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
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.