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I was something of an ugly duckling growing up, or at least, that's how I felt. I grew up with a single father and hung out mostly with boys, so I had nobody to tell me how to do makeup or anything. My aunt gave me some tips, but it wasn't until I was in college that I really learned anything about makeup and skin care. Eventually, I started hearing enough compliments to trust my own judgement.
The following is a list of observations on beauty I have collected over the years.
- First, take care of your hair, skin, and nails.
- Next, exercise several times a week, and always eat well. Just following this list up to this point will make more difference than anything else. But, because this list is meant to cover more than the basics, read on.
- Since I mentioned diet, there are a number of diet tips that can help keep you looking good: Leafy greens, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, etc. That should go without saying, but judging from this country's obesity problem, it needs a lot more saying. I remember when I was in middle school and high school, the other girls would make fun of me for always eating "rabbit food" since I always had baby carrots or fresh spinach in my lunch, and they'd tease me for never drinking cokes. Then, almost in the same breath, they'd complain that they wished they could be as skinny as I was. Even when people know what foods they should eat, they tend not to realize what they should avoid, and I don't mean chocolate. I don't eat canned vegetables, canned meat, any kind of pre-prepared frozen foods (TV dinners and the like), carbonated beverages, most pork products, or chips (other than tortilla chips occasionally) or processed junk foods like candy or store bought cookies. The only junk food I eat, as a rule, is that which I have baked myself.
- Hand in hand with diet inevitably comes exercise. I hate exercise, I hate gyms, and I especially loathe gym rats. Growing up, I was terrible at all sports except hockey. I did ballet for a couple of years, so I adopted a workout regimen similar to that which I used when I did ballet. I do different exercises every day, of course, so as not to plateau, but the principles are the same. The most important part of any workout is to stretch, stretch, stretch. I incorporated some yoga moves into my exercise routine. It aids flexibility and improves posture. Next, I borrowed some classic ballet barre exercises, such as plies, eleves, battements, and rond de jambes. All of these are excellent leg toning exercises. For other exercises geared more toward strength and endurance, I put on leg weights for working the inner and outer thighs and hamstrings. I do crunches and side twists to work the abs and obliques, and I keep several sets of dumbbells for working my triceps, biceps, deltoids, and back. I will not bother with detailed explanations of each kind of exercise since 1.) there are more than enough websites devoted to that kind of thing already, and 2.) each person's workout is going to be different. Find what works for you and stick with it.
- When in comes to makeup, don't overdo it with clown eyeliner and bold lipstick colors. Eye makeup looks best when subtle, not dramatic, especially since it may run by the end of the night. Lip color also looks best when it's subtle and complements your looks. Very few women look good in red lipstick. Wear the reddest lipstick you can get away with, certainly, but don't let yourself look ridiculous. The same goes for all other types of makeup. Lady Gaga is the reason I tell my guy friends not to hit on girls who wear too much makeup, because you have no idea what's underneath all that. People see you wearing heavy makeup, and they know it's hiding something bad. Makeup is supposed to enhance, not hide, your features. If you're unhappy with your appearance, you're better off learning to live with it than trying to hide it under hundreds of dollars worth of chemicals. Indeed, I find that my skin looks better when it's freshly washed and moisturized than it does under makeup.
- As with hair and skin care products, you don't need to collect dozens of styles of beauty aids and makeup, especially since most of them barely work or don't even look good. Develop a signature look for yourself that you spruce up every so often, and just keep those basics on hand.
- Related to makeup, don't over pluck your eyebrows, and definitely don't over pluck them and then draw on skinny, fake brows. Far better to have bushy, out-of-control brows than that.
- Related to plucking, take care with any unwanted facial hair. Waxing it off or using a cream will leave a noticeable smooth spot, and bleaching it will turn it white, not invisible. Better to just suck it up and pluck it. When plucking brows and other facial hair, it's best to do it right after a hot shower to avoid damaging the skin.
- Along with a signature look, develop a signature scent. Don't overdo it on perfumes and colognes, of course, but pick one that you especially like that suits your personality, and wear it often. You may even spritz it into your home as an occasional air freshener, or gently over stationery. Take care to do that subtly, though. Always be subtle with scents; the only thing worse than smelling bad is overloading the nose with eye-watering chemicals.
- Speaking of chemicals and snake oils, stay away from them. All those anti-aging creams and cellulite creams don't work. Plenty of water and leafy greens can be had for a fraction of the cost and much greater results. Just diet, exercise, and take care of your skin, and for God's sake age gracefully. See the above tips regarding diet and exercise.
That about does it for my list of do's and don'ts. I'll wrap up by once more stressing the importance of finding a look that works for you. I've made that point throughout this article, but it cannot be overemphasized. Don't try to emulate another's style; you are not that person. You'll get far more attention with your own look than someone else's.
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