The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

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March 21, 2024

Prom prep the natural way

As prom comes close, you and your friends frantically drive to every strip mall and shopping complex you know of to find “the dress.” You scroll through thousands of pictures of hair braids and up-do’s, schedule a 2 hour nail appointment at the best spa in town, and search DSW shelves from top to bottom.

At this point, it may seem you’re completely ready for prom. You may think there’s nothing you can do about your dull hair suffering from too many nights in messy buns or your complexion damaged by UV rays at spring sports games. But you’re wrong. To take care of the problems you can’t fix with the prettiest dress or most adorable pumps, we’ve compiled a few natural beauty tips that will make you shine in no time.

The power of olive oil:

There’s a reason the Greeks love this stuff so much. It has natural moisturizing abilities and the fats and proteins help smooth everything from cracked skin to un-manageable hair. If your skin needs an extra shine, rub a light layer of olive oil over your body after you shower. Let it sit for about 10 minutes — it’s so rich that your skin will need time to soak up all it has to offer.

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For shiny, smooth, soft and manageable hair, olive oil is just what you need!

  • First, Put ½ cup of olive oil with 1 tsp of vinegar (for extra shine) in a bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds, so everything melts together.
  • Then grab a plastic bag (like the kind you used to carry Giant groceries in before they cost 5 cents) and head up to the bathtub. This can get a little messy, so it’s best to be standing in the bathtub when applying.
  • Bend over and start at the roots of your hair, rubbing the olive oil in to your scalp. Proceed throughout the rest of your hair until it looks so wet you could have just stepped out of the shower.
  • Put the plastic bag around your head and twist your hair up in it. Then get the hair dryer and lightly heat the top of your head so the hair follicles absorb more of the oil.
  • Next, keep the bag and oil on your head for about 30 minutes. After the time is up, shampoo the oil out of your hair. It is essential to rinse and repeat, or you’ll end up with a greasy scalp. Use a light conditioner, and you’re done!

Your hair will be noticeably shinier and smoother within one use, perfect for reversing the damage AP exams and ponytails cause.

Brighten your eyes and skin with green tea:

Another infamous result of the end of the year is puffy eyes and dark circles caused by lack of sleep. You could go to CVS and buy the $15 Garnier eye brightening roller, or you could heat up a mug of green tea in the morning. Not only will the natural caffeine wake you up and the antioxidants protect your skin, but the tea bag itself can do wonders. Taking the bag and placing it under each eye for 3 to 5 minutes will reduce any puffiness or dark circles, and make you look like a 9-hours-of-sleep beauty.

Whiten your teeth with baking soda:

Sometimes the only thing getting you through those nights of studying and planning prom logistics is endless mugs of coffee. While that coffee may be the only reason you don’t fail your APES exam, it can cause ugly yellow-ish stains on your teeth. A quick and cheap way to brighten that smile is sprinkling a bit of baking soda on your toothpaste/toothbrush every night. The baking soda gently scrubs away at the stains, and doesn’t taste bad at all. After three nights, your prom date will need sunglasses just to glance at your smile.

All of these ideas are not only helpful for prom prep, but for general beauty upkeep as well. In combination with the perfect dress and shoes, these solutions make your natural beauty shine through and help create a night full of memories.

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