Five Ways Baking Soda Can Help You Fight the Beauty Industry

Seems legit. Image from Ad Busting at Tumblr.

It's not secret that the cosmetics industry is full of shit--it relies on the unnecessary insecurity of girls and women for at least half of its existence, in addition to all the use of animal testing. I myself spent years in high school blowing most of my allowance so I could afford to cake on makeup and hide my face; to this day, the habit of being terrified of every blemish and smudged bit of lipstick still sticks with me to this day.

But this isn't to say that I'm against the use of makeup and cosmetics altogether--indeed, I think there are few things more beautiful than self-expression, and cosmetics are a great way of achieving that. The issue is the attitudes surrounding the use of these things. Rather than a choice or something to add a little extra to one's look, they have become all but a requirement--thanks largely to irresponsible and-or manipulative advertising. So here I present a few DIY alternatives to mainstream beauty products:

1. Conditioning Shampoo
Shampoo is a remarkably recent invention--not considered a necessity until the mid twentieth century. There's a reason for that--it's incredibly easy to replace. Here's a simple recipe that I like to use:
                   -Add a few spoonfuls of baking soda to a small jar.
                   -Blend in olive or vegetable oil (olive oil is more moisturizing, but also has a strong scent that might not work well for hair) until achieving a paste-like consistency.
                   -If desired, add a few drops of essential oil for a nice scent.

2. Toothpaste
Baking soda on its own makes a great toothpaste with a strong whitening effect. Simply sprinkle a little on your toothbrush, or, if you prefer it in mint flavor and paste form, follow this recipe.
                  -As with the shampoo, add a few spoonfuls of baking soda to a jar, and blend in oil to give it a paste-consistency. Use an oil without too much flavor, like vegetable.
                 -Stir in a bit of mint extract.

3. Exfoliating Scrub
                  -Blend one part baking soda and one part honey.
                  -If desired, add a few drops of lemon juice for an astringent effect, but keep in mind that this can have a bleaching effect on skin, so it might not be the best if you're going for a tan.

4. Deodorant
Keep in mind the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant--this will reduce body odor, but not the total amount of sweat your body produces. Some say  deodorant is better for one's skin, but it won't keep those annoying sweat stains from showing up on your clothes, if that's normally a problem for you.
                   -Add a few drops of essential oil to a few tablespoons of baking soda--and that's it!

5. Bath Salts
I mean the kind for actual use in a bath, not the kind that turns people into zombies, in case there was any confusion. This particular concoction adds a nice feel to bath water, and has a great softening effect on skin.
                   -Blend one part salt (table and/or Epsom, your choice) and one part baking soda.
                   -Add a few drops of essential oil and, if desired, food coloring. This will initially leave clumps, which you can break up with your fingers until color and scent are distributed evenly.
                   -To use, add one to two cups to a hot bath.

                 

We're Back!

As you may have noticed, I've been on something of a hiatus lately, thanks to running out of ideas  Google+ being a horrible, horrible thing that effs up pretty much all of Blogger (and the rest of the internet, for that matter.) I swear, one of these days we're gonna be living in a cyberpunk dystopia ruled by Google.

Anyway, throughout that time, I've had something of a branching out in interests, thanks to me going from a nerdy high school kid to a hippie-ish college kid. So now, therefore, my usual steampunk programming will be supplemented with other facets of Alt culture, including, but not limited to, Goth fashion, Punk living, feminism/social justice, environmental/DIY lifestyle, and whatever other crap I feel like posting. Yay!

Also,you should totally check out the Facebook page I've just started admin-ing: We Love Bats. Come on, its awesome. Please?

DIY Roundup: Victorian Christmas

I don't know about you, but I personally like to spend my Christmases frolicking around in poofy dresses pretending that I'm in Victorian London--well, I do that pretty much all year, but its particularly atmospheric when there's snow and Christmas trees and shiny stuff everywhere.

But there's more, of course, to the Neo-Victorian/Steampunk lifestyle than frolicking around in fancy clothes, as much fun as that is. Here are a few tutorials for a Victorian Christmas that Mister Dickens himself would geek out over.

1. Christmas Crackers
The Christmas cracker--an iconic symbol of the English Christmas. And it's surprisingly easy to make. Sadly, the bits that make it pop are tricky to find in U.S. stores, although I've found a few suppliers online. Also, they aren't magical like the ones in Harry Potter. Damn. Still pretty cool, though.





2. Make Your Own Wreath!
With the steampunk philosophy of DIYing everything that can be DIYed, why not try making your own Christmas wreath? If you've got a pine tree to trim a couple branches off of, it's easier than it sounds!











3. Light Bulb Snow Globes
A simple tutorial for making snow globes from light bulb ornaments. With a little creativity, this could be made into something mind-blowingly steampunk.













4. Hot Air Balloon Ornaments
Hot Air Balloons--the vehicle of choice for many an explorer! They also make lovely ornaments for your tree. This one's a bit more complex, but totally awesome.












5. Terrarium Ornaments
What better home decor for the scientifically-minded Victorian than a terrarium? (I mean, besides a complete size dino fossil, but those are a bit tricky to find.) Now, wouldn't that terrarium look lovely on your tree? Of course it would. Here's an easy tutorial.

Game Review: Ironcalypse

Hey everyone! Today I'm reviewing another random flash game, because random flash games have pretty much been my only way of passing the long hours while I'm sitting around and waiting until I can walk. Today, we have Ironcalypse, a platformer by ParaArt.

You play as one of several adorable robots escaping some kind of apocalypse. What kind of apocalypse, you ask? Good question; they never really specify.  Either way, you've gotta escape it.

The Good Stuff: Aw, look at dem cute little robots! Good music (when you can hear it over the ridiculously loud sound effects) and a nice industrial-style design.

The Bad Stuff: I noted a lot of people had complaints about lag in this game. While I personally never noticed any, that might have been sheer luck. What I did have some issues with was the lack of control the player has over the character. You cannot control speed, direction, or anything other than jumping and ducking.

The Verdict: It's okay. Not really good, not really bad.
It was fun at first, but it got repetitive very quickly. There's potential there, but it just isn't that well-executed. I guess its worth checking out if you have nothing better to do. It's not like it costs you anything.

Play for free here: http://armorgames.com/play/15743/ironcalypse

DIY Roundup: Build Your Own Library

Who hasn't dreamed of having a library like this at home? (source here) Unless you're really freaking rich, that's not very apt to happen. But maybe you can get away with a smaller home library--a cozy collection of books stacked on unique DIY shelves. Here are a few tutorials that could help make it happen:

1. Invisible Bookshelves. 

                Shelves that defy gravity, or at least appear to. This tutorial is simple, cheap, and looks awesome. The only downside is that a book must be destroyed in the process, but if you have a few books that look cool but never get read, this might be worth the sacrifice.

2. Upside-down Bookshelves.

              The only thing better than floating books is upside-down floating books! Another simple tutorial.  However, since the books are held in place with elastic, it might not be the most practical or versatile, but damn does it look cool.

3. Skateboard Shelves.

               I like books. I like skateboards. So why not combine the two? Need I say more?

4. Pipe Shelves!

           Probably the most quintessentially steampunk item on this page, pipes shelves look awesome and are much easier to make than they look. They'd look fantastic in an industrial styled library. *drools* That would look so cool!

Game Review: The Gentleman

As I've mentioned before, I've spent a great deal of time on the internet lately, seeking free games to pass the time as I wait for a broken ankle to heal, and I thought I would review a few of these. Up today: The Gentleman. Produced by SoulGame Studios, this simple platformer features the adventures of a top-hat-wearing gentleman as he explores a vintage-styled city.

The Good Stuff: DAT ATMOSPHERE! Really, it's fantastic! A moonlit city, reminiscent of old London, filled with rats and bats and black cats... Oh, and that music--I love it!

The Bad Stuff: There's nothing really wrong with this game, per se, although it isn't exactly anything groundbreaking about it. It's a standard 2d platformer.

The Verdict: A fantastic and challenging time-killer! If you have the spare time, it's absolutely worth a look.

Play for free here: http://armorgames.com/play/15405/the-gentleman

Just a Little Mini Post

Found this on Pinterest. Awesome, yes?