Thrifty Pampering
What woman doesn't love to get pampered? What woman loves the price that it cost to get pampered? Answer: no one. Most of us just end up paying it because we don't have another option or don't know how to do it ourselves. Pampering is wonderful and luxurious and often makes you feel like a queen, but often the price tag is a kings ransom. I love to get pampered just as much as the next woman but when you factor in hair, nails, facials, massages, spa baths (and so on), it can get expensive. I mean it can range anywhere from $300 (for all of those services) to thousands of dollars depending on where you go and what you choose. And that doesn't even include the tip you'll have to leave each service provider!
For this week's "thrifty thursday" post, I'm featuring a do it yourself pampering session for Valentine's Day. So you can save your money and still feel like a queen. Treat yo' self! We're going to talk about salt baths, face, hair and nails. You'll feel so confident and pretty you won't even be worried that you didn't just waste hundreds of dollars.
Salt Bath
I actually got this recipe from Jill Matthews Instagram. It's so easy and smells amazing. I forgot to add the coconut oil, but it still turned out great!
I soaked in this bath this morning after my workout (that I was really tired from... I woke up tired). It was so relaxing and calming. I could just feel my muscles exhaling. I felt so much better, more invigorated and less tired than I had all morning! And I smelled like peppermint afterwards. Such a luxurious bath for this worn out mama!
Facial
This could actually be done right before your salt bath or before your shower. I would recommend doing it while you're soaking in your salt bath (two birds, one stone). So this one is actually really easy. You buy an at home mask and put it on. The end.
Just kidding. But seriously, they sell these things at Walmart, Target and Sally's. I'm sure you can find them at Sephora and Ulta to, but they're just as good at the other stores. And they WILL leave your skin feeling amazing and refreshed.
Hair
I always feel so pretty and glamorous whenever I get my hair blown out. I would seriously go to the salon every day just to get my hair shampooed (those little massages!) and blown out if I could afford it. I love it when people play with my hair. But as reality checks in, and I cannot afford to do that, I do it myself. I usually wear my hair naturally wavy, sometimes with product and sometimes without. For me, that is not a pampering hairstyle. It's easy, require zero effort and it's what I always do. So, when I'm trying to be fancy or actually look like I tried; I pamper myself and actually style my hair. These tips for blowing out your hair are great from Living Proof, if you're not sure where to start!
Now, maybe blowing out your hair is not a big deal to you or your hair won't allow it. Maybe flat ironing it would make you swoon. Do whatever makes YOU feel the most glamorous with your hair! It's YOUR diy pampering session, make your hair look the best it's ever looked!
Makeup
What makes me feel most put together and styled, is when I have makeup on. Now, I don't really “need” make up, because I'm not trying to hide any imperfections or wrinkles. It's more that it takes too much time & effort, and I'm really lazy. But there are some days when I want to look my best and emphasize my features, and that is when all without the big guns. There are many different looks I could go for, but for this particular pampering makeup session I would probably choose full face coverage. I really like how flawless my face looks and I always feel so glamorous.
Nails
This is another big one for me that I used to indulge in all the time when I lived in Charleston. I used to get a manicure and pedicure about every 2 to 3 weeks. And it got expensive. This was before Groupon and LivingSocial came out. But now that they are, I can get a Mani/Pedi for ½ of what it used to cost me, at $25-$35 for both! But even in that price range, we can't afford that every two weeks. So what usually ends up happening is I paint my nails myself.
I actually like to paint my nails myself because not only is it cheaper, but also faster. I don't have to sift through 1 million colors, and I know for sure I'm not getting any infectious diseases. Although, it is definitely lacking in the pampering department. One of the main reasons I love going to a salon to get my nails done is the mini hand massages (and those warm towel wraps, right).
So, to help with that you can scrub your hands with a sugar scrub after you trim and file your nails. You want your hands to be dry when you do the scrub. My sugar scrub is just brown sugar and olive oil. That's really all you need. If you want to add an essential oil in there, go for it. The goal here is to exfoliate and this will do the job.
Then, you are ready to paint your nails! Normally I would start with a base coat (clear or nude), but I couldn't find any of mine. Then two coats of your color (I chose red for Valentine's Day). Finally, a clear topcoat (which I could also not find) to help keep the color last longer.
In order to speed up the drying process fill a bowl with cold water and soak hands for about 2 to 3 minutes. You know they're dry when you can put your nails together and they make a clicking sound and are not squishy/soft to the touch.
Well ladies, that's it! I hope y’all have an awesome time pampering yourselves before your big night out for Valentine's Day, or if you just need some extra lovin. Please leave a comment below if you think I've missed anything, or if you have some unique ways that you pamper yourself! I would love to hear from you! ❤️ Amanda
