I spent a whole Friday outdoors recently, lunching on the grass, having fun with friends and doing some sailing. It was a beautiful, sunny day and I enjoyed myself very much, however when I got home that night I realized that there was one thing I had missed -- sunblock.

My skin is very sensitive and every time I expose it to sunlight, it gets red, and then gradually fades to a nice brown. But this time I overdid it. I burned my forehead, my nose, and my ears! It never even occurred to me to put sunblock on them. The sunburn wasn't really painful, but it was quite disgusting when my skin began to peel from my face and I got an awful blister on my left ear. I never had any of those and after some googling I decided to leave it alone, without popping it, and it actually popped on its own. My point here is, having a sunburn isn't fun, and it certainly doesn't look good. So here are some reminders how to get a nice, even and safe tan.

First off, use sunblock. Even if it is low in SPF, it makes a huge difference and will still protect you from harmful UV rays. Secondly, spread it everywhere. It will help you get an even tan. And don't forget the sneaky places like the ears, hands, back of your neck, and feet. If you forget about them, the consequences are going to be painful. Also, pay close attention to the places you don't usually reveal to the sun. While your forearms may be used to the sunlight and tan only moderately, remember that your stomach hasn't been exposed all winter and may tan much more violently. Reapply the sunblock frequently, especially when doing sports or after having a swim, because sweat and water usually wash it off. Avoid sunbathing at noon when the sun is strongest. Remember to stay hydrated, and maybe opt for a cool hat or bandana to protect the top of your head. It is also a good idea to invest in lip balm with sunblock to protect your lips from drying and chapping.

Choose the sunblock wisely. Consider your type of skin, the activity you are planning on doing, how long are you going to be in the sun and what kind of tan you want. There are many types of sunscreens nowadays, like creams, sprays, oils etc., so I'm sure you can find one that suits you best. The higher the SPF the greater the protection, ranging from a very low SPF 10 to a very high SPF 50. Keep in mind that reapplying SPF 10 five times is not going to give the same protection as an SPF 50.

Recently I’ve looked for ways to liven up my hairstyle. My hair is just above my shoulders, and I’ve been growing it out awhile. I knew I didn’t want to cut the length, nor do I want to experiment with color (I’ve already done it all -- from blond through red and black to...purple. It took a lot of willpower to go back to my own color and not touch up those roots) and so I decided to experiment with texture. My hair has always been straight without even a slight curl and I’ve always liked that; no hassle straightening it in the morning. But I’ve noticed that curls and waves are gradually starting to become more popular and I have to say that I felt a little envious.

I wanted to experiment with curls myself. The first thing was to research perms. My grandmother gets them from time to time, and even my mother had one in her college years, so I was familiar with the idea. Imagine my surprise when I found out that there are many different kinds of perms and they all give different results. Additionally, when having a perm done, a chemical is usually applied to your hair and shouldn’t have contact with your skin or scalp. Now that sounded dangerous! I never had a problem with changing the color or length of my hair, because I have always thought to myself “it’ll grow back anyways” but this time was different. I wasn’t sure if getting a perm was such a good idea, having to commit to it for several months, and I didn’t know how it would look after the chemicals stopped working. Would it just become straight again? Would it stay semi-wavy? Would it be damaged? Would I have to cut it off to get rid of the perm completely? Too many unanswered questions were rolling around in my head and I decided against taking that leap of faith. Perms, apparently, are not for me. At least not yet.

Curling iron similar to mine: Curls by Revlon, 3/4", walmart.com, $6.77

But I wasn’t about to give up on my dream of curly hair so easily! I took the safer approach. I went to a store that begins with “W” and ends with “almart” and I purchased a curling iron that cost me about $5. It doesn’t have anything fancy to it, but it certainly does the job. I’m just starting to learn how to use it properly, and for now I can say that my arms hurt terribly from having to hold it above my head for longer periods of time and it has been difficult to achieve the perfect wave, but I won’t get discouraged. There are plenty of helpful tips online and on Youtube on how to curl your hair and I am determined to achieve a perfect wave by summertime, so that I can show it off on a beach and be all feminine and curly.

I was at the mall recently and it seemed like whichever store I entered, bright colors were there. Everywhere I looked green pants, pink shirts, orange shoes, blue hats...I felt like somebody literally splashed color everywhere. I haven't had good experiences with bright colors in the past. My closet has always contained more blacks, whites, greys, dark blues, and pale pinks, etc. than bold colors, which seem to be really popular this Spring. Well, except for this one time...

Let me tell you about that one time. I think it was the spring of my sophomore year in high school when I decided to go on a shopping spree and change my bleak image. I acquired many colorful clothes, from pants and t-shirts to shoes and even a hat. I really don’t know what came over me, but I was quite content with my purchases and wore them proudly. Until one of my mother’s friends looked me up and down and said “Huh, so is this like a new fashion trend?” I looked in the mirror with fresh eyes and realized what she meant: I looked like a clown. Let me give you a little visual.

Scala Paper Braid Fedora Hat in Cobalt, lordandtaylor.com, $30; BDG Twill Grazer Mid-Rise in Green, urbanoutfitters.com, $49; Shirt, hm.com, $13; Converse All Star Lo-Top Sneakers, farfetch.com, $101

Obviously, I didn't know how to mix n' match color at all. I have no idea what I was thinking back then, and why no one had stopped me. Since then I have been always wary of bright colors. But even though this Spring trend isn't really my style, maybe it won’t hurt to try wearing color again, especially if I do it tastefully. And even if I won’t feel confident enough to rock green pants anytime soon, I am sure that I will update my wardrobe with numerous colorful accessories, because spring is near, after all!

How many times have you looked down at that place where your legs bend and thought to yourself “I love you, knees! You are so beautiful!” Never? That seems about right to me. I don’t know about you, but ever since puberty hit and I started caring for the way I look, I have hated my knees. I don’t think I ever wore a dress that would end above them, because, come on, they are just hideous! I didn’t want to show them off and let the rest of the world know that I have ugly knees. Well, news flash, people! Since watching an episode of “Paul the Male Matchmaker” on Hulu (quite a ridiculously funny show, I might add) the thought has been haunting me: knees are probably the most ugly part of the body. Seriously. And to prove my point, just like Paul did, I present to you the ugly knees of Hollywood!

The point of this is not to be mean to the stars we all adore, but to make you all aware that you are not alone in hating your body parts (may it be your knees, your noses, or your arm hair) and that everyone has similar problems. So we should stop obsessing about the little things we dislike about ourselves and focus on the big picture -- we are all beautiful! And if the most beautiful and powerful women of show business can get over the ugliness of their knees and prosper, then we can too!

I know that some day I’m probably going to look back and realize that now are “the best days of my life,” but until that happens I can’t deny that being 30 seems to be kind of… safe. I imagine myself at 30, having a safe job, a safe home, a safe relationship and overall just being comfortable with who I am. I see being 30 as a perfect age: you have been a responsible adult long enough to know the ins and outs of life, yet you’re not old enough to get bored with it. There is one more thing that I envy 30-something women, namely, their clothes.

For a few years now I’ve been walking around stores that don’t usually sell to my age demographic. I realized that I am attracted to clothes that I am too young to wear, and I’m not saying granny-panties or anything like that. One of my favorite brands that make clothing for more mature women is J.Jill. I love looking through their catalogs and imagining myself wearing their clothes when I’m older. I know that probably a good marketing strategy is responsible for me picturing myself as one of these women on the pages, but I can’t help but to fantasize about being 30 and looking like them: beautiful, confident, independent. Happy.

All images courtesy: jjill.com