Glow Up Checklist: How to Glow Up {Printable Planner}

Wondering what glow up really mean and how to glow up with the best EASY glow up ideas? You are in the right place!

Here’s the ultimate guide to getting you a glow up, with more than 75 Glow Up Ideas with a printable checklist and 2023 beauty and Glow Up planner.

let’s begin

What is a Glow Up?

“A Glow Up is a mental, physical, and emotional transformation for the better. Glow Ups can be both natural or planned. As well as being gradual and permanent, or fast and temporary…”

The Urban Dictionary

A Glow up is an incredible transformation from the inside out, that transformation goes well deeper than just physically, but it reflects that change with a stunning appearance.

The “Glow up” transform you into a more attractive person, and this can happen in a matter of days, weeks, or months.

A glow up is a time you spend on yourself, working on making you a better person, with self-care activities that make you shine and “glow” from the inside out.

It’s a complete transformation that makes you more attractive, more confident, prettier, and glowier.

And I think everyone can have a glow up!

Some others call a glow up when “puberty happens,” but I think a glow up can occur at any time and can be planned.

It doesn’t have age limitations.

What is a Glow Up Challenge?

The Glow Up challenge is a specific period of time you spend on yourself intending to make you a better person, with a better lifestyle that promotes your personal growth and transforms you from the inside out to look stunning and gorgeous prettier.

This Glow Up challenge can also be called, Self-care challenge because it focuses only on personal growth and personal care.

The Benefits of the Glow Up challenge

• You will feel better in general!
• Increased Health
• Increased natural energy
• You will look prettier and glowier (is this word even exist? haha)
• Develop new healthy habits
• Achieve your goals
• Better mood
• Better sleep
• Maybe lose weight or gain weight (focused on your goals!)
• Get a healthier lifestyle.
• Peace mind.
• Improve your body shape.
• Increased your self-love!

I hope these incredible benefits convince you to join this Glow Up challenge, so let’s get started!

How to Have a Glow Up?

When I was younger, I often got a planned glow up every summer or every vacation time from school.

Because I had more time than usual, I dedicated some days to myself, and I applied face masks, hair masks, got a new haircut, and pretty much it.

And I felt that “change” and “self-care time.”

But that wasn’t enough!

Nowadays, I have a hubby and a baby that requires my attention (adult life happens), and It’s tempting just to let me be aside.

I don’t want to lose that glow and that shine that I have, and you have as well!!

So, I created a Glow Up planner for you and me!

This Glow Up planner will guide and organize your entire year glow up!

Yes, I’ve seen a 30 day Glow Up challenge, 7-day Glow Up challenge, etc.

But why take this precious time just a few days? Let’s get an entire year of Glow Up!

With this glow up planner, you can get +40 Glow Up ideas in your hand, you can set your goals, track your habits, track your skincare routine, and it also includes a workout planner and a meal plan tracker.

So it really covers every aspect of this glow-up challenge for all the year.

You can grab it by clicking on the bottom below in this post.

How to Glow up in 3 days

Hey you probably don’t have an entire week to get a glow up, maybe you are in the middle of the week and you want to look stunning for an event this weekend?

Well, I’ll be sharing with you some tips and ideas to help you achieve a stunning glow up in just 3 days. Let’s get started!

Day 1: Skincare & Self-Care

The first step towards a glow up is to focus on your skin and overall self-care.

A great way to start is by taking a relaxing bath with some essential oils and bubble baths.

This will not only help you relax but also hydrate your skin.

Next, treat yourself to a facial at home or a spa. You can also use face masks, face steams, and exfoliate to remove dead skin cells and reveal glowing skin.

Day 2: Hair & Makeup

On the second day, it’s time to focus on your hair and makeup.

Get a haircut or try a new hairstyle to give your appearance a fresh look. If you’re feeling daring, why not try a new hair color?

You can also experiment with makeup to enhance your features and bring out your natural beauty. Feel free to get my free guide on makeup for beginners here.

Day 3: Outfit & Confidence

Finally, on the third day, it’s time to put together your new look with a stylish outfit and boost your confidence.

Treat yourself to some new clothes or accessories, and make sure to choose pieces that make you feel comfortable and confident.

Remember, a glow up isn’t just about looking good on the outside but also feeling good on the inside.

So, take some time to do things that make you happy and boost your self-esteem.

How to: Glow Up overnight

It’s kind of ambitious to try an Overnight Glow Up, but I want to call it an “Emergency Glow up” where we want to look stunning and shine for a special event the next day.

Next actionable tips are also part of a bigger Glow Up challenge, so you can start to do these things every day for permanent results!

Let’s start with Glow Up ideas that you can do to get a glow up overnight, in a week or a month!

These ideas are super simple ideas you can try and combine every night or every other night.

1. Get “beauty sleep”

A night of beauty sleep is getting your full hours of sleep you need for a healthy life balance and a healthier body.

It’s simple, but it is necessary to naturally get a good sleep for your cells to regenerate during the night.

This “beauty sleep” can range from 7-9 hours of sleep.

Don’t get confused about this “beauty sleep” we also don’t want to sleep more than 9-10 hours because it increases the chances of depression and bad eating habits.

And we don’t want that.

2. Spend time cooking for yourself

Bonus points if you cook something healthy! But this time, avoid any junk food and take the time to cook something for you with the intention of spoiling you and making you feel better.

You deserve it!

Take the time to search for an easy recipe that you can cook for yourself, something different you haven’t eaten before.

3. Stick to your Skincare Routine

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may receive a small commission (at zero cost to you). Please see my full disclosure policy for details. 

It’s so easy to get lazy and skip the night skincare routine, and for this glow up idea, take the time to do your night skincare routine properly before going to sleep.

Your night skincare routine should look like this:

• Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid Serum
• Anti-aging eye cream (start using anti-aging products for your eyes if you have more than 22)
• Face night cream (this is different from your day moisturizer, read more about night cream benefits here)
• 2-3 drops of Face Oil (YEP, even for oily skin!)
• Lip balm

If you don’t have a skincare routine, you can read this post where I share exactly what I do on my skincare routine (morning and night), so you can grab my tips and tricks to select yours.

4. Deep condition your Hair

A super easy and quick way to wake up with better and healthier hair is to apply a deep conditioner hair mask before going to sleep (use a hair cap to prevent your pillows from damage).

I recommend applying a deep conditioner with coconut oil or argan oil; those are super effective to restore your hair faster!

If you want to opt for a more natural option (which is always good), check these 7 Easy coconut oil hair mask recipes.

With ingredients that you can find in your kitchen!

5. Get a 30-minute walk

Oh, this is always good! And your heart and body will be thankful for it.

Take a walk with yourself, spend time thinking about things that you’ve been avoiding, or if you prefer, you can call a friend to get some company for your walk.

I know we all have tight schedules, so if a 15-minute walk works for you better, go for it!

6. Apply a Face Mask

If you want that extra glow up overnight, let’s do the skincare routine a little bit deeper this time and add a face masks to those steps!

However, you shouldn’t be applying a face mask every night.

Try to do this only a few times a week.

You can try a pore reducer Dead sea mask like this one!

7. Take a healthy fruit and veggie dinner

For dinner, try a healthy dinner with protein and low carbs, and add fruits and vegetables!

That is gonna be a bomb of vitamins and minerals that will glow your skin and body amazingly.

And this will also improve your body shape!

And you can turn this idea more creative with a big fruit smoothie or a big delicious salad and combine this not only for dinner but also for breakfast and lunch.

The following food gives a Natural Glow to your body:

• Blueberries
• Olive Oil
• Cacao
• Salmon
• Coconut oil
• Strawberries
• all the Citrus (Kiwi, lime, orange)
• Quinoa
• Mushrooms
• Honey
• Oats
• Greek Yogurt, etc.

Note: If one of your long-term goals with this Glow Up challenge is losing weight, you need to consider reducing your insight of calories in your body.

It’s not enough just to start to eat healthier sometimes.

Eating more veggies and fruits will improve your health for sure, but it won’t make you lose weight if you also eat high calories food as well.

Try to consult a nutritionist or a professional to start the perfect healthy diet for you!

8. Read a book for 30 minutes

Like any other part of our body, our brains need exercise!

And a good way to this is by reading every day.

Even if you just do it today for 30 minutes and never build that habit again, you will still be receiving its benefits at that moment because 30 minutes of reading could mean new knowledge, relaxation time, and consequently, time well spent

Reading is fundamental to increasing your knowledge and communication abilities.

In my case, reading has been a life-changer when it comes to learning a new language.

Select your favorite category!

I love drama and love stories, but you can try something more motivational or spiritual, depending on your beliefs and moods.

Get this new habit to improve your mental health! It’s so relaxing and good for your brain.

If you can, try to read real books to take a break from technology, at least for those 30 minutes.

How to glow up in a week

Okay! You can do the last Glow Up ideas in a day to Glow Up overnight, but we want this to be more like a routine and lifestyle!

So let’s get some ideas to glow up in a week and so on.

The next ideas are things that you can try every other day or every day if possible, and you can see results in 7 days.

9. Go to a Spiritual class

It doesn’t really matter what your beliefs or religion are, but connecting with you and god will definitively improve your spiritual health and, in consequence, body and mental health.

I recommend you go to spiritual classes, which could be bible lessons, meditation lessons, etc.

10. Write in your journal

This is another thing that you can do with your Glow Up planner! or you can also get a Handmade Vintage journal like this one here.

It includes a monthly and weekly planner where you can write your things to do, thoughts, and more.

And you can print unlimited times the pages you need to keep writing.

This is an excellent way to liberate your thoughts and feelings; when you write on paper, you’re taking your ideas to reality and relieving your brain.

Start with writing random thoughts that you have, try to focus on the positive ones.

After that, start to write some highlights of your day, which went better than you expected, and what do you think you can improve tomorrow.

You can also use your journal to say things to others that you are not ready to say in person yet (or you don’t want to).

That way, you will feel less weight in your life.

Glow up 7-day challenge: easy ideas

11. Drink more water

I think that there are things in this list that you can just avoid and select the ones that fit your lifestyle, but definitively drinking more water is not an option if you want a real glow-up! 

Okay, that delicious cup of coffee is still a good idea to do (some coffee experts say that coffee has antioxidant properties and it’s actually good to drink it regularly!), but we need to also drink plain water.

Your body needs water for better hydration, and your skin will drastically improve with this healthy habit.

Drink the water your body needs no more, no less!

The best way to build this habit is to always have water next to you; that way, you constantly remember to drink enough water. Try using a cute reusable water bottle.

12. Get some natural vitamin D

Yes! It’s as simple as going outside to take some sunlight for 15 minutes.

You will feel the difference after taking your dose of natural vitamin D instantly!

Doing it every day is super healthy for your body, and it’s been proven to make you happier.

13. Get your nails done

Try a new design for your nails; if you don’t like to do it yourself (like me), try setting an appointment in a nail salon.

OR, you can also try reusable fake nails, and you can get super cute designs without the need to go to the salon.

Other Glow-Up Ideas to do every day for faster results

14. Drink green tea every day

Take the time to make yourself some green tea, apply a face mask, or read your favorite book while finishing your cup.

Green tea is perfect for losing weight!

So you should consider these Glow up Ideas if one of your goals is to get in better shape.

15. Use fewer technologies

We have to be honest; we all love technology but is it a BIG distractor for our personal growth and self-care routine.

Set a time when you are 100% technology-free a day, and this could be 30 min. 1 hr or more! The more, the best.

And this is the perfect time to say hello to the people who live with you that say they are your family. OK, that was a joke, haha.

16. Smell amazing

Use your favorite fragrance and apply it correctly so it lasts all day!

There are specific tips and tricks that will make you smell like a snack all day that covers, hair, body, breath, and down there.

Check the full post with 25 tips and tricks to smell good during the day.

How to glow up in a month – 30 Day Glow Up Challenge

Now, let’s get into something more serious, not just a beauty trend.

We want this Glow Up challenge to become a lifestyle and we want to plan activities with things to do all the time.

Here are some more ideas to Glow up in a month!

You can combine the last Glow up ideas and take the time to create your own Glow up Routine that fits your daily routine and lifestyle.

17. Whiten your teeth

A better smile and whiter teeth will definitely be needed for this Glow up challenge!

Doing that at least every month drastically improves your appearance all making you look prettier and glowier.

After all, a better smile can improve your self-confidence, and this is super beneficial for all aspects of life.

I recommend trying a teeth whitening kit at home like this one with photo reviews from users that say that it improves their teeth since the first time using it!

And it’s super affordable. 

18. Grow out your eyelashes

I love false eyelashes, but there’s nothing more cute and pretty than having full curly and long natural eyelashes.

I know not everyone has been blessed by the gods and has naturally long lashes, but you can grow them with an eyelashes serum!

They are super affordable and effective.

Check this Eyelashes serum that has more than 38,000 reviews on Amazon!

If you overpluck your brows or want to thick them, you definitely have to try it. It actually works for eyelashes and brows growth.

19. Get a hair cut

Get a new haircut!

If you want to grow your hair, you need to cut your ends at least every three months, not every month, but why not change your hair look for this Glow Up?

Try that new look that you find on Pinterest trends and wear it!

Life is short, and I don’t know about you, but I feel like my life restarts every I got a new hair look.

Related post: 17 tips to grow thicker hair faster!

Glow Up in a month: 30 Day Challenge Wellness Ideas

20. Learn how to meditate

Meditating is super beneficial for your personal and mental health, it’s a way to disconnect from the world for minutes but at the same time connect with your soul and the real you.

You can Check this helpful 10-minute meditation for beginners video.

21. Connect with your friends

I know this should be obvious, but sometimes we just don’t take the time to connect with friends and family, which is so essential for our personal and self-growth.

Like a habit, try to connect with friends at least once a week and with your family every day.

This time could be at dinner, lunch, or any time you think is the right opportunity to strengthen your relationships.

22. Find new music

Create a new playlist of your favorite songs and add your favorite singers’ new songs to renew your music repertory when you are in the car or any other time.

New music feels so refreshing for your mind.

23. Get a Spa-like facial at home

You need to get a facial at home at least once a month!

But preferably every two weeks.

A Spa-like facial consists of a deeper facial routine than the usual that deep cleans your face, unclogs your pores and removes blackheads.

This is also the perfect time to relax and apply face masks while you are drinking your tea.

Use a face steamer to achieve this, and you will see A HUGE difference on your skin!

Start with clean your face, next use the face steamer for 5 minutes, then remove your pimples, rinse and apply your moisturizer.

This quick and easy facial routine can drastically improve your skin appearance!

How to glow up naturally

There are another couple of Glow Up ideas that you can try to Glow Up naturally during vacation time, or during the summer (when most of the people have more free time)

24. Change your Makeup routine for less Makeup

I’m a Certified Makeup artist and, of course, a Makeup lover, but I also feel like Makeup is not something we should be doing every day.

I actually don’t wear makeup every day!

But I like to wear cute and pretty with makeup on some occasions, so just try to use Makeup just on special occasions and less like an everyday thing.

Your skin will be thankful for this.

Related Post: How to look beautiful naturally without Makeup

25. Apply Natural DIY masks!

For acne-prone skin, try these Natural ingredients face masks: 7 DIY home remedies for Acne

For Hair growth and healthier hair, try this Natural Aloe vera hair masks: How to use aloe vera for better and healthier hair

26. Think more positive

I genuinely believe that everything is in our minds and that your mind is so powerful!

If you feel something, it can get real, no matter if it’s negative or positive.

So let’s start to think more positively!

Think about your future, how well you will be in five years, and begin to think big!

(If you feel like thinking more positively is something you find difficult to do, consider going to therapy. Please never use Internet advice instead of professional therapy. Here in Real Beauty School, we highly encourage and endorse professional mental health advice from a therapist)

27. Buy new clothes

Buy some new clothes that make you feel more confident and secure about your body and style.

28. Take a relaxing bath

Nothing better than a good relaxing bath, when you can think about things and spend time just with yourself!

You can also add bath bombs with essential oils, and shea butter that is perfect for moisturizing your skin.

29. Try new things and try new hobbies

Life happens, and it is so common to lose that precious time only for you.

Pay more attention to yourself and find some new things to try!

It could be maybe those guitar classes that you always wanted to take, sing lessons, dance classes, or even a Makeup course.

Try always to be creative with yourself and find the activities you like to do the most and make you happy!

30. Wear Sunscreen

It doesn’t matter if it’s winter or summer.

Wearing sunscreen has to be in everyone’s daily to-list for our skin health! Skin cancer is real.

Try to apply at least 50 SPF sunscreen every day.

If you have oily or combination skin, you might try this amazingly oil-free sunscreen that is 55 SPF, feels lightweight on the skin, and promotes clear skin!

Glow Up Self-care Ideas

31. Do yourself a Face Massage

A face massage is my favorite! Is so relaxing.

Apply 3-5 drops of facial oil and with your finger create circle motions in upwards direction all over your face until the oil penetrates your skin.

This exercise will also improve your blood circulation and reduce fine lines on your face. But, if you want better results use a face roller like this one.

32. Eat a balanced diet

This Glow Up challenge is not going to work if we eat junk food regularly!

The best thing to do for our healthy and natural glow-up is to improve our diet.

Start with small changes like adding more vegetables and fruits to your plate and replacing refined carbs and bad fats.

Also, you can try to eat healthy snacks between the main dishes.

33. Daily Laugh

Please do this exercise every day all day!

This is the best way to look naturally prettier, beautiful, and glowier.

Smile every time you can, even if you don’t feel that well to do it, chemically improve the way you feel once you start to smile more constantly.

Try it at this precise moment.

It is FREE and super EASY 🙂

34. Start the day with positive affirmations

For some reason, it is so easy to distract from positive thoughts about ourselves, and say out loud positive affirmations about yourself and your future will make a HUGE difference in your mood.

You will be programming yourself for future success!

Because once you can dream it and think about it, you can turn it into reality.

Start with making a small list of positive affirmations about yourself in different areas of your life, like work, relationships, personal growth, etc., and read the list every day in the morning.

Hair Glow Up Challenge

The best to always keep your hair healthy is by following a hair care routine and creating good habits that benefit natural hair health.

I’ve been on a long hair journey the past few years, and I have a full post that you can check where I share my hair experience with you before and after pictures and how I get my thick, long hair that I always dreamed of NATURALLY.

Here are the best hair care tips for a HAIR Glow Up!

• 35. Don’t wash your hair every day; wash your hair 2-3 times a week.
• 36. Use Hair conditioner
• 37. Wash your hair with cold water at the end of the wash
• 38. Use sulfate-free shampoo
• 39. Avoid heat tools for your hair
• 40. Use a heat protector if you can’t do the last tip!
• 41. Apply a DIY Coconut oil hair mask 3 times a week
• 42. Apply Aloe vera gel for healthy growth!
• 43. Brush your hair once is dry and never while it’s still wet
• 44. Sleep with a braid
• 45. Use a silk pillowcase
• 46. Apply coconut oil before swimming or wear a hair cap
• 47. Cut your trims!
• 48. Get a new hair color
• 49. Use cute hair bands

How to glow up your face

You are already beautiful, but here I’m going to tell you how to look prettier with easy habits and tips you can try today!

• 50. Apply Face masks that promote Clear skin (check this one 100% vegan and effective!)
• 51. Use Night creams every night! (check the best 15 affordable and effective night creams)
• 52. Use a face serum with vitamin C and hyaluronic acid (this one is just the best!)
• 53. Try new makeup looks.
• 55. Use a glowing face mist for an instant glow! (This applies even for oily skin, with the right skin preparation)
• 56. Do face anti-aging massages with a face roller and face oil every day before going to bed.
• 57. Use eye cream every day before your makeup.
  

Related Beauty post: Easy Makeup tips to look pretty on a date night (with pictures!)

How to glow up your body

• 58. Exfoliate all your body with an organic body scrub!
• 59. Moisturize your entire body with lotion
• 60. Deep hydrate your body skin with a body Oil (Ideally to do this, if you have stretch marks)
• 61. Wax your legs at home (check this affordable and complete body wax kit)
• 62. Take a fake tan!
• 63. Do 1hr Workout 3 times a week.
• 64. Daily 30 min (or more) walk
• 65. 30 squats
• 66. 30 jumping jacks
• 67. Get yourself a massage

This self massager is just amazing, cheap, and effective!

Maybe you want to lose some weight or get thicker and gain some, either both, you need to plan your meals and workouts to change your body shape.

The Glow Up planner (keep scrolling to download your copy) includes a full section dedicated to this!

Track your body goals and get control of your journey and progress with a weekly Meal planner, things to buy for your meals, and a weight control tracker where you can track your body changes!

It doesn’t matter if you don’t notice any big change, the point here is to create small changes once at a time, and that effort will get a good result on your Glow body.

Don’t forget your Mental Health

This part is essential for your entire and holistic Glow Up.

If you are good from the inside your will reflect it with your essence, smile, body and attitude.

However, we often tend to let this important part of your life apart, and just live day by day being eating for the adult life routine.

Don’t let that happen to you, and like me try to build the better version of yourself this year!

Now it’s the time to take care of yourself and have the self-care time that you deserve and your mental health deserve.

Wellness Glow up Ideas

68. Pray every night (I believe in God, and talking to him bring peace into my life)
69. Organize your activities and create a weekly schedule (included in the Glow Up planner)
70. Take the time to celebrate the small victories! (in any part of your life)
71. Spend time only with the people that you want to
72. Write letters (I think we must get this good habit back!)
73. Say no when you need it (to people, to projects, to work, to whatever you don’t want in your life)
74. Declutter your makeup, your room, and your house.
75. Pay attention to your personal finances (save money!)

How long does a Glow Up take?

A Glow Up can take between a night and up to a year to happen.

If you accelerate the process and do a complete Glow Up, you can get results one night. However, most of the time, you will see results in a 30-day period, at least.

If you are constant and applied to your new goals and new habits, you may achieve a glow up in a short time period.

But also, if you want to make this a lifestyle, it is necessary to go step by step to make permanent changes in your life.

Final thoughts on The Glow Up Challenge

In conclusion, the most important thing to get away from this Glow up challenge is to Glow up from the inside out.

You will never, ever be more beautiful than you when you are happy, with an awesome personality and attitude.

Let me remind you that you are already gorgeous! Just the way you are. However, these quick beauty tips and tricks will enhance your natural beauty to another level, and that’s OK.

We all need this, taking the time to transform ourselves and turn into the best version of ourselves!

The world will be a better place if anyone pays attention to their personal growth and good habits.

But you and I can start today! The world changes because you and I make changes.

I’m so happy that you stop by this blog today, and I hope you find some awesome ways to feel more confident being you and make you look prettier while you from the inside transform your soul to glow and radiate shine to everyone around you.

At the end of the day, that’s what it’s about. Make a better version of ourselves to make a better world for all.

Please remember that smile is the best makeup, and let’s spend the entire year to Glow Up every day!

Related Beauty Posts:

• How to always smell like a snack (without fragrance!)
• Easy Glowing Skin full face Makeup Routine (just 3 steps!)
• 10 Effective tips to become a Confident Women
• How to get radiant, Glowing Skin Overnight (Yes…really!)

If you like this post, please don’t forget to pin it and share it with others! And comment below what is your motivation to join this Glow Up challenge this year? I’d love to hear from you!

How to Glow Up: Glow Up Challenge