Is anyone else noticing that my makeup looks clumpy? Do I have rolls when I sit at the lecture desk?
We’ve all been there, and sometimes I still am. So, how do you calm your anxiety when you’re taking a Biology exam and can only think about if your stomach looks bloated?
I went to an all-girls Catholic school for high school (yes, it’s as rough as it sounds), and my body image issues became a big part of my daily life. I would wake up at 5:30am every day to put on makeup, make my hair pin-straight, and roll my school skirt so it looked like I didn’t have a stomach, only a good butt. To be fair, these uniforms were so unflattering, but there was always “that girl” that looked perfectly put together and naturally gorgeous, with, of course, a ‘perfect body’.
When I came to college, the idea of picking out an outfit every morning and seeing hundreds of people made me want to curl into a ball and die… not to be dramatic. It got to a point where I would wake up hours before my class to try on different outfits, and make sure my makeup looked flawless enough to the point where it looked like my skin was airbrushed on. Even then, when I did look my best, it still didn’t feel like enough to me.
Here’s the thing: I was not the only girl thinking this. I would notice other girls adjusting their crop tops so they looked as if it was a model fitting, and the girls with a sweatshirt on would look into the windows to see their reflection and adjust their clothes. Here are my top tips I used to get over this, and still use.
- Do what makes you feel gorgeous
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Here’s the thing. If I were to come in here and be like, “don’t be insecure, you’re beautiful” you’d think I’m full of s***. I get it, so instead, I’m saying this… For me, this meant washing my face and prepping my skin the night before. I would moisturize, curl my clean lashes, and spray myself with perfume before going to bed. It sounds weird, but it made me feel like a goddess when I woke up. Doing the small steps that make you feel gorgeous waking up makes the morning a million times better and easier.
- make it fun
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When I’m getting ready for class, I’ll put on hype music and do my routine as if I was a celebrity on vogue showing my morning routine. If you romanticize it, you’ll love the product.
- Act like you are “that girl”
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Fake it till you make it right? I walk to class with music from old rom-com movies in my AirPods to make me feel like I am the main character and this is part of the plot. The directors put you in this outfit, you just got your makeup done in a trailer and now you’re on set. You already have the gorgeous part down, now it’s time to act.
- Know that you aren’t alone in feeling like this
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Even though college is our “golden years” I’ve never met a woman that didn’t stress about their looks in college. It’s a difficult time because we’re all young and in peak condition as women. Know that there is probably someone looking at you thinking, “she’s so pretty I wish I had her body/hair/outfit/eyes/ etc.” You can know this because you do it to other girls!
- Speak to and think of your younger self
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This is my favorite tip, and has helped me heal through so much. Think of if your younger self was looking at you. She’d think you’re beautiful! She’d love how pretty you are, how old you are, and she idolizes you. Imagine if little you heard you tell yourself you looked ugly-how sad she’d be. Your younger self lives inside of you, be kind to her, because you are everything she’s ever dreamed of.
I hope these tips will help you love yourself each and every day. As always, it is never a bad thing to talk to someone about body image issues-you are valid and deserve to be happy.