Going to get your brows done in a pandemic can seem a bit daunting or make you feel like you’re doing something wrong, but just because you’re stuck at home on Zoom all day doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice taking care of yourself. I have found that I am at my best, academically and mentally, when I am practicing self-care and following my beauty routine. So, from one frugal beauty queen to another, here are two of my favorite self-care hacks.
- Dyeing and tweezing your own eyebrows
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As a redhead, taking care of my eyebrows can be super difficult. I’d much rather roll out of bed every day with dark brows and lashes, but I would have to go to a salon to get my brows and lashes tinted. Moving away from my go-to brow girl meant moving away from guaranteed perfect brows, and I was unwilling to let anyone else touch them, so, I started to do them myself. First, buy a high-quality pair of tweezers. Having tweezers that work every time instead of on every third hair saves you a lot of time and a lot of pain. You’re going to want to draw on your ideal brow shape with a pencil or powder. A good rule of thumb is to tweeze a little less than you think you need to because the only thing worse than an out-of-place brow hair is a patch in the wrong spot. I personally like to dye my brows before I tweeze them because it makes the hairs so much easier to see.
Tinting may seem like a daunting job, but once you’ve done it once or twice it honestly becomes a lot of fun. Tinting your own brows at home is not only safer during quarantine, but so much cheaper! A box of men’s beard dye – which I swear by – is only $11 at the drugstore, and you can get four or five applications out of one box, whereas I would pay $20 for one tinting session at the salon. All you’ll need to do is mark the outline of your brows with Vaseline to prevent misplaced dye from staining the skin, apply the dye according to the box with a cotton swab and wipe off any excess. It’s easy, fun and can transform your look in 10 minutes.
- Making your own sugar scrub
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While trips to the spa or salon used to be super relaxing, today, I feel stressed wearing a mask and being in close proximity to people for long periods of time. Instead, I bring the relaxation of a spa straight to my home with an amazing body scrub. My homemade coffee sugar scrub leaves your skin feeling silky smooth, smells delicious, and is made from ingredients you already have in your kitchen! While it only requires two ingredients, you can add anything you like! To make the scrub, all you need is coconut oil and coffee grounds. I recommend adding honey and sugar and applying the scrub to your lips, especially if the weather is really dry. I brew myself a cup of coffee in the morning and take the leftover grounds from the K-Cup to make my scrub. It’s not only simple but also reduces waste! You’ll need to add enough melted coconut oil to make a paste (I usually just add a spoonful) and you can apply it anywhere you’d like! Also, I love to scrub it on my legs before I shave for an extra-indulgent moment. After, make sure you clean up because the grounds can get messy.
Treating yourself to a couple minutes of self-care is exactly what you need to feel refreshed and ready for more Zoom calls. If you’ve been struggling with your motivation and self-worth during quarantine, I hope you’ll take some time and take care of yourself. You deserve it.