Sometimes You Just Want to Feel Pretty - by Kelsey

You know what? Sometimes, you just want to feel pretty. We all know that we’re beautiful on the inside and outside, and that we’re blessed with a thousand different gifts and talents. But, it really is okay to pamper yourself every once in a while! Here are a few of my favorite pampering tips (DIY and $$$). After all, girls just wanna have fun!  :)

A. Skin/Make up tricks

(DIY) When washing your face, wash upward. Your pores naturally grow “facing down.” If you wash with an upward motion, you’ll actually be able to get in your pores and clean them out!

($$$) One of the products I have found especially helpful when cleaning my face is Astringent (I use Sea Breeze, it’s cheap and effective!).

(DIY) A relatively newer eye make up trend is the color smokey eye. Take three colors. (For example, a light gold, a medium-light silver, and a dark purple). Put your lightest color (the gold) all over your eye, from eyelashes all the way up to your eyebrow. [Easy! Its easier to add color than to remove it, so start with a little and add more as you want!] Next, highlight the part where your eyelid folds into “your crease” with the medium-light color (silver). Finally, put your dark color (purple) in the outside corner of your eyelid. Do not go above your crease. Put a lot of the color in the very corner, and slowly fade it out until about ¾ of your eyelid has the color on it. Use a brush to blend to your desired effect!

($$$) Another product I recommend is air-brush foundation (I use Sally Hansen). The less you touch your face the better, so using the air-brush foundation minimizes contact while giving you a nice, smooth complexion. Use foam triangle makeup applicators to smooth/even out the foundation until you reach your desired effect!

($$$) The reason you should avoid touching your face is that your hands have natural oils that will cause your face to break out, plus all of bacteria that your hands come in contact with every day can also cause break outs. Carry around a pocket size anti-bacterial hand sanitizer with you so when you know you’re going to touch your face, at least your hands are as clean as they can be! 

B. Spa Day!

($$$) Treat yourself to a pedicure! Not only will your toenails look super cute, but most places give you a leg/foot massage too! 

(DIY) Facemasks are a great way to care for your skin and pamper yourself! There are tons of different home made masks, but here’s a really simple one for you to try! 

Honey Facemask: Run some water until it’s hot, and soak a washrag in the hot water. Heat up a small amount of honey in a small dish (Approximately 2 tablespoons in a small dish in the microwave for about 15 seconds should work!). Apply the washrag to your face for about a minute (this allows your pores to open up!). Remove the washrag and apply the honey to your face. The natural stickiness of the honey can help pull out the dirt in your pores as well as pull away dead skin cells! Leave the honey on for about 10-15 minutes and then rinse honey off with warm water.

($$$) Go to your favorite hair stylist and get a new haircut! Sometimes just a new ‘do can put you in a good mood! 

(DIY) Ask your mom, dad, friend, brother, sister or cousin to trade back massages! Not into back massages? Get some gel pens and draw on each other’s backs; my mom and I used to take turns doing this. Not only does it feel good, but when they’re done, they can tell you all of the pictures they drew!

C. Clothes!

($$$) Okay, when it comes to clothes, there’s not much you can do without spending a little bit of money. But I’ll try to help you guys with a few ideas! The most obvious way to get a new wardrobe is to hit the mall with your mom and BFF’s! My favorite store is Forever 21. They always have cute, cheap clothes! What are your favorite stores? Leave me a comment so I know where I should shop next!

(DIY) One way to save money is to give your old clothes a make over! I took one of my dad’s oversized gray t-shirts and made it into a fitted tunic with a giant bow that I made from another old shirt! There are ton’s of How-To blogs, videos, and step by step instruction websites for how to sew or turn old clothes into something new! My favorite place to get inspiration for these things is Pinterest!

($$$) I work at a Hollister, and I spend a lot of time in the back with all the clothes. When we change a floor set, most of the clothes that were on the floor all get marked down. There isn’t room for all the clothes that filled the entire store in just a few clearance shelves, so a lot of the clearance gets put in the back. Ask someone who works at the store if they have (for example) t-shirts in your size (for however much you’re willing to spend) in the back. 99% of the time there are clothes that you’ll love that fit your budget AND the workers are more than happy to help you out! I just bought my brother a brand new coat for $7 using this method!

Are there any tips you have for me/everyone else? Anything that you’re looking for tips about that isn’t mentioned here? Let me know and I’ll find something for you!

Kelsey Quin is a college freshman at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana majoring in General Health with a Pre-medicine concentration. Originally from Peru, Indiana, Kelsey was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Indiana for 2011. Learn more about Kelsey here!