While there are no definite rules on how to be pretty, there are definitely desirable features that make someone attractive.
According to science, faces that we deem attractive tend to be symmetrical and are also average-looking. So don’t worry if you don’t look like a high fashion model because that’s probably a good thing.
However, there are some other factors that are a detriment to your overall attractiveness. Attractiveness is a quality that causes interest and gravitation toward someone and that isn’t just about natural beauty.
A lot of it is about grooming, beautifying, enhancing and taking care of your body. Other than that, it’s about how you behave, move and talk.
There are a lot of things we can do to make ourself more attractive and they’re not hard or exhausting once we know what type of skincare suits us.
We can affect how our skin looks, what can determine the clothes we should wear and we can wear makeup to enhance our features and style our hair. In short, you can learn to consistently look good.
That’s why I made this list of beauty tips you will want to study on your journey to looking your best.
FACE
1. Take care of your skin the right way
Determine your skin type.
This step is very important. Healthy skin is one of the first things people subconsciously notice on other people.
The first thing you need to do is know your true skin type. Not knowing your skin type can lead to using products that can worsen your skin in the long run.
There are many ways to find out your skin type. One of the methods is the bare-faced method.
You can try it by washing your face and leaving your face bare (without adding additional products like moisturizer) and checking your skin after thirty minutes.
If your skin feels tight, it’s probably dry. If you notice a shine on your nose and forehead, it’s most likely normal. If a shine appears on your cheeks too, then you probably have oily skin.
It’s also important to note that our skin can change over time due to many factors including diet, age, climate and so on.
Find your routine and stick to it.
Every type of skin needs a different type of skincare and routine. The Internet is full of advice on how to take care of your skin.
Look for what works for you based on your type. If you don’t see any improvement, ditch your current routine and find another one.
Some of the basic tips are regular washing, exfoliating one to three times a week (with mild exfoliants) and moisturizing.
Having breakouts can complicate things but they are possible to manage and the best thing to do is consult with a dermatologist first.
2. Accentuate your symmetry with makeup
The power of makeup is undeniable. Skillfully applied makeup can enhance the face and make all your best features pop.
You don’t have to be a makeup artist to be good at makeup. Everyone can learn the basics of putting on foundation, concealer, mascara and lip gloss and they alone will elevate your look.
However, if you really want to learn to make your face more symmetrical, you need to find what specifically suits your face.
Learn how to apply eyeshadow and eyeliner for hooded, downturned, small/big eyes or whatever shape you have. Based on your face shape, find the best method for contouring and putting on bronzer and highlighter.
See which style looks better on you—dewy or matte, cool or warm tones. Find your celebrity twin and study their best looks.
The best advice when it comes to makeup is to understand to not follow trends if they don’t suit us but stick with what looks best on us.
Radiant skin, big eyes, groomed eyebrows and plump lips always look good, as well as colors that match your undertone—something I’ll discuss later on.
For radiant skin, use moisturizer and primer before applying foundation (and drink a lot of water). Find a foundation that matches your skin perfectly, apply it using tapping motions rather than dragging the skin and blend it well.
Check if there are any harsh lines on your neck before leaving the house. And don’t skip loose powder if you have oily or even normal skin.
For big eyes, use natural-colored eyeshadows to create the optical illusion of bigger eyes (there are a lot of YouTube videos explaining how; try to find a person with an eye shape similar to yours).
You can use false eyelashes or get eyelash extensions for a more permanent solution.
For groomed eyebrows, visit a cosmetologist regularly or pluck your own eyebrows following the shape a cosmetologist made previously. Consider dyeing or bleaching them if they don’t match your hair color.
Having a good contrast on your face is crucial so don’t wait till your brows have fully grown to pluck them.
For plump lips, make sure they are exfoliated and hydrated before applying anything else. You can use a lip scrub (it’s easy to make your own) and moisturize with chapstick more regularly throughout the day.
3. Get braces
Teeth and smiles are very important for the overall look of a person. They can drastically change the look of your face and they are one of the things that can definitely be improved!
If you think you can elevate your smile by using braces, do it. Having straight, white teeth will definitely boost your self-confidence.
4. Brush and floss your teeth a few times a day
Keeping your teeth and mouth clean is not only a healthy habit but it affects your attractiveness as well. Fresh breath is so important in interaction with other people.
Having perfect teeth isn’t that important but having healthy and clean teeth is.
To keep your teeth clean and your breath fresh, floss and brush your teeth at least twice a day (but it’s good to brush them after every meal) and don’t forget to brush your tongue!
A neglected tongue is frequently a reason for bad breath.
If you’re on the go, use mouthwash and keep mints in your purse on all occasions.
5. Remove facial hair
All women have facial hair but not all of them have an excess of it. Some are more visible than others. If you’re annoyed with your facial hair, simply get rid of it.
These are a few methods you can try; tweezing (the easiest and cheapest but a little bit painful), threading (if you’re doing it on your own, you need practice), waxing (the fastest method) and laser (permanent removal done in salons or with home lasers).
You can also shave your hair but it’s not recommended because the hairs grow back blunt and look more visible.
Facial hair removal includes brow grooming and the upper lip area but also sideburns and other parts of the face like the chin or forehead baby hairs.
Having hair is completely normal and it’s nothing to be insecure or ashamed about.
6. Give yourself a face massage
Include a face massage in your beauty regimen. Why? Face massages reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin texture, relax muscle tension and help remove dead skin cells.
They help to maintain a youthful and fresh-looking face.
BODY
7. Shower regularly
While showering daily isn’t necessary for your health, it’s a habit that makes us smell and feel better and less anxious about body odor. Keep in mind to use mild products on a daily basis.
8. Exfoliate the whole body
Exfoliating your body is an important step in getting healthy and glowing skin. After proper exfoliation, your skin is going to be so smooth and soft, you’ll feel ten times cleaner.
The skin on your body is thicker than the skin on your face, which means it needs more frequent exfoliation (unless your skin is too sensitive or too dry).
Why is exfoliation good for your skin? Exfoliation is used for improving skin texture and removing dead skin cells.
Other than that, it can prevent the forming of body acne and helps with blemished skin and ingrown hairs.
It removes the build-up of dead skin cells that trap new skin cells and often leads to uneven skin or breakouts caused by clogged pores and it also helps with better absorption of the product.
If you’re suffering from body acne, try paying attention to the materials you wear on a daily basis and try exfoliating and moisturizing your skin along with eating healthy foods (that don’t include a lot of sugar).
There are a lot of DIY scrub recipes you can make cheaply and some of them are:
A coffee scrub scrub made out of coffee grounds, water and your preferred oil (this smells and feels great).
A sugar scrub made out of brown or regular sugar with your preferred oil (you can add essential oils if you want to). Pro tip: melt sugar for a few seconds for the crystals to become less sharp and harsh; you can do the same with sea salt.
Don’t forget to scrub your feet too. You can use a scrub or pumice stone.
Note: Avoid exfoliating the same day you shave or wax your skin. Shaving and waxing are already exfoliating skin, so further exfoliating would result in very dry skin.
9. Use moisturizer
Make a habit of moisturizing your skin after a shower (and especially after exfoliating) and you’ll thank me. This makes a big difference in skin texture and keeps you smelling great.
Choose your favorite lotion and apply it on damp skin because damp skin absorbs the product more readily.
Frequent moisturizing keeps your skin smooth and soft to touch at all times and you don’t have to worry about dry elbows or flaky skin.
Aside from that, if you’re using the right lotion, you will always smell great, even when you forget to apply perfume.
10. Keep your nails polished
If you like the look of natural nails, keep them trimmed and clean but if you want to look more put together, invest your time in a home manicure and pedicure. It’s possible to maintain your nails on your own.
Choose a nail polish (again, preferably something that goes with your accessories, clothes or the season) and follow our tips for a long-lasting manicure:
1. Dry your nails completely before applying anything. This is an important step because it determines the longevity of the manicure.
2. Apply base coats and let it fully dry.
3. After that, apply two coats of your chosen nail polish. Make sure your nail polish isn’t old and dry, apply and thoroughly let dry.
4. Finish with a topcoat and let it dry again.
Avoid heat and water right after a manicure and then enjoy it for days.
Note: Nude colors are always a safe choice and look good, especially as a pedicure.
11. Wear deodorant and perfume
Smelling good is crucial when it comes to attractiveness. In a way, it’s a non-verbal communication, it affects how others respond to you.
Our sense of smell makes us make unconscious decisions. Our sense of smell is very powerful so make sure to wear deodorant and pay importance to which perfume you use.
When it comes to choosing a perfume, try finding your signature scent. The right perfume should boost your confidence, enhance your mood and make you feel attractive.
There are many scent families you can explore, including sweet, floral, fruity, oriental, aromatic, etc. Choose what you like and enjoy your perfume.
Don’t worry if you end up loving very popular perfumes and feel like you’re going to smell like every other girl. The truth is, perfume smells differently on every person.
It depends on the pH balance and temperature of our skin, as well as our diet.
Here, you can learn the difference between different types of perfumes:
Parfum has the highest fragrance concentration (generally between 20% and 30% for most parfums). Of all scents, parfums last the longest, usually six to eight hours, and have the highest price.
Eau de Parfum (EDP) has a concentration of between 15% and 20%. On average, Eau de Parfum will last for four to five hours and is less expensive than parfum.
Eau de Toilette (EDT) has a fragrance concentration of between 5% and 15%. It is cheaper than Eau de Parfum and is one of the most popular types of fragrance available.
Eau de Cologne (EDC), has a low fragrance concentration, generally a 2% to 4% concentration of fragrance and a high concentration of alcohol. It only lasts for up to two hours. EDC generally comes in bigger bottles and is the cheapest.
12. Improve your posture
Good posture is proved to be more attractive to the opposite sex. If you’re not happy with your posture, there are ways you can fix it; regular exercise and stretching can greatly improve it.
Good posture combined with an attractive body language and smile are what signals female attractiveness to men.
13. Body language
Body language is one of the factors of how others perceive us, so naturally, if we want to appear more attractive, we can better our body language and make an impact.
Attractive body language includes making eye contact, exposing the neck by flipping hair or touching/rubbing it, tilting the head down and looking up and uncrossing your arms.
14. Exercise
We have already come to the conclusion that a healthy body is considered attractive. To maintain a healthy body, it’s good to exercise.
Regular exercise can help with maintaining our overall figure but also positively affect our skin, hair and sex drive too.
HAIR
15. Wash your hair regularly
How often you wash your hair depends on your hair type; however, don’t wait for it to get dirty. Other things you can do to maintain good-looking hair is sleeping on a silk pillowcase and trimming it regularly to maintain healthy-looking ends.
Washing your hair with cooler water also makes a difference once it dries because the temperature of water affects cuticles and frizziness.
To be able to style it successfully and find products that suit your hair, you need to determine the type of your hair.
There are four main types of hair: type 1 (straight hair), type 2 (wavy hair), type 3 (curly hair) and type 4 (coily hair). Type 1 (or straight hair) has no further subcategories, while the other types do.
For example, type 2 (wavy hair) also has subcategories of type 2A which stands for hair with a gentle, tousled texture, while type 2B represents hair with curls from the midpoint to the ends and type 2C is hair with well-defined S-shaped waves.
Try learning more about this hair classification and find your hair type.
16. Style your hair every day
Styling your hair every day sounds like too much work but it doesn’t have to be. There are many effortless, overnight hairstyles you can do in just a few moments.
If that doesn’t work, you can always try a ponytail or messy bun and help yourself with some hairspray and dry shampoo for volume.
17. Nourish your hair
Don’t forget to use a conditioner on your hair every time you wash it. Other than that, you can use oils for nourishment.
You can apply them to your scalp before sleeping (and then wash your hair in the morning) or use them on the ends to give your hair shine.
CLOTHES AND STYLE
18. Find clothes that fit your body type
Learning the art of how to be pretty has much to do with choosing the right clothes to wear. You don’t need a stylist to look good.
Firstly, you need to figure out what type of body shape you have. Most body shapes can be placed into four different categories: the hourglass body type, the apple body type, the pear body type and the rectangle body type.
Hourglass body type: Your hips and bust are nearly equal in size and you have a well-defined waist that’s narrower than both.
Apple body type: Your shoulders and bust are larger than your relatively narrow hips.
Pear body type: Your shoulders and bust are narrower than your hips.
Rectangle body type: Your waist measurements are about the same as your hips or bust.
After figuring out your body type, explore and read stylist advice on how to enhance your figure.
For example, an hourglass body figure will look good in everything that accentuates their waist, like dresses that sit well on the curves.
An apple body type will look good in something that takes away focus from the waist and instead focuses on the legs or the top parts of the body like A-line dresses, monochrome looks and flowy tops.
A pear body shape will look good in clothes that give them balance in the upper part, like ruffled or loose tops with skinny jeans.
A rectangular body type has an undefined silhouette, usually with long arms and legs, and looks good in sleeveless, strapless dresses.
19. Find colors that suit your complexion
How to figure out which colors work for you? Simple—by color analyzing. Color analysis is a method of determining which colors of clothing and makeup shades harmonize with a person’s skin complexion, eye color and hair color.
Firstly, you need to determine your undertone; is it cool or warm?
A cool skin tone—you have pink or rosy undertones, your skin tone is cool and colors with blue undertones will suit you best.
A warm skin tone—you have golden undertones, your skin tone is warm and yellow-based hues will suit you best.
After that, you can ask yourself which of these four coloring groups you belong to—summer coloring, autumn coloring, winter coloring or spring coloring.
Summer coloring:
• Cool skin tone
• Natural ash-toned blonde or light-mid brown hair (with no red or gold highlights)
• Pale blue, green or gray eyes
Autumn coloring:
• Warm skin tone
• Red, auburn, dark brown or black hair with red, gold or chestnut highlights
• Light brown or green eyes
Winter coloring:
• Cool skin tone
• Ash–toned medium to dark brown or black hair (with no red or gold highlights)
• Deep blue, green or brown eyes
Spring coloring:
• Warm skin tone
• Golden blonde or light-medium brown hair with golden highlights
• Clear blue or turquoise eyes, sometimes green or topaz and often flecked with yellow, often with a darker rim around the iris
Your makeup looks will benefit from this knowledge too.
HEALTHY HABITS
20. Get plenty of sleep
Getting enough sleep is important for many reasons, including overall good health (and less visible dark circles).
Some of the things related to not getting enough sleep are a higher body weight and having a bigger risk of heart disease or a stroke.
It’s also connected to depression and increased inflammation in the body and can affect our emotions and social interactions too.
On the contrary, getting enough sleep is linked to improving concentration and productivity and a better athletic performance.
21. Drink water
Drinking water has major health benefits and helps us look and feel better every day. The benefits include flushing body waste, maintaining blood pressure, helping the digestive system and delivering oxygen throughout the body.
When it specifically comes to beauty, it helps your skin look younger by hydrating and increasing elasticity, it boosts your skin glow and helps your skin eliminate acne or conditions like eczema.
Tips for drinking more water include carrying a (preferably reusable) water bottle everywhere with you and remembering to drink at least one glass of water after every meal.
22. Eat nourishing food
Eating healthy food helps you feel and look better.
To maintain your skin, be sure to consume enough food like fatty fish (rich in vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids), avocado (rich in healthy fats, vitamin E and vitamin C) and food rich with beta carotene, like sweet potatoes.
CONFIDENCE
23. Avoid comparing yourself to others
Comparing yourself to other people only leads to feelings of jealousy and inadequacy. To help yourself stop doing that, try becoming aware of what triggers you and then avoiding your triggers.
One of the biggest triggers nowadays is social media. It’s almost impossible to scroll down a feed without seeing something that makes you feel bad about yourself, one more level you can’t reach.
That’s bad for your mental health and shouldn’t be underestimated in your life.
Instead of reaching for unattainable goals, you can work on improving what you have and finding value within what you have inside. You can use the success of others as inspiration, not something to beat yourself up over.
24. Accept compliments
For some people, accepting compliments feels awkward and that’s usually because they overthink what’s been said or they don’t see themselves matching what’s said in the compliment because of low self-esteem.
However, that’s not a reason to not accept a compliment. People compliment each other to acknowledge something they like in another person, so why not accept it?
It’s also a good idea to return a compliment and compliment people more frequently in general.
After everything that’s been said, it’s important to fully understand a few things. While we can’t deny the importance of looks in the life of a person, we also can’t deny the importance of everything else that makes their life.
There’s so much more to us other than how we look. Our traits, interests, knowledge and the way we treat other people also have high roles in our overall attractiveness.
Learning how to be pretty won’t help us feel confident unless we embrace ourself as we are inside and out and that’s where true beauty lies.
