HC Guide: How to piece yourself back together after Freshers
Besides the exam period, which we definitely don’t want to be talking about right now, Fresher’s Week is unarguably one the busiest weeks of the semester. We all do our fair bit of partying, running errands, and spending money on God-knows-what. Then comes the bitter aftertaste of feeling utterly knackered and being too skint to afford a proper spa day.
Worry not, your favourite Her Campus has your back! Here are some handy and more than affordable tips on how to piece your mind, body, and spirit back together after living through the whirlwind that is Freshers:
Let’s start with the body, because you know what they say: in a healthy body lives a healthy spirit, or mind, pick whichever you like. Surely, after a week spent partying and continuously poisoning your body with the evil that is alcohol, it could use some serious detoxing. There is also no doubt that after spending all your money on said alcohol, you are not exactly in a position to afford a Hollywood-style juice cleanse. Also, let’s face it, juice cleanses are not for everyone. Luckily for us all, there are much easier (and less expensive) ways of saying sorry to our body and getting it back to the shape it deserves to be in.
Green tea, for example, contains a hefty amount of antioxidants, as well as B vitamins and minerals, which support the smooth function of our organisms, boosts our digestion, and thanks to caffeine, a couple cups of green tea a day will make sure you don’t fall asleep in your lectures after the hell of a week you’ve just had.
To aid green tea with flushing all those pesky toxins out of your body, you should drink loads of water. It is a broken record we keep hearing from everyone day in and day out, but water truly is hidden magic. Staying hydrated does not only help your body from the inside, but also your skin is going to appear fresher, less dry and wrinkly. Get yourself a cute bottle you’re going to want to show of, and keep refilling it constantly – you’ll drink your recommended two litres a day without even noticing! Your body will be sure to thank you for it.
Another great way to replenish your vitamins is keeping up with the good old 5-a-day rule. Amongst lectures, tutorials and book sales, it might be quite difficult to find time for fully nutritious meals, so simply swap your snacks for bananas, apples, oranges or carrots! They sure don’t cost more than a chocolate bar or a bag of crisps, and they are much more refreshing! This is not to say that you have to eliminate your favourite unhealthy snacks altogether, but think of fruit as your supply of extra vitamins that you need, as well as sugars, which is basically fuel for your cells to function.
Now, you might be too skint to pay that gym membership, or you’re simply not a gym type, but you still need to burn all that fruit energy. Worry not, HC has the perfect kind of exercise for your body and mind in one! Drumroll please… It’s yoga! As cliché as it is, yoga truly brings you into that focused mindset you need at the beginning of the semester, while making you that pleasant kind of tired. The best thing is, you can do it for free! All you need is a mat of some sort, and a device capable of playing YouTube videos, and voila! Yoga with Adriene, for example offers an impressively wide range of videos, where the lovely Adriene takes you through exercises focused on breathing, mood, or core strength, all while soothing you with words of encouragement you didn’t even know you needed.
Clémence Poésy says her mother has never believed in concealer, and says that undereye circles can be the most moving features of the face.
Finally comes the time for the glam. You might feel pressured to cover those dark circles and alcohol induced spots with a ton of concealer, but trust me, that is the last thing your skin needs right now. Tinted moisturiser might be the best option, as moisture truly is what your skin needs. If you don’t have a BB cream or a tinted moisturiser on hand, simply mix a bit of your moisturiser with your foundation. This is going to give you a more natural glow while nurturing your skin, as opposed to completely covering your beautiful face. You should also go easy on your under-eyes. Those circles might not be pretty, so give them a little attention. Cool cucumbers are a great way to bring down the swelling as well as diminish the dark circles, while a bit of lemon juice (which is also great as a natural toner) also infuses the skin with vitamin C. Apparently, juice from grated potatoes works just as well! To make you feel better about skipping the concealer, according to Vogue, French women don’t believe in under-eye concealer either. They say the dark circles adds a romantic, smoky dimension to the face. For spots, apply tea tree oil before you go to sleep, it works magic. Or if you’re in a pinch, we all know the good old toothpaste trick really works.
We hope these tips make your post-Fresher’s Week recovery at least a bit more bearable. Just remember to drink water, eat fruit, and embrace your dark circles!
HCXO