsh chemicals.

But I do have to pay….

So, I’m really not sure.
What do you think?
Are you a fan of at-home treatments, or do you think your beauty needs are best left to a professional?

Mmmm sperm!

So apparently all those frat guys during my last four years of university had it right all along – sperm really does have many health benefits.  A Norwegian company called Bioforskning (which sounds like the owner may have had a mouthful of something when she was asked to name the company) has developed a facial treatment to minimize wrinkles and smooth skin utilizing spermine, an element in human sperm.

Human. Sperm. WTF??

First of all, let’s just sit back and appreciate the thought process that had to have gone into this product.  Who came up with it?  Who was sitting around and thinking, “Oh you know what, I bet jizz is really good for your skin, let me test this out and then sell it for hundreds of dollars”??  I tell you what, when sperm is that close to my face, my skin care routine is usually the last thing on my mind.  The first thing?  “Argh, point that thing somewhere else!”

Secondly, this “treatment” can cost up to $250 per session.  Seriously? What happened to the days when jizz on your face was an unhappy accident after a night of too many free (and probably warm) beers in the basement of a fraternity house on the side of campus you usually avoid? And instead of thinking, “Oh hey, I should probably let this sink into my skin and give it a second to see if it does anything beneficial,” weren’t we all (those of us who were “blessed” enough to be in the beta stages of this beauty regimen) thinking, “Where’s my face wash??”

Although Botox and  plastic surgery get a lot of flack, I feel a bit more warm to the idea of someone injecting pig fat or whatever it is into my face now that I know a sperm facial (didn’t that use to be a euphemism for something?) is the alternative treatment.  At any rate, I hope this development doesn’t leak to those frat guys (or really, any sexually active male), otherwise this fall’s crop of freshman girls have a whole new thing coming to them (all puns intended).

[Ever see something you want but don’t have the money to buy? Ever get sick of studying/watching TV and have the urge to get crafty and make things on your own? We know! Us too! We just don’t know where to start, which is why we got some of CollegeCandy’s craftiest writers to share their favorite DIY projects with everyone. So get to your nearest craft store for the essentials and let’s make some fun sh*t.]

In these tough economic times, everyone is penny-pinching. Everyone is also totally stressing, including college-age women, about money, about finding a job, about passing that last exam so you can pass the class and head home for a summer of beaching and BBQ.

And while you wouldn’t waste any money on an expensive massage or other relaxing spa treatment, you really need it, dammit! You’ve been studying for weeks now and all that stress is taking a toll on your body.

If you need a little luxury in your life that doesn’t put a strain on your already-thinning wallet, keep reading. I’ve got a homemade chocolate face mask that is cheap, simple, relaxing, and will get your pores looking as fresh and clean as the $100 spa alternative.

It’s also kind of delicious. Not that I ever tried it…

Ingredients:
Cocoa Powder
Milk
Small Bowl
Spoon

THAT’S IT! BELIEVE IT!

Instructions:
1. In the small bowl, pour about 1 tbsp of milk
2. Add about equal amounts of cocoa powder and mix
3. Continue to add milk or cocoa powder until you have a pasty consistency
4. Apply to your freshly-washed face, kick back on the couch with the latest issue of Glamour and leave on until dry (about 20-30 minutes)
5. Wash your face with warm water
6. Enjoy your glowing complexion!

Cheap and easy. Just how I like it.

Ulta discounts for college girls!

Lookin’ good between seasons.

Super awesome green products.

Condi Rice and Randy Jackson?

You think you’ve had bad dates?

Win a free week at a spa!