#Skin health maintenance

[billa-billa007]

Truffoire and Healthy Food Equals Perfect Skin

Healthy foods nourish skin from the inside, making it better apt at fighting environmental damage, stress and premature aging. On top of applying Truffoire skincare like White Truffle Day Cream and Black Truffle Instant Repair Syringe, that nourish your skin on the outside with beneficial blueberries, green tea, avocado oil and truffles, add these ingredients to your diet as well, to maximize the benefits. Invincibly healthy, radiant skin is the results of Truffoire skincare and healthy foods!

[monicascot]

Truffoire combines the power of healthy food with their proven quality skincare products to achieve perfect skin. By incorporating rare and effective ingredients into their formulations, Truffoire offers a unique blend of luxury and nourishment for the skin. With a focus on providing the highest quality products, their skincare range ensures optimal results, making it a go-to choice for beauty connoisseurs and those seeking a holistic approach to skincare. Experience the transformative benefits of Truffoire’s innovative solutions, where the fusion of healthy food and premium skincare creates a radiant and rejuvenated complexion.

[thingsinlife990]

Days at home where you dissociate from the world 🧘🏽‍♀️💤

[heirloommtomatoes]

being back on birth control has made it really hard to be as present…slowly relearning and relearning and relearning. trying 2 b gentle ……..

[alliedhomehealth]

Maintaining personal hygiene isn’t just about looking and smelling good; it’s about feeling good too. In the context of home health in Texas, a consistent hygiene routine plays a pivotal role in overall health, not only preventing potential infections but also promoting mental well-being. After all, when you feel clean, you also feel refreshed and invigorated.

[gaythreadrunner]

so you're taking care of your computer's software health. NICE! but what about its physical health?

because yes, computers do need the occasional real-world checkup to make sure that they're running well. but what exactly does that entail? i see many posts about maintaining software health: limit your browser tabs, ensure your antiviruses are working properly, so on and so forth, but checking the physical components is something i sparsely see discussed here.

so what's the deal with physical maintenance? well, have you ever had your computer hack and wheeze trying to keep up even if your OS and all your drivers are up to date and functioning? if you've never opened up your computer before, you may be shocked to find just how FILTHY it can get in there:

take a closer look at that snout dust! PTOOEY .. BLECKH

computers are much more likely to accumulate internal dust if they're sitting on the floor, and especially if they're near any vents and/or if you have pets.

ok, you've figured out how to open your device and now you're staring at the second coming of the dust bowl in your gaming rig. what now? let's explore some basic cleaning tips, deep cleaning pointers for your CPU/GPU, and tips to help keep maintain your computer's physical health in the future.

first of all, turn off your computer and unplug it (for my computer, i turn it off, turn off the PSU switch, unplug it, and then press the power button for about 30 seconds to drain the capacitors and minimize static risk)

generally, you're gonna want to have THESE items:

some sort of face mask (dust masks are best, but anything that'll help keep the harmful dust out of your lungs will generally work)

a can of compressed air (or an electric duster if you're ~fancy~. they look and function like turbo blowdryers)

a vacuum will be useful if there's a LOT of dust, best to use in combination with an anti-static cleaning kit

if you ARE gonna use a vacuum, spray every attachment you use with an anti-static spray. disturbing large amounts of dust creates a lot of static, and electronics are very sensitive to that.

it's never a bad idea to grab an grounding wristband as well, but as long as you wear loose clothes and always keep some part of your skin in contact with the case, you should be ok. (i don't know how much this applies to laptops and smaller devices, since the cases for those are typically plastic)

if there's staining (like from smoke) or there's more gunk caked on than you thought, you can gently clean electronic components with a brush/paper towel/microfiber and medical-grade isopropyl alcohol ONLY. do not use any other cleaning alcohols for this task.

before you do anything, TAKE THAT FUCKER OUTSIDE! always clean a dusty device where the wind can carry that shit away, because oh my GOD will it fuck up your lungs like crazy. (that, and compressed air cans have fluorocarbons in them, which isn't great to breathe in either)

most of the time, you'll probably be fine just using an air duster. for compressed air cans, spray the dirty surfaces in short bursts. an electric duster can be constantly blown. when dusting fans, make sure that you're holding the blades still as to not accidentally make them spin too fast (ESPECIALLY with an electric duster!), since that can damage the mechanism that makes them spin.

however, if there's a lot of dust, it may be better to give it a vacuuming first. anything from a handheld to a shop vac will work, and attachments with brushes on the end will help tons with loosening up even more dust. and of course ALWAYS make sure that you're spraying any attachments with anti-static spray, and keep a hand on the case of the computer to electrically ground yourself since the hose will be in contact with the internals.

if there's any left over, give it a blast with the duster.

in some rare cases, there may be some extra gunk caked onto the internals, and you may have to really get your hands in there or take components out individually. if you don't have an anti static wristband (the ones with an alligator clip) do your best to ALWAYS keep your skin in contact with the case as you're finagling around in there.

it's probably a good idea to have disposable gloves on for this. grab your isopropyl and towel of choice (microfiber is ideal, but dirtier PCs may need disposable paper/shop towels), soak it a little bit, and gently scrub off the gunk n' grime as needed.

with heat sinks specifically, since they're just big blocks of metal, they're the one part of a component that can be cleaned under water. if a dusting doesn't suffice, gently scrub it with a brush under warm, soapy water, rinse thoroughly, and let it dry on a towel for a few hours before reassembling it into the electronic components.

if there's still little bits stuck in the radiator fins, stick an isopropyl-soaked q-tip in there to push it out.

the dust settles, everything's put back together, and it's all clean in there again. YAY!!!!! but what if you're still experiencing temperature problems? well, it typically comes down to either the CPU or GPU:

IF ITS THE CPU: if you took off the cooler to clean it, then i hope you remembered to dab some fresh thermal paste on there. you should be replacing thermal paste few years, otherwise it dries out and loses its effectiveness.

the type you use makes a huge difference too; i like to use arctic's mx-4, it has excellent thermal conductivity while still being an electrical insulator, so spillover isn't a problem. if you go for a liquid metal compound, please do your research first, since some of them can run the risk of corroding the cooler pipes and/or the CPU's outer casing.

to replace thermal paste, make sure that the crusty old paste is sufficiently scrubbed off the contact points of both the CPU and cooler. again, use isopropyl for this. once it's all cleaned off, put about a pea-sized amount of paste on the CPU and carefully lower the cooler onto the mounting bracket before fastening it in place. (also it really doesn't matter how you put the paste on, as long as it ends up covering most of the contact area)

also if you're still using the cooler your CPU came with, you should probably get a better cooler. especially if you're doing gaming or using graphically/mathematically intensive software. sorry. the stock coolers that most CPUs come with are mid as hell. you can get a nice ARGB one for less than 20 USD i promise its worth it

IF ITS THE GPU: like CPUs, your graphics card also needs to have its thermal paste cleaned out and replaced every so often. but they also utilize a second thermal material called thermal pads. these are usually made of either silica gel or a very thick clay-like grease, and come in different thicknesses. my favoured pads are owltree's 12.8w grease pads, the assorted pack comes with enough for about 4-5 GPUs.

taking apart a GPU seems scary, and understandably so; they're incredibly expensive and hard-working pieces of technology! but i've done it twice now, and it's actually surprisingly simple (as long as you keep track of all the damn screws... im lucky there's a magnetized screw mat in the house i can use)

i recommend watching a deep clean/teardown video of the GPU model you have before digging into it yourself. generally, they separate into 4 distinct portions: the outer shell, the heatsink, the board, and the backplate.

the shell contains the fans and any possible RGB elements. it'll have 1-2 controllers plugged into the board, one for the fans and one for the lighting elements if there are any. once the case is unscrewed, unplug these connectors with a firm squeeze and tug.

these tend to be surprisingly dusty on the inside, so it's probably a good idea to blast it with a duster. again, make sure to hold the fans so they don't overspin. you can also remove the fans from the shell and clean them individually if you'd like.

the heatsink is BIG and heavy, and you can do all the same stuff here that you would with a CPU cooler heatsink. it may take a bit of effort to tug off if the thermal materials are really making it stick to the board. once it's off, scrub the old thermal paste, blast it with a duster, and wash under soapy water if needed before rinsing thoroughly and leaving it to dry for a while.

the backplate is just a flat piece of metal that protects the back side of the board. usually all this will need is a simple wipedown.

the board is where all the magic happens, and will usually have a layout that's something like this:

clean up as needed; gently scrub off old thermal paste, scrape off the old thermal pads (but take close note of how thick they are so you can replace them with the correct pads), and brush/wipe down the dust and grease on each side as needed. take care to avoid touching the PCIe connector too much (the bar of golden pins that juts out from the bottom)

thermal padding varies from card to card (i recommend checking thermal pad placements for your gpu in water cooling guides, even if you're not doing water cooling) but it's typically gonna be on THESE spots:

the VRAM chips surrounding the die (main chip) along with the small black chips next to the capacitors will require thermal pads the most. cut each one to size, carefully peel off the plastic films, and press each piece onto the chips.

now you can grab your thermal paste and put some on that big shiny die. now take your freshly pasted/padded board and CAREFULLY lower it back onto the heatsink. i highly suggest having a good source of lightning for this, since shifting around the pieces too much trying to get them to align properly can displace the thermal pads and mess with how the paste spreads.

screw the heatsink tight to the board, and double check to make sure that the pads and paste are snug against the heat sink. now put the backplate and shell back on and BAM YOU'RE DONE! with the paste and pads i used, i was able to bring down the temperature of my cards by a good 10-15 °C.

ok you've done all this deep cleaning shit and your computer is happy and healthy. what can you do for your computer's health in the future?

DUST AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. haul that thang outside and spray that shit out to stop it from building up for too long.

KEEP IT OFF THE FLOOR. if you can, of course, not everyone has the desk room for it. computers accumulate dust easier when they're close to the floor. if you do need to keep it on the floor, you might have to dust it every 6-8 months rather than once a year.

AND STOP PUTTING YOUR LAPTOPS ON SOFT SURFACES I SWEAR TO GOD

GET A FAN CONTROLLER. motherboards are DOGSHIT at maintaining fan speeds!!!! there are physical fan hubs that use controller software, but if you can't afford that, fancontrol by rem0o is a stellar software-only option.

IF YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE CASE FANS, GET THEM. the number of fans depends on the motherboard form factor your case can accommodate (ATX cases typically have 6-8), but having that air circulation is very important to maintaining ideal temperatures. arctic makes fantastic budget-friendly fans.

IF YOU HAVE AN NVMe HARD DRIVE: please put an aluminum heat sink on that thang. they get toasty :(

OK THATS IT I THINK. if anyone else has tips they wanna add, go right on ahead. ok thank you bye your computer will love you

[gettingadooog]

Omega Fatty Acids: Dog's Seasonal Skin Aid

Explore the power of Omega fatty acids for your dog's skin this autumn 🍂. Discover how these essential nutrients combat dryness and keep your furry friend looking and feeling their best. Dive in now! 🐶 #DogSkinCare #FattyAcidsForDogs #OmegaForCanines

As the leaves change colours and the air becomes crisp and dry, our canine companions face skin challenges, just as we do. One essential solution? Omega fatty acids. These critical nutrients can transform a dog’s autumn experience, ensuring their skin remains moisturised and vibrant despite the season’s demands. Understanding Omega Fatty Acids Before delving deep into the benefits, let’s…

[herespaaa]

The Art of Dog Grooming: A Guide to Keeping Your Pup Fresh and Healthy | HereSpa

Grooming your dog is not just about keeping them looking fabulous; it's a crucial aspect of their overall health and well-being. While there's no one-size-fits-all answer to how often your furry friend needs grooming, understanding the factors that influence pet grooming frequency can help you provide the best care for your beloved canine companion.

[thedisablednaturalist]

Literally all the shit rich people have turned into luxuries are stuff many disabled people need (or would need to manage their pain but can't afford it)

Comfy ergonomic chairs

Indoor pool/hot tub (therapy bath)

Massages on the regular

Aides (rich people call them servants)

Yea even a cook who makes you special meals (perfect for people with special dietary needs and for those with severe allergies, as well as people who are in too much pain or are otherwise unable to cook)

Elevators in your house (even small ones just for groceries, my rich aunt has one in her beach house!)

Rich people don't buy these for fun I hope but custom powerchairs are obscenely expensive. It pisses me off when I see another person invent "the wheelchair of the future!" Which then is literally never fucking used because none of us can afford it (and insurance definitely won't pay)

Indoor gyms or even personal exercise equipment. Hard to go out to a gym somewhere else when you're disabled, especially if you are immunocompromised

Outdoor spaces to relax in. It's literally vital for your mental health to at least see the outdoors. I'd rather be bedridden in a sunroom (with retractable blinds) than a shitty apartment with one tiny window.

There's even freaking health retreats these people go to regularly. There's a fibromyalgia retreat in new york where they basically take care of all your needs while trying different treatments and seeing which ones help. Either it's heaven or making money off of scamming desperate people who are able to scrape the money together to go.

Private planes, which I honestly think shouldn't exist, but one that specifically catered to people with disabilities (spaces for wheelchairs/other mobility devices, accessible handicapped airplane bathroom, anxiety reducing tools, trained medical personnel and care team)

Also customized cars, except instead of making gas guzzling racecars to joyride in while everyone else is trying to get to work, cars with electric ramps, lifts, doors, cars customized for someone with limb differences. Those cars where you can roll your wheelchair right up to the wheel. Fuck even self driving cars once they are no longer deathtraps.

Skincare products that are safe for sensitive skin like eczema but also actually work

Nice-looking clothes customized to fit limb differences, access points, look good in wheelchairs, colostomy bags, etc. while also being comfortable and not fast fashion.

Dental care!!! What the fuck why is this shit so expensive!! I don't want my teeth to fall out!! (Disabled people usually need more dental care bc we have a harder time keeping up maintenance)

Rich people go and splurge on all of these even though they don't need them while calling disabled people selfish for begging their insurance for even one of these.

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Guide: Products & Services Worth The Splurge

Fashion:

A great couple of bras in black/nude (your best skin-toned shade)

Comfortable, breathable, and seamless underwear

Outerwear (Coats, jackets, blazers)

The perfect pair of jeans

An LBD that works from day to night

Comfortable, sturdy, sleek, and timeless footwear (a versatile black boot, a black heel, white sneaker, and a black flat/loafer/sandal)

A timeless and versatile crossbody or shoulder bag (a larger one for the daytime/work or school and a smaller one for nighttime/events)

One or two well-made classic jewelry item(s)

A conversation-starting item or accessory

Beauty:

Sunscreen

Any skincare/skin cosmetic products that are game-changers for you

A quality hair brush, comb, and hair towel

Your signature scent

A quality razor/hair removal product

Vitamin C/Retinol serums

Reliable hair tools and sturdy nail tools

A quality hair heat protectant/scalp cleansing or conditioning spray

Makeup brushes and beauty tool cleaners

Home:

Lamps/lighting

Couch/desk chair

Everything for your bed: Bed frame, mattress/sheets/pillows, etc.

Knives

Dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe dishes & cups you love

A full-length mirror

Vacuum

Storage solutions/cedar blocks or moth balls

Quality holders for everything: Paper towels, shower storage, hooks, mailbox/key bowls

Name brand paper products/household cleaners

Electric toothbrush & Waterpik

Sound-proof headphones/Airpods

MacBook Air

Health & Wellness:

High-quality lettuce and/or sprouts

Organic frozen fruits and vegetables (if fresh is too pricey)

BPA-free canned goods

Potassium bromate & glyphosate-free grain products

Snacks free of artificial colors

Quality coffee

An at-home massage tool/heating pad

Fur products for skin/hair removal

Vitamin C/Retinol serums

Quality running shoes

Anything that goes near your vulva or into the vagina: Sex toys, lube, condoms, toy cleaners, pads/tampons/menstrual cups, cleansing wipes, etc.

A yoga mat, resistance band, and a pair of small ankle weights

Spotify subscription

Books and audiobooks

Services:

Therapy

A top-tier haircut

House cleaning (even if it's only once every couple of months)

Top-tier hair removal/brow maintenance services of your choice

Best doctors, dentists, OB/GYN, and dermatologists you can get

At least one personal training/styling session in your life

Professional/Social:

Ownership of the domain for your full legal/professional name and/or business name

A CPA/bookkeeper/fiduciary financial advisor

Automation workflow/content management system software

A lawyer for contract review/LLC services

Personalized stationery/"Thank You" cards

Memorable client gifting for the holidays/milestone successes

Niche skill-based certifications (Google, AWS, Hubspot, etc.) or courses made by trusted professionals in your field

Subscriptions in world-leading and industry-authority digital publications

[monicascot]

Truffoire and Healthy Food Equals Perfect Skin

Truffoire combines the power of healthy food with their proven quality skincare products to achieve perfect skin. By incorporating rare and effective ingredients into their formulations, Truffoire offers a unique blend of luxury and nourishment for the skin. With a focus on providing the highest quality products, their skincare range ensures optimal results, making it a go-to choice for beauty connoisseurs and those seeking a holistic approach to skincare. Experience the transformative benefits of Truffoire's innovative solutions.

[cocosnocalcocoa]

vitamins & supplements i take as someone with a restrictive ed

i find that eating less and putting my body through certain stress affects a lot of mental and physical factors —like hair loss and brain fog— and studies show its usually because of vitamin deficiencies…

so this is what vitamins i take daily to make everyday life a little easier and to keep up with my health :)

morning/first meal of the day

vitamin C: immune system + skin elasticity

collagen: skin elasticity + hair + nails + muscle mass

biotin: self care^ + nervous system (only a few times a week because i find it causes my pores to grow larger if taken too frequently)

vitamin B complex: cell health + energy levels + digestion & appetite + brain function

vitamin D3: bone and muscle health + immune system

iron: red blood & cell health + energy levels + brain function

omega-3: brain function + cancer & other disease prevention

evening/before bed

magnesium: improved sleep + mood + energy levels

taking vitamins wont counteract or necessarily fix any serious damage being done to one’s body, but it is still very important to keep maintenance with one’s bodily needs!

[genderqueerdykes]

Topical or Injectable Testosterone Comparison: Which is Best For You?

i've met a lot of people who are unsure of which route of HRT they'd like to take. there are a lot of pros and cons to each one, I figured I would lay out some information to try to make that decision a bit easier for folks, as someone who has used both.

both forms of testosterone are equally as effective, topical is not "weaker" than injectable, everyone's bodies processes these hormones differently and the effectiveness depends on how your body processes medications, and your dosage.

Topical Testosterone

Taken daily, or for some folks, every few days

Either comes in a bottle with a pump that dispenses measured doses, or will come in a month's worth of small packets or tubes.

Many insurance plans in the United States will not cover topical testosterone for transgender or intersex HRT purposes, and if it is covered, it often costs an exorbitant amount of money- well into the hundreds of dollars

Requires clean skin prior to and covering the skin with clothing after application and avoiding swimming and showering for several hours after application

Hands must be washed afterwards to prevent transmission of the hormone to other people in your environment

Has a strong smell due to the gel being alcohol based

Can cause burning sensation if it accidentally gets into sensitive areas such as mucous membranes, cuts, your eyes, etc.

Can cause skin irritation in some folks, though this is rare

Being an alcohol based gel, it is very flammable, so caution is needed to be practiced around flames until the gel has dried

Can be easy to miss doses if you have chronic fatigue and/or illness, memory problems, mental health issues, or a busy lifestyle

Injectable Testosterone

Usually taken once or twice a week, depending on your needs

Testosterone cypionate is almost always covered by insurance in places where transgender HRT is a part of your plan. It is extremely cheap if it is not covered for whatever reason, usually costing around $15 for a month's worth of vials and syringes, but this can vary wildly depending on your area

Requires needles, syringes, a sharps container (safe container to dispose needles into), alcohol prep pads or isopropyl alcohol or other strong sterilizing agent for the injection site, bandages for applying to the site afterwards, and optionally gloves, but washing your hands prior to injecting works as well

If doing your own injections, you have to learn how to measure your dose accurately, and how to hold the needle at the angle most appropriate for your injections, as well as learning about if you need to do subcutaneous or intramuscular injections

Despite the amount of items required, injections are very quick and can be done and forgotten about until your next injection date- there is no daily maintenance for injections

You must switch up your injection spots every time you inject as to avoid damaging muscle and skin tissue

Injections can be done by endocrinologists and prescribers if you do not feel comfortable doing them yourself

It is possible for your skin to react to, or for you to be allergic to the injecting needles. This is rare, and can be addressed with your prescriber and/or an allergist

Testosterone cypionate will crystalize in cold temperatures. It will change in appearance and consistency, but can be returned to normal by placing the vial into warm water for a while and/or by shaking the vial for a while

this is not meant to be a comprehensive guide, but rather some observations ihave made in my 8 years of being on testosterone HRT. hope this is helpful, we will add anything else we can think of. good luck figuring out what's right for you in your journey

[theit-girl111]

HABIT FOR

SUCCESS

Well , as you all know, I finally manifested my dream life (success story coming soon) , i finally have all of my desires but even if my blog is about loa, its also about SELF IMPROVEMENT.

So here is the habits of a master manifestor and a successful student /person/ect.

WAKE UP AT 7:00 or before

Even if you are tired. This will help you naturally develop a good sleeping schedule because you will be tired earlier. and sleep earlier. Thanks to this you are also gonna finish all of your assignment earlier and have more time for yourself.

SLEEPING EARLY

Whats up ? You're dumb? Sleep early. It helps w weight loss/maintenance. Makes you prettier. Make you look fresher . Makes you smarter w a better memory. And so much more. Sleeping early=sleeping more = pure benefits.

WORKING OUT

No. Working out isn't just for a perfect /skinny body. Working out helps with mental and physical health. So please, at least stretch. ( workout ideas for beginners; a simple warm up in the morning is perfect . If you want something more intense and you wanna burn calories I recommend to you a cardio/ HIT workout before taking your shower. Any 5 minutes workout or less is good but try to add more and more minutes everytime!)

MAKE TIME to affirm/meditate/spirituality

Give yourself every morning and night at least 20 minutes to affirm and visualize your desire or whatever you are manifesting in your 4d . Also meditate about you already having it ( no need to guided manifestation. Just slowly breathe till you feel calm/sleepy and think about the desire you already have).

DRINK water

Drinking water have MANY benefits such as : weight loss, reduce fatigue and increase energy, flush out toxins, improve skin complexion and more! Make hydrating fun with tea or lemon water.

EAT well

Not eating can kill you and eating too much too. Eat enough food ( till you feel satisfied but not full, it's not healthy) and try to eat healthy food (at least half of the plate should be vegetables. Also try to reduce processed food , cook & eat at home) .

DO things that put you in a good mood

Start your day by doing something you like , something that put you in a good mood for the day. Its really good for mental health, realising stress & being more positive through the day & what could happen in it.

READ a lot

It helps with a better vocabulary, developing imagination, better grammar & honestly just a very good habit.

LEARN something new everyday

Honestly anything even if its just a random fun fact or a weird diy but never go to sleep without learning something new. Even if it is something small or that you don't consider " useful ".

[shefromhouston]

Pretty on Purpose

HOW TO MAINTAIN A PRETTY AURA ON A BUDGET

beauty maintenance tips:

at home mani-pedi: having your nails done at a salon constantly can sometimes be hard to keep up with when you don’t have the budget for a 70-150$ set every 2 weeks, so pick up a at home acrylic set to do for yourself along with some cute nail polish for your toes💅🏽 I usually stick to a super cute but classic french manicure. KISS Salon Acrylic Nude set is so pretty + fits every skin tone! It retails for about 7 dollars + lasts for over a week! with great care they can stretched for two weeks.

kitchen face masks: im not crazy about DIY skincare because i do believe proper skin care products are specifically made to absorb into the skin, not just sit on top BUT i do understand running out of my favorite LUSH mask of magnaminty while i’m trying to save a coin or two can cause more stress pimples than my pretty face can afford. SO, a simple yet effective mask (+ only kitchen masks i’ll ever whip up) is my go-to. Try a mix of manuka honey (or any unfiltered RAW honey) and turmeric. That’s all, mix a small amount + apply to your skin for even tone and glowy skin. Also you can’t go wrong with a Aztec Healing Clay Mask, that’ll run you about 12 bucks.

style your natural hair: hair tends to be my BIGGEST beauty bill, so during times when i need save + my hair isn’t already in a style, i focus on styling my curls. Slick back buns + ponytails are my go-to. It’s simple, sleek, + super cute! If managing your natural hair is too much, braiding hair is about 5-8 $ per pack, this’ll be a great time to sit in front a mirror, prop up that laptop + find a good tutorial on easy braid styles. Learn how to do knotless braids on yourself or those super adorable North West chunky braids, building skill during this time could not only save you money but with practice, save you the hassle we all experience dealing with hairstylist.

body mist + perfume minis: idk about y’all but when i look + SMELL good, i feel good. Running out your favorite fragrances during a time when you don’t have the extra cash to re-up can be like losing an old and familiar friend, look up the notes in that fragrance + make your way to a department store like Marshall’s, Ross, TJ Maxx, Burlington, Walmart or Target + get a body mist or perfume dupe! Marshall’s + TJ Maxx usually carry a travel size of many lux perfumes. If you’re obsessed with Juicy Couture fragrances like me, they’re always at these places for super low prices too. Body mists with similar notes can give you a more affordable fragrance option too. To keep body mists scent lingering a little longer try to pick up a similar scented body oil. These options shouldn’t cost you more than 20$, unless your aiming for the perfume dupes or smaller sizes of your favorites, most of them are going for 20-40$ which is a lot more affordable than the 120+ dollars we spend on full size perfumes.

shop your own closet + make a wishlist: shopping sprees are my favorite past time, but saving money can put a quick halt to that hobby. So instead I tend to focus on what i already have, pick out my favorites + literally style them in as many ways as i can- this is also a great time to develop your styling skill, experiment with different pairings + what not. If you just enjoy being out shopping like myself, there is nothing wrong with window shopping for yourself, i call it ‘wishlist hunting’. Go out, get yourself a nice lil lunch, grab ice coffee or chai latte and hit up your favorite stores. There is no law against browsing! (lol but avoid luxury stores or boutique due to them most times having a policy against browsing) Anyways, browse your favorite stores + make note of your next pick ups once you’re able to. It’s like manifesting lol. It also gives you something to look forward to once you’re able to splurge so you won’t be frivolously spending once you get extra coin.

mental health maintenance:

to be transparent, being in tight spot financially can sometimes cause me to worry + feel stressed, even if i’m able to manage all my bills + food. Not having extra money to do the things i want, the way i want can be depressing. My mental + emotional well-being is more important to me than just looking pretty, i want to feel that way too. Being pretty also means my thoughts aren’t against me, especially about things out of my control. Being pretty means that i’m in high energy, not only to be kind to others but kind to myself. Ive been dealing with chronic depression + anxiety since i was 14, so maintaining the things that bring me joy + comfort me is prioritized during times of worry or stress. Being pretty isn’t just about my nails + hair staying done, being pretty is knowing i’m in a safe space with myself so i wont act out in ugly ways. A lot of people don’t acknowledge how managing finances can add to stress + sadness, why should i allow myself to be angry and anxious? that’s ugly to me. Therapy isn’t always accessible or affordable, so journaling is my go-to until i’m able to access professional mental health services. A super cute girls and thems night in is great for the heart, vent it out with your closest friends. Volunteering is free! it’s a great way to give back during a time when you may not have the funds to and gets you out of your mind about things out of your control. Donate or sell some old clothes to help other itgrls on a budget be pretty on purpose. Something about seeing other people appreciate things you don’t show enough love to anymore is good for the conscious.

remember, there is no one in this universe who can be you better than yourself and who you are should not depend on how much or how little you have at any given moment.

xoxo, itgrl Pier