Cucumbers have long been admired for the normalizing effect they have on under-eye puffiness, and the acid in tomatoes can help exfoliate dead skin cells. Let this chutney gently tone your whole face. It'll slide around a bit so we suggest you lie down for this one, with your hair protected behind a cotton headband or in a shower cap. Protect your pillow with a bath towel.
• Half an English cucumber, finely diced
• Two cucumber slices
• One tomato, seeded and finely diced
Combine ingredients in a bowl. Wash your face, pat dry. Lie back and apply the mask to your face, avoiding eye area. Put the cucumber slices over your eyes. Rest for ten minutes then wipe off; rinse. (If you regularly extract blackheads in your T-zone, this mask will make them easier to remove, so you could do that step now. If this is not your habit, skip it.) Moisturize.
Nail brightener
A classic look is the natural nail, nicely shaped and buffed to a soft glow but without added polish. Get your nails looking healthy and fade the yellowing caused by dark polishes with this mild buff 'n' bleach treatment
Recipe:
• Squeeze juice of half a lemon into a bowl
• Add enough baking soda to create a runny consistency (plus keep a little extra)
Dip nails into the paste. (Optional: sit outside in the sun to enhance the action of the lemon.) Let sit for 5 minutes, then add more baking soda to the mixture in the bowl to create a thick, crumbly paste. Rub gently into nail surface. Rinse thoroughly and follow-up with a hand lotion, rubbing it into nails and cuticles and pushing back cuticles with a cuticle tool if desired.
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Yuki Hayashi is a Hamilton-based freelance writer. Read her story, 5 Handbags under $50.
