Instant beauty fixes (no make-up required)

It happens to the best of us. You wake up on the wrong side of the bed, officially starting your ugly duckling day. You look in the mirror and everything you see looks ugly: your hair is unruly, your wrinkles are too deep, your eyebags are enormous and your skin is too dull. You’re probably tempted to get back in bed and declare a day–off, or to bring out your make–up haul and cover your face up. But there’s a much simpler way to instantly get back to feeling beautiful. No need for concealer and make–up brushes, just small tweaks to your daily routine that can make a pretty difference.

Look in the mirror and say “I am beautiful." I know that sounds silly, but try it and see if it doesn’t make you feel good. If you want others to appreciate you, then you must first appreciate yourself. Instead of zeroing in on that dark spot on your cheeks or that blemish on your forehead, shift your focus on your best features and assets. Notice the beautiful shape of your eyes or the smoothness of your lips. Turn around and admire your marvelous figure and your healthy body. It’s all about changing the way you look at yourself. You’ll give your self–esteem a big boost when you look at yourself with a “pretty perspective." Wear your happy color. Do you notice how some colors make you feel? Red makes me feel powerful. Blue makes me feel peaceful. Yellow makes me feel cheery. Green makes me feel wealthy. And yes, black is always a slimming color and it comes in handy to hide the saddle bags when you’ve slacked from exercising. But for those bleary days when you just need to pick yourself up, brighten up your outfit with a punch of color. Dare to stand out from the black-wearing crowd and choose colors that will lift up your mood and make you feel good. Walk like a supermodel. They make walking look like an art. They move with grace as their legs and feet glide smoothly one after the other. Their shoulders are held back and their heads are held high, giving them an instant aura of confidence. Even if you’re just walking on pavements and not catwalks, try walking like a supermodel. Okay, maybe you don’t have to copy their dramatic swagger but at least imitate their statuesque posture. Keep your back straight and your shoulders thrown back whether you’re walking or sitting down. See how shifting into a proper posture suddenly makes you feel more poised and self-confident. Don’t be surprised if you suddenly turn heads and get double takes when you walk down the street. Accept compliments. A confident and beautiful woman always gets her share of compliments. And when you do, it could be tempting to brush them off, thinking that’s how you display humility. But real humility means accepting the compliments given to you. Learn how to say “thank you" for compliments and really mean it. Relish the good feelings the words give you and take it all in, then pass the happy feeling to someone else and compliment others too. These acts of kindness radiate a beautiful glow that will make you look prettier than any blusher ever could. Putting on nice make–up and hip clothes can enhance your looks, but often, boosting your confidence works great, maybe even better. If you’re feeling good, looking good will naturally follow. – YA, GMANews.TV