Simple Ways to Elevate Your Appearance

If you’re someone who takes pride in your appearance and likes to look good, you probably already know lots of ways to make that happen. With all the pros and products out there, it can get expensive and time-consuming unless you know what you want.

The thing about product is that it’s not so much the end to a means: it’s the means to an end — more like an extension of you, giving you that little extra bit of help to achieve the “you” you’re envisioning.

Once you’ve found a product you like and know why you’re using it, you’ll have no problem knowing what to do with it. For example, you can always use a hair texture spray with or without a blow-dryer to create the shape you want around your face — knowing that it will facilitate the work that you’re doing to create the look you want, and keep it that way until you want to change it again. In a way, it’s about knowing more about what you want and being confident about it that elevates your appearance without spending a dime.

For a few straightforward ways to elevate your look, you don’t have to look far:

Say you’re hiking, and you take out your hair clip for a moment. A crow, in a moment of mischief, flies away with your hair clip. You can always pick up a straight twig and twirl a little hair around it until you’ve got a nice up-do, and secure it by pushing it underneath. Same thing at the library, if you don’t have anywhere to put your pen. Voila, resourcefulness, and casual elegance on the fly.

Your face is the picture that you show the rest of the world, and your skin is the canvas. So, no matter how much makeup or how creatively it’s applied, it won’t show you off to your best unless your skin is clean and glowing from the inside. So, it’s back to the basics; lots of good water, healthy foods, quality sleep, and a good outlook on your life. Hydrate yourself not only by drinking water but by eating it. Cucumbers, celery, apples, any fresh produce with high water content will give you a time-release effect that keeps you hydrated longer than drinking a glass of water will.

When you step out of the shower with a clean face, you can keep its moist, beautiful appearance alive with a little oil. Find one you like — almond, rosehip, coconut — if you do a little research, you’ll find that each type has individual qualities that resonate with your own.

Another simple way to elevate your appearance is to improve your posture. It matters more than most people realize. Your entire internal structure is dependent upon proper positioning within the forces of gravity. If your posture is good, you can eliminate problems like poor circulation, muscle tightness, and even brain fog.

Here’s a way to work with your posture:

• stand with your back to a door jamb
• feet a little less than shoulder-width apart
• tuck your pelvis under so your lower back comes close to the jamb without forcing it
• gently lean back and align yourself
• so that the back of your head, shoulders, lower back, and buttocks all line up comfortably with the door jamb

And don’t forget to smile!