Today I’m sharing everything I have been doing for my quarantine glow up- a fancy way of me saying that I’m using this time while our world is on pause to focus on being the best version of myself I can be, both inside and out. I love self care, whether it’s a face mask, less fruity self care like getting enough sleep, and lately I’ve discovered so many amazing salons and spas in Atlanta!
Here are all the details of my quarantine glow up- from self care while working from home, the behind-the-scenes of my permanent eyebrow makeup and Botox, and my favorite salons in Atlanta, Georgia!
Deciding to Focus on a Quarantine Glow Up And Self Care
I ended up on a self-care mission as the new year started because I’ve been feeling so unlike myself. Between work, blogging, and being home more than ever, I’ve been feeling burned out and like I need to shift my focus to slowing down and focusing on self care.
Since our whole world has changed with quarantine, I slowly quit doing all of those extra things I used to do- Sunday night self care, manicures, salon visits, facials, even my hair appointments. But, I underestimated how much of a difference those salon visits made in how I felt on the inside, and looked on the outside. So, I decided I’m going to make more of an effort to take time for myself, and call it my quarantine glow up!
Note: I have discovered some of the salons and services mentioned in this blog post from collaborations- thank you for your support of my support of Atlanta local businesses! This post isn’t sponsored- I just love sharing my favorite Atlanta finds with y’all and any discounts I get along the way!
Glow Up Services from Salons and Beauty Services in Atlanta
Mani/Pedis
One of my favorite salons in Atlanta has been my newest go-to for a manicure and pedicure! Prose is a new salon in Midtown and offers a monthly membership, so it’s perfect if you like a regular mani/pedi like me. My favorite thing about them is that their nail polish is free of major toxins, so I don’t wonder what crazy chemicals I am putting on my nails! I also love that they have a lot of spa-like amenities, like hot neck wraps and mimosas!
Botox
Getting Botox at Metroderm in Atlanta was one of my favorite glow up services of the year! I’ve had Botox injections before to combat the headaches from my car accident, and I had a tough time this year when I realized that my forehead wrinkles were returning, haha! I’ve also been getting the dread “tech neck”, which I’m sure working from home hasn’t helped with. These two photos from winter of 2019 have the perfect lighting to show my wrinkles- nothing major, but some preventative Botox helped so much!
Jules from Metroderm Atlanta Plastics was fantastic- she has the sweetest bedside manner and was very thorough- I actually went back for my after pictures and she did a touch up because she wanted everything to be 100% perfect! The Botox barely hurt at all- my flu shot this year was more painful, haha. The entire process lasted less than ten minutes, and I had no pain once the injections were finished. I did bruise for a few days after the process, but I tend to bruise really easily, so that wasn’t a big surprise.
HyrdaFacial
Metroderm Atlanta Plastics also offers HydraFacials, and Ray made my skin look the best it literally ever has! I have always wanted a HydraFacial- if you don’t know what they are, it’s a fancy facial with a tool that literally cleans your pores by sucking everything out!
The facial was so relaxing, and I think it was a great reminder about the importance of taking time to do “extra” things for your skin- the perfect quarantine glow up spa treatment! My skin was glowing afterwards, and I haven’t broken out since (five weeks later!).
For a discount for Botox or a HyrdraFacial, check out this Instagram post with all the information:
Powder Brows and Microblading
I just had my first appointment at Bella Cosmetic Tattoo Center to get my permanent brow makeup, and I seriously regret not going sooner! To clarify, powder brows are different than microblading- I chose powder because they last upwards of three years, and are a better choice for oily skin.
My eyebrows have always been my biggest insecurity- without makeup, they’re practically invisible, and even with threading or waxing no stylist has ever been able to make them look symmetrical because of my dimples. I didn’t start getting my eyebrows shaped or filling them in until later in college, here’s what they look like with no makeup….AKA non-existent and a bit uneven.
The appointment takes about two hours, and I’ll admit it did hurt a bit- nothing terrible, but I was a bit uncomfortable. Then, the aftercare requires no makeup, steam, sun or sweating for seven days- AKA the perfect quarantine glow up activity because I looked a bit scary and had to stay home for a week! I go back for my second appoint to touch everything up in a few weeks, and then I’m all set! You can see the results of just one session in the photo below.
15 Things To Do For a Quarantine Glow Up at Home
My quarantine glow up started at home (as I’m writing this I’m like duh, Han haha!) and I think it’s so important to make time for self care, even if it’s just a glass of wine and a face mask on your couch. When I decided I wanted to have a quarantine glow up, I realized it was so much more than what was on the outside- I needed to start focusing on my self care to “glow up” my inside, too.
So, I started focusing on my glow up wholistically- from doing things like drinking more water, to cheesy “self care Sundays”. These things have made me look better, feel better, and have made me enjoy being home more, too! Finding ways to relax while the world is so hectic in quarantine is so important- even as things open back up, I think sometimes we forget that life is still way more stressful right now than it was over a year ago.
- Face masks: The quintessential “self care” thing to me are face masks, haha! I tend to rotate and try new masks- I’m loving the peel solution from the Ordinary right now.
- Establishing a work life balance: When I started working from home, it was so tough on my mental health. I felt like I had no separation from the office, and I was working way more hours than I had when we were in-person. Now, things are better, especially because I now have an office and am not living alone. To keep my work life balance, I aim to only work the hours I’m being paid for. If I want to go above and beyond, I focus less on the time, and more on being productive with the time I have. Having a hard rule of logging off in the evening on time keeps me motivated, and it establishes a separation for me mentally.
- Taking baths: Since I moved this past summer, I finally have a tub, and I now take a couple baths a week! I go all out when I take them- candles everywhere, bath salts, a face mask, and a good book (I love my waterproof Kindle, haha!). Taking baths relaxes me so much- it’s a signal for me to take a minute and unwind, and completely clear my mind. Plus, they help my back pain so much!
- Drinking more water: I’ve been making an effort to drink more water, and to make it more enjoyable I’ve been making spa water at home! I put in a cucumber or lemon to get additional health benefits, and it helps so much. I try to drink five of my Starbucks cups a day.
- Hair care: I’ve landed on haircare Tik Tok this year and I don’t regret it at all, haha!! I’ve been focusing on my hair both inside and out- I’ve started taking biotin and collagen, using Argan oil as a leave-in treatment, and I’ve been loving this collagen mask (it’s an Olaplex dupe!). I’ve also started trying the internet-famous rice water rinse- I don’t have any results yet, but I’m hoping it will accelerate my hair growth.
- Taking social media breaks: This one is so tough as an “influencer” and it’s definitely made my Instagram engagement drop a bit, but being on social media less has helped my mental health a lot this past year. When I started my blog last year, I was so focused on being active on Instagram and engaging with others to grow, but it took a big toll on me mentally. Now, I limit my scrolling and life comparisons, and I’ve also unfollowed a lot of accounts after reflecting more on how content was making me feel after viewing it. If you’re feeling burned out after scrolling, I definitely recommend scaling back.
- Putting a humidifier in my bedroom: My humidifier has been a lifesaver this winter- I wake up with much more moisturized skin and lips! It’s a little thing that makes a big difference in my skin and sleep.
- Working out: Something else I’ve done is started working out on my lunch breaks! Going to spin in the middle of the day has boosted my productivity in the afternoon, allowed me to have a true break from work, and the physical exercise helps me to sit still in the afternoon, since I move less at home than I did in the office.
- Teeth Whitening: I drink a lot of coffee and tea, so whitening my teeth is a must! Bride Brite recently sent me their teeth whitening kit to use, and I’ve been loving it. I also use baking soda and activated charcoal powder as DIY whiteners, or Walgreens brand white strips (so much cheaper and don’t slip like the big brand ones!).
- Getting enough sleep: Getting nine or more hours is essential for my health. I go to bed early every night (you can read my daily routine here!). It’s not always fun to climb in to bed early, but without getting enough sleep, I get cranky, am less motivated to eat well and workout, and I get bad headaches.
- Drinking green smoothies: I’m obsessed with my green smoothies- they’re my favorite way to sneak my veggies in! I focus on incorporating a lot of greens and limiting sugar to keep them healthy- I add in kale, whatever fruit I’m loving at the time (right now it’s strawberries!), half a banana, chia seeds, ground ginger, celery, water, and unsweetened protein powder. They’re so yummy and have so many health benefits.
- Drinking less coffee, and more green tea: I noticed last year that coffee was upsetting my stomach a bit, so I’ve been trying to cut back! I still have my morning cup everyday and sometimes put a little bit of iced coffee in a protein shake, but it’s a lot less than I used to drink. Now, I have a cup of green tea when I need a boost (although I make sure it’s always before 3 PM so it doesn’t keep me up at night).
- Cleaning my space: When my apartment is messy or dirty, it stresses me out. I’m a realistic person in terms of not doing dishes right away in the middle of tons of work calls or neurotically cleaning every day, but lately I’ve tried to limit the weekly pile ups of things like clothes and beauty products that always accumulate.
To keep my room peaceful, I make my bed every day, tidy my bathroom counter after I get ready, and do an evening wipe down of our kitchen. I also bought a second hamper for my bedroom for “in between clothes”- aka clothes that don’t go right into my dirty laundry, but I’m too lazy to put away. Maybe I had on a tee shirt and got too cold so I changed into a sweater an hour later but was too busy to hang it up, or I went through four outfits trying to decide what to wear in a rush. Instead of throwing them on all in a pile on the floor, I put them in my second hamper to keep my space clear. Then, I deal with it all on the weekend when I have more time. It seems like a weird trick, but it helps so much!
- Tea and reading before bed: I’ve been trying to limit my late-night snacking and sleep better, so I’ve been drinking chamomile tea at night. I add a bit of almond milk and honey…it’s heaven. Plus, it’s local honey which will help my spring allergies! I’ve also started reading before bed instead of watching Netflix to wind down. It’s a good way to signal my brain that it’s almost bedtime, and it’s been so wonderful to intentionally make time to read! If you’re interested, you can follow me on Goodreads here.
- Candles and plants: Candles and plants are the two things that always make my space feel more peaceful- since working from home, I’ve gone a little overboard with both, haha! I’ve been burning candles all the time (my favorites are the Lilac and Balsam Cedar from Yankee Candle!). Candles instantly make a space cozy, and the plants are good for the air in your home!
And…. that’s my quarantine glow up! I hope you enjoyed reading and found something to focus on with your own self care, whether you’re considering Botox or eyebrow makeup from an Atlanta salon, or you just wanted some inspiration for your self care Sunday!