5 Ways to Get Fresh for Spring Without Any Makeup

Hear those birds chirping? Feel that sunshine on your face? That’s spring making its bright and cheery way into our lives, y’all, and I don’t know about you, but I’m welcoming this season with open arms. With warm weather upon us, our beauty routines tend to lighten up — in fact, spring is the perfect season to experiment with new ways to keep yourself looking fresh (and fly).
We teamed up with HEALTHY ESSENTIALS®, a destination for helpful advice, tips, tricks and money-saving coupons, to help you refresh without piling on makeup products. The site provides real-time insights and answers – personalized just for you – to help you care for yourself (and save some money, too!). Whether you’re in need of a mid-day pick-me-up at your desk or are heading out to carpe that diem with pals, here are five ways to revitalize yourself sans makeup.
USE A DIY FACE MIST
A refreshing, DIY face mist is a must-have for fresh-ups (touch-ups without makeup, duh!), especially if you’re a busy girl on-the-go. It doesn’t get easier than making your own DIY face mist: Grab a small spray bottle, fill it up with your favorite gentle skin toner and witch hazel (half toner, half witch hazel) and then add a small drop of tea tree oil to make it minty. Spritz, spritz, spritz this stuff on your face whenever you want to wake up and invigorate your senses. Pro tip: Stash one of these in your purse, on your desk and atop your vanity. You’ll use it all the time — promise.
BRIGHTEN YOUR EYES
You might not realize how much having tired eyes can affect your overall appearance. If you’ve been staring at a screen for a long time or have fallen victim to allergy season, it’ll show in your eyes: They can take on a dull and/or irritated appearance, not to mention that they can also feel super dry. A couple drops of moisturizing, gentle eye drops like Visine Tired Eyes will instantly bring your peepers back to that bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed state. I always have one of these in my purse and one on my desk, because I can’t stand the way my eyes look and feel after a long day.
GIVE YOUR LIPS A TREATMENT
Whether or not you’re a lipstick lover, it’s easy for our puckers to get chapped, dry and flaky. This is not cute. A DIY lip treatment — made with ingredients you prob already have in your cupboard — is an absolute must.
Mix together equal parts of brown sugar, olive oil and honey, and apply it to your lips (don’t forget to have a taste; it’s so yummy!). You’ll instantly have super smooth, hydrated lips that are ready for anything — including red lipstick.
DO THE BEND AND FLIP
You already know about the bend and snap from Legally Blonde, but have you heard of the bend and flip? It’s my go-to hair hack when my locks are lifeless and in need of a little love, but I don’t have time to re-style. Start by brushing your hair as you normally would. Then, flip your head over so your hair is pointing toward the ground. Give it an upside down brushing from root to tip, and then FLIP over! Your hair will look a little crazy at this point. Give it some oomph at the roots by zhushing it with your fingers, and then lightly smooth it out with the brush. Voilà!
WHITEN YOUR TEETH
Having a white and bright smile is key to looking fresh. Even if you’re not at home, you should give your mouth a little TEETH-L-C with Listerine Healthy Whitening mouthwash. I know what you’re thinking: Am I supposed to carry around a big container of mouthwash with me? No! Put a couple capfuls of this effective mouthwash into a travel-sized bottle, and toss it in your purse or in your desk drawer. Do a couple swishes whenever you want to freshen your breath, whiten your teeth and refresh your mouth. It’s as close to brushing your teeth on-the-go as you can get!
Easy as that! Don’t think that freshening up has to mean applying more makeup, y’all. Embrace spring, and don’t forget to check out HealthyEssentials.com for more ways to stay fresh and win prizes. From a digital fitness tracker to music downloads to a 12 month magazine subscription, Brit + Co readers can win an assortment of prizes that will help them stay on top of their 2016 resolutions. Starting December 27, 2015 through March, 27, 2016 when you register for HealthyEssentials.com, you’ll have the opportunity to “spin the wheel” for a chance to win wellness-related products. Note: There will be 100 winners DAILY!
This post is a collaboration with HEALTHY ESSENTIALS®.
Authored by Beth Wischnia
Beauty Production, Styling + Modeling: Beth Wischnia
Photography: Chris Andre
Your relationship with your finances is one of the most important relationships you'll ever have, and you can't avoid it. That said, for many of us, the pandemic only added to our financial stress. If you find yourself feeling frazzled, just remember that financial insecurity isn't a net-worth issue — it's a mindset issue. And, we happen to have plenty of advice on how to turn your money mindset around so you can take charge of your funds once and for all.
To start, feeling secure begins with a strong foundation, and there's no better time than now to get started stacking the bricks. It's easy to get swept up in the January "new year, new me" mentality, but really? Any time is the right time to get yourself in order. You don't need to wait for a new year, a new moon, the right moment, or a sign from above. You don't even have to start on the first day of the month — you just need to start.
Introducing NerdWallet: A Safe and Reliable Money App
To help with that, we've put together a list of the just-right-for-you ways that NerdWallet can help you monitor your financial outlook. Haven't heard of them yet? NerdWallet is a personal finance company that helps consumers make smarter financial decisions. Their website and app let you compare different financial products, find articles and tools to make financial decisions with confidence, and keep tabs on your finances (hey there, credit score, I see you!) all in one place. Plus, NerdWallet has over 75,000 glowing reviews in the App Store (and a 4.8 star rating) if you want to read up on any more testimonials.
Tim Chen, NerdWallet's CEO and co-founder, started this financial journey in 2009 after his sister needed help finding a credit card. Even with an economics degree and a Wall Street background, it took awhile for Tim to find the right recommendation (so don't feel too bad when it takes you a while, too). Their mission is to bring clarity to all of life's financial decisions.
So it's safe to say that NerdWallet is a pretty good sherpa for your journey, too.
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Did you know that the money you park in a savings account can lose value? Harsh, but true. If your money isn't earning interest that's on pace with inflation it will actually be worth less to you in the future. And if the bank charges fees? Forget about it. Make sure you're earning the interest you deserve and come out on top. NerdWallet has researched dozens of financial institutions to help consumers find the best options. The hard work has already been done for you, so you can just select the account that works best for you and your nest egg.
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Do you have the best credit card for your lifestyle? Some cards give cash back on every purchase, ones with travel perks, and ones that charge way less interest than you're paying now. NerdWallet takes the guesswork out of choosing the right credit card with simple side-by-side comparisons of different credit cards so that you feel confident choosing the right one. Whatever you want to do, NerdWallet can help you find the best credit card to get it done.
Know your options for settling down
Mortgage rates are pretty low and it looks like they're going to stay that way for awhile, so buying a home might be the move sooner than you think. But there's so much more to a mortgage than just the interest rate! To help you choose a mortgage lender, NerdWallet has in-depth reviews on multiple lenders in a mixture of categories so you get the home loan with the mortgage rate, term, and fees that's right for you.
Settle an old score
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Photo via Shutterstock