Finals week is no excuse to slack on your style or hygiene. Especially hygiene! While the sweats, Uggs, and yoga pants look is a tried and true classic, save that for the time spent in your room, not in public. In order to do your best on finals, you have to look and feel your best. Here are some tips that will make staying chic and classy (and clean) easy and manageable during finals week:
1. Make Dry Shampoo Your BFF
Dry shampoo is your new best friend come finals week. (Coffee, too, but that goes without saying.) Not only does dry shampoo keep your hair oil-free and add volume to your roots, but it also helps keep your tresses in tiptop shape. Washing your hair everyday, especially if you color it, draws out the color and makes it dry. The last thing you want to worry about is whether or not your hair looks (or smells) like straw when youâre acing that final you spent sleepless nights in the library studying for. Dry shampoo is a lifesaver. See what dry shampoo will work best for you here. (Note: Using dry shampoo is not an excuse to skimp on showers. Put your hair in a bun and keep body showers a part of your daily routine â no questions asked!)
2. Put Your Best Face Forward
Speaking of sleepless nights, itâs likely you donât wake looking like a Disney princess, or BeyoncĂ©. Donât scare your friends, classmates, or professors with scary dark circles and dull skin! Make it look like you got your solid seven to eight hours with the right makeup and products starting the night before.
- Take It Off: Remove your makeup before you go to bed. Sleeping in your makeup not only leaves you looking like a raccoon the next morning and dirties your pillows (yuck), but also clogs your pores. Thereâs never a âgoodâ time to deal with a pimple, but it sure isnât during finals week. Do yourself, your sheets, and your mirror the next morning a favor and take it off!
- Moisturize: You know that amazing glow you radiate on the outside (and feel on the inside) those days when you remember to keep yourself hydrated? (Note: Those days should be every day!) Moisturizer works the same way. It hydrates your skin overnight, leaving it soft and plumped. The same applies for the morning when youâre putting on your makeup. Look for a tinted moisturizer with SPF that gives a both coverage and an enviable, dewy glow.
- Eyes On The Prize: Eyes may be the windows to the soul, but they are also the truth tellers of a nightâs lack of sleep. Fool your peers (and maybe even yourself) into thinking youâre well rested by de-puffing your eyes first thing in the morning. The easiest way to do this is by sticking two spoons in the freezer the night before, then placing them under your eyes for thirty seconds before putting on your makeup the next morning. While this may garner some weird looks from your roomies, youâll feel refreshed and look less puffy afterwards. When youâre applying under eye concealer, make sure to pat it in using your ring finger to avoid putting too much pressure under the eyes. If concealer isnât enough, use an illuminator (the Yves Saint Lauren Touche Ăclat works wonders) as an extra step. Donât forget to top it all off with a few coats of mascara and blush. You may not feel like it, but youâre sure to look fresh and ready to take on whatever finals week throws at you following these tips.
3. Dress to Impress
Itâs easy to throw on sweats and a t-shirt and call it a day, but impress and inspire everyone by showing up to your final or a library study session looking chic. Casual chic is almost too easy a style to master, and once you have it down, itâll become your go-to look. See the outfit ideas below for inspiration:
Outfit #1 (left): shirt: J.Crew / leggings: Helmut Lang / shorts: J.Crew / watch: Kate Spade / shoes: Seychelles
Outfit #2 (right): sweatshirt: A.P.C / jeans: Paige Denim / necklace: Lisa Freede / bag: Lilly Pulitzer / shoes: Joie
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While itâs hard to stay sane during finals week, try your best to go with the flow. With these tips, youâre sure to at least look cool, calm, and collected, so embrace the stress as it comes your way – summer is just around the corner!Â