What beauty-obsessed product junkie doesn't love scouring MakeupAlley's forums and review section for tips? This girl certainly does!

I was looking for some do-it-yourself beauty ideas in their review section, and I came across some interesting ones that I've tried or plan on trying very soon!

Under the Skincare review section, the Aspirin mask is highly rated. If you haven't tried this mask yet, I highly suggest that you do! I do this all the time and it is great. I think I posted about this before, but just to recap, I'll repeat myself. Just sprinkle a few uncoated aspirin tablets with warm water to dissolve into a paste, add a squirt of honey, and smear on for a few minutes. If you're feeling fiesty, mix the aspirin paste in with your favorite pre-made mask, such as Queen Helene's Mint Julep Mask (also highly rated), and leave on for about 10-15 minutes. Love it!

Another cool tip is to use Milk of Magnesia (or Mylanta) very lightly as a primer, after moisturizer, under mineral makeup. This is apparently very good at absorbing excess oil. I plan on trying MoM as an on-the-spot blemish treatment, as it supposedly has anti-inflamatory and antibacterial properties. Plain ol' honey has very high ratings as a facial treatment as well, although most of the readers seem to be mixing it with something to apply or to use as an exfoliator or mask (with brown sugar, cornmeal, or green clay).

Over 200 reviewers suggested Extra Virgin Olive Oil as a body or hair moisturizer, while around 100 recommended Coconut Oil. Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar apparently makes an awesome toner, but make sure you dilute it first!

One of my favorite tips is to sprinkle a little baking soda on your toothbrush along with your toothpaste before brushing in order to get your teeth feeling super clean and white.

What are some of your favorite beauty tips? Have you tried any of these?

I had some free time so I decided to do a little tutorial on making your own lip balm stain. This, in essence, would be similar to Benetint Lip balm, but a lot easier on the wallet! You can use whatever balm you have available, from Chapstick to Chicken Poop, anything will do. Also, a fun "green" alternative would be to use Burt's Bees Lip Balm and Organic Food Dye. Not only is this balm useful for lip stain purposes, but it is also great for moisturizing since you are using a balm you already love. Have fun experimenting with colors and mixtures... this is fairly easy, but you might make a bit of a mess in the kitchen if you aren't careful!

First, start off by twisting the tube of lip balm all the way up and removing the balm from the tube. If your balm is very soft, like Blistex Complete Moisture, you might want to consider putting the mixture, when complete, into the optional pot container since it might not stay intact otherwise. But, that's up to you to decide later. For now, place the balm you just emptied into the microwave safe bowl/cup and microwave on high for 15 second intervals, until your balm has melted completely. This time will vary, mine took about 50 seconds, so be sure to keep an eye on the balm!

Then, you wanna add your color. I used pure red, so I didn't have to worry about mixing colors, but you could add a little blue to make a berry stain that would be gorgeous as well! Just be sure to take a nice hefty amount. Remember: you want this to stain your lips, not just color them temporarily. Keep the amount in proportion to the amount of balm you have though... I had a decent amount of balm so I added about 1/4tsp. If you want a really dark stain, add more. If you want a light stain, add less... you know the drill.

Now, this is important, when you add the color if you are using a gel food dye like I used, pop that baby back into the microwave for an additional 10-15 seconds. This is important because the gel is harder to blend into the balm than liquid so you want to make sure it really melds into it. Remove from the microwave immediately and start stirring like you would with a whisk. Whip it up! While the balm is in liquid form, it will NOT blend directly with the food dye. Keep mixing as if you are trying to blend salad dressing.

You will notice the balm starting to harden up; this is your cue to pour the mixture into your original tube! Make sure you've twisted the tube back "down" so that it can be filled up! Pour away. If your mixture has hardened too much to pour, like mine did, then scoop it in. It doesn't have to be perfect! If you want a more streamlined final result, put it in the optional pot container or melt it down in the microwave if your original tube can handle it. Be careful while microwaving these products and be mindful. No metal or foil in the microwave, please! It might be kind of sloppy otherwise, so if you're nit-picky, feel free to smooth it over by slicing off the top or patting it down instead. I didn't bother.

Let the mixture set for about 15 minutes, then enjoy. Apply with a lip brush or q-tip, as this is sure to stain your fingers. Make sure you exfoliate your lips (warm washcloth, toothbrush and Vaseline -- pick your poison) prior to applying, as this will stick to and color any dry areas first! It will look like a matte lipstick on and then as it wears off you should be able to see how it has stained your lips nicely. The longer you let it sit, the more stained your lips will become. I took a quick pic for posting purposes:

Mix together until it becomes a spreadable paste (...sounds luxurious!), then wait until the oats soften and release their oat goodness into the yogurt. Apply to your face. This should most likely be done over a sink because oat crumbles may fall off. Keep the mask on until it begins to feel tight. Then wash off with warm water and a washcloth. If you need to, moisturize afterwards... otherwise, enjoy your smooth, soft skin!

It sounds gross, it looks gross, it smells kind of good... but most importantly... it is EXCELLENT for your skin! The oatmeal will exfoliate, calm and soothe, and the yogurt will naturally moisturize and balance out your skin. Also, yogurt is laden with probiotics that encourage good bacteria, which is essential to fighting off the bad bacteria, such as that trapped in acne, etc.

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Want a natural alternative to Vaseline, Aquaphor, and other petroleum jelly/mineral oil based products? Try Crisco!!! I am not crazy. Crisco is shortening, not lard! It is made from vegetable oils that will comfort, soften, and moisturize the skin. It contains Vitamin E, which is great for skin as well. Crisco is also great for people who suffer from Eczema, like myself. It makes an excellent hand cream and body cream, and, if you're brave enough, you can even use it on your face. Crisco, when used in moderation, should not clog your pores, but everyone's skin is different. If you've got a rough patch of skin, give it a shot :)

Dissolve several tablets of uncoated aspirin in a small amount of hot water (optional: add a tablespoon of honey into the aspirin to make it easier to spread). Apply to your face, or just to blemishes, and leave on for 15 minutes or so. Wash off and you should be good to go!

If you are looking for a natural toner, try diluting Apple Cider Vinegar! For a quick, cheap exfoliant, try Baking Soda or Sugar!