Be Pretty
Being pretty is more than just looking pretty; you have to act it too. This article will show you how to be pretty inside-out.
Contents
10 Second Summary
1. Take good care of your skin, teeth, and hair.
2. Consider using some makeup to highlight your best features.
3. Wear clothes that flatter you and that you feel comfortable in.
4. Be confident and accept compliments with grace.
5. Stop negative thinking and be yourself.
6. Remember you're beautiful anyhow.
Steps
Looking Pretty
- Take the best care of your skin you can. Helping your skin look healthy and radiant can boost your confidence, which makes you feel pretty. If you suffer from severe acne - especially if it is hereditary - Ask Your Parent to Take You to a Dermatologist. If you have sensitive skin, eczema, dermatitis or any other skin problems, it doesn't have to stop you from being pretty. Talk to your doctor or nurse and look after your skin the way they advise. There are many ways to care for your skin:
- Twice a day, use a simple face wash to remove oils, sweat, dirt, makeup, and other impurities. Use one that will help your skin type (ex: oily, dry, sensitive, etc.). It should clear away grime without stripping your skin of the healthy oils that are naturally present. You can cleanse and tone if you like. Try cleansing lotion, finding cleansers and any other product you enjoy using.
- Use a moisturizer suitable for your skin, preferably one that has a Sun Protection Factor or SPF. This will protect your skin against the sun's harmful rays, as well as helping to prevent skin cancer.
- Moisturize your body, particularly your hands. This will prevent your skin from becoming dried out, especially during the drier times of the year. It will also help it appear radiant and healthy.
- Maintain dental health and hygiene. Brushing your teeth twice a day will contribute positively to your appearance and general health.
- Avoid immediately brushing your teeth after a meal. Wait at least ten minutes before doing so. Frequent brushing can damage your tooth enamel, apparently, which can result in pain during eating.
- Make Your Breath Fresh Although mouthwash lasts for a short period of time, it will help your breath smell better. However, be careful about the brand you purchase, as some allegedly contain carcinogens (ex: Listerine). A safer way to maintain good breath is to brush your tongue.
- Use dental floss. Clean the areas of your teeth that the toothbrush cannot reach. Floss between your teeth and at the gum line. This discourages plaque from building up in your teeth, and it also keeps your breath fresh.
- Use teeth whitening strips sparingly, as the chemicals are detrimental to your mouth.
- Avoid cavities and tooth decay. Sugary and acidic foods can damage your teeth. Whilst a couple of fillings shouldn't stop you feeling pretty, a mouth full of rotten teeth is hard to be confident about.
- Get professional dental check-ups regularly.
- Make the most of your hair. Keep your hair healthy, it should appear shiny and soft. When people look at you, your hair may be one of the first aspects that their eyes focus on. Short, long, straight, curly, natural, waved, plaited etc. - it doesn't matter. Nearly everyone has the occasional bad hair day. Your hair should make pretty your way. Don't neglect it, but don't spend any more time doing your hair than you like to.
- Wash your hair as often as needed. There are types of hair that require different treatments.
- For curly hair, wash it every three or four days. Daily shampooing will apparently damage your curls.
- For oily hair, less frequent washes are recommended, as they strip the natural oils from your hair.
- Change your hair. If you prefer to make minor changes for pretty hair, there are different methods available:
- Use products after showering to change the shape of your natural hair. An example is leave-in conditioner.
- Style your hair with heat. Before doing so, apply a heat protectant to avoid damaging your hair.
- For more volume, spritz your hair with dry shampoo before combing it down.
- Take as many trips to the salon as you like! Haircuts and coloring should be done by a professional for the best results, especially if you have wild hair. Choose cuts and colors that complement your skin tone and facial shape.
- Receive free advice. During your time in the salon, ask professionals for tips on the best hair products (ex: shampoo and conditioner).
- Trim your hair every six to eight weeks. Since this task may not require a professional, you can do this at home. You could also ask a family member or friend for help.
- Wear a hat, beanie, fancy clips, shiny rubber bands or even simple bobby pins. As long you think it is pretty on you. Do remember, not to use hijabs, niqabs, or any other religious, traditional or cultural elements purely as a fashion statement. Using religion for fashion is wrong and offensive. As an ending note on your beautiful hair, hair doesn't define pretty. Your heart does!
- Wash your hair as often as needed. There are types of hair that require different treatments.
- Experiment with makeup. Makeup can be used to enhance pretty features and hide anything you feel less pretty about. If you feel pretty covering your face in makeup completely, it's okay to do that, but, most people think it's pretty when you show your features off to their best advantage. Makeup is not necessary to be pretty, experiment with it to highlight your best features. You can also learn to make natural makeup at home, using video tutorials from YouTube.
- Apply a natural look.
- Eyeliner is one of the best options for a natural look, as it adds definition to your eyes. For a neutral look, choose a natural, subtle shade, such as brown or a color close to your skin tone. For a bolder look, add a thin line of black eyeliner.
- Eye shadow can brighten your eyes. Apply a light and natural shade. Champagne or brown colors are the best for a natural appearance.
- Mascara opens your eyes, as well as adding emphasis to your lashes.
- Clear lip gloss enhances your lips without dragging it down with bold colors.
- Use a bronzer. Contour your face from the temples, to under the cheekbones, and to the chin (think of the number three when applying). This can appear to slim your face down and be flattering. If you have a wide forehead or a large nose, run the brush down the center of your face to diminish the size. To avoid appearing fake, refrain from applying too much bronzer.
- Use blush. There are many places to use this upon, from the apples of your cheeks to your cheekbones. Blush can help widen (apply in a horizontal line) or lengthen (apply also to temples and jaw) your face.
- Highlight. There are many types of makeup you can use to draw attention to (ex: white eyeshadow or light powder) certain parts of your face. Some places include the forehead, cupid's bow, brow bones, and cheekbones. You can also put some on your eyes or nose if you think they're cute.
- Apply a natural look.
- Wear flattering clothes. The clothes you wear should boost your confidence, as well as complement your body type and skin tone. Avoid following fashion trends that you dislike, as they fade quickly. Instead, opt for a unique style that will show people who you truly are.
- Wearing correctly fitting clothes. By wearing the right clothes that fit you in the right places, you will feel more confident about your appearance. You can wear loose, flowing garments or tailored, fitted ones, both are pretty. If you like your trousers on the long side, that's fine, and if you prefer a shorter dress, that's good too. Just make sure you wear things that fit the way you want them to. It's hard to look pretty when your trousers are digging into your waist or your bra is leaving indentations on your skin.
- Focus on the basics for your wardrobe. You shouldn't spend a fortune on a pretty party dress or outfit you'll rarely get to wear. Make sure the things you have to wear day to day make you feel as pretty as possible. Lots of people feel pretty letting their appearance be the focus, not their clothes. If you have pretty red, black or striking platinum blonde hair, you might feel pretty in neutral colours like white, tan and beige. If you feel pretty in pink flowered dresses, wear those and really make a statement. Whatever you wear, you cannot be sure everyone will think you like pretty so be sure you think you're pretty in what you wear.
- Smell the way you want to. Unclean clothes and dirty bodies can smell unpleasant. If you want to smell sweet, be clean. You can embrace your natural odour if you think it's pretty, or, choose your favorite scents to help boost your confidence. Scented body lotions are an option, body sprays, scented soaps, perfumes, scented oils, the choices are great. Find something you like the smell of and use it if it makes you feel pretty. Some women like refreshing smells while others prefer fruity or floral ones. Despite your preferences, be sure to keep them to a minimum to avoid overwhelming people with the smell.
- Include a subtle hint of the scent. Spritz your wrist, elbows, and neck. Avoid rubbing your wrists together, as this can change the smell of some scented products.
- Do not spray scented products on your hair brush then brush your hair, this can apparently damage your hair.
- Maintain your health as best you can. Whether you're in peak physical condition or have an illness or condition, you can look after your body. Being healthy as possible is a great way to be pretty and help your body at the same time. A lot of it has to do with confidence and with healthiness both in your body and in your mind. It's easier to be confident when you're high on endorphins from exercise and when your mind is in a good place from getting enough sleep.
- Exercise. Get out for a run, take a walk, swim, do chair aerobics. Find a way to exercise your body that suits you. Take dance lessons if you like, ballet is especially good because it works all the muscles in the body, especially the abdominal muscles. Ballet won't make you pretty by itself of course and isn't prettier than soccer, tap dancing, tennis or any other activity. There are tons of different ways to exercise that are fun! Exercise releases chemicals that enhance your mood and make your body healthier, which in turn will make you more confident about yourself and pretty.
- Drink water. Staying hydrated helps keep your skin radiant and clear, it can help with weight-loss and exercise and will make your brain feel brighter and happier. Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. If you don't like how bland water is, squeeze a little lemon or lime into it, to make it more interesting.
- Get enough sleep. When you don't get enough sleep it shows not only in the bags under your eyes, but also makes your skin worse and your overall physical (and mental) health worse. For adults 8 hours of sleep each night is average; teens need a bit more sleep. Don't stay up too late at night. When you feel your body starting to get tired, go to bed. Practice good sleep hygiene habits.
- Eat a healthy balanced diet suitable for you. Eating properly can help keep your body healthy, but it can also make sure that your skin stays healthy. For a healthy diet you should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables (at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day). Try eating foods with essential fatty acids in them like salmon, walnuts, and flax seed, nuts as well almonds, cashew nuts and whole foods that are hard to chew on, as well as low-fat dairy products, which have vitamin A and acidophilus. Avoid junk food and highly processed foods.
Being Amazing
- Build your confidence. Being pretty often has more to do with how you present yourself and less to do with what you look like. Of course it can help boost your confidence in yourself if you like what you see in the mirror, but remember to look on the inside, too.
- Have good posture. Sitting or standing straight will make you look more confident; slouching looks blah... like you don't care.
- Don't judge yourself. In so many cases, you act as your own worst enemy, saying things to yourself that you would never say to anyone else. Building your confidence means being okay with who you are and not trying to make yourself perfect (either in looks or in actions).
- Don't judge others. The things you think about other people reflect on how you think about yourself and what kind of person you are. When you find yourself engaging in negative thoughts and words towards other people, turn it around so that you find something positive about them instead (maybe you don't like what someone's wearing, instead of saying "Wow, she looks hideous" think something like "Wow, she's so confident in herself).
- Don't compare yourself to other people. This is the most futile exercise you can possibly do, because there is always going to be someone who is smarter, prettier, and more talented than you. This will only cause you to feel worse about yourself.
- Fake it until you make it. Faking confidence tricks your brain into actually thinking you're confident, so the more you practice being confident, the more confident you'll feel. Start small (like wearing bright red lipstick, or higher heels) and, as you get more confident, incorporate bigger acts of confidence.
- Practice confident body language. Even standing in a power pose for 5 minutes every day can help make you more confident. Stand up straight when you walk, or sit and take up space. Don't cross your arms across your chest (typically a defensive gesture).
- Indulge in a photo. There's nothing like a good photo to help boost your self-esteem and make you feel better about yourself. You can use this photo when you're feeling down on your looks to remind you that yes, you are attractive and awesome.
- Selfies are great because you are in control of the image and how you are presented. Taking a selfie can be a great confidence booster.
- Be you! Show others you think you are pretty. Attractiveness doesn't just come from how you look, it comes from how you act and how other people perceive you. It's confidence, certainly, but it's also kindness, being a good listener, and Treat-People-With-Respect.
- While people are often initially attracted to outwards appearances (how physically pretty you are) they stick around based on your inward prettiness. Studies have found that people often re-evaluate someone's attractiveness based on good personality traits.
- Do nice and helpful things for people without expecting anything in return. Drive a friend to the doctor, look after your sister's baby for free, bring cookies to your teacher after a difficult week. You'll show that you are a good person inside and you'll make people think well of you, which will increase your attractiveness.
- However, don't forget to take time off for yourself. You don't have to live your life for everyone else. Pamper yourself, too, or take time to just watch a movie.
- Accept compliments. Don't turn compliments into a joke when someone offers you one. Remember, you are as awesome and as attractive as people say and you deserve to have compliments. Accepting a compliment does not mean that you are arrogant or "stuck-up."
- For example: if someone says "Wow, your hair is looking really gorgeous today" instead of saying something like "No it's not! I'm having a really bad hair day" (because even if you think so, no one else does) say "Thank you. I really appreciate that."
- Of course, you are under no obligation to accept a compliment that makes you uncomfortable. It's your right to decide where the line is and when it's being crossed.
- Get-Rid-of-Negative-Thoughts. Thinking negatively will take away your confidence and make you feel and look less pretty (it really is all about confidence). For instance, if you start thinking you're ugly, your brain will begin to accept that as true, even when it isn't. Fortunately, stopping yourself from thinking negatively is something that you can do and that you have total control over.
- Learn to label negative thoughts. For example, if you think "My face is hideous" stop and say to yourself "I'm having a thought that my face is hideous." Don't beat yourself up over the thought, just acknowledge it.
- Once you've acknowledged the thought, you have to let it go. Your thoughts don't define you and they certainly aren't you. They are simply patterns that your brain has fallen into.
- When you've let go of that negative thought, replace it with a positive one. Instead of thinking "My face is hideous," think "I have really pretty eyes" or "my eyebrows are awesome" or you could even take it a step farther and tell yourself "I am not defined by my physical appearance."
- Educate yourself about perceptions of what is pretty. The absolute most important thing you need to remember is that beauty standards (what is "pretty" for example) are completely subjective and depend on what society views as attractive. This means that beauty is constantly changing and that girls are being forced to live up to beauty standards that are basically impossible.
- If you're comparing yourself to models in magazines or actresses in movies and on TV, then stop! Those women who look "perfect" don't actually look like that in real life. Remember they have tons of hair stylists, wardrobe artists, make-up artists, special lighting and, of course, PhotoShop.
- Remember also that you are in no way obligated to live up to other people's perceptions of prettiness. In the end, only you get to decide what is pretty for you.
Tips
- Smiling is one of the easiest things that you can do that will make you glow in an instant.
- You can braid your hair while it’s still wet, which creates flirty waves the next morning when you comb it out and brush it, or you can straighten your hair. Brush through your hair and decide how you want to style it. Decide which styles flatter your face's shape the most, and which make you feel good.
- Keep your nails looking nice. Try to keep your cuticles (the half-moon border of the finger to the nail) clean and clear by gently pushing back the cuticle with the cardboard shaft of a cotton swab or other such object. Don’t forget about your toes.
- To get rid of those lines under your eyes, you can put on cucumbers, or put really cold water on a face cloth and hold it to your eye for a while.
- Take a bubbly, warm bath or shower every night. It will help you to relax, so you will radiate happiness, and give you a great glow.
- If you sweat a little more than usual and regular deodorant doesn't cut it, talk to your doctor. There are certain deodorants that aren't too pricey and can stop those dreaded sweat spots! Don't be embarrassed about it; a lot of people struggle with the same problem.
- You can also give your hair a soft and shiny look by putting on avocado. That will make your hair softer and nicer. Try to also wear some accessories in your hair. That will draw attention to your beautiful hair. Remember, you're pretty no matter what..
- If it helps, boost your confidence by finding inspiration through one of your favorite celebrity's sense of style.
- If someone says something to hurt your feelings, do not let what they say expose your weaknesses or put you down. Just smile, stand tall, and continue to show confidence by not letting negativity affect who you are.
- Make sure you're not allergic to the makeup you will put on. Having red spots and other skin blemishes make you look less attractive.
- Make sure to have smooth lips. If they become chapped it can look very unattractive.
- If you are bad at putting on makeup, ask an adult to help you (if you are young) or practice on a friend! That way you will learn how to do it yourself later.
- Don't wear make up every day. Do so only on special occasions because if you wear it every day, it will make you look older, and when you take it off, people will look at you differently.
- Get someone's opinion before you go somewhere that a lot of people will see you.
- Drink a lot of water and curl your hair for wet hair looks.
- Always remember that you cannot define the word beauty, every single person you meet, we all have a different perception of what is beautiful to us. To me being beautiful is being confident, being content of the skin i am in, smile more, being kind.
- Always remember everyone is different, so embrace it. Make the most of life, because you perfect the way you are and you only have one life to live.
- Try and give your hair a lift when brushing to give yourself more attractive looking hair!
- Don't be afraid to blush when you are shy or nervous.
- Always go out with a good attitude and a fresh start. A smile is one of the most attractive things.
- Remember to be yourself! There is always someone who loves you just for you. Don't be fake. Wear things that you like.Treat other people like you would like to be treated. Be an optimist.
- If you only want to wear a little makeup, mascara is the way to go. It opens the eyes, which essentially are the main feature of the face.
Warnings
- Remember to not sacrifice your health in order to be pretty. If you're dieting or exercising in unhealthy ways, you are not going to look pretty and you will likely end up in the hospital. Be safe!
- Don't change who you really are or get too caught up in the popularity if you do end up being popular. Never forget who you really are.
- Don’t pick your acne if you have it. You'll irritate the area and make it redder and more noticeable. Apply a warm cloth to it instead.
- Don't wear too much makeup! Applying natural foundation and eyeshadow is key, and so is swiping a little eyeliner. Wearing too much hides your natural beauty.
- If you have sensitive skin, don't use regular lotion. Opt for a gentler formula instead.
Related Articles
- Be Pretty if You Are Unfortunate With Your Looks
- Be Pretty As a Teen
- Be a Pretty, Nice, and Perfect Preteen
- Look Really Dazzling Before a Party
- Be Beautiful
- Be More Attractive to Men
- Become Naturally Pretty
Sources and Citations
- http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/take_care/skin_tips.html
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/how-to-wash-face-tips-healthy-skin_n_2134381.html#slide=1761225
- http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/health/#ImproveMentalHealth
- http://www.webmd.com/beauty/skin/skin-food
- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100802165441.htm
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vanessa-van-edwards/how-introverts-can-use-bo_b_4578260.html
- http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-attraction-doctor/201111/being-beautiful-or-handsome-is-easier-you-think
- http://www.yourcover.com/Articles/Most-Blatant-Uses-of-Photoshop-in-Magazines-Ads/
