How to be Pretty

How to be Pretty

By, Cassandra George Sturges

What does it mean to look pretty? Looking pretty means wearing clothes, shoes, makeup, and hairstyles that honor, glorify and respect the body that you have at this precious moment in time. Some women dress for the body that they wish they had after gaining or losing weight or after having cosmetic surgery done. In this article, I will give you a few simple tips on how to feel better about your appearance and look pretty now at your current age, size, and weight.

Before we dive into  a few tips on how to be pretty; first and foremost, I would like for you to look within your own spirit and define what pretty means to you; who you are trying to attract, impress, or keep. 

 

Whenever we want something, we have an outcome in our mind that helps us acknowledge when we have accomplished our desired goal. Many young women want to be pretty because they want random men and women to find them attractive. They measure how pretty they are by how many catcalls, compliments, and stares they receive from others.

If this is the type of pretty you are aiming for—this article is not going to help you because you are seeking external validation to fill an empty void in your self-esteem. This type of “fleeting pretty” is based on social media trends of beauty, hairstyle, makeup, cosmetic surgery, and dieting. This superficial illusion of pretty will attract people in your life who will make you feel even more insecure about your body image and self-esteem.

But if you want to be the best version of yourself, just know that the accessories that adorn your body are complimenting your internal attitude of love, compassion, kindness, and gratitude.

Sometimes we are simply stuck in a fashion rut and we are looking for beauty and fashion tips to express completing high school, being a new mother, getting married, graduating from college, starting a new job.  Changing our image is like making changes to our earth suit that complements our new mission that is an external validation of internal self-worth.

I think this article can give you a few old-school reminders of beauty tips on how to be pretty.

Find a hairstyle that makes you look attractive. Sometimes as women, we see a particular hairstyle on a model, actress, or celebrity and we take this picture to our beautician and ask her to style our hair to just like the picture. The best thing to do is to find a picture of a person with a hairstyle that you love; whose head and face has a similar shape as your own.

Before you commit to a haircut, buy a wig with a similar style. The hairstyle should flatter you and your lifestyle. Don’t get a haircut that would be difficult or expensive for you to keep up while working and or going to school.  If you look in the mirror and you have to talk yourself into liking the hairstyle—this is not the look that you are going for. When you look at yourself—you should feel immediately “pretty.”

Go shopping for clothes by yourself and find clothing that complement the figure that you have. Sometimes well-meaning friends and family don’t want to hurt our feelings and talk us into buying clothes that deep down inside we know do not look good on us; but if you can be honest with yourself you know when an outfit does not make you feel attractive.  The rule is – if you have to talk yourself into wearing it for any reason—put it back. You should feel like it was made especially for you.

Place a beautiful flower, feather or barrette in your hair. I have never seen a woman no matter her age or size that did not look graceful and beautiful with the perfect flower in her hair.

Find a neutral beige or light pink nail polish for your fingers and toes.  A polished manicure and pedicure screams to the world that you take time out of your schedule to nurture your body. Make sure that you change your nail polish as soon as it starts to chip. If you have very little time for yourself, wear a clear color nail polish, but keep your nails cut and shaped neatly.

Select a sheer lip-gloss that is simple and sweet. You may find a lipstick color that compliments your skin tone, but if you want to look soft and pretty, it’s best to find a tinted lip gloss or a matte lipstick if you feel the need for color on your lips. I think that looking "pretty" is a softer look than looking beautiful.  Pretty is more of an everyday look and beautiful is more of a special occasion look, in my opinion.

Wear mascara and a little eyeliner. Find a soft fragrance similar to baby power or something mild and innocent that smells clean and fresh when you walk by. Sometimes all you need is a scented body wash that will make you feel pretty and fresh all day long. Oil of Olay makes my favorite body washes; not only do they smell good, it really cleans and moisturizes my skin.

Sometimes as women, we think that we want to look like another woman whom we believe to be more physically attractive than we are. However, what we really want is to look and feel pretty in our own skin. Selecting a few of the ideas in this article can help you enhance the natural beauty that you already possess.

I spent most of my life wishing that I had bigger breasts or wishing that I could lose weight, and hating my dark skin. Now that I am in my fifties, I look back and think to myself—I would have loved myself more if I had known that it was going to be downhill from here. I know there are millions of people in this world who would give anything to have a healthy body that can see, hear, walk, and run.  

One day when I am ninety-years-old, I am going to look back at my 50-year-old body and think ‘wow, those gray hairs weren’t that bad. I was smoking hot back then.’ If I am going to appreciate my body 40 years from now, I might as well appreciate it now.