Looking for ways improve your overall appearance?
I understand.
This is a daily struggle of mine. Especially with the quarantine I am looking more like an ogre every day.
That is why I wrote a quickly post about 5 simple ways to look more elegant.
Whether you are working from home, or going to the office, or simply going for a walk, there are simply tweaks that make a huge difference towards how we feel both inside and outside.
Hi girls, how are you today?
Have you ever noticed those type of women who look perfect all the time, no matter the weather or the time of the day?
I’m sure you have.
How on Earth do they do it?
I have always been an admirer of women who look perfect all the time and this seemingly magical capability has always perplexed me.
My mother is a great example of someone who always looks polished.
Even at home, her hair is always combed, her skin is soft, her clothes are ironed and she smells amazing.
Lately, with the quarantine going into week 3 here in Spain, my mother has been reminding me over the phone of the importance of looking polished, even if at home.
(and especially if you are in a relationship).
She reminded me of the importance of tidying my hair, putting some perfume, keeping my nails presentable, dressing into something comfortable, yet proper
In other words: don’t slouch in pajamas all day, even if you don’t plan on going out.
I must admit that I had been lagging behind lately, using the same pajama pants that I stole from my Cris’s closet a few days ago, so I welcomed my mother’s suggestions with an open-heart.
This got me thinking on writing a post talking about polished women such as my mother (and sharing their 5 top secrets to look perfect all the time).
These tips include some basic per-planning and easy reminders. You’ll thank me later when your boyfriend starts complimenting your looks again during the quarantine.
5 Ways to Look More Elegant Instantly
Part 1) It’s all about awareness
One thing that women who always look groomed have in common is their self-awareness.
Women like my mother have a certain habit of making sure their clothes are wrinkle-free, that their hair is tidy and that their breath is decent.
I always catch my mother grooming her sleeves and collar, and making sure her shirt is properly tucked in.
You can always bet she has Tic-Tacs inside her bag and she usually walks around with small perfumes.
1.1 Brush Your Hair
Hair is one of the most significant elements of looking well put together.
In fact, this is something that I recently picked up on and it is making a huge difference towards how I look during the quarantine period.
As I have naturally straight hair, I can get away with not combing it in the mornings and still look decent.
However, simply by picking up the habit of brushing my hair in the morning, spraying it with a bit of dry shampo.
Finalize with a pearl hair clip or a tiara, is making a huge impact not only on how I look, but also how I feel throughout the day.
Tip: Having a bad hair day? A low bun is both easy to set up, and it also looks chic.
See below an easy low bun tutorial:
RELATED; 7 Ways to Get to have ultra shiny, glossy hair.
1.2 Keep Your Breath Fresh
This goes back to either carrying fresh mints such as Altoids or Tic-Tacs inside your bag.
Or even going to the extend of carrying a personal hygiene toiletry bag with a toothbrush, tooth paste and floss (I mean, why not?).
1.3 Reemeber your clothes
Plan ahead!
The best way to always look polished is simple, yet overlooked by 90% of people in society: plan ahead!
This allows you to be more creative, without wasting time (such as matching colors, textures, etc). It also leaves you time to iron any item that might need some grooming.
RELATED: 5 Habits of Women Who Always Look Expensive
Part 2) How To be More Polished
Beyond being self-aware, looking groomed is also about going the extra mile towards being polished. Now we will cover what are the subtle things that can be done to improve your overall appearance.
2.1 Style your hair
If you have time, make an effort to spend some time styling your hair every day – straighten it, curl it, put it in a nice bun, shape it with mousse, etc
It’s crazy how a few curls created with a hair wand can make a huge difference towards how we look. This is because it sends people a message that we care about ourselves enough to go the extra mile to present ourselves.
Don’t be intimidated by beauty tools such as hair wands and straighteners. I recently bought my first hair wand and now in 5-10 minutes,
I give myself an entirely new look.
It’s so easy that I am killing myself for not buying a hair wand before. If I can do curls with a wand, so can you!
PS –Be careful not to damage your hair. It is important to always use heat protection products before using hot tools such as hair wands and hair straighteners.
TIPS ON HOW TO STYLE YOUR HAIR THROUGHOUT THE DAY
I like carrying with me a travel-seize bottle of dry shampoo everywhere. Applying a bit of dry shampoo to my roots after work, or before meeting friends while I am already out and about is a great way to look fresh. I also always carry with me a hairbrush and hair clips inside my bag.
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2.2 Groom your clothes
Every once in a while, be sure to straighten a shirt that might be looking loose, or make sure the collar of your blouse is still well-presented.
Be sure to remove dust from appearing on black outfits and remove hair with a roller.
TIPS ON GROOMING YOUR CLOTHES
Every once in a while, remind yourself to straighten your shirt or tuck in a blouse.
Never use clothes that are not clean and properly ironed.
Avoid clothes that have holes in it or that look washed up, as these send an opposite message from self-awareness.
2.3 Reapply your makeup
This sounds like a no-brainier, but I admit i need to be reminded about this.
My makeup bag used to go for a walk with me every day, without ever being used. That is why I added this important daily reminder to reapply a bit of makeup throughout the day.
TIPS ON WHAT MAKEUP TO REAPPLY
A bit of concealer midway through the day can go a long way.
Furthermore, adding more pink to your cheeks, and applying some extra mascara to open your eyes is game-changing.
These small steps will make such a huge difference towards how you look, trust me.
2.4 Smell good
Always wear a fragrance (and I really mean ALWAYS).
Whether you’re heading out on a date, going into the office for a regular day of work, or running errands around the city, always wear some sort of fragrance suited for the task at hand. For dates, you may want to consider something like female pheromones perfume for a more romantic edge. For the office, a more floral scent would be appropriate.
Rest assured that people always notice when you smell good, and this is a great way to leave an ever-lasting impression that you’re well-polished and put-together.
TIPS ON HOW TO ALWAYS SMELL GOOD:
You should remember to subtly reapply your perfume throughout the day.
Ideally, you should carry a small bottle of your perfume/cologne around with you (or free perfume samples if you wish to avoid the extra weight).
2.5 Don’t slouch on your manicure
The devil is in the details.
As simple as it sounds, taking care of your hands and nails is one of the top characteristics of a polished individual.
People who keep their hands manicured appear to be more put-together than those who don’t.
Don’t be that girl sneakily trying to hide your fingers in an effort to hide your unmaintained chipped, or chewed up nails.
This might seem silly to you, but when surveyed, one of the first thing men claimed to notice on a woman are her hands and feet. What goes well with hands and feet?
Well taken care of nails, of course!
They don’t even need to be literally polished, just make sure you keep them well manicured, clean, and shiny.
TIPS ON HOW TO ALWAYS HAVE MANICURED HANDS
You don’t have to necessarily keep polish on your nails every week, but make sure that you keep your nails filed and your cuticles trimmed. Carry hand lotion with you to keep your hands nice and soft at all times. Having an emergency nail file inside your bag can also be helpful.
Some extra tips on how to look perfect at all times
3.1 Stick to a Pampering Schedule
Whether you get your nails professionally manicured every other week, or indulge in an at-home face mask every Sunday morning, or even if you are starting to get into the 10-steps Korean skin care routine, a pampering schedule will keep you looking polished.
Remember to remove excess hair from your eyebrows, legs, (mustache), underarms, etc. Keep in mind to exfoliate your face, body, and feet a few times; to apply deodorant, and brush your teeth.
3.2 Have An Emergency Kit
Have emergency kits at hands to be ready for everything the day throws at you. These don’t have to be huge. Think practicality and travel-sized products that conveniently fit your purse.
I have separated the emergency kit into First Aid and Beauty.
First Aid
Here I am referring to items such as Band-Aids for blisters, hair serum for split ends, mints, tweezers, floss, a nail file, and other essentials that will help you look pulled together no matter what.
Beauty
These are the things I recommend carrying in a small beauty kit with you at all times:
- Small concealer
- Liquid Blush (no need for makeup brush)
- Mascara
- Lipstick /Lip balm
- Hand gel + Hand moisturizer
- Small perfume
- Hairbrush
I especially welcome having tweezers at hands when I am out and I catch a glimpse of a single (yet huge) black hair that insists on popping out of my chin once a month. I honestly don’t relax until I remove it.
Tip
Keep those sample perfumes that they give at Sephora or any other store in your day-to-day bags, or beauty kits. This way you won’t carry a lot of extra weight, and you will still manage to smell good.
That’s a wrap girls. These are my top tips on ways to look more elegant on a daily basis.
As you can see, being elegant is not about expensive labels, quite the contrary. It is about being mindful about yourself, how you present yourself and how well you pay attention to small details, such as straightening you shirt, reapplying makeup at the end of the day or even having a small Sephora perfume sample inside your bag at all times.
Do you have any particular tip on ways to look more elegant? I’d love to know. Share your thoughts on the comments section below!
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