I’ve always been the type who enjoyed dressing up and looking nice but struggled to look presentable consistently. I find that I have to be in the mood to wear my somewhat nicer clothing. Hoodies are always a go-to, but my pink Aritzia cardigan is much more flattering and only makes an appearance when I’m up for it. Regardless of whether I’m in the mood to dress up or dress down, there are three personal care practices that I use daily. They’re low maintenance but still create an impression, making them perfect everyday beauty habits.
- jewelry goes a long way
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I only really started to wear jewelry in high school. We wore school uniforms, so detailed earrings and rings with pops of colour were the only way to express individuality. From then on, I started to actually wear the rings, necklaces and earrings that previously sat stagnant on a shelf in my jewelry box. Even though I no longer wear a school uniform, it’s a practice that I’ve kept up. I wear a certain mix of the three every week and have consistently received compliments on my choices. Unlike planning an outfit, putting on a pair of earrings and a necklace only take a minute or so. They’re perfect for days when you aren’t looking to put a ton of effort into your appearance. Jewelry adds interest and individuality to your outfit, regardless of how put together it is.
- scrunching my hair
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I always wanted straight hair as a kid. It’s hardly frizzy and always looks combed. My hair is pretty wavy, but it only curls nicely with encouragement. Scrunching has helped me out of my “I need to straighten my hair to be pretty” phase. Grabbing wet hair and scrunching upwards towards the head defines and defrizzes your curls, and essentially trains your hair to dry nicely. Since I’ve started, I now never let my hair air dry without scrunching it. It takes no time at all and only requires a leave-in styling cream. If you prefer low-maintenance methods of hair styling, you should give scrunching a try.
- wearing anything that smells good
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Regardless of my mood, putting on perfume or a fruity body cream is always a pick me up. I find that putting on a nice scent in the morning makes me feel like I’m setting the day up to be more eventful. It seems to frame the day as more important or interesting. I’m not sure why or how this works, but it has this effect on me. If you find perfume overpowering, then body mists, body creams or hand sanitizers have the same effect. However, these products won’t leave a scent for as long as perfume will. Even if it isn’t intended to be noticed by anyone, using anything that smells good will boost your confidence for the day.
I’ll admit, these beauty practices are pretty mundane. However, as someone who isn’t big on dressing up consistently, they make a difference for me. So, if you’d like, try these practices out, and hopefully, they make a difference for you too!