Links A La Mode



Your Blogs Perfect Accessory: Brilliant Pictures


Edited by Denimology



As I was selecting my posts for this weeks Links A La Mode, I realized how important it is to have attractive and original images in your posts. I noticed that I would open a post and close it promptly if the images looked rather..... what's the word... meh.



Here is how to have your blog posts chosen by me [Denimology] for LALM:



  • Images Are The Main Course -- A great image will draw in your reader. The image might be beautiful, odd, heartwarming, instructive or just curiosity-provoking, so long as it keeps the reader wanting to read your post.

  • Don't Forget To Use an Image -- It’s better to use a generic image than no image at all but ultimately your image should represent what the subject of your post is about.

  • High Quality Images Are Best -- We've all heard the saying "Pictures speak a thousand words", but in the blogging world they speak even more. Adding HQ pictures to a blog post will visually stimulate your readers and help them identify with you, the writer.

  • Resize Your Images -- While images can make your blog looked polished and professional, having images that hang over into the margins or that are cut off is sloppy blogging.



Links à la Mode: May 19th




SPONSOR:


Sexy Tops at Shopbop: Vena Cava, Blue Life, Monrow, Vince, Wildfox,


LnA, Equipment blouses, LAMB, Zac Posen, Rachel Roy & Jill Stuart





DIY Almond Rosewater Facial Scrub

I've been playing around with this for a few weeks, but I think I now have the perfect all-natural facial scrub. My skin is pretty clear right now and I think I owe it all to my new creation. I've been using it every night and I made it with four really simple ingredients. Here's what I used:

1/2 cup of almond meal (I got mine from Trader Joe's but there are lots of sources online, too.)
A generous amount of rosewater
2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil or almond oil
1 teaspoon of natural witch hazel (different from the kind at the corner drugstore)
Optional: capful of gin or vodka



I added the almond meal to a bowl and mixed in enough rosewater to make a very thick paste. (Feel free to experiment with the consistency, though, and make it the way you want!) Then, I whisked in the oil and followed with the natural witch hazel. I used a whisk or fork each time I've made it, though I supposed you gourmet-types could get a smoother concoction using a hand-mixer or blender. Any way you mix it, it's a great little scrub that isn't too rough and won't leave your skin all red and angry. In fact, it's pretty soothing. As with all natural products you'll need to think about how to keep it fresh. I've been either refrigerating mine or adding a capful of gin. With the gin it will last 3 or 4 days in a cool/dry place, but it'll keep for more than a week if you shove it in the refrigerator when you're done.

I'm really pleased with the results (obviously, right?) so I just had to share. But I'm still fiddling with other creations, so I'm pretty sure I'll have more of these projects to share down the road. Do you make any of your own skin care products? If so, which ones?

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