\u201cTrimming your bangs at home is the thing you tell people never to do, but now you may need to,\u201d says Faith Huffnagle<\/a>, Director of Education at Prose. \u201cThe reality of it is because there\u2019s not a person in front of you cutting the bangs, they might always be crooked.\u201d If you have a roommate, enlist them to spot check you. Get a really sharp pair of hairstyling scissors. If your local beauty supply store is still open you can buy them there, or Amazon is an option. Using kitchen scissors is a bad idea because they\u2019re too dull and can cause split ends on a microscopic level that your naked eye won\u2019t be able to see.<\/p> Standing in front of a mirror, place a paper towel underneath you or something to pick up the clippings. Separate your bangs into three parts: the middle and two sides. Hold your hair with normal tension\u2014if it\u2019s too tight, the cut will be too short. Make sure it\u2019s really straight and gather it between your middle and index finger. Do your first cut in the dead center, above your nose, and cut a straight line just below your fingers. Leave it longer than you think you should because you can always go shorter when straightening it out. After every cut, drop the piece of hair and take a look at it. If it isn\u2019t straight, then take the shears and lay one blade lay on your forehead and trim across with little baby cuts so it looks straight. From that middle place, take another small section next to it, bring your fingers down the same way, and work your way across your fringe. If you find it easier, you can use a comb instead of your fingers. Make sure to keep some space between your bangs and forehead so that you don\u2019t accidentally cut your eyebrows.<\/p> If you have curly hair, you\u2019ll need a different method, cutting curl by curl. Don\u2019t pull your hair down. Instead, pick up each curl, cut it, and use it as a guide and pick up the one next to it. Start from the middle and go to each side.<\/p> We\u2019ve all seen those memes about how we\u2019ll know everyone\u2019s real hair color in three weeks. When yours start to show, the best option is just to cover your roots\u2014not dye your entire head. Typically, the biggest challenge isn\u2019t actually dying your hair yourself, but choosing the right hue. \u201cWhen people choose incorrectly, it might create a band of the wrong color and then the stylist has to remove that in the future,\u201d Huffnagle says. During quarantine, some stylists have been preparing color for clients and shipping it, so see if that\u2019s an option. If not, look for a kit that has \u201cnatural\u201d or \u201cneutral\u201d on the label, since that will cover grays and blend in more easily with the rest of your hair. In case of a mix-up, it\u2019s also easier for your stylist to fix.<\/p> If you have a roommate, enlist them to help, especially with the back of your head. Try to get a root touch up brush (which will only set you back $1 or so) and a bowl, which makes the application process easier and more precise, as well as gloves. \u201cIf you\u2019re working from a bottle, make sure to protect surfaces because everything gets dyed in the bathroom and it\u2019s super easy to squirt everywhere,\u201d Huffnagle says. Have a mirror behind you and in front of you for maximum visibility. Separate your hair into four parts\u2014two sections in the front and two on the sides. When you dip your brush into the color, just use a little so that there\u2019s a line of color at the end of the brush. Then, within those sections, break hair into horizontal quarter inch sub sections and apply the color where you need to. Don\u2019t be afraid to let the hair touch each other, which will help the color bleed through and cover roots. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry about being super crazy neat; just don\u2019t pull the color through to your ends and only dye whatever is needing color,\u201d Huffnagle says. Once you\u2019re done coloring it all, let it process and then shampoo. If you can wait until you see a pro, you can use a root spray in the meantime, or even mascara to cover grays if you have dark hair when you\u2019re in a pinch.<\/p> It might be more tempting than ever to pick off your polish, but don\u2019t! That damage will last a lot longer than your nail art did. Luckily, removing a gel mani at home isn\u2019t the Herculanean task it might seem to be. Start by gathering all the necessary supplies. \u201cYou need a nail file, buffer, an orange wood stick (cuticle pusher), cotton balls, foil, acetone and Nails.INC Superfood Repair Oil<\/a>,\u201d says Lisa Logan, consulting manicurist for Nails.INC. Use the nail file and buffer to remove the shiny top layer of gel; this ensures that the acetone will penetrate the polish. Make sure to get as close to your nail bed and free edges as possible.\u201d Then take a small cotton ball saturated in acetone and lay it on a small square of tinfoil. Fold the foil around your finger tightly; ensure that it is gripping the cotton ball to your nail. After about 10 minutes, check in to see if the polish is lifting. The base should be lifted too. Once all of the gel has been removed, shape and buff your nails and apply Superfood Repair Oil to hydrate and replenish nails, since acetone can have drying effects.<\/p> There\u2019s never been a better time to whip up DIY face masks in your kitchen. \u201cI do a great turmeric mask for instant glow and acne at home,\u201d says board-certified dermatologist, Rita Linkner<\/a>, MD FAAD, of Spring Street Dermatology<\/a> and Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, Mount Sinai Hospital. It involves two tablespoons of turmeric powder, one tablespoon of chickpea flour, a half cup of plain yogurt and a teaspoon of honey. Mix and apply to your face for 10 minutes before showering, then rinse off thoroughly in the shower. \u201cThe purpose of the chickpea flour is to offset the strong color of the turmeric; this is needed or you will stain things,\u201d Dr. Linkner says.<\/p> You\u2019re not the only one worried about looking like Groucho Marx by the time you can go out again. But the silver lining about quarantine is it\u2019s ideal for giving your brows a rest and letting them grow in. \u201cThe biggest complaint I hear is I don\u2019t see any brow growth,\u201d says Sania Vucetaj of Sania\u2019s Brow Bar<\/a>. \u201cTake advantage and let your skin and eyebrows breathe\u2014don\u2019t apply any creams or moisturizers over them, since they inhibit growth, and you\u2019ll see extensive growth.\u201d Take a break from brow gels too, since that stickiness gets into the follicle and makes hairs shed. And hide your magnifying mirror! \u201cIt\u2019s never good for brows,\u201d Vucetaj says. \u201cIt will cause you to obsess, now that we\u2019re bored. Your brows aren\u2019t going to get crazy enough to tweeze them.\u201d But if you really can\u2019t leave those stray hairs alone, follow Vucetaj\u2019s plan. Use her Angled Mechanical Brow Pencil<\/a> to trace a precise shape around your brows. Step back from the mirror to make sure it\u2019s symmetrical, then tweeze<\/a> only outside of that. When you\u2019re tweezing, pull hair by the root in the direction of the growth to prevent breakage and ingrowns. Use alcohol to keep the tips of the tweezers clean. Always remember that less is more when it comes to plucking, and don\u2019t tweeze more than every two weeks. \u201cPeople go at it every day and that\u2019s what gets you into trouble because there\u2019s not enough hairs,\u201d Vucetaj says. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to stay inside anyway, take advantage and let your brows fully come in.\u201d<\/p> If bare nails are getting you down, an at-home mani or pedi is the perfect way to indulge in self-care. Create a mini salon in your space by setting up all the tools. \u201cFor a dry manicure or pedicure, lay down a towel and have your nail file, cuticle pusher and clipper all at hand,\u201d Logan says. Clip down your nails to your preferred length. Use a cuticle oil and a wood stick to push back your cuticles. Wipe the oil off with a hot towel and buff your nails before applying polish. Use a strengthening base coat<\/a> like Nails.INC Nail Kale Superfood Base Coat, a high-gloss polish in a color of your choice, and follow it with Nails.INC 45-Second Retinol Top Coat.<\/p> Sorry, but this is one you really shouldn\u2019t do yourself. \u201cAs a board certified dermatologist, I wouldn\u2019t advocate for at-home hair removal,\u201d Dr. Linkner says. \u201cYou can get skin discoloration and folliculitis.\u201d Plus, hot wax can lead to burns and you can accidentally remove layers of skin. Play it safe and embrace a razor for now. \u201cFace Nair is something people can opt for,\u201d Dr. Linkner says. \u201cI always advocate doing a trial on your inner arm prior to using it on the face.\u201d<\/p> \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\nTouch up roots<\/h2>
Remove gel nail polish<\/h2>
Facial<\/h2>
Eyebrows<\/h2>
Mani and pedi<\/h2>
Waxing<\/h2>