Categories: Beauty

5 Beauty Hacks To Do That Will Give You An Instant Glow Up

I know we are all looking for an instant glow up following the classic sleep all day, eat junk food all night quarantine rut that we have been stuck in for the past six months. However, if you are a lazy girl like me and don’t want to spend hours looking like you just stepped out of a beauty salon, these five beauty hacks are a lifesaver.

1. Sleep! Sleep! Sleep!

It’s called beauty sleep for a reason people. Sleeping is one of the most important beauty hacks that I can offer. It’s proven to affect not only your appearance but also your stamina, mood, and overall functionality. To get more technical, when you sleep, the blood flow throughout your body becomes more regulated. When this happens, your body works to repair any damage to your skin that might have happened throughout your busy day.When you sleep, you look healthier, feel better about yourself, build a stronger immune system, the list goes on and on. The best part of this beauty hack is that it costs absolutely nothing.

Now, if you are like me, sleeping is not so simple. I have a hard time falling asleep every night, but I have found a few things worth the investment that put me out like a light. First, use a silk pillowcase. The way I think of it is that comfort is key! There may not be scientific facts backing the idea that a silk pillowcase will help your overall well-being. It can’t hurt to feel comfortable and luxurious. Another product I love to use is sleeping creams. Sleep creams or moisturizers are generally used to prevent wrinkles on your skin, help with blood circulation while you sleep, and calming for your mind. My last suggestion for this single spectacular beauty hack is melatonin. This sleeping aid is a natural remedy to help you sleep. It’s also cheap, all-natural, and there is no prescription needed to purchase it.

2. Hydration

Drinking enough water goes hand and hand with getting enough sleep. Water is known to make your skin more glowy, clear acne, make your nails stronger, and be good for you. On average, women should try to drink at least 2 liters of water per day while men should aim for 3 liters. Now, this is the minimum, and I have found that consuming more is better. Hydration is just another simple beauty hack among the other four listed that can make you feel good. You will see the benefits fast for doing something as easy as increasing your water intake daily.

I know for me keeping track of drinking water, as easy as it sounds, is surprisingly hard. I either get too lazy to go to my kitchen or simply forget to drink throughout my busy day. WaterMinder is one of the several apps found on the AppStore that I use to remind me to drink throughout the day. WaterMinder gathers information about you, such as your weight and height, to customize and ensure that you are getting more than enough water. Also, I have found that carrying a water bottle around seems to motivate me to drink more. I’m not sure if it’s the aesthetic or just the convenience it provides, but I am here to say that this beauty hack works. So whether it is a Swell, a Hydroflask, or even a regular plastic water bottle, I highly recommend trying it out.

3. Skincare

Nowadays, everyone spends hundreds of dollars on the best skincare products that usually end up making your skin worse. More important than anything, to achieve a glow-up, everyone needs a routine, skincare is no exception. You should first learn what kind of skin you have. This means discovering how sensitive your skin is to different products. Can it handle those seemingly more harsh substances in some products, or will it cause an unwanted reaction? Is your skin drier, or is it oily? These are the questions to ask yourself when buying products to help your skin.

For essential products that everyone should have, sunscreen and vitamin c products are a must! Even if you don’t think you need sunscreen, even if it’s cloudy outside and there is no sun in sight, put on sunscreen. Those pesky UV rays penetrate through almost anything causing your skin several issues. So do yourself a favor, and add sunscreen into your skincare routine.

Vitamin C is another essential product that you should include. This antioxidant will help brighten your skin and dark spots. You can get this in the form of a toner or serum to give your skin an extra boost of radiance.

The last staple product to add to these beauty hacks is moisturizer. Just like how we talked about water and how hydration is the key to helping the inside of your body, skin moisturizer is the key to helping the outside. Personally, I have sensitive skin, but I think I have found the holy grail of moisturizers that is not only affordable but effective. For those who haven’t heard, The Organic Manuka Honey Rescue Cream has no artificial fragrances, colors, or preservatives. In addition to the flawless skin this product gives you, it’s only $24! So everyone, go out, find the products that work for you, and get your own skincare routine!

4. Hair Care

Speaking from my personal hair struggles, now more than ever, I am in desperate need of some hair care beauty hacks. Just like skincare and makeup, having the right products makes a difference. Here are only a few products that will, for sure, change your hair care routine forever.

The Sparkling Soda Shine Mist by Drybar is one of my favorite products at the moment. My dry hair was in serious need of some love, and this did the trick. It left my hair silky soft while still refraining from the crunchy feeling most hair spray products have. This mist smells incredible, giving the feeling that you just walked out of the salon and works for all hair types. If I had to rank this $28 product in my hair care routine, it would have to be number one.

Having your hair deep conditioned is the first step to brand new hair, and I stand by that statement. The VERB Ghost Hair Mask is one of the best masks I have used to achieve the soft long hair that I wanted. Infused with moringa seed oil and glycerin, this product can be found at any local Sephora or Urban Outfitters store and is sold for only $18.

For someone who is conflicted between having really curly hair and wanting silky straight hair, the OUAI Wave Spray saved me. Thanks to this product, I get the ‘just right’ wavy hair that I am looking for. With the beachy waves, this product also gives your hair an undeniable shine that is worth the $26 spent.

5. Makeup

On the theme of routines, makeup falls perfectly in it’s realm and boy do I have some beauty hacks for you.

Before you even start your skincare and makeup routine, make sure you lightly exfoliate and wash your face. Exfoliating is an excellent way to get your blood flowing, giving you a more awake and lively look. But be careful, the skin on our face can be extremely sensitive. Now, exfoliating doesn’t only apply to your skin; it also works great for your lips. I always struggled with having dry, cracked lips, but exfoliating before anything else helped me tremendously. I recommend using a lip scrub. It is the best way to exfoliate and then follow that by adding your most hydrating chapstick or lip balm to get those extra soft, luscious lips.

One of the beauty hacks that I use is to stop using a heavy foundation. Instead of caking layers of makeup on to your face to achieve a “no-makeup look,” try using a good tinted moisturizer or counselor instead. By changing this small part of your makeup routine, your skin will almost instantly look healthier.

Bronzer is another simple trick that will give you a glowly and refreshed face. A quick-tip to always apply your bronzer the right way is to use the 3-Shape method. This method consists of taking your bronzer on both sides of your face and starting at the top of your forehead. From there, begin to draw a 3-shape. Continue this shape, going under your cheekbone and then finishing on your jawline. Then, all you have left to do is blend. This tip is perfect when you don’t feel like doing heavy contouring or want a summertime glow.