This past two weeks have been filled with extreme ups and downs. On the up side, I got backstage access to cover some of the hottest shows for New York Fashion Week! On the down side, the job hunt isn’t going as smoothly as I had hoped. There’s been a ton of leads but most have turned out false.

It all culminated in a total and complete public meltdown. After a great lunch with a social media client (my first! yay!), I checked my email and received my second job/internship rejection of the day. That fall after such an emotional high from landing a client to getting back to back job rejections felt like I was pushed off the Empire State Building. At one moment I was on top of the world! And the next moment I was a crumpled heap of nothingness on 34th St., just another splat on the floor.

DKNY Storefront from Google Street View. Imagine me crying there.

I physically could not stand at that moment and sat down in front of DKNY in SoHo to process my emotions. But it was just so jumbled, the only thing that I could get out were tears. There I was, a 27-year old woman was sitting outside of DKNY (whose window displays were SIIIIICK) crying! Strong women do not cry in public, so am I really just that much weaker than I thought? Has my self-assessment been wrong all of these years? Instead of a sassy can-do girl with bright eyes and big aspirations, maybe I’m more of a stupid naive wide-eye girl who just can’t hack it alone by myself in the big city. Maybe I just suck.  Maybe I’m not a star after all. Maybe my place really is in a depressing window-less lab doing brainless work. Maybe that’s all I’m good for. And while I’m at it, maybe I am just destined to be single and alone forever without ever finding a true “Love of My Life.” At least that’s what my non-existent dating life seems to indicate.

Right now I honestly don’t know if I have enough energy to keep going. My mind and emotions are so drained. At the same time I’ve worked so hard to just get to New York and fought so many personal demons just to leave LA. Do I really want to admit defeat now? Admit that I’m not tough enough for this city? Or do I recuperate, take a deep breath, and rebuild myself into a stronger version of me?

In the mean time I’m trying to follow these three words from Parks and Recreation: Treat Yo Self!

What does “Treat Yo Self” mean? For me it means getting pampered – massages, facials, and mani/pedis all while sipping on champagne. Come on, how does that not sound “treat yo self”-worthy? Of course without a steady income, I’ve come up with a DIY version of pampering. Hair treatments, full body scrub, and even laser hair removals and even blue light facials!

Hair Treatment

I’ve already covered how you can get amazing hair by using Original & Mineral products. But for a hair salon like treatment, check out Joico’s K-Pak RevitaLuxe Bio-Advanced Restorative Treatment ($24.99). After shampooing and before conditioning, coat your hair thoroughly with this and let it sit for 5 minutes to let the Keratin Peptide Complex work. Your hair will feel stronger and sleeker after just one use, trust me.

Body Scrub

LATHER Bamboo Lemongrass Foaming Body Scrub ($68 for 16 oz. on lather.com)

No matter when or what, I always reach for the LATHER Bamboo Lemongrass Foaming Body Scrub ($38).  I’ve raved about it before and I’ll rave about it in the future. It is the best at-home body scrub ever. Every time I use it I feel like I’m scrubbing away all of the city’s dirt and grime along with all of my stress. It’s truly a revitalizing scrub – the best ever!

Facials

Available at Sephora for $225

Deep Cleanse: I stopped using my Clarisonic ($225) on a daily basis due to laziness, but when I want to pretend like I’m at a spa getting a facial, I bring it back out. It provides the deepest cleanse ever. Use your favorite cleanser, whether it’s cream, gel, or even milk and feel the bristles oscillating back and forth to coax out all the dirt!

Exfoliate: Depending on how much exfoliation I want, I follow up my deep cleanse with either the Kate Sommerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Exfoliating Treatment ($85) or the AMOREPACIFIC Treatment Enzyme Peel ($60). Both are amazing and I really choose which one I use based on whatever I have in my shower. The Exfolikate is more aggressive though as it’s both a manual and physical exfoliant. The AMOREPACIFC peel is very gentle as it’s enzyme based but still very effective.

Available at LovelySkin.com for $245

Treatment: Photofacials are the new rage not just in anti-aging facial treatments, but also in anti-acne treatments! Apparently blue lights kill acne-causing bacteria both on the surface and below the surface of your skin to reduce and prevent acne. Instead of getting it done at a spa, you could get an at-home version for everyday use. I’m currently trying out the Skin Perfecting Blue Light by Tria Beauty ($245 on lovelyskin.com) and I like it. For 5 minutes each day, simply “paint” your skin with the touch-activated tip. The tip will feel slightly warm but it’s not uncomfortable at all. It’s easy to use and according to their studies, your skin starts to clear up within two weeks.

Available at shop.futurederm.com for $39.95

Leave-In Treatment: After using the Skin Perfecting Blue Light, I apply whatever treatment serum I’m currently trying along with a hydrating but light moisturizer. Right now I’m using the FutureDerm Time-Release Retinol 0.5%, a light-weight gel based retinol serum created by fellow beauty blogger and friend, Nicki Zevola. After using it for a week my skin definitely evened out. I can see my sun spots reducing in size – always a plus!

Available on LovelySkin.com for $32

Moisturize: After all that aggressive treatments to rid my skin of acne, I always always moisturize with a lightweight and soothing moisturizer. At the moment I’m trying out Skin Recovery Cream by Avene ($32 on lovelyskin.com). It’s formulated specifically for hypersensitive skin – perfect for use after any type of skincare procedures (at home or at a facility). According to Avene, the Skin Recovery Cream contains a patent-pending ingredient called PARCERINE® that calms the skin while “repairing the damaged hydrolipidic barrier of the skin.” Apparently PARCERINE® “has a high affinity with Serine Protease and prevents it from activating the PAR2 receptor, thus reducing the production of IL-8 (protein associated with inflammation) and deactivating the inflammatory response.” In layman’s terms, it will sooth hypersensitive skin and help repair it!

After particularly bad days, this long at-home spa process have proven to be therapeutic not just for my skin, but for my mental health. So what how do you “treat yo self” when you’re upset?