Look Good for School

With very little time in the morning to get ready, how will you manage to look the slightest bit presentable for school? Whether it's the first day or the last, the better you look, the more confident you feel. If you establish a routine like in the steps below, looking good can be practically effortless.

Steps

Prepping the Night Before

  1. Take a shower. Good hygiene is essential to look healthy and nice , if you're going to school, going to the movies, or even just going to church. You can either take a shower the night before or the morning of – but if you take a shower at night, you have a few more minutes of sleep in the morning.
    • You don’t have to wash your hair every day. People with drier, coarser, thicker hair can get away with showering it once or twice a week. But ‘’do’’ wash your body every day to stay smelling fresh, especially if you regularly exercise.
  2. Collect what you need for school. Put everything you need in your book bag the night before. This way you can concentrate on very looking good in the morning and don’t have to worry about running around finding your books and homework.
    • If you have to bring a lunch tomorrow, prepare it the night before, too. But don’t put that in your backpack – you can keep that in the fridge.
    • If there's something that has to be left out (say an art project that has to finish drying), make yourself a note and leave it on top of your backpack to remind yourself in the morning that it hasn't been packed yet.
  3. Pick out what you want to wear. Find an item that you really like such as a shirt, shoes, a belt, a necklace, or even socks. Center your outfit around that item, and piece it together to make it look good. Hang it in a special place or leave it close to your bed. When you wake up, you don't have to rush picking out an outfit in the morning.
    • If you wear a uniform, make sure it is ironed and hung up in your closet. You do not want your clothes to look wrinkled and worn.
  4. Get a sufficient amount of sleep. You should get at least eight hours of sleep every night so you look good ‘’and’’ get good grades. Plan your day out so you can get a full night of sleep.
    • Everybody needs a different amount of sleep, but most people fall into the 7 to 10 hour category. In fact, the average teen needs a whopping 9 1/4 hours of sleep to feel rested.[1] Aim for that number as much as possible.

Managing Your Morning Time

  1. Get Up from Your Bed Instantly Resist the urge to snooze for just a few more minutes. Instead, go to the restroom and splash some water on your face to wake you up In fact, recent research says that hitting the snooze button can make you ‘’more’’ tired.[2] Avoid it if you can – it'll make you run late anyway.
    • Give yourself 5 or 10 minutes more than what you think you need. This way if you’re running behind, you’re still on time. It’s the worst feeling to be rushed in the morning and feel like you don’t have enough time to do what you need to get done.
  2. Brush and floss your teeth. Brush your bottom and top teeth in a circular or up and down motion for a solid minute. Don’t forget to brush your tongue to prevent bad breath, too.
    • Flossing and mouthwash not only kill bacteria, but they keep your breath smelling good for longer, too. If you eat breakfast early, consider gargling with mouthwash afterward to be extra fresh for school.
  3. If you have acne-prone or oily skin, wash your face with a mild cleanser every morning. To spot-treat and cover your new breakouts, use a concealer that is made especially to hide and diminish acne.
    • Experiment with how often you need to wash your face. For some people, two or three times is helpful. For others, once is as often as they can without drying out their faces.
    • Also, only use oil-free skin products. Coconut, olive, and tea tree are the three oils that will help your skin. The rest, like mineral, will clog your pores and cause you to break out.
  4. Begin your beauty routine. This could be showering, shaving, applying deodorant, lotion and/or perfume – whatever your routine is. Maybe brushing your hair, applying a little lip gloss? It doesn’t have to be anything fancy.
    • Try to keep everything to a minimum – natural is always best. This goes for everything from hair gel to eyeliner. Especially for school – save the crazy beauty routines for going out at night.
  5. Get dressed. Good thing you have that outfit all ready! Now all you have to do is slip it on and you’re set!
    • Take a look in the mirror to make sure you weren't going crazy the night before. Does your outfit look as good as you thought it would? Excellent.
  6. Style your hair. Do you have gym class today? Then it might be best just to brush your hair and do something basic with it. If it’s a lazier day, take the time to straighten or curl it.
    • If you want straight hair, dry your hair while combing it with a flat brush. You may want to actually straighten it with thermal spray and a flat iron, also.
    • If you want curly hair, skip the blow dryer, put some curling gel in your hair and scrunch. You could also try "plopping" your hair, which will dry it sufficiently and curl it at the same time.

Adding the Finishing Touches

  1. Eat breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It should be something substantial, like eggs or ham (in other words, not a doughnut). It will give you the energy you need for the day.
    • If you don't have the time, grab something (like a cup of yogurt or a handful of trail mix) on the way out.
  2. Apply a few touches of makeup if desired. Most girls look best with a natural look – a bit of concealer, blush, mascara, and a touch of lipgloss. If you’re worried about not wearing enough, bring those pieces with you so you can reapply at lunchtime.
    • This could be part of your beauty routine, too, but the later you do it, the longer it'll last at school. If nothing else, just reapply some lip gloss and you're good to go.
  3. Accessorize. Don't forget to pick a few pieces to add to your outfit. However, stick to a couple of main colors and an accent color – you don't want to look like a clown with a lot of colors. The rule is put everything on and then take one thing off.
    • Alternatively, stick to the either/or rule. You can either wear a necklace or a bracelet, for example. Wearing too many accessories easily becomes overkill. They distract from each other, too. If you're wearing just a necklace, it'll pop more than if you're wearing a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet.
  4. Do one last check before you head out the door. Is everything in your backpack? How’s the hair? Matching socks? Do you have extra clothes for gym? A sweater if it gets cold? A hair tie? Headphones? Check, check, and check? Then you're ready and looking good, for sure.
    • If looking good is a top priority for you, keep a small bag in your backpack full of supplies. A brush, a small bottle of hair gel/spray, and anything else you think you may need.

Tips

  • Just because you're wearing something comfy and casual, it doesn't mean you can't be fun and fashionable!
  • Put on some light, neutral lip gloss for a nice touch.
  • Wash your clothes once a week, so you will always have something to wear. If you have nothing the night before, start the wash then, and put it in the dryer as soon as you wake up. (You should get up at least an hour before you have to leave.)
  • It's important to not overdo the makeup – keep it natural to keep yourself on teacher's good side.
  • Try some unique nail designs for an added touch, especially if you have to wear a uniform.
  • Do a steady hairstyle like a braid or a bun.
  • As soon as you get up, have breakfast and a glass of water. Then, do five minutes of stretches before getting ready.
  • Always make sure you brush your hair and teeth everyday.
  • Try to stay away from screens before school, you'll most likely get distracted, and being distracted takes up time, which in the end makes you have to rush. You can't look your best if you're rushing!
  • Be in a good mood, that way you will look even better for school. If you've had a bad morning, try to be happy for the first few hours of school then you can let your sadness out.
  • Behave well with your friends and teachers. Have a sincere attitude & maintain good grades in order to have good self-esteem.

Warnings

  • If you are a sucker for expensive designer clothing, do not brag about them or about how much you can afford. You not only will gain a crew of haters, but also, when you stop wearing designer clothing, people will only see you as expensively trendy, which is difficult to back out of.
  • Try to stay minimal; it is better for school. Do not to go overboard with accessories and extra clothing layers because you will make yourself look foolish.
  • Refrain from showing too much leg, butt, or chest. It doesn't give off a good message.

Things You'll Need

  • Hair care items according to your hair style/type
  • Personal care items (makeup, acne wash, shampoo, deodorant, etc.)
  • Jewelry (optional)

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep
  2. ↑ http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304185104579439092091372948
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