How To Have Your DREAM Summer Glow-Up

★ Hello Fashionistas!  Today's blog post is one that I am very excited to introduce you to today! You see... Summer has now begun and that's great, right? But, if you're anything like me, I'm sure you've been feeling stagnant and a bit "bleh".  With school, work, and everyday life events, it is so easy to get caught up in it all and forget about taking care of what's most important... you and your physical and mental health!

So today, I am going to teach you how to have your DREAM Summer Glow-Up without spending a whole lot of money! Although social media likes to introduce us to "Maintenance-Day Vlogs" and "GRWM For A Trip" videos, let's be realistic, not all of us have $300 to spend at the drop of a hat just to make us look more presentable. 

But, no worries - I've got you covered! If you follow all of the steps in this simple how-to guide, you're sure to become an even better version of yourself physically and mentally this Summer!

With that, let's get into today's blog post!

Disclaimer: All pictures used are not my own and I hold no rights to them whatsoever.

MENTAL:

This aspect of the glow-up is for your mental well-being. Although we usually go by "if you look good, you feel good", sometimes our mental health can be much deeper than that. Therefore, in this section of the post, included are some simple ways that you can get in tune with yourself, your thoughts, and your emotions.

1. Journal Your Thoughts

Although journaling isn't for everyone, it is an amazing way to declutter your thoughts and put them onto paper. According to Intermountain Healthcare, journaling is proven to reduce stress and boost your mood! I have also personally found journaling to be really helpful if you are angry about something! Instead of saying your thoughts out loud, you are able to get your anger onto paper, crumple it up later and feel a sense of satisfaction being able to get all of it out, without any repercussions! 

And, if you are someone who is a believer or daughter of God, you can also partake in biblical journaling, which is another way to honor our Father above, and I highly suggest looking up some inspiration on Pinterest!

2. Speak To Yourself Positively

What you feed your mind MATTERS! Girl, let me be real with you - spending your energy telling yourself "I'm so ugly", "I hate my face, I wish it was clear", "I wish my waist was smaller", "I'm so stupid, I don't know why I couldn't have aced that test" ... are not good ways to think! We all deserve some grace, and we all deserve to only treat ourselves with the utmost respect!

Think about it, when you think of your dream partner, do you think of someone who is belittling? Someone who is toxic? Someone who pushes you down? NO! You think of someone who has the ability to treat you like the queen that you are, therefore I challenge you to become your dream partner (even if you have one), and ladies, your dream partner treats you with patience, kindness, and respect! 

A simple way to treat yourself positively is through affirmations. Affirmations are things that you repeat to yourself such as "I am pretty" for example. Buttt, as a girl who strives to bring God into every aspect of my life, I like to recite biblical affirmations. Not only do these help my mental well-being, they also help me to memorize scripture because I am repeating them!

Here is a link to a site that has 100 biblical affirmations that you can use and come back to!

3. Appreciate The Little Things

Believe it or not, life is pretty cool! There are so many hidden blessings all around us that we can be grateful for! Count your blessings each day! Personally, I love to have a minute with God when I wake up and just say "thank you" and if I feel up to it, I recite a couple things that I'm grateful for. 

Not only can you count your blessings, you can also romanticize even the smallest pieces of your life! That can be the morning coffee that you look forward to making every morning, it can be the walks around the neighborhood you take with your dog, it can be laughing with your friends after having a great time, it can be listening to music in the car while it rains... it can be an endless amount of things.

4. Find New Hobbies

Your hobbies are something that are personal to you! Although you may not like painting, you could find comfort in singing, reading, playing the piano, cooking, gaming, etc! Participate in the hobbies that bring you joy, and don't be afraid to find new ones! Hobbies are great ways to de-stress and clear your boredom!

5. Cut Them Off

I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but as a part of internal growth, sometimes you need to let go of the old to bring in the new! If you feel as though you are surrounding yourself with people who constantly drain your energy (energy vampires), make you doubt your worth, or frankly are just treating you straight-up terribly, it's time to respectfully bow out. No, this does not mean having a full-on confrontation, but it does mean distancing yourself for your own well-being. 

Biblically speaking, of course, you must love one another (Luke 23:34) but that doesn't condone bad behavior. Make sure you are surrounding yourself with friends who only lift you up, keep it real with you, and make you feel like the best version of yourself!

Here's some scripture regarding this topic: 

• 1 Corinthians 15:33 - Do not be misled, "Bad company corrupts good character." 
• Proverbs 18:24 - "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
• Proverbs 17:17 - "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity."

Not only does "cut them off" refer to your relationships, it also refers to your habits. Is there anything that you are holding onto that you need to let go of? Something that instead of pushing you to be a better person is leading you far from that? This could be something as simple as phone addiction, to something as hazardous as drug addiction. Pray to God to enable you to have the ability to be relieved of these things so that you can get onto the path of internal healing!

PHYSICAL

This aspect of the glow-up is all about your physical, outward appearance. These are all just suggestions. You are beautiful inside and out as is, and don't feel the need to apply any of these steps unless you want to! These are just for a confidence boost and a bit of fun :) 

6. Skincare 

The most generic advice I can give you is to take care of your skin! This is one of the best ways to give yourself a confidence boost! This can be easier said than done, especially when you're doing skincare and well...your skin doesn't care! But, consistency unveils success, so keep up with a routine that works for you and try not to overdo it with makeup if you are experiencing ongoing skin issues! In an older post of mine, I showcased a couple of my fairly cheap and simple skincare products I like to use, so if you're interested, make sure to check it out!

7. Haircare

 

Hair of ALL types is so beautiful! There are so many different hair textures and lengths, and if someone hasn't already told you already, yours is beautiful! But... your hair can't just look good, you have to make sure it is properly taken care of to maintain a clean look! 

Make sure you are washing it regularly according to your hair type and please (I cannot stress this enough) use heat protectant when using items like straighteners and curlers. Additionally, don't use items such as straighteners on your hair as often as every single day (you'd be surprised how many people I see do this). There is such a thing called heat damage! 

Also, try to be gentle when styling your hair, being too rough with it can cause damage as well. Gently detangle your hair when brushing it and start from the ends. If you want your hair to have a smoother look there are certain oils and natural hair masks that you can use to achieve this! Personally, when I want my hair to look and feel really moisturized after a nice wash, I love to use Murray's Beeswax Honey Whip Curl Enhancer. Let me tell you, it smells and feels SO good and it leaves my hair feeling smooth for days in protective styles! 

8. Nails

Keeping well-groomed and well-trimmed nails is a great element in a glow-up and is also a great step towards good personal hygiene. If you want to go the extra route, you can paint your nails or get them done at the nail shop! A really lazy way to achieve a sophisticated nail look is to go over them with clear polish (top or base coat) and do a makeshift french tip with white polish!

9. Exercising

Maintaining a healthy exercise routine is a great start on getting on the path to a healthier you! Even without the goal of losing weight, exercise is something that we should all be doing! Dedicating at least 5 minutes a day to exercising in any form is good for both your physical and mental health. My favorite form of exercise is walking/jogging. I love walking on nature paths or even on a treadmill at the gym blasting tunes. It not only helps me clear my head, but I tend to even just forget that I'm exercising because I'm so busy listening to music, so win-win!

 10. Makeup 

Makeup is not a requirement, but definitely is a fun hobby and a great way to elevate a look! You can go all-natural or all out depending on the occasion and how you feel!

For day-to-day casual looks most teen girls go for highlight, lip-gloss, brow gel, blush...and that's really it! If you have any of your own makeup favorites, make sure to comment and tell us all about it!

11. BONUS - STYLE

Since this is a fashion blog, I of course felt the need to add some element of style in this glow-up guide! If you are feeling stagnant, you may want to spice up your wardrobe. Go shopping! And if you're on a budget, you can always thrift! 

Shopping has personally been very therapeutic for me in a way. I've always been very heavy on the streetwear and although that style is very much me, lately I have been getting into accessorizing it in an even more girly way and occasionally splurging on a dress every now and again. Something about buying a piece on the more feminine side (while still having street flair) has been really nice! So.... perhaps try a new aesthetic and see if it is one you enjoy! To be quite honest with you, I'm not going to go too far into style in this post because literally every and any post on my blog will help with glowing up externally via your style, so if you're in need of some style tips, just scroll through the rest of my blog 😉

That is all for my "Dream Summer Glow-Up Guide"! I thoroughly hope you guys enjoyed today's post and got something from it! 

Let's get into our weekly bible verse! This verse goes perfectly with today's post, so I'm excited to share it with you!

1 Peter 3:4 (NIV): " Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."

Here's how I interpret this verse: We shouldn't idolize our outward appearance, but instead, we should portray good character according to what God wants to see in us! No, this doesn't mean it is a sin to look good, but it does mean that we should put God over all of our material wants! 

This is great food for thought because in a world of social media, it is easy to get caught up in an imaginary "race" thinking we need to get prettier, slimmer, thicker, cooler, hotter... and we end up losing sight of what's most important, GOD! Make sure you are prioritizing our Father over anything else! 💜

Also, keep up with me on Pinterest for added style inspo!