Bad Day or Feeling Not So Pretty?

This is my favorite calming and comforting routine to feel better quickly.

It’s easy enough to feel pretty when everything is going well.  But what about the days where life feels like thick sludge that you are having to wade your way through?  It’s not nearly as easy to feel good yet alone pretty on these days. Even more troubling is that these days come at us no matter where we are in life.  We could be really bogged down in a difficult time or stage of life and you will still have days where you feel good and days where you feel not so good, days where you feel beautiful and days where you feel the opposite. This also holds true for the periods of time where you’re living your best life, where all you had hoped for has come to pass has.  I promise you there are still days when you feel down and not pretty even in the best of times, even after you’ve lost that 15 pounds and gotten the dream guy.  

_{This post is not sponsored. I only share what I love and find really useful in my life. Some of the links I share are affiliate, meaning I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks in advance if you decide to purchase something!}

So what’s there to be done about this?  I’ve found that beauty routines are one of the best ways to make yourself feel better, whether you’re feeling bad because because you’re down in the dumps or just feeling gross because of being sick, having your period, going through perimenopause or any number of other reasons!  My go to for a little pick me up is doing a beauty routine.

Here’s the thing, it’s the simple act of slowing down and taking a little bit of time to love yourself or love a part of your body.  Maybe you’re choosing to do a face mask as a way to feel better, this is showing love to your body (particularly your face).  Or maybe you are taking an epsom salt and castor oil bath to relax and draw out toxins from your lymphatic system.  This is showing love to your body and internal systems, to the flow and healing within yourself.  Beauty routines are a great thing to turn to for comfort and they have the added bonus of leading you further down the path toward your most beautiful self.  

The next time you are feeling bad, instead of having a glass of wine, binging some chips or buying something you shouldn’t be spending money on, try doing a beauty ritual.  I promise it will make you feel better and shift the energy in your body.  And if you still feel terrible after the beauty routine, then you can have the glass of wine (but hopefully a smaller one) or a measured serving of some not so terrible snack.  Even these small changes really make a huge difference. 

You can literally substitute the below routine for any number of other beauty routines (and I promise to write more out at a later date) but here is my go to for bad days.  

Start by finding 30 minutes of uninterrupted time for yourself.  

I know for so many of you this can be a challenge but you can do it.  Forget about the long list of things you have to do, put on a video for little kids or add some screen time for older ones and just get to it. 

Add water and a lemon to your favorite water bottle and start drinking it.

Then head to the kitchen and fill up your favorite water bottle with some warm water and squeeze a lemon into it.  You can use another citrus fruit or a little juice for flavor if you don’t have any lemons or you can just do the water, but the lemon feels more luxurious.  

Put on some whitening strips.

My favorites are the Crest 3D Whitestrips but you can use whichever ones you like.  I like to cut mine in half lengthwise because I feel like its the back of my teeth that get sensitive to the white strips and no one sees that part of my teeth anyway except the dental hygienist, plus you get twice as much for your money, which helps because they’re expensive!

Put on a clay facial mask and let it sit for 10-15 minutes (make your bed or do something else productive while it’s on your face).

My all time favorite and literally the first beauty routine product I started using for this purpose is the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask.  I like to whip mine up with Apple Cider Vinegar which seems to give it a little extra something when its on my skin and since ACV has lots of healing properties to it, I feel like I’m getting more out of the mask than just water, but you can definitely make it with water.  Do your best to get the correct consistency of the mask, not too thick but also not too much of a liquid consistency.  It should sit on your face well, you should be able to easily smooth it out all over your skin (avoid your eyes and lips). Once the mask is fully applied you need to chill around the house for 10-15 minutes while it dries.  You can just relax and think your thoughts or sometimes Iike to do a small household chore that makes me feel like I accomplished something. Remember it’s all about changing how you’re feeling so anything you can do to tip the scales in a different direction is helpful.  Sometimes I’ll make my bed (if I didn’t get to it earlier) or fold some laundry.  

Exfoliate it off and then fully moisturize your skin, add something extra if you can (your favorite serum).

When it’s fully hard on your face and your face feels really tight it’s time to take it off.  I like to exfoliate mine off for a little extra bang for my buck out of the mask.  To do this, I get a washcloth damp with water and first just sit it on my face to remoisten the mask.  Then I gently scrub the mask off using the washcloth.  Be careful here not to be too rough with your skin.  As it is the mask will make your skin a little red for a few hours, the exfoliation scrub can increase this effect especially if you do it too hard.  I just super gently rub the mask off.  Once most of the green mask is gone, you can splash your face with water to remove any remaining spots.  Pat dry and apply your favorite Vitamin C Serum or moisturizer.  My all time favorite moisturizer is the French cult favorite Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré. It’s inexpensive and makes for an incredibly beautiful make-up base.

Remove white strips, put on something comfortable, some blush and a little lip balm.

Now is the time to really soak in the good feelings.  Take off those white strips and rinse your mouth. Then change your clothes and put on the most comfortable but cute thing you own. I personally love this matching two piece set from Amazon. It makes me feel beautiful and comfy at the same time and my love is always happy when I wear it because he says it shows off all my curves. Finally I like to apply just a little of my favorite non-toxic cream blush from Ilia Beaty and some lightly colored lip balm. For home time my favorite is the Burts Bees Lip Shimmers which are both moisturizing and gives a little color.  You’re going for a comfy at home look here so no need to apply a ton of makeup.  You just want to feel glowy, feminine and beautiful.

I promise after doing this routine you will at least feel a little calmer and like you’ve done something good for yourself.  Sometimes this is all we need to change or soften the uncomfortable feelings in our body and upon finishing your skin, teeth and body will be a little more loved.  I hope this helps!