One thing about me: I am high-maintenance to be low-maintenance. And if you don’t know what that means, let me explain.
Since the pandemic, Tik Tok’s rise in popularity has had an extreme influence on the health and beauty habits of pretty much everyone. Every day, we scroll through the app to see the newest trends, recommendations, scandals, tips and tricks — you name it, Tik Tok has it.
There’s so much you can learn on Tik Tok or even YouTube. I have to say, Tik Tok is a quick, fantastic resource for thinking outside the box and gaining new insight on just about anything and everything related to beauty, fashion, lifestyle and so much more.
I have learned so much on social media about weekly “self care” routines, which most girls consider pretty much essential. It focuses on steps that don’t require as much daily upkeep, like nails or self-tan.
This leads me down the rabbit hole of my own personal beauty routine that is done once a week, to maintain my appearance and allow minimal effort throughout the busy work week. Most of which is heavily influenced by, you guessed it, Tik Tok.
Let’s begin.
- Night prep
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The Night Before: Self-Tan and Scalp Oil
What’s a beauty routine without some night prep?
I start by brushing my hair to distribute any pre-existing oil on my scalp. Then, I go in with my scalp oil in sections and apply it in “lines” from my forehead to the back of my neck. I normally start close to my left ear and work my way to my right. Massage throughout when you are done.
This is the oil I have been loving. It smells absolutely amazing and is made from all-natural ingredients. Also, if you do purchase it, you are supporting not only a small business but a black-owned business as well. Score.
After that, I tie my hair into a loose bun with a scrunchie to sleep. Just remember to cover your pillow with a towel to avoid any oil stains.
Moving onto self-tan, I apply the b.tan Glow Your Own Way Gel. This is by far the best self-tan product I have ever tried, and it always looks natural; no heavy, uncomfortable feeling is left behind on my skin.
- Morning! let’s shower
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When I wake up, the first thing I like to do is shower. Especially with self-tan on… and oil in my hair. Not a great feeling.
It’s good to keep your post-self-tan showers as short as possible and at a cooler water temperature to avoid washing off the stain.
I shampoo and condition my hair very well to make sure I am properly removing the oil. Typically, I do so with a scalp scrubber to make sure I really get in there.
Like I said before, I try to keep my post-self-tan showers minimal, so I don’t do a hair mask on these days. However, this is a great step to implement days prior to starting your beauty routine. I really love this one from Trader Joes. I love it. Like, a lot.
And of course, what’s a self-care day without smooth and silky legs? I started using a men’s razor last year and let me tell you, it’s a game changer. I use the Schick Men’s Hydro razor.
Don’t forget to moisturize. Out of every single moisturizer I’ve ever tried, the eos She Better Moisture Body Lotion knocks every other one out of the park.
- Nails
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It’s quite rare to see me without my nails done, whether it’s dip or gel. Even if I’m feeling lazy, they are at the bare minimum painted. It’s something that I personally consider essential to make me feel polished and put together.
Plus, nails can be a fun element to tie into your look with different colors, textures, lengths or designs… the list is endless. I have an article published here about my gel nail routine.
- Face
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Every week I go in and derma blade with some facial razors right after I wash my face. To my acne-prone girlies: please remember to clean the blade each time with rubbing alcohol to ensure you don’t introduce new bacteria onto your skin! There are plenty of tutorials for this on both YouTube and Tik Tok.
After that, I like to pluck my eyebrows to the desired shape and go over them with a facial razor to get the sharpest shape possible.
As for the upper lip area, I am a little Italian, so a facial tweezer is my holy grail. I used to wax, but I got really sick and tired of having to wait for the hair to be a certain length before it can be removed. Plus, it’s quite a process to heat the wax, clean the skin, actually wax and clean up. No one has time for that.
With this tool, it picks up even the shortest of hairs in no time. It is a little painful at first, but you get used to it quickly. No cleanup either. Totally worth it.
- Feet
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Yes. You read that right.
This one might sound high maintenance, but I’m telling you, it will change your life.
At night, right before bed on a self-care day, I put on a heavy-duty foot cream and put socks on top. Then, oh my gosh, my feet feel absolutely incredible in the next morning.
I really love this one by Aveda. Even a heavy-duty body lotion or vaseline would work for this. Double points if you exfoliate with a scrub the night before.
And that is how I wake up with the most minimal effort possible still looking and feeling my best.