Welcome to the enchanting world of “glow-up,” a term that transcends the boundaries of mere physical enhancement. Often celebrated for its association with a radiant exterior, the glow-up extends far beyond the surface. It’s a kaleidoscope of transformations, weaving together confidence, mental fortitude, eloquence, and kindness to create a symphony of self-improvement.
Throughout this captivating exploration, you will discover the true essence of a “glow-up” beyond its superficial connotations. Learn how to redefine your appearance through skincare, makeup, hair, fashion, and nail care, embracing the uniqueness that is you.
Dive into the art of building confidence with goal-setting, positive affirmations, and fostering supportive relationships. Explore the often-overlooked realm of mental health, incorporating meditation, journaling, and moments of self-discovery into your daily routine.
Delve into the pillars of physical health, understanding the significance of posture, hydration, dental hygiene, diet, exercise, and quality sleep in your glow-up journey. Lastly, find answers to frequently asked questions, guiding you on a natural, personalized glow-up experience, regardless of age or timeline.
Uncover the secrets to embracing your best self and creating a timeless masterpiece through the magic of glow-up. Get ready to transform and illuminate every aspect of your life!
What Is A “Glow-Up”?
A “glow-up” is a term used for an improvement to one’s self. The term, often tossed around to commend those who have enhanced their physical appearance, holds a much broader meaning.
A glow-up can be your confidence, the way you think, the way you speak, and how you treat others. You can have a glow-up in your overall life if you really want to.
How To Glow-Up
A glow-up isn’t confined to skincare routines or trendy haircuts. It’s an evolution encompassing confidence, mental prowess, articulation, and the art of kindness. It’s a symphony of self-improvement playing on multiple fronts, creating a harmonious blend of the person you are and the person you aspire to be.
Appearance
Typically, when people use the phrase glow up, they are referring to someone’s appearance. There are a few different areas where you can make improvements to your appearance.
Skincare
I know because I am the biggest culprit of this, but sometimes we forget to wash our faces. This simple step in your skincare routine can make a world of difference! If you are disciplined and wash your face daily, then you can add additional steps to your skincare such as moisturizing, exfoliating, retinol, face masks, etc. It would be beneficial to consult a dermatologist or esthetician if possible.
Makeup
Not a mandatory act, but an artistic expression. Explore different products and looks, finding the one that accentuates your unique beauty. Makeup can be a fun way to change up your look and achieve a glow-up.
Hair
I will be the first to admit I do not know how to do almost anything to my hair and I leave it down almost every day. Changing your hairstyle can make a huge impact on your glow-up. You may want to be adventurous and cut or dye your hair or you might want to just try some different hairstyles. You can find lots of tutorials on different ways to do your hair on TikTok and YouTube.
Fashion
Fashion is unique to every person. Trends may come and go, but style is eternal. You should try on different clothing pieces, different sizes, and different colors to see what you like and feel comfortable in. Something I have always wanted to do more research on that is a big help in determining what clothes look best on you is the Kibbe Body Types. These are 13 style types based on both physical characteristics and personality. Discovering your style and what looks best on you can enhance your glow-up.
Perfume
Perfume is a hit-and-miss for most people. It can be fun to try different perfumes and body sprays to see what smells best on you and to determine a “signature scent” for yourself. If you want your perfume to last longer, put on a scented lotion right out of the shower, spray your perfume on, then add another layer of lotion. This will help to lock it in all day. While most would not immediately think of scent as a step to glow-up, this simple change can make everyone look at you differently.
Nail Care
Whether you want to treat yourself to a spa day at the nail salon or simply paint your own nails at home, nail care can aid in your glow-up. Personally, I do not like having my nails painted so I will typically just cut and file my nails once a week and remove any hangnails or cuticles as I see them. Having a polished manicure helps you look more put together.
Confidence
I’ve always thought that people with confidence are more attractive. This is why working on yourself and towards improving your confidence can make a big difference in your glow-up.
Setting Goals
Taking time for yourself to set some goals and map out your future can improve your confidence in yourself. As you work through and accomplish your goals that will also give a little boost to your confidence. One of your goals can even be simply to have a glow-up in your life!
Positive Affirmations
I think we all catch ourselves saying negative things to and about us. We’re constantly building others up but for some reason when it comes to saying nice things about ourselves, we just don’t do it as much. This is why positive affirmations help your confidence so much!
When you are constantly building yourself up, you feel better. You also will rise to your own standards. If you say that you are always on time, then you will do just that. Positive affirmations are a great way to build confidence and better yourself.
Positive and Supportive Relationships
Having people around you who support you and remind you to stay positive makes such a huge difference not only towards your overall happiness but your confidence as well! They say that you are the sum of the people you surround yourself with so this is the time to assess the people in your life and see who makes you feel good and who you should be spending less time with.
Weeding out those closest to you may not be seen as a glow-up, but it will definitely make you feel better in the long run!
No Negative Self-Talk
This falls in line with reciting positive affirmations to yourself but making a point to stop saying negative things will help your confidence as well! If you tried to go even a day without saying or thinking anything negative about yourself, you would see how often it actually happens. Try to make it a habit to stop yourself from saying negative things not only to yourself but about yourself.
This change will make you feel better about yourself and help those around you see you for how great you are as well!
Mental Health
Mental health is something that I don’t think would come to many people’s mind when they think about having a glow-up. I think that this might even be the most important part though.
Once you start working on your mental health and through things that hold you back or make you feel a certain way, everyone can see it! It will emanate from you and enhance your overall appearance.
Meditation
Something I have not done too much research on but have heard a lot of positive things about is meditation. Being able to sit with yourself and clear your mind sounds so amazing and soothing. The overall stress relief alone would help you so much, this is definitely a great step towards bettering your mental health and having a glow-up!
Journaling
Journaling is very cathartic. Take everything out of your head, write it down on a piece of paper or in your notes app, and then if you want, you can work through it. Decipher what you feel needs to be addressed. Journaling also is a great way to track your overall progress in your glow-up journey.
Take Time For Yourself
This is something that I feel most of us don’t get enough of; time for ourselves. I get so excited when I think of taking a nice bubble bath or going for a walk with some headphones in and tuning out the world.
Spending time with yourself can improve your overall mental health because you can really get to know yourself. What are some things you need to work through? Is there anything that you want to better about yourself? Taking time for yourself is so important for your mental health and your happiness.
Read
I love reading. Getting lost in a book and forgetting the world around you is so much fun! Reading helps your mental health because you can choose any book you want!
You can read a self-help book and work through some stuff or read something fiction and get lost in another world and forget your troubles for a little. At the end of the day, reading is going to make you more intelligent which will definitely aid in your glow-up!
Spend Time Outdoors
Let’s get out of the house! Go for a walk, a drive with the windows down, whatever you can do to get yourself outside!
The sun and fresh air are so good for you and of course, if you get a little tan that could contribute towards your glow-up. Being out in nature can help you see the bigger picture and help your mind relax and let go. Getting outside can make a big difference in your overall mental health.
Physical Health
Of course, we cannot forget that our physical health plays a huge role in our overall happiness, appearance, and attitude. Putting some time in to improve your physical health will help in the glow-up process because you are doing simple things that make a big difference.
Posture
Have you ever heard a woman tell her daughter or granddaughter they need to sit up straight? Not only does posture play a role in the overall look of your body, but it also helps your balance and your muscles!
Be sure to check that you are sitting correctly, pushing your shoulders back when you’re standing, and try not to lean on things when you don’t have to. It’s crazy that this would make a difference but people find those with good posture to be more attractive.
Drink Water
We’ve all heard the lectures- water is gold! Drinking it helps your skin, your teeth, your hair, your health, the list goes on! I can’t tell you how much water is enough or too much because it is different for everyone but a quick Google search can yield the amount of water you should be drinking for your height and weight. Try even going a week drinking the correct amount of water and you will see and feel the difference.
Dental Hygiene
None of us want to have bad breath. We all brush our teeth morning and night and hope that we do not end up with bad breath after that garlic bread we had for lunch!
There are a few other things you can add to your routine to help with your dental hygiene. Floss every day: your dentist tells you to do this for a reason! Use mouthwash: personally, I use the TheraBreath mouthwash and I think it’s better than Listerine or those other brands because it doesn’t burn. Keep a travel toothbrush or reusable ones in your purse, car, or desk!
These are just a couple of things you can do to ensure your teeth are in tip-top shape.
Diet
I am not advocating that people go on a diet. This is definitely something you should discuss with a nutritionist but overall, I think you should make sure that you are eating an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables, trying not to eat too much sugar, and make sure that you are eating 3 meals a day. Remember, your diet can affect every part of your body so you want to make sure that you are vetting what you’re putting in.
Exercise
This is something I don’t really do but I know I need to—exercise. When you are trying to glow up, I think a lot of people are thinking they need to start working out and lose weight. I believe that your main goal of working out shouldn’t be lowering that number on the scale but to build your strength and make your body feel better. Even if you just go on a short walk every day, I think incorporating some sort of exercise into your routine will go a long way towards your glow-up!
Sleep
Sleep is so important in your overall health as well as how you look and feel. I would aim to get 8 hours of sleep each night. For me, I’ve never found that to be attainable so I aim for 7 hours, though I rarely achieve that. Do some experimenting and see how long you need to sleep in order to feel fully rested. Some people need more than 8 hours and some people need less! Determining the optimum hours of rest for your body will help immensely with your glow-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
A glow-up doesn’t need to include makeup and dying your hair. You can glow up by simply doing your skincare, trying a different hairstyle, or changing up your wardrobe! Before reaching for the makeup palette, try out some of the more natural glow-up suggestions from up above and I bet you will notice a difference!
The speed of your glow-up is a personal journey. A touch of lipstick and a new shirt may yield an instant transformation, while a holistic, educated, and healthier self may take longer to unfold.
Age knows no bounds for a glow-up. Embrace the journey whenever it calls, a timeless exploration that brings joy and fulfillment.
In wrapping up our exploration of the “glow-up” we’ve learned that it is about more than just looking better—it’s about feeling better too. We’ve talked about boosting confidence, taking care of your mental well-being, and building a strong foundation for your physical health.
Remember, there’s no age limit to this journey, and it’s all about finding joy along the way. So, let your life’s canvas be painted with self-love, positivity, and the unique magic of your own glow-up. If you found this blog post helpful and are looking for other ways to enhance your life, check out these other posts!
