how to GLOW UP this summer!

hi girlies! welcome to the FIRST post of her wellness, written by aanya. before i give you the ultimate advice to glow up this summer, let me introduce to you this very special blog!

her wellness was started by me and my closest friend, anila. growing up, we both LOVED to write. we used to hide at the back of our math tutoring class and write the most random stories on a clipboard. eventually, we created posts on an app called PicsArt where we basically did what we are doing right now: creating posts that help nurture a more confident you!

we hope you can join us on our journey as we navigate girlhood and hope to inspire young girls around the world to feel confident in themselves!

okay! back to the topic of the todays post, how to GLOW UP this summer. we’ll organize this with two main ways on WHERE you should glow up.

working on the outside and working on the inside!

working on the outside

1. improve overall hygiene

this summer is the perfect time to improve your hygiene! i’m talking skin and hair care. you probably hear this everywhere, but it is super important and i’m going to give you quick tips to help create a difference in your hygiene!

starting with skincare, let’s identify a standard routine everyone should try and follow.

• double cleansing! double cleansing means using a cleansing balm followed by a cleanser to clean your skin! double cleansing allows you to get that clean, refreshing feeling. if you utilize the process of double cleansing this summer, you’ll walk into fall with the cleanest skin you’ve ever had.

recs: cleansing balms — clinique TTDO balm ($30.75), cerave makeup removing cleansing balm ($13.99), elf holy hydration! cleansing balm ($11) cleansers — la roche posay hydrating gentle cleanser ($17.99)

• serums! this creates that flawless glass skin look everyone obsesses over!

recs: the ordinary niacinamide ($10.80), beauty of joseon glow deep serum ($16.00), COSRX snail musin hydrating serum ($13.80)

• moisturizer! i think this is a obvious one, but in case it isnt, you definitely need moisturizer so your skin isn’t looking dry and patchy.

recs: illiyoon ceramide to concentrate cream ($24.99), cerave pm facial moisturizing lotion ($11.50)

• sunscreen! the most important (in my opinion) step, and what keeps you from not looking all wrinkly at 40!

recs: one i SWEAR by, no white cast, leaves a glow, and works as a makeup primer — vacation class whip spf 30 ($23.00)

the truth is, keep it simple. oversimplifying your routine can overstimulate your skin and cause breakouts, so, make your life easier and keep it at five steps!

moving on, let’s talk about hair care. every girl wants that flawless, silky looking hair and the true secret to achieve that this summer is through a haircut and products!

one of the best ways (in my opinion) to glow up and have that dramatic change is to get a haircut! a staple hair style that never grows old and will receive tons of compliments is layers! when visiting a salon, here’s a sample of what you can ask:

• round layers with thick ends

• short face framing layers around the chin

if you could, get highlights! like the one shown in the picture to the left, the best highlights for brunette/black hair is milk chocolate brown. for blondes, get a balayage so it looks minimal but still really good. make sure you know if you’re a warm or cool tone blonde when getting your hair dyed.

not only achieving that look is important, but also maintaining it is. you can’t just get a good haircut and expect your hair to always look that great! to keep that fresh-out-of-the-salon look, there’s an important product you should be using!

Sourced from Pinterest, credit to @jessicaschianod

one i’ll be talking about is hair oil! hair oil is the secret to grow hair at abnormal rates but to also soften and improve the texture of your hair. my recommend is to buy dabur amla hair oil for just $8.35, and trust me it’s a large bottle. be sure to really oil your hair once a week, getting it EVERYWHERE, scalp, ends, everywhere!! leave the oil in for a hour before showering for the best results.

just a general tip, when you’re in the shower, be sure to double shampoo! just like double cleansing, double shampooing is super important to get all the gunk out. trust me, you’ll feel the difference.

2. chill workouts + dieting!

another great thing you can be doing this summer is workouts and dieting. i’m not talking daisy keech level workouts where you’re going crazy, but more chilled out.

the thing is, everywhere on social media you see girls working out EXTENSIVELY. i see sweat pouring out more than me outside on a summer day. honestly, summers are meant to relax and wind down, so chill workouts are a must!!

opt for doing yoga, a more relaxed but genuinely healthy exercise to do. doing this as an alternative of scrolling through your phone first thing in the morning is so, so good.

you can also do lazy girl workouts, which are basically workouts you can do while scrolling through your phone on bed. here are some great ideas for poses —> https://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/how-to/a35234/exercises-you-can-do-without-getting-out-of-bed/

another alternative is pilates at home!! everyone remembers that craze about the “pilates princess” aesthetic, which honestly i’m still not over. everyone you see who do pilates for a while are SNATCHED and flexible, so why not? for an at-home workout, all you need is a chair —> https://www.health.com/fitness/at-home-pilates-workout

if this all sounds a bit much, the more simpler, and honestly my favorite, are walks. go on a walk with a friend and talk instead of being at home. go adventure out a little, maybe to your nearest park or shopping centre!

now for dieting. don’t listen to those people who are telling you to “restrict food intake, make smaller portions” (unless they’re your doctor/nutritionist), for dieting, i’m not going to be telling you any of those things, but instead alternatives to what you normally eat.

i see people eating snacks like takis, doritos, or in general those really artificial bad snacks/chips. my recommendation is to DETOX and stop eating those, but instead find alternatives. some companies are rebranding these chip brands and making it way healthier and taste almost like the real deal. in all honesty, you probably won’t find something that will taste exactly like it, but it’s better than worsening your body. for ex; the takis alternative is trader joe’s rolled corn tortilla chips chili & lime flavored. if you’re in the u.s., go to trader joes for your food and snacks! it’s great quality, super good, and cheap!

another example is instead of soda or gatorade, drink coconut water or smoothies. they’re so delicious and healthier!! invest and buy ingredients for smoothies instead of large boxes of soda, use your favorite fruits!!

you can find tons of things in your pantry and fridge that you can make yourself or buy an alternative for, so an idea for you is to make a list of alternatives you can make with the ingredients you have at home or jot some ideas down for your next shopping trip.

3. finding out your look

this is the probably the most important one if you want to GLOW UP with summer! knowing what you look good in is such a game changer.

first is face shape. knowing your face shape can alter the way you put on your makeup, haircut, etc..

this source is reliable and tells you instantly! —> https://www.detect-face-shape.com/

so based off your results, look at the chart below to see what makeup placement you should be doing. be sure to screenshot for future use.

Sourced from Pinterest, credit to @iroquois07

now, also depending on your face shape, there are some recommended haircuts to get. these haircuts are generally more flattering towards your face shape.

round: voluminous layers

oval: butterfly cut, long bob

heart: middle part, sideswept & layered

square: diamond cut, frame cut

rectangle: curtain bangs, french bob

diamond: soft layers, shaggy lob, long length

now, you might’ve heard the trend of people going to korea or california and finding out their “color palette”. these findings help you look brighter and compliment your skin tone better. obviously not everyone has the luxury to go fly out or pay a bunch of money to get a consultation, but i’ll provide you a source to help you do it at home!

this tells you the best colors that match your skintone and what to avoid, also gives pinterest boards for look ideas depending on your color palette it gives you —> https://colorwise.me/

with your findings, buy clothes in these colors! you’ll instantly notice a change on how your skin compliments with the colors and receive compliments on how it looks on you!

speaking of clothes, another thing you can do to glow up this summer is finding your style! having a signature style helps you differentiate from the others and also knowing what type of clothes you’re looking for makes your life so much easier.

so, to help you out, i’ll list some styles with stores you can buy from to help you pick!

coquette

Sourced from Pinterest, credit to @yummidollchi

stores:

• chérie lou

• brandy melville

• princess polly

• urban outfitters

casual streetwear

Sourced from Pinterest, credit to @virgosoul98

stores:

1. edikted

2. pacsun

3. garage

4. asos

stockholm/coastal granddaughter/scandi (hot take: they're all the same thing!!)

Sourced from Pinterest, credit to @trendsswithtess

stores:

1. brandy melville

2. old navy

3. djerf avenue

4. ralph lauren

downtown girl

Sourced from Pinterest, credit to @eltriuqs

stores:

1. brandy melville

2. urban outfitters

3. h&m

beach girl

Sourced from Pinterest, credit to @fitinspo1

stores:

1. aerie

2. sunkissed coconut

3. american eagle

4. billa bong

y2k

Sourced from Pinterest, credit to @brinathedoll

stores:

1. juicy couture

2. pink

3. emmiol

4. depop

finding yourself a distinctive style allows you to stand out! you can also mix some, like i see a lot of people mixing stockholm + coquette and it looks super cute!

working on the inside

so now we talked about everything you can be doing to glow up your physical appearance, but what about the inside? everyone loves to see someone who’s beautiful inside and out, i’d like to argue a beautiful personality is way more important than a beautiful appearance.

1. reading self development books!

books are statically proven to make you way more smarter and aware of the world around you. reading self-development books that help strengthen your mindset allows you to reach the best version of yourself! this summer, you probably have loads of time to read these books! below, i’ll give you some recs and a quick summary on what they’re all about.

atomic habits

shares fundamental information about habit formation and delivering amazing results.

the mountain is you

helps identify and address self-destructing behaviors, giving examples to make it easy to understand. shares advice on how to come over self sabotage and to improve your self-development journey.

rich dad poor dad

helps share on how to improve financial literacy and gaining financial independence. also puts readers into a really good perspective that changes how they view the world.

the power of now

gives information on spiritual growth and personal transformation. it shares the important concept of self reflection and living in the moment.

2. journaling

journaling is such a therapeutic and a great way to pour out your feelings, memories, habits into a journal. not only does this help store memories, but it keeps you a more organized person! journaling can mean…

• daily entires

daily entries or basically a diary is a such an essential way to organize your thoughts. i love to read my past diary entries and see the improvement from then to now. diaries also help reduces anxiety.

• writing prompts
  

using a journal to answer writing prompts really helps you better understand yourself and your emotions as well as becoming a better writer! writing prompts can mean questions like, “what was the happiest moment that happened in the past year?” or for my fellow writers, it can mean “two strangers on an online chat room hit it off, but turns out they were childhood sweethearts from third grade! what happens next?” doesn’t that honestly sound fun?

there are many resources online to help you find daily writing prompts, or journals that already have some for you! i’ll link some below.

100 journaling prompts for self reflection —> https://www.decideyourlegacy.com/100-journaling-prompts-for-reflection-insight/ https://www.archerandolive.com/blogs/news/100-guided-journaling-prompts-for-your-mental-health-bullet-journal

writing prompts for writers —> https://jerryjenkins.com/creative-writing-prompts/

• habit tracker

track your habits! do you ever see those videos of those girls doing daily habit tracking in their journals, where they highlight in a box where the color depends on the mood they were in? habit trackers are honestly such an organized and productive way to track your mental progress.

heres some ideas of habits you can track..

• water intake

• hours of sleep

• daily steps

• mood

this pinterest board has so many page ideas on how to decorate your habit tracker —> https://www.pinterest.com/spunkyy2822/bullet-journal-habit-tracker-ideas/

• travel journal

okay, who doesn’t love traveling? if you’re a girly who travels a lot, a travel journal is such a cute and fun idea to remember your trip. do daily entries on how each day of your trip went, write down your itinerary, carry the journal everywhere you go to write!! i also recommend collecting things and taping it to your journal, like if you’re traveling internationally, collect money! buy a stamp! even better, if you have a polaroid camera, take photos and tape them in your journal.

3. starting hobbies

finally, another great way to glow up is to start hobbies! did you ever have that moment where someone was like, “oh, what are your hobbies?” and you were like, “oh.. uh.. watching movies..?” because that happens to me ALL THE TIME. honestly, this summer is the best time to pick up some hobbies and help make your life a bit more interesting! just like i did for journaling, i’ll give you some ideas on hobbies you can start that can in turn, lead you into gaining some $$!

• nails

start nail art? hello?? this is honestly the BEST hobby you can start. nail art is honestly something that takes time to master but once you do (which the mastering part is NOT hard), you literally don’t have to pay $60+ for every nail appointment. master acrylics, gel, or just basic nail polish. buy the tools in the bulk for amazon for honestly less than a nail appointment. once you do master it, you can start a side hustle where you do nail art for friends and branch it out!!

• henna

as a indian girlie, henna is such a beautiful hobby to do. it’s super easy if you got artistic ability, and if you don’t, don’t worry! it’s still easy to learn! practice on yourself and copy designs from the internet. just like nail art, if you master this, you can start a side hustle where you do henna for events!

• jewelry

for my og rainbow loom girlies, this is such a useful hobby. instead of doing beads like most do, be unique and try wire jewelry! wire jewelry is the type you see with rings! use seashells, fake pearls, beads, anything!! do charm bracelets + necklaces as well! those are such a pretty statement accessory for your look, def worth in investing in! if you master it, create a side hustle! sell on etsy!

• crocheting

this is a hobby i see everyone doing and you can make so much with it. clothes, blankets, bags, etc.. and everyone loves buying crocheted things!! literally i’m in awe of those girls who make the CUTEST crop tops with crocheting!! def an amazing investment, and can turn into a really successful side hustle if you put the work in.

• art

doodling, painting, oh my god. this is the type of hobby where people are obsessed over. people love to see paintings and it’s such a pretty hobby. get a journal and doodle!! buy canvases and paints from michaels or amazon and paint scenery, food, anything!! this is such a good room decor and also a great gift to give to your friends. i would love to get a painting from a friend lol.

• pilates

okay, i’m obsessed with pilates. invest in yourself and go do pilates! it helps tones you body and make you flexible which is honestly what i need rn. it’s such an aesthetic hobby, so why not?

• pottery

pottery goes hand in hand with the art hobby. you can make so much stuff like jewelry holders, mugs, flowers vases, etc.. and paint them really cute. this is something that i picked up in a day or two and def can turn into a great side hustle!!

• scrapbooking

for all my u.s. girlies, you need to scrapbook high school! literally buy a polaroid camera (such a good investment), take photos of football games, school events, and SCRAPBOOK! i’m telling you, amazon is the HOTSPOT for hobbies, you can find everything you need on there for cheap!! get stickers, pens, etc.. this can also go hand-in-hand with the travel journal, make a travel scrapbook!

now, that’s all i have for some glow up tips!! remember, you’re beautiful inside and out! you don’t need to change anything for anyone, just feel confident in yourself is all you need. i hope these tips help you find and discover your true potential! ily! <3

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sources:

https://www.allure.com/story/what-is-double-cleansing

https://www.glamour.com/gallery/best-hairstyles-any-face-shape