Starting your own business

Maybe you want to start your own graphic design business or you’ve got a knack for making handcrafted jewelry that you want to sell. First, you should speak to as many people as possible in the field and learn as much as you can. Ask about their experiences and challenges, tips on cost-related factors and how they price and market their product.

Make sure you’re 100 percent committed to your idea and that you have seed money to start out with, then don’t be afraid to dive in. (Bake sales are a relatively easy moneymaking option, and garage sales also clean out your closet!) If you’re still in high school, consider taking an introductory business course at your local community college. There are also great resources available on the Internet, such as bplans.com and free online money-tracking platforms like Indinero.

Recording your own CD

Who says you can’t be the next Taylor Swift? You don’t need to spend a fortune on booking a recording studio or buying fancy equipment to produce a quality CD. GarageBand, which comes with all Apple computers, is a fun and user-friendly program that includes both arrangement and recording capabilities. You can plug in a microphone, bass or guitar on top of a range of built-in instruments for back-up. If you need more direction, check out some of the hundreds of free tutorials on YouTube or stop by an Apple retail store.

For PC alternatives, try Cakewalk Music Creator ($50), which comes with over 1,000 music loops, built-in instruments, project templates and instructional videos. All you’ll need are a microphone and blank CD.

Getting a law passed

If you have great ideas on an issue you’re extremely passionate about, don’t be afraid to make your voice heard by contacting the local congressional member in your district. Simply look up their name online to find their congressional website, with details on their stances on different issues as well as their contact information.

Make sure to thoroughly research the issue you are concerned about and carefully craft the message that you will be sending. Not sure where to start? Professional templates can help guide you in structuring your letter.

You can also create a group to support your cause and encourage others to write to the area’s political representative. Be sure to consult house.gov regularly to check that there isn’t an existing or upcoming bill that is similar to what you might be advocating for.

Making a movie

The centerpiece of a good movie is a well-written script. Screenwriting is very different from creative or academic writing because it focuses heavily on dialogue, character actions and scene structure. Have others read your script to give you feedback or even act out the scenes to provide you with better direction.

For filming you’ll need a director (probably yourself!), actors, a video camera, a tripod, microphones, lighting equipment and a few volunteers to help set up between scenes. Depending on how professional you want your movie to look, try filming each scene from multiple angles and shots.

Once you’re done filming, the fun begins. Final Cut Pro is an easy and user-intuitive video-editing program. Make sure to remove any sequences that aren’t entirely captivating, experiment with cutting scenes, add music where appropriate and add a title and credits.

Starting a charity

If you want to give back in your own way, get involved in related organizations at your school and in the community to best identify where your interests might meet a specific need. If you’re interested in education, volunteer as a teacher’s assistant. If you’re an advocate of health issues, see where you can help out at your local hospital or community health center.

Also research similar organizations to figure out what your charity will potentially bring that is different and get ideas for how to possibly structure your organization. If you‘re serious about obtaining non-profit or 501(c)(3) status for your organization—meaning your organization will be exempt from IRS taxes—you’ll want to get a parent or adult mentor involved to help guide you through the appropriate paperwork. The IRS website is a good starting point, and keep in mind that requirements vary by state.

Have you done something incredible? Email us at info@mochimag.com if you’ve got a project you’d like to see featured on Mochi.

Related posts:

1. Alternative Ways to Have a Proactive Summer It’s summertime—and for many of us, the perfect time to...
2. Relieve Stress Six Ways With Expert-Approved Massage Techniques As college students, weekdays consist of endless readings and papers,...
3. How a Five-Year-Old Inspired My Career in Community Service Sophia was a shy five-year-old, sitting alone on the bench....

Courtesy Liz Evans/SXC

First and foremost, your bed is the focal point of the room. Dressing it up in a bold comforter is a must. Go economical with a bed in a bag—the ones that come with a pillowcase, sheets and comforter in one package. However, make sure you do your research. Sometimes you can get higher quality bedding separately for only a little more cash.

Once you decide on a color scheme, hang matching curtains to complement your bedspread. Since most dorms don’t allow drilling or nailing, these can be put up with pushpins or Velcro tape. To glam things up, you can create a faux-canopy by hanging sheer fabrics from the ceiling above your bed. Showcase your personality by adding fun throw pillows with your favorite sayings or designs. If you’re the DIY type, grab some fabric, a needle and thread or sewing machine to create a one-of-a-kind accent.

Next, dress up those dreary walls with tapestries. Use a funky blanket or something eye-catching from the fabric store—you’ll be amazed by how much this can brighten up a room. Once again, Velcro tape is a good way to hang these since this kind of tape is removable and doesn’t damage walls. If tapestries aren’t your thing, temporary decals add flourish. With one quick peel and stick, you can have an instant chandelier or inspirational quote above your bed. Large mirrors also have a way of making any room look deceptively bigger. Pick up a fun-shaped one to give your walls a unique look.

For crafty people, scour vintage shops or even your parents’ basement for old furniture and decorative items you can refurbish. A dab of paint, rhinestones or stenciling can bring discarded goods back from the dead. That unassuming chair in the attic may become your new favorite spot to curl up and read once it’s reupholstered, sanded and stained.

Don’t forget the small things either. Keep clutter at bay by storing items in brightly colored crates, cartons or shoeboxes decorated in wrapping paper. By keeping unnecessary belongings out of your way, they will take up less space and make the room feel less cramped. For more tips, check out our story on organizing any dorm room.

Finally, don’t forget the little touches that bring a room together such as candles, little trinkets and vases of silk flowers. Essentially, you want to create a space you can thrive in and that will feel like home. Surround yourself with things that make you happy, whether it’s blown-up photos of your pets or soft floor cushions to lounge on. Pin up posters of your favorite movies or postcards from exotic trips and throw a brightly patterned rug on the floor. The possibilities are endless.

Related posts:

1. Small Closets, Big Wardrobes: How to Organize Your College Space Fitting a whole year’s worth of clothes and accessories into...
2. From the Mochi Test Kitchen: Dorm-style Asian Food Moving away for college means freedom from curfews, chores and...
3. Roommate Nightmares and How to Deal The most common types of nightmare roommates and how to...

Photo by Mandy Yeh

We’ve all had one of those mornings—maybe you overslept for an 8 a.m. class, forgot about an important assignment due that day or are rushing to work after a long night. To help you get out the door sooner, we’ve got some easy tips to trim your beauty routine. Whether you’ve got five, 15 or 30 minutes, here are some ways to quickly get yourself ready for the day ahead.

Streamline your routine

Even on more leisurely days, it always helps to choose and set aside your outfit the night before. The same applies for classroom necessities—gather everything you need the night before to avoid scrambling or forgetting things. If you consistently have trouble waking up or foresee running short on time, try showering at night instead of in the morning, especially if you have to compete with roommates for the bathroom.

The 5-minute routine

The goal: To avoid looking like you just rolled out of bed (even if you did). These efficient steps are designed to brighten your face while allowing you to squeeze out a few more minutes of beauty rest.

Face: Lightly sweep on a bright blush. A peachy or coral blush is perfect for giving you a subtle glow. Try shades like Milani Luminous or NARS Orgasm. Smooth on your favorite tinted chapstick, like Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmers, which come in a range of colors.

Eyes: Apply a shimmery brow highlighter under the ends of your brows and near your tear duct. Sweep a light pearl shadow across your lid. Neutrogena’s Mineral Sheers for Eyes duos combine two natural, shimmery shades.

Hair: Throw your hair into a loose bun and slip on a headband. If necessary, pin bangs to the side (especially convenient if you haven’t had time to wash your hair).

The 15-minute routine

The goal: To avoid looking hurried or rushed. Quick and effective, this routine is great for getting you to class on time, while looking put-together.

Face: Apply concealer to any spots or undereye areas, or tinted moisturizer if your skin needs it. Products like Maybelline’s Dream Mousse concealer work well in a hurry since they are easy to apply with your fingers. Sweep on blush and apply chapstick.

Eyes: Sweep a light shadow across your top lid and smudge a thin dash of liner on your bottom lash line. A pencil liner like Rimmel Special Eyes is the quickest option and will give you a natural looking line.

Hair: Wear your normal style, but give your hair some extra “pizzazz” by adding cute accessories—like decorative clips or headbands.

The 30-minute routine: Looking polished

The goal: To look calm and collected. This regimen is perfect for those days when you actually have the time and desire to dress up a little.

Face: Apply concealer or tinted moisturizer if you think it’s necessary. For the most coverage, blend with a brush. Sweep on blush—for a more dramatic look, experiment with bolder shades. Sweep on a shimmery highlighter above your cheekbones. Apply lip gloss for a more polished look.

Eyes: Sweep a light shadow across your top lid. Use a darker shadow near your lashline and blend. Line your top and bottom lash lines. For a more intense look, try a liquid liner like L’Oreal Lineur Intense. Curl your lashes and apply mascara. Shu Uemura and Shiseido make great eyelash curlers. For a polished look, try a lengthening mascara like L’Oreal Double Extend.

Hair: Try a new style—curl or straighten your hair, or experiment with trends like side braids.

Related posts:

1. Prom-Perfect Beauty Tips Prom season is just around the corner, and no outfit...
2. Asian Beauty Tips from a Celebrity Make-Up Artist Hong Kong celebrity make-up artist Gary Chung gives Mochi his...
3. Essential Beauty Tips for Your First Date It’s your first date. The guy who gives you butterflies...

Photo by Jane Choi

From annoying roommates to exhausting classes and internships, the stress of college life can lead to breakouts and frown lines. Considering the high costs of dermatology visits and prescriptions, here are some tried-and-true natural, inexpensive do-it-yourself facial masks to relieve and nurture your skin.

Plain Yogurt Facial Mask

Good for those with sensitive skin, plain yogurt is filled with Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), protein and fat. Together, these ingredients illuminate and brighten your skin while increasing elasticity.

Ingredient: Any plain yogurt from your local market.

1. Cleanse your face.
2. Evenly apply plain yogurt on face.
3. After 10 to 15 minutes, you will notice that the yogurt has dried up. Gently rub your face with a damp washcloth, which will help remove dead skin cells.
4. Wash off the remaining product.

Cucumber Facial Mask

Cucumber moisturizes the skin and also provides Vitamins A, B2 and C. These vitamins weaken brown melanin (the reason for the horrid dark circles) and create a “whitening” effect.

Ingredients: 2/3 of a cucumber, 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 tablespoon of honey

1. Blend all ingredients in a mixer. Flour makes the blend thick enough to stay on the face, and has the added benefit of moisturizing and tightening the skin.
2. Apply product to face for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Wash your face with cold water, which will tighten pores to make sure the mask has the maximum effect.

Note: If you don’t have a blender, cut the cucumbers into one-inch rounds, dip them into honey and place the pieces on your face. Honey helps hydrate, exfoliate and heal skin. Then follow steps two and three above.

Green Tea Facial Mask

Green tea is a great moisturizer because it contains Vitamin A and tannin, which helps balance oil on the face. This helps relieve acne and soothe skin.

Ingredients: Green tea bags, hot water and cotton swipes

1. Put a green tea bag in hot water.
2. When green tea is brewed, soak cotton swipes in the tea.
3. Clean your face with water and soap.
4. After 15 minutes, gently rinse face.

Additional tip: Save the tea bags in the fridge and apply them directly on puffy eyes the next morning, to reduce under-eye bags.

Tomato Facial Mask

Tomato is great for sensitive skin because of its mild nature. They help deeply cleanse skin and tighten pores.

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of mashed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 tablespoon flour

1. Wash and mash the tomatoes (this works better if you have a mixer).
2. Add in milk and flour.
3. Apply on cleansed face for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Wash off the mask with cold water.

Banana Facial Mask

Rich with Vitamin A, bananas are great skin softeners and an ideal facial mask ingredient for those with dry skin.

Ingredients: ½ a banana, ½ an egg yolk, 1 tablespoon Vitamin E skin oil (or baby oil)

1. Mash the banana.
2. Add the yolk and oil, and mix well.
3. Apply on cleansed face for 10-15 minutes.
4. Wash off the mask with cold water.

Related posts:

1. Save Your Skin: A Guide to Common Problems It’s common knowledge that your body changes drastically between childhood...
2. SPONSORED POST: Fashionably Natural with L’Occitane en Provence Beauty writer Kirby Koo's picks for her favorite green-friendly L'Occitane...
3. Essential Beauty Tips for Your First Date It’s your first date. The guy who gives you butterflies...

Whether at home or in class, I am always staring into the screen of my laptop or phone. Recently, I discovered that I constantly rub my eyes because of increased eye fatigue. Here’s how to cure tired eyes.

1. Rub hands together until they warm up.
2. Lightly cover your eyes by resting palms on top of the eyes.
3. Close your eyes and lightly apply pressure to your brow area for a minute.
4. Massage skin by drawing small circles near the inner corners of your eyes.

When we don’t give our bodies the proper rest it needs, we become fatigued. Here’s how to quickly revitalize a drowsy body.

1. Place all fingers on the top of hairline.
2. While applying light pressure, massage from the center to behind the ears.
3. Repeat 3-5 times.
4. Bring right arms across to left shoulder.
5. Use the left hand to press your right elbow and stretch.
6. Repeat with the left arm on your right shoulder.

Running around campus all day and dancing in heels all night can cause tired, sore feet. Here’s how to put some pep back into your step.

1. Apply lotion to feet.
2. With the thumb and index finger, make circular motions on each heel.
3. With both hands, gently and slowly massage from the toes to the heel.
4. Slide thumb from down upward along the bottom of the foot while applying pressure.

The headache is the most common symptom of stress for most students. Rather than relying on medications that alleviate short-term pain, tackle the problem for good with these easy techniques.

1. Place hands on top of the head.
2. Lightly push and shift fingers across the skull.
3. Press and repeat.
4. With index and thumb, pull the ear lightly backwards.
5. With the same fingers, gently squeeze the ear.
6. Place them on the earlobe and gently pull them downward and release.

Excess stomach acids resulting from increased anxiety and stress can trigger indigestion. Relieve stomachaches in one step.

1. Rub hands in a repeated circular motion on the stomach. The warm energy from your hands will massage your intestines and stomach.

Bonus: Massages not only help relieve stress, but can also improve concentration.

1. Place your third finger next to the nose.
2. Push gently upward until the corner of the inner eyes.
3. Count to five.
4. Rub hands together to warm.
5. Using your index fingers, rest them on the temples and gently press and rub.
6. Move fingers in a counter-clock motion.

Related posts:

1. Make Your Own Natural Facial Masks From annoying roommates to exhausting classes and internships, the stress...
2. Winter Workout: Easy Ways to Stay Fit During the Holidays Keep some of these useful tips in mind to burn...
3. Save Your Skin: A Guide to Common Problems It’s common knowledge that your body changes drastically between childhood...

A little shaping goes a long way–-changing the shape of your eyebrows can instantly enhance your features. But before start tweezing away haphazardly, use our handy guide to figure out what eyebrow shape flatters you the most.

 

Face shape	Typical features	Suggestion	Effects
	Wider forehead compared to the chin High cheekbones	Low arch	Flatter eyebrows will compliment a shorter face. Keep the arch as low as possible to enhance your features.
	Plump cheeks Full face shaped like a circle	High arch	High-arched eyebrows will give the illusion of a narrower face. This will help a round face look sharper by giving width and expression to the eye.
	Prominent jaw line Solid bone structure Flat cheekbones Wide forehead	Strong arch with rounded end	High-arched brows elongate a square face. The rounded end makes the face look smoother.
	Elongated appearance Prominent chin	Flat eyebrows	Flat eyebrows will make the face appear shorter by giving more width. Be careful to not extend the eyebrows past the end corners of the eyes.

Methods:

There are various ways to create the perfect eyebrow shape. Depending on how dramatic you want to look, pick the approach that best suits you.

Trimmers: This tool is perfect for grooming long hairs and achieves a neater appearance without any removal of hair.

Tweezers: The most commonly used eyebrow shaping equipment are tweezers. It is perfect for removing stray hairs.

Eyebrow wax: There are both hot and cold waxes that remove hair. This can be hard to control, however it is a quick way to create a new eyebrow shape. Sensitive skin may also be irritated by the method.

Eyebrow stencils: Stencils are available in many shapes. These are pre-waxed strips which are easy to apply. Be sure to pick the right shapes

Thread: Eyebrow threading can groom eyebrows without causing any pain to the skin. The thread is twisted and rolled along the hair of the eyebrows resulting in a very straight eyebrow line.

Related posts:

1. Haircuts for Every Face Shape Not all haircuts are universally flattering, so before you head...
2. Back to School Beauty School is now in session and it’s time to look...
3. Get Ready in Five, 15 or 30 Minutes We’ve all had one of those mornings—maybe you overslept for...