Lots of us today are just plain tired of throwing away big bucks on beauty products that simply don’t work as advertised. Rather than throwing more good money after bad, some women today are pulling out products that they already have on hand to make their own beauty products. Here are some of my favorites:

Tip #1 – Repair dry, damaged hair with an avocado conditioner made right in your own kitchen. Cut the avocado into small pieces and throw into your blender, food processor, or Magic Bullet. Mix in one-half cup of mayonnaise or a few tablespoons of olive oil. Next, wash and towel the hair. Apply the conditioner liberally and work it throughout the hair using a wide toothcomb. Cover it with a shower cap and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Rinse, dry, and style as usual.

Tip #2 – Lighten skin discoloration while you soften it by adding buttermilk to your bath water. Between a pint and a half-quart is more than enough to do the trick. You can also add in a few drops of your favorite essential oil to make a luxurious spa treatment that your skin will love.

Tip #3 - Keep your heart healthy by eating chocolate. But not just any chocolate will do, and you can’t eat as much of the sweet confection as you might like! According to various studies, a couple of squares of unsweetened or semi-sweet dark chocolate a day will do the trick.

Tip #4 – Use old coffee grounds to chase away unsightly cellulite. Apply the grounds directly to the affected area, then wrap it with kitchen plastic wrap. Let the grounds sit in place for about 30 minutes. Remove the wrap and wash away the grounds. Repeat the treatment regularly to continue fading the marks.

Tip #5 - Make your own facial mask with honey, yogurt, and bananas. Mix one-half cup of plain yogurt with one tablespoon of raw honey and one-quarter mashed banana. Blend well in a blender, food processor, or Magic Bullet. Apply the mixture liberally to the freshly cleansed skin of the face and neck. Let the mask sit for between 15 and 20 minutes. Rinse the mask off with cool water, pat dry, and go.

Tip #6 – Make your own facial scrub by mixing the juice of one orange with a few tablespoons for cornstarch and a few grains of kosher salt. Apply the scrub to the face and neck area, working it in gently with small circular motions. Then rinse the skin, pat it dry, and apply your normal skin care regimen.

Tip #7 - Use a dab of olive oil to freshly shampooed hair to add shine and youthful vitality. About a nickel size portion should be enough for short to chin-length hair. A quarter’s portion may be required for longer tresses. Just pour the oil into the center of your hands and then rub them together. Work the oil throughout the hair. Follow up by using a wide toothcomb to make sure the oil is evenly distributed. Let sit in place for between 10 and 20 minutes. Rinse with cool water, dry, and style as usual.

Summer is the time when you have to take special care of your beauty. Sea/pool water and too much time spent on sun can seriously damage your hair and skin, but proper care can make you shine naturally. The same rules apply to makeup and wardrobe. Perfect make-up can easily melt away so why don't you show your natural beauty? There are many tricks that are helpful for looking good in summer. Although only a few weeks of summer are still in front of us, these beauty tips will help you look great and restore damage of improper body care.

If you start your day by putting on a thick layer of makeup, abandon this habit for summer days. Use as little makeup as possible, because even if you use much of it, it will melt away. Skin pores can get blocked easily by sweat and dusts and other dirt during hot days and a layer of make-up makes it only worse. Let your skin breathe!

Make up helps us to highlight our beauty and hide imperfections; there's no need to put all the make-up means away while it's summer. However, make-up foundation is one thing that you should forget till the autumn comes. If you can't live without it, replace it with tinted moisturizer. It is capable of hiding small skin flaws, but it is much lighter than a foundation and it doesn't feel like something stuck on your face.