4 Simple Ways to Feel More Confident About Your Appearance

Talking about our appearance can be quite a loaded subject. We’re constantly told that it’s what’s on the inside that counts, but we’re also bombarded with adverts, magazines and Instagram feeds which celebrate physical ideals. We see the world value and reward those it perceives as attractive. At the end of the day, we know that although we don’t have to be Photoshop perfect, how we look affects how we feel. When we look our best, we feel our best and that can be even more acute if we are entering a new environment, like starting a job or going off to college. That doesn’t have to mean a drastic makeover – sometimes a few little tweaks are more than enough to boost our self-confidence and allow us to feel like the best version of ourselves.

Change Your Skincare Routine

If you do the basics – cleanse, tone and moisturise – you may feel that you’re doing enough for your skin, but there’s so much more that you could be doing. Healthy, glowing skin is always on trend and significantly improves your appearance as it’s always on display. A lot of what it takes to have great skin comes from the basics of sleep, hydration and diet. If you aren’t practicing good sleep hygiene and you don’t manage eight hours a night, then your skin is going to suffer – not just with dark circles, but with fine lines and dullness as the stress hormones from a lack of rest can also age the skin.

Start by banning melatonin-disrupting electronics from your bedroom, investing in blackout blinds or a silk sleep mask, and making sure your bedroom is the right temperature for sleep. What you eat and drink is also hugely important – purchase a reusable metal water bottle and make sure you refill and carry it with you throughout the day. Aim to ‘eat a rainbow’ of different coloured fresh fruit and veg with every meal. All these things can have a big impact on the health of your skin and the aging process. Then try making over your skincare regime. Ditch ineffective cleansing wipes in favour of a micellar water or a cleansing oil. Add in products which target your specific concerns, such as antioxidant Vitamin C to fight the effects of pollution and poor diet, Retinol to tackle fine lines and gentle resurfacing acids contained in something like a glycolic toner. Use a rich cold-pressed organic oil at night to soothe and restore skin, and most importantly, always make sure you wear a high-factor, broad-spectrum sunscreen during the day.

Whiten Your Smile

Studies have shown that we perceive people who smile more often as more attractive, and when your teeth look sparkling and white, you’re less likely to feel self-conscious about them. Start by visiting a source of natural beauty products like goldmountainbeauty.com for some activated charcoal toothpaste – this can naturally whiten your smile each time you brush. You can also try oil-pulling, which cleanses the mouth of toxins and keeps your teeth fresh. If your teeth are crooked, treatments like Invisalign to straighten teeth without braces can do a lot to perfect your smile, and are coming down in price all the time.

Correct Your Posture

No matter how much you spend on your clothes, they will never look amazing unless you have great posture. When you stand up straight, you not only make your figure appear more flattering, but your clothes will drape differently on your body. And having good posture also affects the emotional response that others have to you. Studies have found that shifting your posture actually makes others see you as friendlier and more confident. But for most of us, posture correction takes work, especially if we work in a desk job. Each time you visit the bathroom, take a moment to align your body in the mirror – your ears, shoulders and hips should all be in a straight line, stomach pulled in and lower back slightly curved. See how much better you look and feel?

Find Clothes That Suit You

It’s easy to feel as if we have to blindly follow the latest clothing trends, but those who look best tend to have chosen from shapes and colours which suit their body type and skin tone. Learning about your body type and how to dress to flatter it will instantly make you look so much better. And this doesn’t mean that you can’t look current – it’s simply about finding a way to adapt the trend to what suits you. It could be choosing a different cut or selecting a classic ensemble with some on-trend accessories. Dressing well is an art, but one that you can master with a little patience.

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