With Fresher’s Week long gone and nothing left but the memories (or lack thereof!) it’s now time to pick up the slack on important things we may have forgotten about, like diet and skincare.
Let’s not beat around the bush here; a week’s worth of cheesy chips, heavy alcohol consumption and forgetting to take your makeup off will have done absolutely nothing for your skin. It may be a little more congested than usual, so some powerful spot treatments are essential. We’ve found that Neutrogena Visibly Clear Rapid Clear Treatment (£4.99), or if you’ve got a little of you student loan left over, Origins Super Spot Remover (£11.20) work both effectively and quickly to tackle those pesky blemishes.
On a similar note, your skin may feel dehydrated and lacklustre from all those late nights and lack of water drinking. Hydrating and brightening products are a must; the first step to rehydrated skin is to whack on a hydrating facemask. Our favourite is the Super Facialist Rose Intense Moisture Mask (£8.99). Follow this up with Simple Radiance Brightening Moisturiser (£6.99) to bring some radiance back into dull skin. Lastly, that lack of sleep will have left your eyes puffier than your favourite pillow, so give them a once over with the Garnier Caffeine Anti-dark Circles 2 in 1 Roll On (£10.49) which adds some tint to cover those dark circles at the same time.
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After all those nights out, that pre-uni haircut is probably not looking as good as it did at the beginning of Fresher’s. All the straightening, curling, styling and general night out antics have probably left your hair in need of a good bit of moisture. At Her Campus we love a good hair mask, especially the L’Oreal Elvive Hair Masques (from £3.49) to get your hair looking great again. For a really intense moisture boost, and amazing smelling hair, set aside an evening to wash your hair and then leave the mask in overnight. Just make sure you remember to put a towel on your pillow beforehand! To keep up the good work of the mask, add in a hair oil every day on wet hair. Moroccan Oil is definitely the best and loved by hair stylists, but at £13.45 for 25ml, we find easily available coconut oil does just the trick too. Fresher’s week has also probably left your hair in need of a good clean after the buildup from dry shampoos and hair sprays. Luckily there are products out there, like the Pantene Clarifying Shampoo (£4.69) which really get to the roots of your hair and leaving it squeaky clean again.
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Once your skin no longer resembles something from Night of the Living Dead, it’s time to get up and start facing lectures on a regular basis again. Now no one has time for full makeup, especially if you have a 9am start, but a little concealer to cover those bags never goes a miss. We recommend the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (£5.49) which manages to both brighten and give full coverage. This may be good for under the eyes, but you definitely wouldn’t want to highlight those pesky spots. For those, we like the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (£4.19), or if you’re feeling generous the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage (£26). Finally, to add both hydration and enough coverage to disguise the last of that wine induced redness, a BB cream is key. We suggest the La Roche Posay Hydreane BB Cream (£15); it’s as good as the hype, honest.
Makeup and beauty products will help you look and feel much better, but if you really want to get that sparkle back in your eye, adding a few little extras into your food regime will do the trick. Victoria Secret Models’ swear by a change in diet before a big show, so if it’s good enough for them, then it’s definitely good enough for us Exeter girls. Make sure you’re drinking 2-3 litres of water a day. We know it can be a chore, but we promise you’ll see a difference in both your skin (especially if you have forehead blemishes) and energy levels; what’s more, it’s free!
Whilst pasta and pizza are brilliant foods to line your stomach, they have probably left you feeling groggy, and your body screaming out for more nutrients. Why not make a few compromises to your diet to get your skin and body looking great again? Try adding spinach, quinoa or chickpeas, or vitamin A-rich carrots, peppers and carrots to your curries and pastas; trust us your skin will thank you. We highly doubt you got any omega-3 during Fresher’s, but now’s the time to start, especially if you want to revive your glowing-summer skin! Fish is a great source but other options include flaxseed and walnuts, which are great with yoghurt, fruit or cereal for breakfast. What is more, they will fill you up for ages too.
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