Quarantine changed a lot of things, everything from where I work to how I workout, I owe to social distancing for months on end. While some changes were unwelcome (I’m looking at you, grocery store runs), others were a pleasant change that I’m happy to have welcomed. When I first realized nail salons, hair salons, and waxing studios would be closed, I sort of panicked. I thought how could I possibly live without my beauty treatments? What will I look like? Dramatic, I know. Ever since I was in middle school I’ve been super into beauty treatments. I love the feeling of a fresh blowout and the sent of wax about to be ripped from my eyebrow, leaving me with a perfectly snatched arch. As much as I love these treatments, they’re expensive and pretty time consuming. I would often find myself worrying about how I’ll fit it all into my schedule (lol at first world problems).

Since I was forced to stay home, I had to make peace with the fact that I would miss out on beauty treatments and get creative with my own beauty routine. After I accepted that things were changing, I decided it was time to adjust to this new normal.

Hair

I did the impossible. I quit heat styling for 2 whole months. I can’t tell you the last time I did this, but man did it feel good. Sure, I had moments when I really wanted to straighten my curls and feel a little more glam and smooth, but I loved how quick and easy it was to wash my hair and throw some oil in it and call it a day. I used a deep conditioning hair treatment once a week and oiled up with various hair oils, my favorite being coconut. This made my hair so healthy and strong. It grew a significant amount and looked way less frizzy. Before quarantine, I never would have thought I’d be happy with styling my natural hair for such an extended period of time. This time gave me the opportunity to focus on my hair health and find styles and products that make my hair look good without applying heat.

Skincare/Makeup

Before quarantine I was wearing makeup on a daily basis and my skin was suffering. I’ve gone through phases where I’ve loved makeup and been excited to do my everyday routine, however, around the beginning of this year trying new looks felt more like a task than a fun activity and I didn’t like how makeup was looking on my skin. I had dryness, texture, and breakouts that I couldn’t properly fix and conceal, and they were driving me crazy. Because I was home, I fell into relax mode which looked a lot like pajamas all day and makeup-free skin. I ordered a facial steamer and started steaming my face at night. This helped my skin so much and within the week my skin started to thrive, it looked so much smoother and clearer. Because I wasn’t so rushed from daily life, I took time with my skincare routine, using serums, oils, and massaging my skin. Now that I’ve been going makeup-free for so long I’ve gotten accustomed to my face like this to the point that I’m starting to like my no-makeup face more than my usual makeup look. It’s still fun to play around with new makeup, but I’m really into seeing my actual skin shine without having powders and products stealing the show.

Nails

I used to be the girl with long, acrylic nails that I got done religiously every two weeks. After my acrylic stage (R.I.P. my strong nails) I started getting gel manicures. I always looked forward to picking out a new shade and looking down at a perfectly manicured hand. I felt so messy and unorganized when my nails started chipping during quarantine, and the feeling of dishevelment continued once my polish was off and my weak nails continued to break. Finally I decided to head to Target and pick up nail strengthener and a couple shades of Essie nail polish. Although I still prefer the look of professionally painted nails, it’s no secret that it was weakening my nails. Now that I’ve let my nails breathe and strengthen, I’ve decided that I’m going to limit the amount of times I get gel manicures so that I can continue to promote nail health. I’ve gotten back into painting them myself at home and they look almost as good as a professional manicure (if I do say so myself) so I figured I’ll continue.

Although I love a good beauty treatment as much as the next girl, this time without it has definitely showed me that when I resist partaking in professional beauty treatments, it’s a good opportunity to give my body the chance to thrive naturally. I love seeing how healthy my skin, hair, and nails have gotten during the past few months and I’m looking forward to learning more tips and tricks to keep them that way.

How did you adjust your beauty routine during quarantine? Are you going to make any changes in your post-COVID life?

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@vitamincgreentea

@gabbywalters13