1. Throw away your conventional, media-defined ideals of beauty
Bruno Mars was absolutely right – you are beautiful just the way you are. If you are ten pounds heavier, or 20 inches shorter from currently trending beauty standards, you should not give a damn about it. Beauty standards change fast, but neither your soul, nor your body could ever chase them without any harm. Think of your flaws as peculiarities and learn to feel comfortable in your skin.
2. Pick a hairstyle that suits your face shape
A good haircut can make your face look thinner, longer, wider or more attractive in any other way you want. However some hairstyles won’t look that flattering and you should better avoid them. By types:
Heart: introducing curls and waves around the cheekbone area will help you create a balance between the top and bottom of your face. Shoulder length style should look great on you, along with a long and side-swept fringe. However, avoid heavy fringes, along with sleek jaw-length bobs as they will make your chin look even narrower. Oval: your face is equally proportional and is roughly equal to one and a half times its width. Most haircuts and hairdos look well on you. Long: you can visually shorten your face with a mid-length or long cut with layers at eye level. Having a long, side-swept fringe will also help creating an illusion of a wider face. Avoid wearing top knot buns and long straight hair as both will make your face seem even longer. Square: soften your strong jaw line with a medium or long hairstyle (straight, curly and wavy). Try avoiding long straight fringes and blunt cuts that stop at the widest part of your face. Round: the length and the width of your face appear roughly the same and your chick bones are rather prominent. Opt for hairstyles that soften your face like layered/feathered styles and soft waves. When making an up do, leave some loose tendrils of hair to fall around the hairline. Blunt bobs and sleek styles aren’t your best choice as they accentuate the roundness even more. Triangle: bangs and half ups are your go-tos to make your forehead look narrower. Wavy bobs with bangs will also soften your face and widen the cheekbone/jawline. Avoid wearing super straight hair with minimal layers as it will make your face look even thinner and disproportional.
3. Choose glasses and sunglasses depending on your face type
Same as with hairstyle – glasses can make or break your looks. For instance, round, oval and semi-rimless glasses will accentuate your eyes and balance the prominent jaw line if you have square face type. If your face is round, opt for wayfarers and rectangle shapes to make your face look thinner.
4. Practice good posture
By standing up straight, you’ll automatically look leaner, with more defined musculature and overall body look. You’ll also project more confidence – an quality that most people find extremely appealing. To practice better posture try the next things:
Get a standing desk – spending hours sitting in front of the computer makes your back hurt and muscles lose tone. A few hours a day in front of a standing desk can fix that. Do a simple exercise once a day: Roll your shoulders down and back, then pull your elbows back toward your back pants pockets. Do wall angles: press your elbows and wrists against the wall. Don’t arch your low back. Now, lift your elbows up to height of your ears and down to lower ribs. Repeat at least 20 times a day.
5. Buy tops with a flattering neckline or shirt collar
Not all shirts where created equal. Necklines and shirt collars also work with for or against your face shape and sharpen your looks. For example, classic “Semi-spread” collar suits best for oval types, while point collars with longer tips make a round face stand out and look more appealing. Wear boat neck or sabrina styled cleavage if you have a long face, while V-necks look flattering on round type faces.
6. Identify your body shape and buy clothes that fits
Knowing your body type will help you make smarter shopping decisions and identify those outfits that will suit you great without even trying them on. If you have Pear body type (your hips are much bigger than your top and you have a nicely defined waist) opt for tops with nipped or fitted waists; wrap shirts that emphasize your small waist with full or structured shoulders and a wide neckline to add more volume to the top and opt for A line skirts and straight trousers with no or minimal pockets as your bottom. Hour glass body types (bust and bottoms are well balanced and you have a beautifully defined waist) should choose belted and wrap-up tops to accentuate the waistline along with pencil skirts, skinny jeans and pretty much any other bottoms will look fine on you. You can check out this guide by Shop Your Shapes for more suggestions on each body type.
7. Use Technology to Find Clothes That Fit You Better
If you struggle identifying your body type or finding the right clothes, let the technology do it for you! Fitbay app will suggest you clothes based on your body type (with detailed instructions on how to identify yours), plus match you with your body doubles to sneak peak inside their wardrobe. You can post pictures of your outfits and ask for tips and suggestions from the community. The app works great both for men and women.
8. Choose your handbag based on your body shape
Yep, even your bag can create more allure around your persona, so don’t neglect another chance to look even more charming. Here are a few simple rules to follow:
The size of handbag should be proportionate to your body type – short girls look taller with small handbags, while tall girls look better with large or even over-sized bags. The shape of a handbag should be opposite to your body type – choose a round handbag if you are tall and slim and opt for rectangular shapes if you are shorter and plump. The length of a handbag – where the bottom hits the body – will emphasize that area – Short handbags make your top appear lager, while too long straps can attract extra attention to your bottoms. Most girls look great wearing handbags that hang to the mid-torso.
9. Take a break from the mirror
Set an experiment and use the mirror only twice a day in the morning when you do your hair and in the evening when you brush your teeth. Resist the urge of catching your looks in the rear view mirror or shop windows, focus more on how you feel inside. You should always remember how charming you are and you don’t need to see yourself in the mirror five times a day to know that!
10. Smile more
A simple, yet powerful advice that will make you appear more attractive instantly. Happiness is the most attractive feature in females and in general, men find smiling women more beautiful a recent research claims. Smile to feel better about everything in your life, including your appearance!
