How to Adult: Pretend You’ve Got It All Under Control Even When You Really, Really Don’t
The thing about grad school is that it leaves you feeling like a teenager well into adulthood. Grad school means years of library runs, social commitments, going out late, writing, breaking down and picking yourself back up again. And while you’re up until 5am writing papers (or dancing in a bar full of undergrads), your high school friends are doing real adult things. Adopting pets! Buying houses! Having children! Sometimes it can feel like your life is on hold, while everyone else is busy adulting.
I don’t know how to adult. There, I said it.
I’m close to thirty, but if something ever goes wrong, my first instinct is to get a real adult. Someone who is confident and well-spoken and never forgets to pay their bills. Someone who uses a planner (not just because it looks pretty in blog photos) and has neat handwriting and goes to mysterious meetings. Someone who eats organic food and drinks chai lattes. Someone who has a job. Someone who can walk in high heels. Someone who always looks calm and put-together.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind not know how to adult. But sometimes, you just have to look like you’ve got this whole adulthood thing down – whether it’s just for yourself or for a job interview.
I find that nailing the Girl Boss look goes a long way toward giving you the confidence to act like one. Like the grown woman I hope I will one day become (lololol). So here are three beauty bits that will trick your brain into thinking you have your shit together – for a few hours at least.
The perfect manicure
Take off your chipped nail polish and ditch the bright colours. Porchester Square by Nails Inc. is a beautiful, understated and elegant nude, with a bit of a lilac undertone. Guaranteed to make you feel like a total boss. At least until it starts chipping.
The Girl Boss red lip
Nothing says “I know what I’m doing” like a perfectly done matte red lip, and the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella will instantly make you feel like you’ve got this. Whatever this is.
The sophisticated scent
Ditch the flirty, sweet and super fresh fragrances and go for musky, woody, or darker floral notes. Leave the Chanel No. 5 where it belongs – on your granny’s dresser. My picks are Marc Jacobs Daisy and Burberry The Beat. Sophisticated, but not boring.
What makes you feel like you’ve totally got your life sorted out and know how to adult?
