Three ways to use your beauty routine to lift your mood

Note: This article has been revised from the original version for clarity.

It is a fact that beauty products are not essential to survival. But is survival enough if we can do more? One of the things that makes us human is the ability to have a story in our head about how things could be, and the desire to make it true in the real world. We like to hope for better days and dream of better selves. As shallow as it sounds, a beauty routine actually helps with that.

I’ve always believed that beauty products are a way to narrate who we are not just to others, but to ourselves. There’s a power to spraying on, say, a specific scent that makes you think of happier times when you had it on. You may not necessarily feel happy but even just a 10% improvement in mood matters during these crazy times! Here are five ways to use your beauty routine to lift your mood.

Masking. And not the surgical or N95 kind! Try to set aside the time to mask as often as you can. Not only do masks work more quickly with delivering skincare actives, they force you to stop for 10 minutes and just, well, be. Plus it feels great to have bouncy soft skin right after the session! Now that’s a quick win.

Use uplifting scents on yourself and in your home. When things smell good, it’s natural to feel good and more like yourself. Using essential oils on our skin (a drop per point, like your wrist or inner elbow) is a great way to get a pure, long-wearing scent. Just be careful not to use too much! You can also place your favorite essential oil in a humidifier to scent your home while also improving comfort as you breathe; I personally love to do this right before I sleep. Of course, you can also use your favorite perfumes even if you’re not really going anywhere. Try layering it with your body lotion/oil, and even hair products to achieve a unique scent.

Learn new makeup techniques. What I find truly lifts my mood is learning a new skill. While we won’t be staying home forever, we will be wearing masks for a long while, so now is a good time to improve your eye makeup game! Whether it’s learning how to do cat eyes or a smoky eye, it’s okay to make mistakes since you’d be home to correct them. And hey, maybe it’s also time to go all out and learn the art of drag makeup, or even avant garde/conceptual looks!

I’d love to know what you do to drive some good vibes during these crazy times!