As the cabin fever has settled a bit, I realize that I have become one of the people who have been making impulse decisions because "Who am I going to be seeing anytime soon?". While I haven't gone so far as to giving myself a stick-and-poke tattoo, I've definitely done some things I don't think I normally would have done if I was seeing people on a more regular basis.
Indulged in the TikTok craze
Photo by TikTok
If you didn't know, TikTok is an app where users can create and share videos that can be up to minute long. The platform is filled with quick storytimes and LOTS of dance trends. I've been a casual user since last year but I've definitely fallen further into the rabbit hole on this one. I've learned a few of the dances and made a couple, private TikToks but I definitely am more of a consumer than a creator. Like many others, I've found it's quite easy to get trapped in the app and you end up scrolling for an hour when you only meant to take a quick 15-minute break. While Vine purists detest it, I think that TikTok is a good replacement for its fallen predecessor. I mean, have you really heard anyone talking about Vine 2 launching?
Bought a tiny microphone
If you've also fallen into the aforementioned TikTok obsession, I'm sure you've seen the videos of people recording themselves using these adorable little microphone attachments. While they're small, they still record audio like their regular-sized counterparts and I have fallen victim to their gimmicky aesthetic. I'm still awaiting my latest impulse buy but I am beyond ready to make some #relatable content.
Made the infamous "whipped coffee"
Photo by Tasty
One of the first really viral quarantine trends I saw was the rise of the whipped coffee. For those who aren't aware, this style of coffee involves beating together one part of coffee with equal parts of sugar and hot water until the mixture reaches almost stiff peaks territory. That mixture then tops a glass of milk to create a fluffy and uber creamy cup of joe. I didn't want to jump on the bandwagon initially as it looked like too much work trying to hand-whip something but I caved after watching countless videos of people making it across my social media. After quite a bit of mixing, I grew tired but the result was still delicious. I wasn't able to get the coffee to the super fluffy consistency but I feel like I got the gist of the drink.
Cut my hair
Photo by Caroline Yu
My DIY hair journey really began last year when I cut bangs into my hair on a whim during one late night in my dorm but it has since then escalated into helping my friend get a bob and giving myself intermittent trims. Braced with a growing sense of boredom with my look and a fresh pair of sewing scissors, I took on the challenge of giving myself a more major cut. Fear not though, before I went slashing through my hair I did watch a couple of tutorials on how to cut your own hair, and every video I watched seemed to plead with me not to do this but I went ahead and did it anyway. I am actually very happy with how it turned out and it's a perfect short 'do for the summer months.
Dyed my hair
Image by Arturs Budkevics from Pixabay
I'd say one of the most impulsive and daunting things to do on your own is definitely bleaching and dyeing your own hair. But, after binge-watching a slew of Brad Mondo's Hair Dresser Reacts videos on YouTube, I built up some confidence along with a strong impulse to dye my hair. I'd say I'm an amateur at the art of at-home hair-dyeing after countless experiences doing my friends' and my own hair so I wasn't too worried. However, it was the first time I'd bleached my own hair since sophomore year of high school and I had seen too many bleach mishaps occur online and in real life. In the end, I'd say I'm generally pleased with the outcome (because it definitely could have been worse) but I'm definitely keeping it on the down-low for now (which is why I refuse to let anyone besides my immediate family get a good look at it).
Although I can't really tell you not to do any of these things, I'd definitely suggest if you did want to jump on any of these cooky quarantine trends that you should do your research. Especially if it directly impacts your being.
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