Summer is nearly year-round in southeast Texas so it should be no surprise that the free stuff to see and do in the sprawling metropolitan area of the nation’s fourth-biggest city focuses on the outdoors.Monday: Ponytail, jeans, sweatshirt
Tuesday: Messy bun, jeans, T-shirt
Wednesday: Ponytail, jeans, T-shirt
Sound familiar?
Making it to appointments on time, feeding everyone in the house and keeping your abode from turning into a candidate for “Hoarders” can leave no time for yourself, and it can be easy to get stuck in the same style rut.
There are some easy tweaks you can make to your routine to assure you don’t have to resort to that same uniform every day of the week. If you’re feeling really adventurous, try two at a time.
Part your hair differently
If you’re used to a Cher-style, straight-down-the-middle part, try a deep side part.
If you always push everything over to the right, try blow-drying your hair straight back. Such a little detail can make it look as though you have an entirely different haircut.
Make a face
Finish this sentence: “The makeup I cannot leave the house without is … ”
If you said “lip gloss,” try some eyeliner instead. If you said “mascara,” try a lipstick instead. Play up a facial feature you normally leave neglected.
Try new jewelry
The next time you make your Meijer or Walmart run, stop in the jewelry aisle and treat yourself to a new piece. These big-box stores have stock that is trendy but über affordable.
Veer toward something that might be a little out of your comfort zone, but if you swear “I’d never wear it,” just say “no.” If you don’t love it in the store, you won’t love it at home.
Clean out your closet
Dig to the back of the closet to find something you haven’t worn in years.
Wear it. It will add some inexpensive (read: free) variety to your wardrobe.
Paint your nails
No, that doesn’t mean you should fork over cash to have someone else paint your nails. That means you should go to CVS and get a bottle of Confetti nail polish. Make sure it’s not some version of “palest pink,” and get painting. Who cares if your nails are chipped by Sunday?
A bottle of Confetti will run you a whopping $1.99. What better way to try out the season’s “it” colors like deep plum, olive green and slate gray? (Or as Pantone calls them, “phlox,” “cedar” and “quarry.”)
