In between crazy school/work/family schedules I know it can get so easy to ignore nightly/morning routines and taking care of yourself and just ignoring your needs altogether - and if you can relate to this right at this very second I have 2.5 words for you...

Treat. Yo. Self.

Sometimes my really hard weeks turn into really hard weekends of playing non-stop catch up with school work (and tbh, wasting time browsing tumblr and youtube)... so I literally have to schedule an hour or two to just pamper myself.

And this is how I do it.

1. Make a list.

I know this sounds so lame and tedious - but trust me. If you're anything like me, crossing on thing off a to-do list feels like a million pounds off my back. Now imagine that feeling when you're crossing actual fun stuff off a list. I know right, it sounds like heaven. So what I do is make a list of all the things I want to get to and take my time with. I start off with small things like painting my nails, and taking a bath with my favorite bath soap (#wintercandyapplewillliterallychangeyourlife), to things like using my GlamGlow Supermud Mask, and actually paying attention while shaving my legs - things like that. (Protip: Make the list in the order that you actually imagine yourself completing it in. So if you want to spend extra time putting on moisturizer and lotion then put those after your shower list. You feel me?)

2. Light some candles, girl.

It's actually kind of magical how candles can change the entire atmosphere of a room, trust me.

3. Play some music.

Some nights when I pamper myself I blast Little Mix, or One Direction, or Taylor Swift or literally any other feel good pop music and have a total lone-wolf-girls-night-dance-party-for-one kind of deal going on. But some weeks just literally send me over the edge so I listen to The Lumineers, and Vance Joy, and City and Colour. And sometimes I'm close (or on) that very special week of the both so I play both!

4. Prepare, divide, and conquer.

Much like #1, this one seems like it's not much of a pamper routine - but trust me, it is. Basically, while you're waiting for your mud mask to harden, or you're nails to dry - make a list of what needs to get done next week (in the case of wet nails, I suggest a mental list until they're dry). I think that after a long crazy week, the biggest most worth while "breather" to take is to plan for the next. It's no use getting worked up week after week, and adding on more stress because you're not properly prepared! So take a few extra minutes to map out your week... and then plan for your next pamper night! (Side note: I literally write down which days/nights I'll do my "pamper routines" and a girl in one of my classes was looking through my planner and thought it was the funniest thing... and then decided it was a genius idea and started doing it too.)

My Personal Pamper Routine!

1. Cut my nails.

(Remove nail-polish, if needed).

2. Paint nails!

(My go-to color is bright red, literally any brand makes me happy. I doubt you'll ever see me with any other color on my fingers, haha.)

3. Home-made hair masque.

(I usually just do coconut oil, but if I'm feeling extra fancy I'll mix coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil, or I'll mix one it in with one of my leave in conditioners! P.P.P.P.S. Macadamia oils products are amazing.)

4. Home-made face mask.

(This one kind of varies. Sometimes I like to look up homemade face masks on pinterest - many of which include ingredients you probably have in your pantry and/or fridge. And some times I use my GlamGlow Supermud Mask. Disclaimer: this mask is expensive so I'd use it sparingly!)

5. Winter Candy Apple bath soap!

(It's kind of dorky to think about how regular bath soap can count as "pampering" yourself, but I am literally so obsessed with Bath and Body Works' Winter Candy Apple scent - BUT *insert actual big girl tears here* it's seasonal :( Therefore, I only use it on very special occasions, haha.)

6. Eyebrows.

(Plucking and tending to my eyebrows always ends up being at the very bottom of my list because I can literally go weeks just totally not noticing that I'm slowing turning into Big Foot.)

7. Lather up.

(I know that I should apply lotion after every shower to ensure max moisture, but I am so lazy and I usually work nights so when I get off of work and come home I'm either (a) dead tired and just want to get into bed as quickly as possible without fussing over lotion (b) dead tired AND have some sort of big project/deadline/lab report due the next day. Priorities, sister. Our skin needs to be one of them.)

8. Organize my makeup/hair products/perfumes.

(I think we've already well established that I am the biggest nerd on the face of the planet, so organization and lists make my heart race a little faster. Needless to say, this is my favorite part of my pamper routine. Throughout the week I literally throw my makeup and hairspray and deodorant anywhere and everywhere, so taking a little bit of extra time to make everything nice and neat and then lying to myself that I won't destroy it all again the next day gives me a false sense of productivity.)

Anyway, that's it girls (and guys)! Don't forget to be good to yourself, and take time out of every single week to pamper yourself and de-stress!

Treat. Yo. Self.

xo, me.