If you’re planning a summer makeover – or to completely reinvent your look for the new school year – today’s blog post will give you some inspiration to change up your style while sticking to your budget…
Hurrah, the school holidays are finally here – and I remember the summer holidays being a very exciting time indeed. Even as a university student, I relished those weeks away from the college. But it wasn’t just because I got to have all that time off – for me, it was a time for change.
Every new school year felt like an opportunity to reinvent yourself, make decisions and start the academic year with new goals – and perhaps a whole new look to go with it. I remember going shopping for a whole new wardrobe when I started 6th form because suddenly I didn’t have to wear a uniform any more – I could be whoever I wanted to be!
For me, in the late 90s, that was probably a rather Spice Girls / Drew Barrymore style with Doc Martens and velvet jackets from the charity shop. Dang I was cool back then. But it wasn’t just clothing that made a difference. I started most school years with a whole new hair style too – a different colour, an unexpected fringe, a commitment to wear my hair in space buns every day etc.
So, if you’re thinking of giving yourself a summer holiday makeover, I thought I’d put together some thrifty tips to help you get the look you love – but for much less. Here’s how…
HAIR HACKS
There are SO many ways to change up your hair style without paying too much for your new look. Firstly, you could take advantage of groupon (and similar) vouchers to get you a discount on your hair cut and colour. There’s usually a salon nearby who will be offering a discount so search online to find the best deals.
Also, some hair salons have trainees working with them and they may offer reduced-price or sometimes free hair colouring or cuts if you’re willing to let a trainee do it for you. Obviously, the salon wouldn’t let someone who was untrained loose on your hair, so you can be sure that the trainee will have had all the necessary training to carry out the task AND they’ll be watched over my a trained hairdresser at every step too. If you’re not a worrier, this could be a great way to get a new look for practically nothing.
LOVELY LOOK
With new hair in the bag, you might need to change up your usual make-up look. If you’ve suddenly gone darker with your hair colour, you’ll probably find that you can be more bold with make-up colours too, so you might want to invest in some new products. But don’t break the bank – my favourite place to shop for seriously low-cost beauty products is Wilko. Yes, the homewares shop. You see, they stock Essence make-up, which is not only great quality and cruelty-free, they’re pocket-money prices too.
If you want to make over your smile to match that new lippy there’s a few ways you can do it. Firstly, get yourself a great new electric toothbrush with a built-in timer. That way you’ll be sure that you’re brushing for the recommended length of time and will really make the most of any whitening toothpastes you’re using. Also, did you know that you can now get an instant smile? I’ve seen these clip-on veneers popping up on my social media feed for a while now and I can’t believe the transformation that they provide. Sure, they’re still an investment but I think they cost considerably less than cosmetic dental work so could be a lower-cost option if you were thinking about heading to the dentist.
WARDROBE WINS
I regularly declutter with the aim of getting a minimalist, capsule wardrobe together. And when I do this, where does all the clothes I’ve cleared out go? Why, to the charity shop, of course! And that’s precisely where you should head if you want to shop for a new look this summer.
You won’t just find secondhand items in the charity shop – there’s vintage and unworn new-with-tags items too. I often donate items that I’ve never worn so if you live near me, you’ll be sure to find a brand new bargain in the local charity shop haha! And I’m sure it’ll be the case that there’s plenty of new and barely-worn clothing in your local charity shop too. I got a great new top from the Zest festival shop at Latitude last weekend!
Another thrifty way to make the most of your clothing is to upcycle what you already have in your wardrobe. It can be as simple as fixing the button on those trousers so that you can wear them again, or adding some iron-on embroidered patches to your denim jacket. Or it can be as complex as turning a full-length dress into a mini-skirt – but if you know how to sew, and you’re never going to wear that dress again anyway, you might as well give it a go! See what you can revamp without spending a penny.
So what plans do you have for your summer holiday makeover? Will I bump into you rummaging through the charity shops this August? Have you found a great discount that’s too good not to share? Let me know in the comments below 🙂
This blog post is a collaboration. The pink links in this post may indicate a collaborative link or information source.
