Hey everyone,
I don’t know about you, but one of the most stressful times of my year is the back to school season. There is so much to be done, so much to be bought, and you can’t forget about digging those school books out from wherever you hid them all summer, just to put them back into a locker for another few terms. For most teenagers still in school, there are another few precious days before the early mornings come back to slap you in the face. I’m so thankful that I have another few weeks before that happens to me, but I’m almost certain that university will be as stressful to prepare for as school. With that in mind, I have come up with a sort of checklist-come-guide to the back to school “frenzy” so you can feel at least a bit more organised in this crazy few weeks.
Clothes:
If you’re as unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on how you look at it) as I was in Secondary school and you have to wear a uniform, then you already know what you’re going to be wearing every day. If you don’t wear a uniform or you’re going to uni, then my biggest piece of advice is to dress for comfort. Comfort doesn’t mean pyjamas and dressing gown, but it does mean keeping warm or cool depending on the temperatures, and not making things difficult for yourself by wearing uncomfortable or awkward shoes or something along those lines. A great outfit for classes would be loose jeans or cotton pants with maybe a t-shirt, a plaid shirt, a woollen jumper and flat shoes that are easy to walk in.
Hair:
Hair during the school year can be the easiest thing or the hardest thing in the world. If you have longer hair, I recommend ponytails, braids and half up- half down styles as much as possible, since it’s so much better to have your hair away from your face in a school environment. During the school year I always keep a can of dry shampoo at hand to keep my hair fresh, as I don’t wash it every day. This is actually a lot better for your hair and it saves time in the mornings or at night when you can be getting other things done. Don’t worry about straightening your hair for school, chances are you’ll be walking around, going out for your lunch or walking home after school and your hair will get abused by the wind so there’s not much point in styling it to perfection in the first place. Save the fancy hairstyles for a special occasion.
Skincare:
I know that for me, keeping a decent skincare routine during the school year can be difficult. Which is why I’ve done my best to keep it as simple as possible. To prevent breakouts I use a very basic cleanser - Aqueous cream - which helps to balance the pH of your skin. You should try to use a cleanser, toner and moisturiser morning and night, and if you can afford a good serum then I’d recommend using it at night just before moisturiser. If you have oily/combination skin then during the day you should wipe excess oil off your face with some tissue, because the oil build up on your face can also cause spots. Keeping your hands off your face is also extremely important for preventing breakouts, whether it’s picking at spots because you’re bored in class or holding your head in your hand while studying.
Makeup:
Now, I don’t encourage breaking rules, so if your school has a strict no makeup policy you should try as much as possible to stick to that, but if you do want to wear makeup in school I would stick to a simple “natural” look. The best products I have used in school have been BB creams and tinted moisturisers or powder makeup. They give the best finish and are also way lighter than liquid foundation and concealer. Another trick I learned a few years ago was to apply mascara by brushing the mascara wand on a lash comb and then applying the comb to my lashes. This gives the appearance of fuller lashes without the risk of clumps or very obvious layers of product. Paired with eyeliner on your upper waterline, this is the perfect eye makeup look that you can wear in school without looking like you’ve put a lot on.
Organisation:
Being organised is something that is so important for school. Lack of organisation can lead to feeling stressed, which doesn’t help when you have lots of homework and exams to prepare for, so this year, try to organise yourself even a small bit more than usual. To-do lists are a great way to stay organised, and they will help you to get things done on time as well. When you get a piece of homework that may not be due for a week, try to get it done as soon as possible so you don’t have to worry about it for the remaining time. If you have a school diary or homework diary, colour coding it is such a great way of keeping organised. Choose certain colours for written work, learning work, projects and so on. This definitely saved me a lot of stress during my last year of secondary school.
That’s all the advice I have for this back to school season, but if you have any other questions you can comment on this post, tweet me, or ask me on tumblr or facebook.
Much love,
JMG, stylenua.
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