Look Your Best Every Day

“Are you kidding? You ask, “I’m lucky to get a shower and four hours of sleep a night.” Trust me; I understand. Well, ladies, if it really took that much effort and time, I wouldn’t be able to do it either, so bear with me. With a little creativity and a few changes in your daily routine, I assure you it is possible to look your best every day.

An Experiment

Next time you go to the mall, sit on a bench, sip a cup of coffee, and look at all the shoppers. Yes, I’m talking about people watching. You will be surprised what you can learn by observing others. First, you may notice how they walk, how they interact with one another, and mostly how they look. When you notice the lady’s baggy sweats drooping in the butt, the man’s shirt that is missing two buttons, or the sales clerk who is ruining her slacks because they are too long, suddenly, you wonder how others may be seeing you. Chances are they see just as many bad and good details that you do.

The purpose for this little experiment is to generate ideas about what “looking good” means to you. Because beauty is subjective, not everyone agrees about the definition. That is why you have to do some research for yourself. By just looking at other women, younger and older, you will naturally be drawn to some of the looks and repelled by others. Call it style education. No matter what style level you are on or if you have no style at all, you can always gain knowledge that will help you look better.

Now, down to business. Once you sort of get an idea of what your personal best is, you can certainly give it a try…you have nothing to lose.

First, I want you to take this as slow or fast as you need to.

Second, understand that you don’t have to be someone you are not; be yourself.

Third, remember, you can do this!

Whether you work, stay at home, work at home, or none of the above, you need to take care of yourself. There are certain simple things you can do that will make a HUGE difference in your daily appearance. We will focus on those first.

• Keep your eyebrows plucked, waxed, shaped, and trimmed. (If you can’t do this then pay someone who can).
• Use lotion on your entire body EVERY DAY!
• Wash your face every morning and every night before bed. (For best results, find a good skin-care line).
• Keep hand crème with you and use it regularly. While you’re at it, stop biting your nails and get a manicure. If you can’t afford it, do it yourself.
• Figure out what your best colors are and wear them.
• Figure out what shapes work on your body and wear them.
• Figure out what doesn’t work in your closet and don’t wear those things. Just let them go…
• Keep a couple of cute hats for bad hair days.

Make-up

Now that I got that off my chest, we can move forward. Let’s talk about make-up for a bit. Realistically, it takes very little make-up to give any woman a healthy, happy glow. And, truly, the older you get, the less you need. So, I don’t want to hear any complaints. If you have time for only one or two products, go for base and mascara. The base gives you a nice, smooth complexion while the mascara helps define your eyes naturally. Just don’t leave the house without doing something for yourself. You never know whom you might run into out there in the world. If you consider that for a moment, you might go ahead and find time to do a complete job. Caring a little will go a long way.

Your Hair

If you see more than three quarters of an inch of another color coming from your scalp then it’s time to get your roots done. It’s not cool, and it’s not edgy; it’s just plain wrong. Get it taken care of at the salon or at home. I can’t stress more how important it is to have a good cut. You can get away with so much when your hair looks good dry, wet, dirty, up, down, curly, straight, and with a hat. Ask your stylist to suggest something that fits your hair, face shape, and lifestyle.

What to Wear

I want to touch on your clothes briefly since I publish Daily Fashion Dos and Don’ts often. See the archives for past posts. Make sure you only wear things in public that fit properly, are still the color they were when you bought them, generally have the same shape, and don’t have stains on them. I know this sounds silly; you saw it at the mall, remember? Take care of your dress clothes; they are too expensive to replace before their time. Lastly, have you ever heard of an iron?

My final tip for looking your best is this, if you want to make an impression on someone for any reason, pay attention to your nails, jewelry, and your shoes. Strangely, people always look at those things first, especially if they are sizing you up for a job or relationship.  Be well-be beautiful.

Photo by Olechkasun