Ah, the wisdom of past generations, such a wealth of knowledge of all things beauty. Over my many years of existence, I have acquired numerous valuable tips and tricks from my mother and grandmother to keep my skin, hair, and overall health in prime condition. One of the most precious instructions I have heard time and time again is, “Take care of that neck! Because if you don’t, at my age you’ll have a turkey neck.” Then there’s, “Wear clean underwear, just in case you’re in an accident,” thanks Nana! That one’s not really a beauty tip, but still just as important to keep in mind.
Here I have compiled a list of all things beauty, taken directly from the words of my own mother and grandmother, as well as other young ladies who have found themselves with plenty of beauty advice to share.
Hair
Rinse hair with vinegar or lemon juice (mixed with water) for shine- also, when you use lemon juice on your hair in the summer it can make it lighter! Try not to overdo this though or it could damage your hair.
Need a DIY hair mask? Try 1 tablespoon of honey and 3 tablespoons of olive oil– adjust the amounts to how long/thick your hair is! Work mixture into wet hair and leave on for 30 minutes with a warm, damp towel wrapped around your head. So shiny and lustrous!
Some summer hair care to get rid of all that chlorine and salt- 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and 2 tablespoons of apple-cider vinegar. Pour mixture over hair; leave on for 10 minutes, rinse!
Face & Body
Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize- well that was an easy one
Always remove your makeup before going to bed
Don’t pick your zits! But when you absolutely have to, make sure you have a tissue wrapped around each finger and use a dab of toothpaste as a spot treatment to dry it out.
Use sunscreen if you’re going to be out in the sun for a long time
“Rub sugar on lips to make them soft” -Alayna, ’15
“My mom relies on Rosebud Salve for EVERYTHING! She introduced me to it when I was in middle school, and I normally use it as Chap Stick, but it’s also good for cuts, scrapes, burns, and bruises! A really great product to have in any cosmetic case.” -Kylie, ’13
“It’s important to hydrate! Make sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day for glowing, healthy skin.” -Sam, ’13
Make-up
If you don’t have blush (used to be called rouge), use a little bit of lipstick rubbed/blended on your cheeks
If you run out of mascara, put a little Vaseline on the old brush, then dip it back in the mascara tube, mix it around a bit and use
Other
To stop a run in your stockings/panty hose, dab top/bottom of the run with a bit of clear nail polish
“Use sparkling water or plain seltzer to instantly get a stain off of a shirt or piece of fabric!” -Brooke, ’13
“On packing for vacation my grandmother told me, ‘All you need is five silk blouses and a pair of slacks and you will be set for the week!’ (I kid you not). Also, my mom always tells me ‘less is more’ and that silver shoes are
‘Tacky’ and to ‘NEVER leave the house without lipstick!’” -Norah, ’13
“The first thing that came to my mind was my grandmother. She always used to say, when braiding our hair (especially when she got to the baby hairs) that there’s “pain in beauty.” I say that all the time now when I’m wearing heels and still braiding those stubborn baby hairs.” -Elise, ’14