13 cheap ways to trick people into thinking you got hot over summer break
Let’s be honest here, nobody wants to be the one girl who comes back to school looking like she spent all summer binge watching TV on the couch and eating greasy foods 24/7 — especially if that’s actually how you spent your vacation.
No shame. We’ve all been there.
I spent one of my college breaks exclusively smoking weed, getting fucked up on pills and eating massive quesadillas. I never took off my makeup, I dyed my hair so many times I completely fried it, and if I showered every four days, it was a miracle.
In short: I was gross.
Even though summer break is the perfect excuse to let ourselves go a little and give in to our every lazy girl impulse, before you know it, the summer’s over and you’re left with just a few days to get your shit together.
Luckily, there are a variety of ways to trick everyone into thinking you got super hot over the summer for very few dollars.
Even if you only have 24 hours to turn it around, there’s a surprising amount of options for you to try.
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1. Get a tan
Tans make everything better.
They make you look healthier, happier, and cover up some of those tiny little flaws on our faces that we spend so much time trying to hide with makeup.
Plus, if you don’t have one everybody is going to think you wasted your summer vacation.
If you haven’t already managed to give yourself a tan by the time September rolls around, you have some options. You could pick a sunny day and sit outside for a couple hours in the afternoon, you could get one of those fancy tanning lotions that promises it won’t turn you orange, or you can try your luck at a tanning salon.
Obviously that last option is a little risky, but beggars can’t be choosers.
2. Whiten your teeth
A dazzling smile is such a small detail, but it can really make a difference.
The next time you’re at the drug store, either pick up a pack of whitening strips or swap out your regular toothpaste for one that promises to whiten your teeth if you use it on the daily.
Or, if you have dental insurance, just go to the dentist and make them do all the work for you.
3. Take a shower the night before
It’ll leave you feeling so fresh and so clean and may even help you lose some weight before morning.
Plus, it’s really good for the skin, but more on that in a second.
4. Exfoliate
While over-exfoliation can lead to extra dry skin, irritation, redness and even broken blood vessels, a little scrub a dub dub never hurt anybody.
Kim Kardashian’s dermatologist recommends that if you’re not already in the habit of exfoliating, you need to be careful. He recommends exfoliating right after you get out of the shower, while your pores are still nice and open from all the steam.
After one or two weeks of exfoliating once a week, he suggests you bump it up to two nights a week, then three nights a week, and before you know it you’ll be exfoliating every night like Kimmy.
5. Moisturize
Besides drinking water and getting a lot of sleep, almost every celebrity says that their biggest beauty secret is finding the right moisturizer.
No matter what type of skin you have, moisturizing daily helps keep your face from flaking, getting red, and it’ll even help you protect your skin from prematurely looking like an old leather handbag.
Obviously, not all moisturizes are made for all people, so if you don’t have one that works for you yet, just go for an aloe-based creme and you’ll probably be fine.
Or you could go to Sephora, Macy’s, or one of those places where people walk around just waiting for you to ask them for help. When it comes to your face, it’s always advisable not to play the guinea pig.
6. Lip mask
Lip masks are a fun way to make your lips look like Kylie Jenner’s without having to go to the plastic surgeon and get them done. Plus, they’re super hip.
We recommend KNC Beauty’s Lip Mask, which is free from any artificial ingredients and smells like roses and cherries.
Cute.
7. Get your nail situation taken care of
Getting mani pedis all the time can get expensive, but admit it, your nails never look better than when you give them the TLC they need.
Even if getting your nails did isn’t your thing, this is the time to teach yourself the tools of the trade.
Learn how to trim your cuticles, try a new nail shape, master a DIY tutorial, or just get yourself an on-trend nail polish and impress all your friends about how in the know you are.
8. Put castor oil on your eyelashes while you sleep
Did you know castor oil can actually help make your lashes longer in as little as THREE DAYS?
And that a standard tub costs almost exactly what a lengthening mascara will run you only you’ll get way more bang for your buck?
All you have to do is grab a fresh spoolie, put a lil castor oil on it, cover both sides of your eyelashes in it, and go to sleep.
Then, as soon as you wake it up, just wash it off.
FYI, you may need to use some cleanser to get it all out of your lashes, but come on, it doesn’t get much easier than that.
And while you’re at it – you can give your brows the same treatment.
Seriously, who would have ever thought castor oil would ever be relevant to your life, right?
9. Change your pillowcases
Here’s something horrible for you to think about.
Every night when you go to sleep, the oil from your face builds up on your pillows. The less frequently you change them, the more at risk your face is for developing pimples overnight.
Since you’ve already spent so much time on making sure your skin looks flawless, you might as well make sure you don’t fuck it up in your sleep.
10. First thing in the morning, give yourself an ice water facial
Okay, this sounds intense, but if it’s good enough for Kate Moss then you owe it to yourself to take it seriously.
Kate swears that her ice water facial “instantly tightens everything making you feel and look awake,” and who are we to disagree?
Plus, it’ll probably help you save some money on coffee.
It’s a win-win!!!!
11. Reward yourself with a cup of hot water and lemon
This seems like it’s almost too good to be true, but starting off your day with a hot cup of lemon water can help suppress your appetite, boost your metabolism, and aid digestion so you don’t look as bloated.
Besides the fact that this sounds boring AF, why would you not try it out?
12. Tame your brows
For better or for worse, brows are really in right now and even though people probably won’t hold it against you if they don’t look flawless, think about how much shit you give celebs when their eyebrows look like shit.
Or even worse, think about what you say about all those bitches you know that you hate.
While going to a brow bar is always an option, you can totally tame your brows at home naturally, with products that won’t cost you a dime.
Seriously, there’s zero excuse to look sloppy, guys.
13. Take care of all your flyaway hairs
Flyway hairs may seem like a necessary evil, but they’re actually really easy to get rid of.
All you need is a little hairspray and a toothbrush.
Simply spray some hairspray on the toothbrush, and let those tiny bristles smooth away all your pesky problems.
Easy, right?
Now go take what you’ve learned here and use it as a way to rule your school this year.
Trust us, you deserve it.
