Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Taking care of yourself
• Part 2 of 4: Changing your hair
• Part 3 of 4: Wear makeup
• Part 4 of 4: Dress your best
• Tips
• Warnings

If you wish you could change your appearance, you're not alone. It is a common feeling for many people, especially young women. Chances are, you're already beautiful and you just don't know. By learning to be more comfortable with yourself, and by changing your appearance to better adapt to who you are inside, you can feel like a totally different - and totally beautiful - person!

To step

Part 1 of 4: Taking care of yourself

1. Drink plenty of water. Drinking plenty of water can help you stay more focused and energized and can even help you drop a few pounds. To calculate how much water you need each day, divide your body weight in pounds in half: that's how much you should drink in ounces.
   • A 150-pound (68 kg) woman needs between 75 and 150 ounces (2.5 and 5 liters) of water daily, depending on her living environment and activity level. If she is active and living in a warm climate, she would need more than 150 ounces every day.
2. Eat healthy. Don't eat too much sugar, salt, or processed foods. Your diet should include:
   • Protein: Fish, white meat, beans, nuts and eggs are healthy examples.
   • Healthy fats: nuts (almonds are very healthy), vegetable oils (extra virgin olive oil is a popular choice), and fatty vegetables such as avocados are good examples.
   • Whole, unprocessed carbohydrates: These include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans and other legumes.
   • Vitamins and Minerals: These are available as supplements and can be taken if you are well informed and if your diet does not provide everything you need.
3. Listen to your body. Drink when you are thirsty and eat when you are hungry. It may take a while to learn to read your body's signals if you've ignored them before, but once you do, you'll find it easier to stick to a healthy diet and maybe even lose some weight.
   • If you eat or drink anything that gives you a headache or makes you feel unwell, keep an eye out and try to avoid it in the future, especially if you regularly feel unwell after eating or drinking the product.
   • Pay attention to which foods and drinks make you feel good. A clean diet with plenty of water and nutrients should help you feel healthier and happier. When you are healthier and happier, you will also feel more beautiful.
4. Move regularly. Aim for at least 30 minutes of activity 3 to 5 days a week - more if you want to lose weight.
   • The most effective exercises you can do if you are short on time are exercises that use multiple muscle groups. You train multiple muscle groups with swimming, dancing or even vigorous cleaning.
   • Walking for 20 minutes twice a day is another effective way to stay fit and healthy.
   • Yoga is a wonderful exercise for relieving stress and building and strengthening your muscles. Make sure to pair it with cardio activities such as walking, running, or swimming.
5. Maintain good hygiene. Wash and moisturize your face and brush your teeth twice a day. Shower at least every other day and wash your hair when it starts to get oily (this can be every second day to once a week, depending on the hair type).
   • If you have blemishes on your face and back, you may need to wash your hair more often as the oils from your hair can transfer to your face, neck and back and cause breakouts.
   • To keep your teeth healthy and strong, you should go to the dentist every 6 months.
   • If you have good hygiene you will feel refreshed and more attractive on a daily basis. Try to take care of yourself every day, even when you are feeling down.
6. Keep one daily diary. Writing in a journal regularly can relieve anxiety, stress and depression. It can also help you solve problems and improve your self-confidence. Try to write for 20 minutes every day.
   • Write in your journal even if you don't have anything you want to say. You can even start by saying you're not sure what to say and see where the journal goes. Often times, something comes up - maybe even something you weren't expecting.
7. Meditate regularly. Meditating helps you to be in the moment and more in touch with your feelings. It has also been scientifically proven to change the structure of your brain and make you smarter and happier.
   • There are many different ways to meditate. A popular way is to sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed and try to clear your mind.
   • When you are meditating and a thought comes to your mind, imagine it disappearing, or you can give the thought a name and mentally wipe it from your mind. The goal is to focus on the moment you are in and not be distracted by thoughts.
   • You don't have to start with long meditations. It's okay to start with even just 1 to 2 minutes. Ideally, you would meditate for a maximum of 10 to 15 minutes each day. If this is not possible, just do it if you can!
8. Be positive. Most of us have those voices that see the bad in things and tell us why we're not good enough. You can counter those voices by practicing gratitude and counteracting the negative voices with positive ones.
   • Being positive can be a difficult habit to get into, so be patient with yourself as you learn to observe your negative thoughts and combat them with positive ones.
   • A physical trick to feeling more positive is to stand in good posture: Stand up straight with your shoulders back and your chin up, and stretch your arms out as wide as you can. Allow yourself to feel powerful and positive as you do this, and the feelings will linger.
9. Smile. Studies have shown that the happier you look, the more attractive you are to other people. What's more, research has shown that even when you don't feel happy, smiling can improve your mood.
   • If you're feeling down, try smiling for 30 seconds to give yourself a boost.
10. Be self-assured. Building confidence is easier said than done, but it's worth the effort. With a good self-image you become healthier and happier, which automatically makes you more attractive.
    • One way to boost your confidence is to make lists of your strengths, achievements, and things you like about yourself. It may be very difficult at first. You may only have one item on each list, and even that may have taken you hours to come up, but the lists will grow as your self-esteem grows.
    • Contradict your negative self-talk. This is related to being positive. Catch yourself when you think negative things about yourself and counter those thoughts with positive ones. For example, if you think "I'm fat" or "I'm ugly," counter those thoughts with "I have a great ass" or "I have beautiful eyes."
11. Get Enough sleep. If you don't get enough sleep, your mind won't work at its full capacity and you're more likely to struggle with eating healthy, exercising, and staying positive and confident.
    • Adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night and teens need between 8.5 and 9.5 hours.

Part 2 of 4: Changing your hair

1. Cut and / or color your hair. Whether it's in a different style or dye it in a different color, changing your hair can dramatically affect your overall appearance. Think about which hairstyles and colors suit you best.
   • Ask yourself, what do you want her to say about you? Are you outgoing and do you like to take risks? You may want short, colorful hair. Are you more down to earth and a bit of a hippie? Natural shades and long, layered hair may be the way to go.
   • Do an online search or browse some hairstyles magazines to see which hairstyles stand out to you. (You can buy haircut magazines at most drug stores and book stores.)
2. Determine your face shape. An important thing to consider when changing your hairstyle is your face shape. There are different types of face shapes. One way to find out is to look in the mirror and line your face with lipstick or an eye pencil.
   • Oval faces are balanced and shaped like ovals (a bit wider in the middle).
   • Square faces are equally wide at the eyebrows, cheekbones and jaw.
   • Triangular faces are wider at the bottom of the face, with a strong jawline.
   • Heart-shaped faces (also called inverted triangular faces) have delicate chins and wider cheekbones.
   • Circle faces are shaped like circles, which means they are fairly round.
   • Diamond faces are angular and have cheekbones that are wider than the eyebrows and jaws.
   • Elongated faces are consistently wide from the forehead to the jaw making them appear longer.
3. Determine which hairstyles best suit your face shape. Choose a style based on your face shape to keep your hair looking its best.
   • Oval faces go well with most hairstyles, although styles that accentuate length can make an oval face appear long.
   • Square faces come out best with hair that is longer than the jawline. In particular, avoid hairstyles that stop right at the jawline, as these can make a square face look even more square. Also avoid hairstyles with strong, angular lines such as blunt bangs or bobs. Side swept bangs, waves and layers that frame the face are good choices.
   • Triangular faces do well with short haircuts that balance out the larger jawline by adding width to the top of the head. If you are going for long hair, make sure it is longer than your jawline or else your face will look too full at the bottom.
   • Heart shaped faces look great with chin length layers (bobs are good!). Avoid short haircuts and thick bangs as these can make your face look heavy. Tight ponytails and otherwise smooth hair can highlight your little chin, so avoid these too.
   • Round faces go well with asymmetrical cuts and layered cuts, balancing the width of the face. Chin-length hairstyles and blunt bangs can make the face look wider, and so can part your hair in the middle. Side parts and side swept bangs look nice though!
   • Diamond faces go well with hair that is full on the sides but not on the top. In other words, avoid high hair! Bangs and layers framing the face look beautiful. However, avoid the middle parts.
   • Elongated faces can appear long, so it's all about dividing the length of the face. Avoid haircuts that are too long. Bobs, layers and blunt bangs go well with this face shape.
4. Consider your dye hair. Dyeing your hair is a great way to add some drama to your look. Before dyeing your hair, consider which colors are best for your skin tone and eye color.
   • Your skin tone and eye color can go with most hair colors, but they may not match every shade of that color. For example, warm skin tones go well with warm reds like strawberry, but pinks or blue skin tones go better with cooler, brighter reds.
   • Choosing a hair color that is close to your skin tone and eye color will give you a more natural look. Consider, for example, what a "sandpiper" looks like with sandy hair, tanned skin and light blue eyes.
   • The stronger your skin tone and eye color contrast with your hair, the more dramatic you will look. For example, pale skin and green eyes with rich, vibrant auburn hair will be a pretty eye-catching combination.
   • If you're not sure what your skin tone is, take a few online quizzes to see what hair color suggestions they come up with.
5. Keep your hair healthy. Wash your hair as often as necessary with shampoo and conditioner appropriate to your hair type (e.g. colored, normal, oily, etc.). This can be every other day to once a week, depending on the quality of your hair. The drier it is, the less it needs to be washed.
   • If your hair is dry and damaged, apply a weekly deep conditioning treatment. An easy home treatment is to mix olive oil with two egg yolks, an avocado, mayonnaise and hair conditioner and leave it on your hair for up to several hours (even overnight is okay).
   • If you have dandruff or other hair problems, avoid homemade products. Instead, use products made specifically to help with your condition. If the hair problem is severe, see a doctor or dermatologist.

Part 3 of 4: Wear makeup

1. Know how to get there look natural. Opting for a natural look means improving what you already have. Natural looking makeup does not mean wearing little makeup. You can still wear foundation, blush or bronzer, mascara, eyeshadow and lip color, even with a natural look.
   • You can use make-up to give yourself smoother, smoother looking skin (foundation and concealer); longer eyelashes (mascara); higher cheekbones (blush, bronzer, or contour kits); and fuller lips (lip liner and lipstick).
   • For example, it can take a lot of makeup to give your face that dewy look that is so popular.
   • If you don't like wearing makeup but want to improve the appearance of your skin, try a tinted moisturizer or powder. These can help improve the overall appearance of your skin without feeling too heavy or greasy.
2. Use eye makeup to make up your eyes. You can use different colors of eyeliner and eyeshadow to really make your eyes stand out:
   • If you have blue eyes, aim for light natural tones such as coral and champagne. The dark, smoky look can overwhelm your eyes, so experiment with it at home before you wear it down.
   • Gray or blue-gray eyes look beautiful with sooty and smoky shades of gray, blue and silver.
   • Green eyes look great with muted purple and shimmery brown tones.
   • Hazel or brown-green eyes look beautiful with metallics and pastels that bring out the spots in the eyes. Dusty pinks, soft copper and golden shadows look beautiful with brown eyes.
   • Brown eyes go well with most eye makeup colors and styles. Neutral shades of salmon and bronze gold work well. For a smokey eye, you can even add a little black shadow in the crease of your eye.
   • A popular style of eyeshadow is to create a smokey eye, mixing two or three shades on your lids to give them a graduated look, often from dark to light as the colors on the lid move towards the brows.
3. Wear lipstick. Lipstick is a great way to play on your lips and add interest to your look. Red is one of the most popular colors. It can be worn by anyone. The secret is to find the right shade for your skin tone.
4. Use a lip liner. Apply lip liner to your lips before applying lipstick so that it lasts longer. You can also use lip liner to change the shape of your lips, making them look fuller or even a little thinner if that's what you want.
5. Balance your makeup. Wearing dramatic eye makeup with a dramatic lip color is something stylists generally advise against as it can be overwhelming. For example, if you're wearing a smokey eye, go with a more natural lip.
   • If you're wearing red lipstick, keep the rest of your makeup relatively subtle. A classic look is to wear a cat's eye with red lipstick.
   • Similar rules apply to balancing hair colors and makeup. For example, having firefighter red hair can limit what colors you wear on your lips.
6. Consider contour make-up. Contouring involves using dark and light shades of skin tone makeup to change the look of your face. For example, with contour makeup you can make your nose look smaller and your cheekbones look more prominent.
   • Contouring takes a little time to learn, but if you really don't like your natural features, it's worth giving it a try.
7. Wash off the make-up well. Makeup can irritate your skin and cause breakouts. At the end of the day, wash your face thoroughly and remove all traces of makeup to help prevent this.
   • Choose non-comedogenic (i.e., non-clogging) makeup to avoid breakouts. The packaging has the words "do not clog pores" or "non-comedogenic". Even with this type of makeup, you can still experience breakouts.
   • If you wear heavy eye makeup, you can use eye makeup remover or coconut oil to make sure you get it completely off your eyes every night.

Part 4 of 4: Dress your best

1. Find your style. Look online to consider which styles you like best. Base your decisions on which styles appeal to you and what you feel most confident about. Consider who you are as a person and ask how you can show that through your personal style.
   • For example, if you're outgoing and into punk music, you might be able to get inspired by retro punk photos, while if you're more natural and a bit of a hippie, you can get inspired by old photos of people from the 60s and 70s.
   • Make your clothes an extension of who you are. This means you should feel comfortable and good in your clothes, not trying to be someone else.
2. Know your body shape. Knowing your body type allows you to dress in a way that accentuates your best features and hides the things you are not so happy about. Here's a way to determine your body shape from measurements:
   • Use a tape measure to measure your shoulders, bust, waist and hips. You may need to ask someone to help you do this.
   • Inverted Triangle: If your shoulders or bust are larger than your hips, this is your body type. Your shoulders or bust should be more than 5% larger than your hips.
   • Rectangle: This is your body type if your shoulders, bust and hips are about the same size and you don't have a defined waist. Your shoulders, bust and hips should be within 5% of each other and your waist should be less than 25% smaller than your shoulders or bust.
   • Triangle: If your hips are wider than your shoulders, this is your body type. Your hips should be more than 5% larger than your shoulder or chest circumference.
   • Hourglass: This is your body type if your shoulders and hips are roughly the same size and you have a defined waist. Your shoulder and hip measurements should be within 5% of each other and your waist should be at least 25% smaller than your shoulder, hip and bust.
3. Dress according to your body type. Now that you know your body type, you can choose the clothes that will make it look its best:
   • Inverted Triangle: Keep your top half relatively sleek and simple, and free of any details that can accent it. Leave the bulky stuff to your bottom half to give it more volume and balance it with your top half. An example of this is a plain top with a v-neck, a wide belt and wide trousers with wide legs and a high waist.
   • Rectangle: The goal with this body type is to define your waist so that you have more of an hourglass shape. To do this, wear pants with embellishments that create soft curves and fitted tops that shape the waist. Avoid baggy clothing or clothes with prominent waistbands.
   • Triangle (aka pear): The goal is to balance your wider bottom half (hips and legs) by wearing clothes and accessories that add volume to your top half and broaden your shoulders. Don't add bulk to your bottom half by wearing pants or skirts with simple, clean lines and no embellishments.
   • Hourglass: Wear clothes that follow your body line. Fitted clothing is generally a good choice as it will certainly accentuate your naturally curvy figure. Avoid baggy clothes that hide your small waist or you might look bigger.
4. Take your height into account. In addition to your body shape, you also have to take your height into account. In particular, consider whether you have a longer torso or longer legs, as this will affect how you dress.
   • If you have longer legs, you can wear hip pants with longer shirts or dresses with a dropped waist to give your body more balance.
   • If you have shorter legs, you can wear high-waisted skirts and pants with cropped or tucked-in tops to make your legs look longer.
5. Wear clothes that suit you. Regardless of what you decide to wear, make sure your clothes fit you properly. Clothes that are too loose or too small will never look good on you and can also make you feel less confident.

Tips

• Don't forget to be patient, especially if you're trying to lose weight through healthy lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise. It may take a month or more for you to notice the effects of healthy living, but you will see (and feel) results!
• A great way to learn what styles of clothes and hair would look good is to look to celebrities for inspiration, as they are often professionally styled. Don't forget to always put your own spin on the style and stay true to yourself.
• If you are concerned about the potential risks of hair dye, consider lightening or darkening your hair naturally, or using henna. With the exception of henna, natural methods will only change your hair a few shades, so don't expect dramatic results.
• If you are unsure of how to do your makeup, consider booking a makeover at a makeup store. These are often free, although there is usually an expectation that you will buy something afterwards.

Warnings

• Note that dyeing your hair can be dangerous because dyes contain chemicals that can cause fatal allergic reactions. For this reason, it is imperative to take an allergy test 48 hours before dyeing your hair.