WHAT IS THAT GUY STARING AT?

AS GIRLS, IT'S PRETTY MUCH OUR JOB TO OBSESS OVER THE SMALLEST DETAILS—LIKE THE WRINKLES WE SWEAR WE SEE.  FURTHERMORE, WE NATURALLY ASSUME THAT EVERYONE ELSE IS JUDGING US AS HARSHLY.  BECAUSE, OBVIOUSLY, THE GUY AT THE OTHER END OF THE BAR IS TOTALLY STARING AT OUR MINUTE WRINKLES. WE ARE OUR OWN WORST CRITICS!

WE WANT YOU TO STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF AND FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL MORE BEAUTIFUL.  BELOW IS A LIST OF BEAUTY FLAWS THAT ARE A TOTAL TURN-OFF, AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO FIX THEM.

BAD ROOTS

GUYS DON’T NOTICE MUCH ABOUT HAIR AS LONG AS IT’S SOFT AND THEY CAN RUN THEIR FINGERS THROUGH IT –THEY’RE HAPPY.  BUT IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A BAD COLOR JOB (LIKE SUDDENLY IT’S BRIGHT ORANGE) THEY WILL NOTICE.  OR, IF YOU PUT OFF GETTING YOUR COLOR TOUCHED UP—SINCE, MAYBE, THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION—AND YOUR ROOTS TAKE UP HALF YOUR HEAD, THEY WILL ALSO TAKE NOTE.  SO, IF YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE THE JUMP AND PERMANENTLY CHANGE YOUR HAIR COLOR, KEEP IT MAINTAINED.

FAKE BAKE

NOW THAT THE VAMPIRE TREND HAS BROUGHT PALE SKIN BACK INTO FAVOR, MANY OF US RE EMBRACING OUR FAIRER COMPLEXIONS AND ARE HITTING THE TANNING SALON A LOT LESS OFTEN.  BUT, IF YOU OPT TO BAKE, KEEP IN MIND THAT MATCHING THE OOMPALUMPAS IS NOT ATTRACTIVE TO ANYONE.  HOWEVER BEING NATURAL IS.  IF YOU CAN’T RESIST A LITTLE BIT OF COLOR IN THE WARM WEATHER, TRY A SELF-TANNING LOTION SUCH AS SUN.

TOO MUCH MAKE UP

A GUY CAN APPRECIATE A GIRL’S GLOSSY LIP OR SMOKEY EYES EVERY NOW AND THEN, BUT CAKED ON MAKE UP IS NEVER AN ATTRACTIVE LOOK.  TRENDS ARE FUN TO PLAY WITH WHEN YOU ARE GOING OUT WITH YOUR GIRLFRIENDS, BUT THE NATURAL LOOK WILL WIN GUYS OVER EVERY TIME.  SINCE WE ALL KNOW LOOKING NATURAL ISN’T AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS, START WITH A GREAT LIGHT WEIGHT FOUNDATION OR A TINTED MOISTURIZER AS A BASE AND THEN APPLY A BIT OF PEACH BLUSH TO YOUR CHEEKS.  KEEP YOUR EYES SUBDUED WITH A NEUTRAL SHADOW ADD A FEW SWIPES OF MASCARA AND FINISH THE LOOK WITH A LIGHT LIP GLOSS.

HUGE BAGS

WE TEND TO FORGET THAT SMALL BAGS, SUCH AS CLUTCHES EVEN EXIST.  ALMOST ALL OF US HAVE HAD A GUY FRIEND, AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER, MAKE A SLY COMMENT ABOUT US “CARRYING OUR ENTIRE LIVES IN THERE”—WHICH WE, OF COURSE, LAUGHED OFF.  BUT AFTER YEARS OF HEARING THESE COMMENTS, WE’VE COME TO REALIZE THAT GUYS ARE A LITTLE INTIMIDATED BY THE IMMENSE SIZE OF OUR PURSES.  IT COMES DOWN TO THIS—NO GUY WANTS THEIR GIRLFRIEND TO BE MATERIALISTIC OR HIGH MAINTENANCE.  SO, WHY DO YOU NEED TO CARRY SO MUCH IN YOUR BAG IF YOU’RE AN EASY GOING GAL?  WE’RE NOT SAYING TO PART YOUR WAYS WITH YOUR FAVORITE MASSIVE ACCESSORY, BUT MAYBE SWITCH IT UP EVERY NOW AND THEN AND CARRY A CUTE CLUTCH OR A SMALL TOTE INSTEAD.

A LIPSTICK ON YOUR TEETH SMILE

ALWAYS SMILE; YOU NEVER KNOW WHO MIGHT BE FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOUR SMILE.  IT HAS BEEN PROVEN THAT THE FIRST THING A GUY NOTICES ABOUT YOU IS YOUR SMILE.  WE OFTEN GET CAUGHT UP WORRYING ABOUT ALL OF THE OTHER DETAILS-LIKE HOW HOT WE LOOK IN OUR JEANS—THAT WE FORGET THE EASIEST TRICK OF THEM ALL, TO SMILE.  BUT BEFORE YOU FLASH THOSE PEARLY WHITES MAKE SURE YOU ARE FREE OF LUNCH DEBRIS AND SMUDGED LIPSTICK.  IN THE CLEAR? FLIRT AWAY!

BEAUTY BLUNDERS

WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE BEAUTY BLUNDERS WE HAVE ALL MADE AT LEAST ONCE WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO BE YOUR MOST “BEAUTIFUL” YOU.  LEARN WHAT TO AVOID AND HOW TO FIX THE BEAUTY MISTAKES YOU DO MAKE.

1-      THE WRONG FOUNDATION: WE’VE ALL DONE IT. BOUGHT A FOUNDATION THAT WAS NOT CORRECT FOR OUR SKIN TONES, EITHER A LITTLE TOO DARK OR TOO LIGHT.  THE BIG BEAUTY BLUNDER IS WHEN YOUR FACE IS A DIFFERENT COLOR THAN THE REST OF YOUR BODY.  IT IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO TEST FOUNDATION IN NATURAL LIGHT, RATHER THAN AN ARTIFICIALLY LIT STORE.  REMEMBER, IT’S BETTER TO GO ONE SHADE LIGHTER, THAN SHADES THAT ARE TOO DARK FOR YOU.  ANOTHER GREAT IDEA IS TO LET YOUR REAL SKIN SHINE THROUGH.  AFTER APPLYING YOUR MOISTURIZER, USE CONCEALER OR FOUNDATION ONLY WHERE YOU NEED IT AND BLEND IT WELL.

2-      A ZIT: IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU’RE IN YOUR TEENS OR 20’S OR 30’S. SADLY EVEN ADULTS GET ZITS FROM TIME TO TIME.  DON’T MAKE IT A BEAUTY BLUNDER BY TRYING TO COVER IT WITH TOO MUCH CONCEALER.  GENERALLY, YOU SHOULD PUT A LAYER OR TWO ON THE PROBLEM AREA. OVER COVERING CAN DRAW MORE ATTENTION TO IT.

3-      TOO MUCH MAKE UP: THIS IS A MISTAKE MANY OF US CAN MAKE.  AS YOU GET OLDER, LET MORE OF YOUR NATURAL BEAUTY SHINE THROUGH.  YOU WILL ACTUALLY LOOK YOUNGER IF YOU DO NOT CAKE ON THE MAKE UP.  GO FOR A NICE LIP GLOSS, MASCARA AND SPARINGLY PUT COVER UP WHERE YOU NEED IT AND YOU WILL LOOK RADIANT.

4-      THE AWFUL LIP LINER: THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE WORST BEAUTY BLUNDERS ONE CAN MAKE. DRAWING THE LINE TOO THICK OR USING TOO DARK OF COLOR.  THE NATURAL LIP LINER COLOR WILL SUFFICE AND IT WILL ACTUALLY GIVE YOU THE DEFINITION YOU ARE LOOKING FOR. GO FOR THE NATURAL LOOK, YOUR LIPS AND EVERYONE ELSE WILL THANK YOU.

5-      THE BROWS: EITHER YOU OVER TWEEZE OR UNDER TWEEZE THEM. RARELY ARE WE IN BETWEEN. YOU SHOULD SEE A PROFESSIONAL FOR THIS AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH AND THEN TRY TO KEEP THEM MAINTAINED.

6-      SPIDER LASHES: THIS HAPPENS WHEN YOU KEEP YOUR MASCARA FOR LONGER THAN 6 MONTHS. WHEN YOUR MASCARA GOES BAD YOUR LASHES WILL STICK TOGETHER AND WON’T SEPARATE NICELY.  MAKE SURE YOU CLEAN THE CLUMPS OFF YOUR BRUSH BEFORE USE TO ENSURE SPIDER LASHES PREVENTION AND BUY NEW MASCARA EVERY THREE MONTHS.

7-      FRIZZY HAIR: WHETHER IT HAPPENS NATURALLY OR BECAUSE OF OUTSIDE FORCES, IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO HAPPEN.  DON’T LET FRIZZ GET YOU DOWN.  TRY MOROCCANOIL OR THERMAFUSE DRY OIL….YOU CAN BLOW DRY OR LET YOUR HAIR DRY NATURALLY AND YOU’LL GET THE SAME PERFECT RESULTS EVERY TIME.

8-      STREAKED SELF TANNER: THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN TRYING TO APPEAR AS IF YOU JUST TOOK A VACATION IN THE TROPICS WITH A STREAKY SELF TAN JOB (IT WILL BLOW YOUR COVER EVERY TIME).  EXFOLIATE EXFOLIATE EXFOLIATE! BE SURE TO EXFOLIATE, USE LOTION AND RUB EVERY WHERE. DON’T MISS A SPOT. AND MAKE SURE YOU THOROUGHLY WASH YOUR HANDS TO ENSURE NO STREAKING ON YOUR HANDS.

9-      FADING OR RUNNING EYE MAKE UP: WHETHER YOU ARE OUT ON THE TOWN OR YOU’VE PARTIED ALL NIGHT YOU’RE LOOKING GREAT…OR NOT.  YOUR MAKE UP IS STARTING TO RUN AND NOBODY IS SAYING A WORD!  IF YOU ARE PLANNING A NIGHT OF DANCING, MAKE SURE YOU DO IT RIGHT.  DO NOT PUT MOISTURIZER CLOSE TO YOUR EYES AND FINISH WITH A POWDER AND YOUR EYE MAKE UP SHOULD STAY IN PLACE.

10-   IT’S JUST NOT YOU: WE HAVE ALL TRIED NEW LOOKS…SOMETIMES THEY WORK AND OTHER TIMES THEY DON’T.  YOU KNOW WHEN A LOOK IS “YOU”. SO KEEP IT.  IF YOU ARE A NATURAL BEAUTY, GREEN EYE SHADOW MAY NOT BE YOUR BEST LOOK AND VICE VERSE. BE TRUE AND BE YOU AND YOU WILL NEVER HAVE A BEAUTY BLUNDER.