Have you ever had one of those days when you just need to dash to the mall for a quick bite, meet your besties at a restaurant, or run errands like picking up your child from school? Maybe you’re just driving around and want to look decent in case you make an unexpected stop.
We all know the feeling – wanting to leave the house without the energy to put on makeup or dress up, yet not wanting to look unkempt. Sound familiar? If so, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive into how you can look effortlessly chic without breaking a sweat.
1. Say no to bad hair days: Having a bad hair day? Put on a heard scarf. There are plenty of cute head wraps on the market currently. However, to avoid getting to this point try creating a year plan for your hair. Perhaps stick to one go-to hairstyle every quarter or dedicate a day in the week or month to do a low manipulation hair style you can rock over longer periods (your own definition of long).
2. Always have good skin: If you do not have any major skin issues (i.e. acne, dermatitis etc.) or maybe still in your earlier twenties and younger, it is perfectly fine to keep things simple. A gentle face wash, face cream and regular application of sunscreen should be good enough.
When it comes to rest of your body, try introducing dry brushing and body scrubs into your bath/shower routine. Scrubbing every now and then can help get rid of dead skin cells and reveal evenly smooth looking skin. It goes without saying that you should always finish up with a good moisturizing lotion, cream or softening body butter.
3. Grooming: Regularly shape and clean up your eyebrows and remove any unwanted facial hairs (Note: Hair unwanted by YOU, not others). If you’re the type to remove body hair as well, dedicate time to do this on one of those days where you have nowhere to go and have all the time in the world. Always ensure your nails are done or keep them short and clean.
4. Smell good always: Now this has nothing to do with cologne or perfumed sprays, although these are great to have. I am talking about prioritizing personal hygiene, so that you don’t ever smell bad. Everyone knows that they should take regular showers and use deodorant, but I just want to add a few things for the ladies to consider.
Always use unscented products for your delicate areas. Always carry extra sanitary products for unexpected “Aunt flow” visits. Carry wipes and/or pocket tissues, these come in very handy.
5. Go-to outfits: This has helped me so much. A common reason we are too lazy to leave the house or make up excuses not to go meet with people is that “we have nothing to wear”. Now before you go shopping, remember there’s a reason behind that wardrobe full of clothes you supposedly “don’t have”. Here are some of my tips:
Find at least five go-to outfits and always keep them clean. If you’ve worn it a few times, throw it in the washing machine. Use Pinterest to find your personal style. Check what you have and try recreate some Pinterest inspired looks to design your go-to outfits.
There are many other tips I could go into, but I will leave it here for now.
Remember the goal isn’t to achieve perfection but to feel confident and comfortable in your own skin. By making these small, manageable tweaks to your routine, you can easily elevate your life and the way you show up in the world. So, the next time you’re in a rush, take a deep breath, follow these tips and step out with confidence – knowing you’ve got this!