Look and Feel Beautiful in 20 Seconds
Beauty Boosters
From The Beauty Prescription by Debra Luftman, M.D. and Eva Ritvo, M.D.
Interested in becoming 20 percent more beautiful in less than 10 seconds? Here's how. While staring in the mirror, simply tell yourself: I'm 20 percent better-looking than I think. It's true. And here's the reason. While you're just looking at your appearance, others see your charisma, intellect, kindness, -- whatever makes you, you. But there's much more.
Outer beauty reveals your inner beauty
What's on the inside is deeply connected with what's on the outside. Your physical appearance speaks volumes about your habits, diet, exercise, emotional state, how happy you are in your job and relationships and what you think about yourself. So as you work on your inner self, your outer appearance will transform for the better.
It's very OK to want to look beautiful
It's not about being vain; beauty really does have its privileges. The good looking earn more and hold greater positions of power. Research shows that physically attractive people get special treatment from most everyone, including their own mothers. Caring about being the most attractive person you can be doesn't make you conceited. It makes you smart.
Your skin is your body's canvas
When you look at someone, what you see is mostly skin. So when it comes to beauty, your skin is the one asset that should get your utmost attention and protection. It is, in fact, the canvas on which all other aspects of your outer beauty are painted. And there's more. Mammals are unique in our hairless quality. Skin is intimately involved in our sensuality, sexuality and human caring, as in caressing your child or lover.
Number one skin health tip: Stay out of the sun
If there's a mustached-twirling bad guy in the police line-up of skin damagers, it's the sun. Forget the "But what about vitamin D?" You can get what you need by walking to and from your car. What you need is protection. Sun damage is the main cause of premature aging and the target of 90 percent of skin therapies. Avoid the sun, use sunscreen daily and wear protective clothing.
Optimal nails and hair demand regular care by professionals
There are certain things a professional can do better than we can. Nails that are brittle, peeling and crumbling indicate not just poor self-care, but also vitamin deficiency, thyroid disease or fungal infection. Hair is only second to skin for playing up a woman's beauty. To keep your hair healthy know your shampoo and conditioner, condition every time you wash, use hair tools with smooth, rounded teeth and consult a hair dresser for cut, color and styling.
Dental health affects both your attractiveness and your overall health
When you speak, people's attention veers from your eyes to your mouth. This puts your teeth center stage. Many women are so sensitive about their teeth's appearance that they don't smile. Big mistake. One key to attraction is a smile, which triggers the reward center in the viewer's brain. Dental health is also strongly linked to overall health, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal cancer and bone health.
Tooth whitening or veneers can be an easy path to a winning smile and better self esteem
For a cheap, quick fix, use an at-home whitening product. These are not as strong as in-office whitenings, which can make a difference in your appearance very quickly. Other dental offerings include orthodontia, bonding, gum contouring and grafting and tooth contouring.
Makeup, fragrance and jewelry are highly personal beauty choices that your should take your time making
Putting on a good face is not about diamonds or the most expensive makeup. Rather, the effort should be about taking the time, effort and, yes, money, for self care. Many women believe they're too busy doing everything for everyone else that they neglect themselves. "Real beauty includes a sense of discrimination and ownership -- a sense of someone's inner self finding outward expression of her clothes, her hair and makeup and her manner," says wardrobe stylist Meg Freeman.
Your beauty regime should evolve as the years pass
When you're young, it's not hard to look great. It's all about natural beauty and simply taking care of your health. As you get older, it's a lot more work to look as young and healthy as you can. And every year it takes more. Don't wait for the whole thing to fall down. Looking beautiful is a journey and not a destination, and if you want to be beautiful, it's a daily process.
