DIY Watermelon "Ice"

Now THIS is my kind of DIY: One that is simple enough that it doesn't require a full set of instructions, yet is impossible to mess up. Plus, It's just perfect for Summer, and we all know how I feel about that. 

It's basically a lazy girl's version of fancy fruit infused ice, but better because you can EAT THE FREAKIN' ICE AND IT'S DAMN DELICIOUS. Honestly, it doesn’t get any easier than this, just chop, freeze and serve. No ice cube trays to fill up, no pureeing, no crying because you suck at anything DIY.. It's a win-win.

These cubes work in so many different drinks. They absorb the flavour of whatever they're floating in - my favourite combination is frozen watermelon and lemonade. The watermelon at the end has that sweet lemonade zing and I can't even. They also go great with Vodka mixes, fruit juices, and it adds a refreshing hint of sweetness to water, too without adding masses of calories.

Or, you could just eat the frozen cubes on a hot day - you're not going to be disappointed either way. I promise.

Beauty Hack: DIY Cinnamon 'Botox'

I wasn't visited by the plump lip fairy as a newborn. In fact, I'm 99.9% sure that I was visited by the flat lip fairy as a newborn. As a teen, lip plumper or venom was always a product that I wanted to like more than I actually did. They were expensive, the results were minimal, and the ingredients.. don't get me started.

In to my twenties and still conscious about the size of my pout, I did some research and I discovered that cinnamon is a natural lip plumper (peppermint works wonders, too). It irritates the skin, causing blood to flow to the area and the lips to swell slightly.

It isn't as scary as it sounds - I promise. I've had this sneaky trick in my beauty arsenal for years now and it's been a real confidence booster. Even better, you can pick up a bottle of cinnamon oil for peanuts nowadays. I say "no more!" to spending upwards of $30 on ineffective lip plumpers. If you're willing to spend a whole 30 seconds of your time doing a little DIY, you can create your own for under $10.

All you need is the following:

- A good base. I've used shea butter, lipgloss, melted chapstick.. whichever you prefer

- 100% cinnamon OR peppermint essential oil.

- Vitamin E cream (optional)

- A small, airtight jar

Just combine, mix, and there you go.

In terms of essential oil proportion, this procedure is all about trial and error; I cannot express how irritating cinnamon oil can be enough. Start with just one drop of oil mixed in with your base and work from there - everyone's different. I use 4-5 drops of oil per ½ ounce jar/lip gloss tube. This is perfect for me, but this really depends on your lip sensitivity.

Once you've found the perfect combination for you, combine your mish-mash of ingredients in your container of choice and voila! OR you can quite literally just add a few drops of oil to your favourite lip gloss and pump the wand a few times to mix it all through.

Note: Any amount of oil is likely to give off a tingling sensation when applied to your lips, but if you experience a burning sensation, you've gone too far. In this case, wash the product off immediately and don't trial again for a few days.

Notenote: For the love of fuck, DO NOT put essential oil of any kind directly on to your lips, it's potent stuff and will burn you worse than the fourth floor of hell.

Of course, this is only a temporary effect - nothing is going to transform the actual size of my lips, but this has been my sneaky little confidence booster for years. It's a perfect, portable solution to plump lips that can be touched up throughout the day and being cheap and easy to make, you really can't go wrong.

DIY Lemon Exfoliating Scrub

If you’re anything like me, exfoliating doesn't seem important when you’re all covered up in Winter clothing, but once you give this nifty little scrub a try, I promise you won't be able to stop rubbing your hands over your legs.

I love me a good DIY project, provided it doesn't have 1,000 ingredients and processes so when I discovered this, I jumped for joy. This scrub's super easy to make and I can guarantee you'll have all ingredients sitting at home.

So without further delay, here's what you need:

• 1/4 cup sea salt.
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil.
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.
• 2-3 drops yellow food colouring *optional*

Just mix everything together in a mason jar and there you have it. A whole three minutes out of your life for the smoothest legs you ever did feel? I ain't even mad.

Soak your legs in the tub for 5 minutes. Alternatively, if you’re taking a shower, wash and condition your hair, then after your legs have had a chance to soak for a few minutes, apply the mixture to your legs and rub it in in circular motions, focusing more on your knees as they're always drier than the rest of your legs (I also put some on my elbows). The abrasiveness of the salt rubs off all of the dead skin, the citrus juice works as a mild skin peel revealing brighter, smoother skin, and the oil absorbs deep into the skin and provides long-lasting moisture.

After rubbing the mixture in well and good, shave your legs (the salt will blunt your razor quicker, but I feel it's worth it - just use a cheap disposable one in conjunction with your scrub) and if you have time, rinse and repeat. Yep, do it all over again. I rarely bother repeating because I don't usually have the time. Also, I'm lazy. But doing it twice really does make your legs that much smoother.

When you get out of the bath or shower, pat your legs dry with a soft towel, put lotion on and enjoy your silky smooth legs. Please, please, PLEASE make sure the bottom of the shower is oil-free when you are done so the next person in doesn’t get a nasty surprise. My brother wasn't too impressed when I almost killed him after I got out the first time. - Oops.

If you have any scrub left over, it keeps for agesssssss. Just pop it in the fridge and take out one hour prior to use. A quick shake and it's good to go.

It also makes a cute gift for mum. Just put in a nice jar, stick on a cute label and a bow and there you have it.