There’s something about the change in seasons that makes us crave a dramatic change. However, you don’t have to max out your credit card on a new wardrobe or a drastic hair-color change to impress everyone when you return back to school! These effortless ideas will do the trick.
1. Part your hair differently
An easy yet noticeable change to revamp your look for back to school is to change your part. If you have a side part, shake things up by switching to a middle part. You’ll be surprised how much this change will highlight different facial features of yours and give you a fresh new ‘do without the cost of a professional styling job.
The next time you jump out of the shower, comb your hair into the new part, blow-dry to keep your hair from trying to go back to its original place and spray your hair with hair spray to keep it in place. We recommend TRESemmé Ultra Fine Mist Hair Spray ($3.29); it won’t harden or get sticky when it dries.
2. Give yourself an at-home blowout
We always love coming home from the beauty salon with our hair blown out and styled, but you don’t have to go to the salon every time you want to have this red-carpet-ready look. Try an at-home blowout for free! We spoke with celebrity hairstylist Angelo David Pisacreta of Angelo David Salon in New York City for some great tips.
- To achieve a full look, start by washing your hair with a volumizing shampoo, such as Angelo David VOL Shampoo ($24).
- Follow with a volumizing conditioner such as TRESemmé Naturals Radiant Volume Conditioner with Sweet Orange ($5.79). You’ll want to work it toward the ends of your strands and away from your scalp to prevent it from flattening your hair.
- Gently pat down your hair to dry.
- Next, spritz a volumizing hair spray, like Samy Salon Systems Skyscraper Volumizing Hairspray ($6.29), to the root of your hair.
- Apply a heat-protectant product such as Redken’s Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer ($10).
- Flip your hair upside down to dry only the roots.
- Start by sectioning your hair into sections with clips. You can create two sections on the sides, four in the back and three on top.
- Using a hair dryer with a diffuser attachment, start drying the lower sections. Use a large round brush to blow out the sections.
- Once finished, apply hair spray.
3. Commit to long-lasting manis
It can be hard to maintain your flawless mani at school when you have so much going on, but having your nails pretty and painted is a fun way to express your style. If you want to keep your nails unchipped and colorful, we suggest using no-chip topcoats and acrylic gel. This way, you can get a shellac manicure without the appointment (and without the expensive at-home shellac kits). Our favorite products are Sally Hansen’s Hard as Wraps Powerful Acrylic Gel ($5.99) and Sally Hansen’s No Chip Acrylic Topcoat ($4.99). All you need is your favorite nail color and these products to get a great at-home gel manicure!
4. Opt for bolder lip shades
With fall comes great, new fall lip colors! It’s a time to store away those bright pinks and experiment with bold, dark shades, even if you didn’t feel ready to rock them last autumn. Check out how to wear dark lipstick here!
5. Whiten your teeth
Try a whitening treatment to brighten your smile before you return to campus. There are several ways to do this, depending on your preference. Chicago-based dentist Richard Brenner says you can use a combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda (must be 50 percent diluted), but it should not be used daily. Brenner suggests you speak with your dentist about at-home whitening products that are dentist approved and right for you personally.
Just a couple of changes here and there will give you a new look that everyone at school is sure to notice. With fall semester fast approaching, it’s definitely time to start revamping your style!