Hi, my lovelies! I'm so sorry for neglecting posting for you guise, but I'll make up for it!
As most of you know already, I've started university (studying BA Humanities) and it's hot and stuffy and just ghastly! Today a special lady drove in all the way from Cape Town to give us some much needed tips on how to look your best all the time! Some people may want to disagree, but the fact is we do feel better if that girl (or boy) in the mirror looks pretty.
Introducing! ... *dramatic drum roll of awesomeness* Jane Sutherland - a bubbly and helpful girl with a passion for beauty and red lippie!
From head to toes, she said, and here we go. A collection of tips to survive University or school, or just a few good pointers in general~
Don't sleep with your hair wet! Why?
A damaged hair shaft is another downside of sleeping with wet hair. The “hydrogen bond” of our hair becomes fragile when wet- so lying down won’t help you get shiny fine hair - uratexblog.com
Lemon juice not only lightens hair, but cleanse it as well! According to Miss Jane, lemon juice even reaches into the hair follicles for a deep cleanse hair treatment.
Don't straighten wet hair and invest in a good thermo protector! Like your skin needs sunblock, your hair needs protection too! My personal recommendation would be Tresseme's Heat Deffence.
Shower with cold water. With this heat, I'm sure we're all like "HELL YEAH!", but remember this little tip during the winter as well. Hot baths are awesome when it comes to flushing out toxins and increasing blood circulation, but cold showers "shrink" you hair (make it appear less frizzy, I assume) AND your pores!
Treat your hair with a mask once a week. The lovely Miss Jane suggests a DIY mask of 4 teaspoons of sunflower oil (I think virgin olive oil will work just as well), half an avocado, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 egg yolk for some hair TLC.
Moving on to my favorite topic, skin!
Remove makeup before bed! This is very important. Miss Jane stressed this, but I'd like to stress on it some more. Makeup contains certain bacteria that, when left on for too long, can become icky and result in breakouts and clogged pores. Actually, try to go without makeup as often as you can.
Slap sunblock on your neck and hands! The first signs of aging appears on your neck (yes, it's them dark rings/folds) and on your hands, so take very good care of them.
Baby Shampoo for body lotion? Miss Jane swears by her Elizabeth Anne baby shampoo as a skin softener. It's light, smells terrific and it actually says on the product label that you can use it for moisturizing skin!
She also uses nappy rash ointment as a lipbalm, promising that it does wonders for chapped lips!
Be on the look out for zinc oxide! It's a miracle in cream form. Just dot the white ointment on acne or pimples and it zaps them away within three days, says Miss Jane.
Nails!
The only nail health tip Miss Jane shared was to use tea tree oil on your cuticles for perfect little toes and fingertips that you won't be afraid to flaunt!
She also raved about Essence (available at Clicks) and their gel look overcoat, white tip (R19), express drops (I think that's what it was called; it makes your nails unsmudgeable within a few seconds - R20) as well as Essie nail polish.And now, for makeup! Most schools don't allow students to wear makeup, but here's some tips for university and weekends!
If you have blue eyes, forget the black eyeliner and go for gray! Hazel eyes can opt for either black or brown eyeliner and mascara. Brown gives you a softer look whereas black causes emphasis and a dramatic effect.
"Wait, let me take out my weapon." And she wips out her red lippie! The MAC Ruby Woo! (It fits both yellow and pink skin undertones.) She goes on to explain that lipstick is one of the things that sets girls apart from men and that we should use it as a weapon instead of shying away from using lipstick. Of course, she warns us not to "dress" our lips AND eyes up, but to pick one and flaunt it. If you're going to wear bold lippie, add a subtle touch to your eyes. If you're opting for dramatic eyes, wear a lipgloss instead.
She also tells us how achieve fuller lips - make a 1mm outline with a lipliner beyond the border of your lips and apply lippie over it, using the new border as a guide. For thinner lips, try the gradient lippie method.
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| credit: sparkleapple.blogspot.com |
To make lippie stay on for longer, apply a layer of lippe on your lips and place a thin tissue over tehm. Blot some powder over the tissue and remove the tissue from your lips, then reapply the lippie.
Moving on to inner beauty...
Know when to say 'no'. If you have an assignment or test due the next day and you know you haven't studied yet, don't go out with your friends and think it's going to be ok. But you also have to know when to say 'yes' - don't isolate yourself! Stay in touch with family and friends, and humanity in general.
Ask for help if you're struggling with school work or anything, really. There are numerous people on campus who will help you!
Sleep is extremely important! When you sleep, your skin renews itself. That's why 2-3 hours sleep isn't enough and you can't say you'll make it up by sleeping 10 hours the next night - it doesn't work that way. Make sure you get 6-10 hours of sleep EACH night!
"Sleep is a priority," says Miss Jane.
Drinking tea is great for your overall health, especially green tea when drank without sugar and milk. If you're craving something sweet, try the green sweeteners.
Fruit juice is only a glass of sugars! If you're really addicted, try thinning it out with water. Increase the water percentage until you no longer crave fruit juices.
Devote 5 minutes in the morning to stretches and really breathe into them. Reflect on the day ahead and relax.
Remind yourself about all the little things you can be grateful for - your house, your computer, hands to type, eyes to read, a brain, etc.
Cherish every day! If you feel like dressing up, do it! Don't care what other people think. If you feel pretty, you'll be happier.
Love yourself. Draw a line in front of your mirror that you may not cross to inspect yourself closer. Don't be so hard on yourself!
Lastly, and perhaps the most important for obsessive people like me, don't pick or press your skin! Leave the icky stuff in there, your body knows how to heal itself. It's made that way and will sort itself out! Also, a tip from an email friend, sleep on a fresh, soft towel each night - it helps absorb excess sebum while you sleep and protects you from your pillow which is a bacteria breeding ground.
With that, I'll leave you wonderful ladies (and gentlemen) to ponder on these thoughts. A special thank you to Miss Jane for sharing her wisdom with us, and thank you to all my patient readers!
Stay sweet~
