Look and Feel Your Best
You want to look and feel you best? There's not a one-size-fits-all way of doing it but here are some basic guide-lines. Feel free to adjust them to your own life as you go along. But most importantly: Have fun.
Contents
Steps
- Build confidence. It's very important to feel good in your body and once you do, others will see. Especially when you are in your teens being confident is quite hard. You feel fat or ugly? Trust me, you're not the only one who feels this way.
- Feel fat or ugly? You're really not. I promise you, nobody is as critical of you as you are. Calculate your BMI to figure out if you are overweight and if you actually are, consider going on a diet.
- No matter your size or shape, own your body. It's all yours, all you. You are beautiful in your very own way because you are unique. No matter how you feel about yourself, there's no-one out there who's like you.
- When you're standing in front of a mirror really, really try to zero in on the good things about you. Obsessing about the negative things won't make them go away and it certainly won't make you feel any better. If there's really something about you that you want to fix for yourself, fix it. It's important to feel good, not pretend like you do.
- Stop comparing. You are not others. And more importantly you can't be. Admire others and aspire to be a better 'you' but don't be someone else. As Oscar Wilde said: 'Be yourself. Everybody is already taken'
- Remember this: Your body, your rules. If you don't want to do something with it nobody can force you. You are not obligated to do anything you don't feel okay doing. This especially applies to sex. If you don't want to that's your right and nobody can say otherwise.
- Be polite, but not too polite. Might sound confusing, but it isn't. Be friendly, open and remember to smile. You will really be surprised how much more friendly people will be towards you. Then again, you don't want people stepping on your toes, do you? So when someone is getting in your face, be polite but very, very firm. Don't yell at them and never, never-ever get violent. This will not earn you any respect. Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself, you're a lot stronger than you think.
- Don't lie to yourself! No matter what. You might fib towards other people but don't lie to yourself. You are better than that.
- Pamper yourself. Treat yourself to baths, masks, massages etc. It makes you feel amazing and boosts your self-esteem. Also remember to relax. Meditate, read a book, take a nap. Do what you can to combat stress.
- Be clean. Yes, of course you have to maintain your hygiene.
- Take a short shower or a shallow bath every evening but wash your hair only every three to six days (Depending on how oily your hair is) as not to strip your hair of it's natural oils. Use a nice-smelling shower-gel/shampoo/conditioner and lotion but don't clash scents.
- Brush your teeth at least two times a day and use breath-mints and chewing gum between meals.
- Use deodorant to combat body odor. Try to stay away from the kinds that smell too sweet or too strong since lots of people are very sensitive to smells and overpowering everybody in a {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} radius with your deodorant isn't polite. Good scents to use are: citrus, mint, soap and there are even ones that smell like detergent. If you want to you can use a neutral-smelling one and spray perfume over it to create your very own 'smell'. But please remember to keep it light. If you have a cold, avoid perfume because you can't smell how much you've already applied and smelling like you bathed in your perfume is not really an enjoyable thing for your peers.
- Make sure your clothes are clean, too. You can smell and look amazing but if your clothes smell like sweaty socks and are totally wrinkly it will still ruin your appearance.
- Buy clothes that suit you. You've probably heard this a million times but this really is important. Don't wear clothes that are too revealing just because you think boys want you to or it's the "cool" thing to do. But also don't wear clothes that "hide" you. Be proud of your body and show it off in the very best way. Try stores like H&M for cute fashionable clothes for all body types.
- Make-up. If you are still under 12 don't go for it. Please, don't.
- Face: For every day: Just a little powder to brighten and correct your complexion. For a little more coverage try mousse/souffle foundation as it gives a light and even coverage. Use concealer to lighten your dark circles. If you have blemishes or acne, don't try to hide them too much. The more you try, the more people will see them. Neutrogena, Clearasil, etc. are good for cleaning you skin and curing blemishes. If you have extreme acne or sensitive skin, see a dermatologist for special treatment.
- Eyes: Mascara is awesome for every day. It makes you seem more awake and really makes your eyes stand out. If you are a blonde, try a dark brown instead of black, it seems more natural. Also don't overdo it. Mascara should enhance your real lashes, not look like a bunch of clumped-together stubs. You can also add a little tan/brown/sand eyeshadow to make your look more glammed up. At night you can spice your look up a bit with a slight smokey-eye or subtle colour eyeshadow (dark-green, purple, dark purple, gold, silver etc.).
- Lips: A nice gloss or lip-balm will do if you are young. If you want to you can also wear a light lip-stain or lipstick for a more intense colour. Always make sure your lips are hydrated, chapped lips look kind of love-less. For a gentle exfoliation use a soft toothbrush to scrub off dead skin, smooth your lips and increase circulation.
- Hair. Always make sure your hair is reasonably clean but if it gets oily and you don't have time to wash it, try putting it up in a high ponytail.
- Find a shampoo & conditioner/heat-protectant/leave-in conditioner/hair-masque that suits your hair-type. (ex. Herbal Essences, Pantene, Dove etc.)
- Change up your hair style. Don't always run around with the same style. Do a high ponytail one day, french-braid the next, curls another. But don't overdo the heat, it damages your hair.
- Try cutting, highlighting or dyeing your hair. But try to stay close to your natural hair colour (i.e. if you have black hair maybe bleaching it completely white isn't a great idea in the long term). But go ahead and experiment!
- Get healthy. Turf your non-healthy habits! This will help you live a longer and happier life.
- Stop harming yourself. If you are smoking, drinking to much or over-eating. STOP IT NOW. No matter what, you are not doing anybody (least at all yourself) a favour. Self-control-issues and chemicals are not important enough to ruin your life over! Seek medical guidance if you can't overcome your addiction. If you are cutting yourself, doing drugs or are suffering from an eating-disorder see a doctor right now. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, mental illnesses are just as much illnesses as the flu is and they won't just go away with time.
- Eat healthily. Cut down on processed fats and sugars and processed flower/ white flower. Also try to avoid the combination fat-sugar, as sugar raises you insulin-levels, opening your cells and if there's a lot of fat around, it will deposit itself in the cells as well. Remember: White flower changes into sugar in your body (try chewing white bread for a couple minutes, it'll start tasting sweet!)
- Drink lots of water. It really is important for your over-all health, especially for your kidneys, as they clean your blood. x/2=_oz of water a day (x= your weight in pounds). But don't stress the water too much, you already get the majority of your daily recommended intake via your food and the only thing drinking huge amounts of water will accomplish is making you pee a lot.
- Get exercise and get outside. Go for a walk as often as you can or garden (Even if you only have a small windowsill) but don't forget to wear sunscreen on hot days.
- Get rid of bad habits and find new hobbies. Read a book instead of spending all day in front of your TV or on the computer. Try arts & crafts or new sports.
- Be ambitious. Don't waste your time, strive for high results and work to achieve them.
- Most importantly though, do what makes you happy. Doing things you enjoy is not wasting your time and doing things differently from others is not wrong. Wear neon orange lipstick and dye your hair leopard print if it puts a smile on your face! It's your life, live it how you want. Don't let society tell you who you are or what you have to do or how you have to feel.
Tips
- Go to a professional salon the first time you change your hair. You don't want to ruin it.
- Change your lifestyle/looks/attitude step by step. Nobody changes overnight.
Warnings
- Consult a doctor immediately if you have an eating-disorder, cutting-issues or a drug-addiction!
- If you suffer from any health/medical issues consult a doctor before making any changes to your lifestyle and/or diet!
Related Articles
- Make Your Clothes Smell Good Overnight
- Have a Teen Beauty Session
