A summer pledge and a gentle reminder

Statistics show that one out of every five girls feels like she has completely wasted her summer once it ends.

Ok, so we totally ballparked that stat but let’s be serious, this is an epidemic. Let’s all pledge to never waste another precious moment of the season. Say it with us:

• I will absorb each ray the sun is generous enough to bless me with.
• I will lie in the cool, dewy grass, gazing at the endless twinkles of light far above me that promise of worlds beyond my troubles and pain.
• I will let the icy water engulf me as I crash to the bottom, then catapult to the surface after a perfectly executed cannonball.
• I will stand where the water reaches the shore and watch as it seems I’m being carried off into the sea. Then be thankful for solid ground.
• I will savor every last moment of  this.

And through it all, remember that Secret has your back. Summer, in all of its beauty, is also hot and humid in most parts of the country. We all know what that means.

But don’t sweat it, we’ll help you stay fresh. Just embrace each day as if it’s the last day of break, as if the days are growing shorter and the nights becoming cooler. Don’t let it get away for any reason. Because you’re scared of a little B.O. or because you figure you’ve got another day.

You’ve only got here and now.

Much love,

Your Secret Sister

It’s here…

SUMMER.

And between all the amusement park trips, beach days, window-shopping sprees and bonfires, we’ve got a challenge for you.

Remember that girl that sat alone at lunch? You seemed to be the only one that ever even noticed her as she sat quietly, nervously scanning the cafeteria, hoping yet terrified that someone would make eye contact with her. You know she needs a friend and maybe you always wanted to invite her over to your table but were unsure what your friends, or everybody else, may think.

Text her and ask her to hang out. If she says no, leave it open or try again in another week or so. She may genuinely want to be left alone but chances are, she’s just insecure and testing the waters to see if you really mean it. Yeah, it’s probably gonna be super awkward at first, so maybe go see a movie or a concert, some activity where you don’t have to talk to much but can still break the ice.

Don’t worry about your “reputation,” like so many girls our age do. Because you’re going to be seen as the compassionate girl that took notice of someone in need, which everyone can and should respect.

The friendship may not be the right fit, but you never know until you try. And the fact that you cared enough to put yourself out there will mean the world to this girl. Bonus, you’ll feel amazing about yourself.

So, this summer, be like the Biebs and make sure that there’s “one less lonely girl.”

Love,
Your Secret Sister

Songs of the summer

Alright, girls, we want your input for this one. What are your favorite songs for this summer? How ’bout your favorite summer song of all time (we still love KP’s “California Gurls”)?

Here are a few of ours:

1. “Mirrors” – Justin Timberlake (THANK GOD he’s back!!)
2. “Radioactive” – Imagine Dragons (literally every one of their singles sounds completely different. So cool.)
3. “I Love It” – Icona Pop (We love it.)
4. “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark” – Fall Out Boy (New F.O.B. is so dark and edgy. We welcome them back, too!)
5. “22” – Taylor Swift (May be a few years off but we just love Swifty. Anyone going to the Red Tour this summer??)
6. “Heart Attack” – Demi Lovato (This song’s dominating the airwaves and we’re totally okay with that.)
7. “Come & Get It” – Selena Gomez (We just have the biggest girl crush on her.)
8. “Just Give Me a Reason” – P!nk and Nate Ruess (Lovin’ this collab. A match made in harmony heaven.)
9. “Cruise” Remix – Florida Georgia Line featuring Nelly (The perfect song for cruisin’.)
10. “The Way” – Ariana Grande featuring Mac Miller (Okay, this sounds nothing like the squeaky little Cat we know from “Victorious”.)

Now tell us yours in the comments and we’ll make the ultimate summer playlist!

The nose knows more than you know

There’s so much more to our sniffers than you probably think.

Aside from being able to detect fresh lilacs or that new puppy smell or even someone who forgot to put deodorant on (please, lend them your Secret), our sense of smell is actually capable of triggering memories! Turns out, we actually smell with our brains. We’ll spare you all the scientific details (though if you’d like to read more about it, you can HERE), but if you’ve ever noticed that the scent of your grandma’s chocolate chip cookies makes you all warm and fuzzy inside or that freshly cut grass smell reminds you of your days playing little league soccer, it’s all in your head! 😉

So that’s all mildly interesting, but what you should really know about this powerful sense is that the way you smell can affect how you attract people! The human nose can detect pheromones (chemicals we give off) in other people that we’re not even aware of. So what we’re saying is your 100% natural smell can attract boys without you even knowing it.

There are, of course, ways that you can knowingly reel those boys in. Studies have shown that guys are subconsciously attracted to the scents of lavender and vanilla. Good to know, huh?

What’s your favorite smell in the whole world? (Ours is peaches!) What scents would you like Secret to offer?

Much love,
Your Secret Sister

Summer Bucket List Part 1

So you’ve probably noticed that we love lists here at Secret. And now that it’s almost summertime (SERIOUSLY. THANK GOD.), nothing seems more perfect than a Summer Bucket List!

1. Go to a beach

Duh. But if you don’t have a beach anywhere near you, make your own! Get a vinyl tarp and a bag of sand from your local hardware store and a kiddie pool. Spread out the tarp in your backyard and pour the sand on top. Fill up the pool with some icy cold water from the hose. Grab your towels, sunnies and some virgin piña coladas and let yourself be carried away to the tropics. Sound machine of waves optional but highly recommended.

2. Sweat

Ew, what? Just listen. Get your friends together for a girls-vs.-guys kickball game in the park. Bonus points if your crush is there because, here’s a little secret, guys love to see a girl glistening with a little sweat. Who knew, right? Have friends bring snacks and drinks for halftime and maybe even a prize for the winners! Though bragging rights alone may do.

3. Do a photoshoot

We all love to show off our summer tans so why not get the girls together for a photoshoot? Borrow a nice camera and take the perfect new profile pic.

4. Act like a kid

Blow bubbles, catch fireflies, create a chalk mural on your driveway, run through the sprinkler. Let’s be real, there’s part of you that’s never wanted to stop being a kid!

Those are just a few things to get you started, sisters. Part 2 coming soon!

Let’s get ready for SUMMER!!

Much love,
Your Secret Sister

Secret: The new super tool?!

Obviously deodorant is useful for stopping sweat and odors, but did you know that it’s got about a million other uses, too?

Weird, we know.

So what else can it do?

1. Stop stinky feet

Well if it works for your sweaty pits, it only makes sense that it would work on your feet, right? Now you can fearlessly flaunt your feet this summer!

2. Prevents blisters

Another perk for your pieds comes when you rub deodorant on the back of your heels before putting on those hot new shoes. The deo reduces friction between your foot and the shoe, meaning less pain and more dancing.

3. No more sweaty palms

Rubbing a bar on your hands can prevent them from getting all clammy and gross when you’re talking to that hottie in math class.

4. Zap the zits

Suck the moisture out of those pesky pimples by rubbing it down with a brand new stick.

5. Under boob sweat

That’s all that needs to be said.

6. Silence squeaky doors

Slather some on the hinges and save your ears.

7. Slip on your skinny jeans

Applying deodorant to your legs can help you fit into those super-tight-but-super-fashionable pants you’ve been dying to wear all season.

8. Freshen up your clothes

Pop open a stick and put it in your closet to give your clothes a wonderfully fresh scent.

So there you have it. Secret really is the new super tool.

Hat tip to xojane and The Coupon “High” for the ideas!

Moody Mondays: Getting through the week

Ew, Monday again?

Why isn’t there ever enough time to see your friends, hang with the fam, and just plain chill, before that awful alarm clock screeches at you to start the week?

When it feels like every teacher got together and decided to assign you the biggest projects of the year all at the exact. same. time. and to top it off, your bestie is mad ’cause you talked to her crush that you didn’t know she had, what’s a girl to do? How will you ever get through the week?

Well here are a few starters:

1. Just breathe.

We know, this sounds weird. But it really is as simple as that. In and out, over and over. Concentrate. On the inhale, think of all the beautiful things going on in your life right now. You have a new baby cousin. You aced that bio exam. On the exhale, release your troubles. You can do better on that next paper. You can apologize for what you did. Make a point of absorbing the good and saying sayonara to the bad.

2. Count those blessings.

Remember all those amazing things you just reminded yourself of? Write them all down on separate pieces of paper. Find a cute mason jar DIY on Pinterest and fill your jar with your blessings. When the week gets rough, pull one out and remember all that you have to be grateful for!

3. Talk it out.

Sit down with your mom, sister, aunt or bestie and talk about your problems. Yeah, that sounds super cheesy, but don’t you always feel better after you put all your feelings out there and hear someone else’s advice? And remember, tears are always okay. They’re not a sign of weakness, but of the courage you have to share your emotions.

It all seems a little lame and old-fashioned, but sometimes it’s good to take a step back from the insane world around you and relax. Nobody said our teenage years were gonna be perfect, but when you take the time to think about all you’ve got going for you, they get a lot easier!

Don’t sweat it, sister!

Love,
Secret

What’s your secret?

Everyone’s got a secret.

Now we may not be able to stop your ex-bestie from telling everyone you have to wear headgear at night. And we may not be able to shut up your loud-mouth little brother before he rats you out to your parents. But there is one secret we can help you keep.

You sweat.

Sure, everybody does it, but that doesn’t make it any less awkward! At this age, you’re trying to figure out who your friends are, who YOU are, who you want to be. You shouldn’t have to let your body’s natural function get in the way of your self-discovery. Okay, that sounded kind of like our mom but it’s totally true.

So here’s our secret: we’re here to help you make sure you don’t sweat the small stuff. Life’s gonna throw you a lot of curveballs and we want to help you knock them outta the park. We were once your age, not long ago, and we can’t tell you how much we had wished we had someone to tell us, to make us believe that everything was gonna turn out just fine. In fact, that life is just beautiful when you look at it the right way.

So think of us as your Secret Sister. Come to us with your body questions, your frenemy fiascos, your insecurities. Secret’s always there for your underarms, why shouldn’t we have your back for everything else?

Don’t sweat it!

Love,
Secret

Let’s be honest

Deodorant is awkward. There’s nothing inherently sexy in the act of rubbing your pits down with a stick of some strange substance designed to stop you from smelling and creating lovely little pools of sweat in your dry-clean-only dress.

It’s no secret that we’ve all got to use it (yes, even you, flower child), so why not learn to laugh a little at its silliness?

Sweat stinks but with Secret, you don’t have to hide anymore.