10 things that help you feel confident everyday || Fall edition

1. Clean face, arms and legs (clean = no hair)

Don't rise your hairy eyebrow lady. Yes it's Fall, but going to the doctor, trying on shoes/boots, making out, going to the gym/swimming pool - none of these needs braids of body hair showing. 

Plus facial hair is such a turn off for your self confidence even if you stay at home all day.

2. Fresh hair

Whether it's freshly washed or second day hair or dry shampoo, make sure your hair looks fresh to your eyes and to all the mirrors of your house (light changes drastically from bedroom to hallway). Don't forget, the deal is for you to believe your hair looks fresh, otherwise you will spend all day thinking everyone is staring at your roots and the stress will make your hair oily indeed.

3. Spotless face

I am not the best example here, as I am often too late to put any make up before leaving home, but making sure to prepare your face for your needs will make everything go smoother later on. This might be anything that works for you, for example light make up or a touch of powder, a tinted moisturizer or drops of concealer. There's always a bathroom available to add mascara or gloss later, but having the overall base will save you from answering others' stupid questions like "Are you sick?" / "Did you have to work late?" / "Were you crying?" /"Is everything alright?" or just "Wow, I have never seen you like this before!". You get my point.

4. Weather surprises (umbrella + cardigan + waterproof flats)

They seem so obvious, but let me remind you how you feel without them when you are out of the house all day. Exactly, it sucks and you get pissed of.

5. A scarf

Whatever the weather or the season is, I always have one in my bag. I could have included it in no.4 but is is so important and versatile, it deserves a whole number. A scarf might replace a cardigan, cover a spot or torn piece, cover your head in rain, keeping hair in place when windy, add interest to a classic attire, cover your female parts if needed and protecting your white dress if you put it under you before sitting anywhere not clean. There must be more, but I guess I said enough to make you not underestimate the scarf.

6. Camera

No matter how old you are, what you do for living and whether you like taking pictures or not, there will always be a moment that requires a quick snap, to be remembered, shared, or for a totally odd reason. Not all of us can always carry a DSRL in the bag, but a simple digital one does the trick. And of course you can always rely on your phone's camera, just be sure to put it in a shortcut, so you know how to find it quickly when the moment arrives.

7. Pen and notebook

Again, we go back to basics, but it is really uncomfortable when you don't have a pair of these around and nobody can help you. Choose a nice A5 or A6 notebook that looks cute yet professional (you might love everything Hello Kitty, but imagine having to get it out of the bag in front of someone very important - that's what I thought - you better opt for a minimal pink one ).

8. Sunglasses

It might be cloudy or rainy in the morning, but you never know when the sun decides to shine up again and clouds reflect a very bad light in the morning and especially while driving. Also, using sunglasses to keep your hair up in place is so easy and stylish.

9. Tissues, wet paper, gum, mints (plus a hair tie and a small hair clip)

You might feel like you are back in middle school and your mum is checking your school bag while you read this, but ladies, hygiene comes first and you know how bad luck works - when you run out of tissues, you get a cold / when you have to go on a date you realize you have no mints / and / when your hair is behaving badly you never have something to keep it under control /. Asking your colleagues, university friends or other moms to lend you one of the above will actually make you feel like a middle school-er. So you better prepare like one.

10. Perfume and make up essentials

In order to complete no. 3 mission you need to always carry a small purse with the everyday make up essentials. Don't go crazy with this, as you probably won't need a while rainbow color palette for your eyes, nor glitter or more than 3 lip colors. Keep things simple with only what you use and only one of them. A little bottle of perfume or a few testing samples are always welcomed to retouch or for the days you forgot to spray your favorite scent at home.

That's it ladies. It might seem like too many things to care about, but once you make it a habit for a few days, it will be easy not to forget anything and to replace what you run out of. 

Feeling good, with no need to worry about little things and knowing you are prepared for unexpected bad luck strikes is priceless and allows you to focus to what is important and enjoy your every day.

If you do anything that helps you achieve confidence, be kind and share it please :)

| Love, Lisa |