While packing for a trip to Greece over my fall break (more on that later… probably), I realized I was really struggling to narrow down which beauty/skincare products to stuff in my way-too-small suitcase for the week. I already had to condense my beauty regimen this semester to save space in my suitcase and because some products just aren’t available here. I’ve learned to make the most of what I brought with me/what I could find abroad, and I figured it could be helpful to share some of the tips and tricks I use to keep looking like my best self away from home. Before you read my advice, however, please enjoy this small collection of me in various states of caring about my appearance.
- Don’t bring a curling iron/straightener from home. Not only will your straightener probably melt and fall apart when you try to plug it in with an adaptor (yes, this happened to me), you also probably won’t care enough to actually do your hair. No one really cares what you look like in class, and clubs are dark enough that nobody can really see what you look like. You could try to buy a 10 Euro curling iron from the pharmacy, but chances are, it won’t get hot enough
- Honestly, you don’t even need a hairbrush. I’ve brushed my hair maybe 4 times since getting here. This may or may not become problematic in the near future.
- You don’t need to wash your hair every day. I mean, you really shouldn’t wash your hair every day at home, either, but I’ve really been pushing this to the limits. My record here is 6 days of dirty hair. Yes, my standards of personal hygiene are rapidly falling.
- If they don’t have the brand/shade of makeup you’re looking for, just don’t wear makeup! Embrace your natural beauty or make people wonder every day if you’re dying or if you really just look like that. Thanks to my naturally rosy cheeks, I spend every day looking like a tomato, and I’ve become quite fond of that. Alternately, get a spray tan (not sure if they actually do that here?) and hope your skin will then match a shade of makeup that is available.
- Don’t forget sunscreen! Spending lots of time outside can be damaging to your skin if you’re as pale and pasty as I am. I look at the sunscreen on my shelf every day before forgetting to wear it or even bring it on a trip to the beach. But hey, at least I have sunscreen, right?
- All black is fashionable no matter where you are. Anna Wintour would disagree with me, but I’m not writing for Vogue so I can say what I want. The biggest pro of wearing all black all the time is that no one can really be certain if you’ve been wearing the same outfit for 4 days or if you just have a lot of black clothing.
- Sunglasses are always in. I’m not just saying this because they hide the dark circles under my eyes and make it more difficult for people to know that I’m staring at/judging them, but… actually, yeah, that’s exactly why I’m saying this.
- Shaving your legs is optional. The showers here (or at least the showers in my apartment) are TINY. Definitely not conducive to leg shaving. Thus, I recommend saving this for special occasions like going to the beach. That’s it.
- You have NO ONE to impress. Unless you’re trying to become an international pop star like me, in which case you probably should impress everyone. You do you.
I don’t want to disgust you any more with tales of my lack of hygiene or any care about my appearance, but I hope you got a few good takeaways from my advice. Maybe I’ll make a makeup tutorial video sometime soon to show you how exactly I get the “I woke up like this” look I rock every day. I probably won’t, though, so don’t get your hopes up.