Use a gentle shampoo to clean your hair and scalp at least every other day, and shampoo especially after a physical workout.
Keep all your body’s crevices clean. Keep your fingernails and toenails clean. Brush your teeth with a gentle toothbrush and toothpaste or baking soda after every meal (or before going to bed or going to work), and floss carefully.
2. Invest in products or methods that will keep your skin healthy and clean.
If you have problems with scars, acne, dry skin, flakes, skin allergies or
infections, before heading over to a dermatologist you must first change your mindset.
Believe that you will have a beautiful appearance and will attract the love of your life. The more you focus on “the problem”, the more prevalent the problem becomes. Worrying over your skin problems actually worsens your appearance.
And trust me: 21st century and dermatology has become sophisticated enough to address most skin problems with pills, antibiotic lotions, and dietary requirements. So you have no reason to despair and think you will never solve your skin problems! Start focusing your energy on envisioning your new, beautiful appearance, and what you need to make that happen will come to you. Go see the dermatologist, and when the doctor finds a proper medical solution for you, don't procrastinate—take the medication.
Use the right soap to clean your skin, nothing too harsh. Whether you’re male or female, you could use a bit of
toner and the occasional exfoliating scrub or mask.
You can use moisturizer if you wish, but here’s a moisturizer rule you can use: after washing yourself, wait for
30 minutes and examine your skin. Does it feel soft or supple because of your own body oils, or is it dry? If it looks and
feels like you don’t need it, save yourself some money and don’t
use any moisturizer.
3. Fix your hair.
This is true for both men and women. Your hair frames your face, and creates that “look” for you like nothing else can.
Find a ‘do that suits your physical appearance, your natural hair type, and your personality.
If you can get away with a minimal-care style that complements your looks, get it. Don’t get a hairstyle that will force you to apply too many hair products on
yourself, or heat your hair too much, just to achieve that look.
Get a look that’s both classic and hip. Again, this is the
21st century. Hairstyle designs have become so varied and sophisticated, incorporating in varying degrees the elements of old and new hairstyles that it’s impossible not to find one that will suit you. Seek out a talented hairdresser or barber who can give you the look you want.
Annette was a frumpy-looking 28-year old secretary at a book publishing house when, for her birthday, officemates
dared her to be glamorous for a day. Her light-brown hair was thick and had grown to a length that reached her lower back, and she let it flow around her. She also wore glasses, and long voluminous A-line skirts.
As a birthday gift, her friends dragged her to a boutique shop and bought her a beautiful satin, pearly-white halter dress that skimmed the body down to the knees. They also dragged her to the salon, where she was persuaded to cut off her hair into a layered feminine short bob, with added blonde highlights. The make-up artist also gave her a makeover.
The effect was stunning and so astonishing that Annette’s friends paid extra for her to be photographed at a nearby studio, so she could have a permanent image of herself that day, in case she lapsed back into her frumpy self and forgot how beautiful she was.
“But they didn’t have to,” Annette said. “I was so pleased with how I looked, especially with that beautifully cut bob, I decided to keep my new sophisticated look…for the rest of my life!”
4. For the women: use proper makeup.
Unless you’re going to perform onstage or are headed to a Halloween party, less is more. You aren’t supposed to cover every inch of your face with products. In fact, there’s no rule out there that says you have to wear make-up.
Take a good and honest look at yourself in the mirror. What is it about your face that is “perfect”? Use the littlest
possible make-up to take advantage of those features, and to improve the rest. You need to look like you when you’re done with your make-up.
The face you create should be one that you can apply in
10-15 minutes maximum, and one that you don’t have to worry over for the rest of the day. Choose the right colors for your lipstick, eye shadow, blush and face powder or foundation, preferably natural neutrals that mimic your face’s own natural colors.
Putting on make-up is an art. Some of the women may have a talent for it, while some may not. It takes practice. If you’re
a woman and you feel you’re clumsy with the way you apply make- up, take time on the weekend at home to study and experiment on your face, to see what works.
5. For the men: consider the effect of facial hair on your appearance.
Do you like yourself better with, or without, a beard? How about a mustache? How about variations on the beard? A sculpted beard line or five-o’clock shadow? A bit of a goatee? It’s amazing how some men suddenly transform into interesting hunks with the right facial hair to go with their particular personality, for it redefines the contours of their face. Then again, would you look better clean-shaven? Or completely bald?
Try and experiment until you find the right look for you. You need to keep an open mind in order to find that right look!