So, you want to know how to look pretty (or more beautiful)? Here are 15 tried and true tips for looking beautiful all the time.
With the upcoming new year and all its resolutions, I thought I’d share my top tips on how to look pretty. I always share my best fashion advice for how to look beautiful on What Is She Wearing (WISW), but felt it in my spirit to throw out a few practical tips on how to look good, in general.
We all know that one of the ways to feel good is to look good, but did you also know that when you feel good, you look good? Looking good and feeling good are inextricably linked; they cannot be separate from each other. While you may gravitate towards looking good or feeling good on any day of the week, a harmonious balance is what makes you look your best.
This harmonious balance puts out an attractive energy that others pick up on, regardless of society’s standards for what’s considered beautiful. This energy can help you level up your relationships, meet a romantic partner, get your dream job, obtain favor from colleagues and strangers, and help you become the best version of yourself.
Read on to learn the best ways to look pretty, regardless of your age, aesthetic, style preference, affinity to beauty treatments, and most of all how you feel about yourself right now.
Some of these you may know, some may be new; and cocktailing them all together makes a HUGE difference in how you look. These are the exact beauty tips I’ve implemented in my life and I can testify that they truly work!
This post is all about how to look pretty.
Best Ways To Look Pretty
1. Adopt A Skincare Routine
Taking care of your skin is one of the most foundational tips for how to look pretty. Your skin is what’s on display when you interact with others, so proper care and maintenance is necessary to look good everyday.
If you haven’t implemented a proper skincare routine, now is the time to get one. Every person is different, so while binging YouTube and TikTok for recommendations is tempting, your best bet is to see a licensed professional.
Book a facial with a licensed aesthetician who will take a close look at your skin and provide a recommended skincare regime. Ask them to provide product recommendations in your price range. Book a follow-up appointment in 3-6 months to see how things are going.
Yes, this costs money, but it’s a sound investment as opposed to spending hundreds on trending products and not seeing any breakthrough when it comes to your skin. This method works for both adults and teens.
Once you’ve implemented a skincare routine, follow it every day; not just when you feel like it. It can take up to 12 weeks to see initial results when using a new product, so stick with it. As they say, with consistency lies the victory.
2. Use SPF Daily
Using sun protection daily is one of the best ways how to look pretty without makeup. As we get older, the negative effects of the sun come out through our skin, which many wish to cover up (because hey yo, that spot shouldn’t be there!). While a tan may make you look pretty on vacation, the long-term effects of it can age you faster.
While most of us won’t escape some type of sun damage throughout our lives, the mental and emotional stress it can cause to our self-esteem can affect our ability to feel and look beautiful. The more adamant you are about wearing sun protection on your face, neck, chest (and entire body for that matter), the less you’ll have to worry about those issues, and possibly go makeup-free.
Many brands offer tinted SPF for the face that acts as a light foundation, providing coverage if you want it, which may eliminate the need for an actual foundation or other makeup. Try Colorescience Sunforgettable® Total Protection™ Face Shield SPF 50 or their powder version, Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush On Shield Bronze SPF50.
In this day and age, I think just about everyone knows the damaging effects of the sun on one’s skin, i.e. premature wrinkles, sun spots, redness, uneven skin tone, and cancer. If you aren’t protecting your skin from the sun (even when it’s cloudy) there’s no time like the present to start.
3. Hydrate Properly To Look Better Instantly
Hacks to look prettier? Drink plenty of water. Our bodies are made of mostly water, so it’s important to replenish the water lost throughout the day and night to avoid dehydration. While you may not feel dehydrated, your skin knows the difference.
Think of a dehydrated fruit like a raisin or prune…it’s wrinkly and feels weird when you touch or press it. Same idea with your skin.
I would see a doctor or nutritionist for how much water a day is right for you. Get your hydration levels in check if you’re planning for a big event such as a wedding or honeymoon.
Now, I’m the type of person who gets overwhelmed by those giant water jugs with measurement lines, so here’s the method I use to hydrate. I drink a 10-ounce glass of water when I wake up and then every two hours until 8 pm. I drink it all down at once. I have reminders on my phone that go off, so I don’t miss it. With this method, there’s no need to drink additional water at meals.
Since implementing this method, I feel so much better, my skin is clearer, dry patches are gone, and my lips are much more hydrated.
4. How To Look Better Naturally? Sleep.
I’ll make this quick because we all know this is one of the most practical tips for how to look beautiful naturally. Sleep is the only time we’re truly at rest, which is the body’s best time to restore, renew, and regenerate. If you’re missing those zzz’s your body misses out on those important healing processes and thus, your beauty suffers for it.
Get your rest, please, especially if you have special plans the next day, like a first date. My sweet spot is 9 hours lately, so I do my very best to honor that. Anything to lessen those genetically-gifted dark circles.
5. Sleep On Your Back To Become Pretty Overnight
My goodness, this one was tough for me as a die-hard stomach sleeper all my life. But, when I heard that sleeping with your face pressed hard into a pillow may cause premature wrinkles, I quickly decided to join the back-sleeper club. But, there’s more to this.
Aside from the claims about premature wrinkles, I instantly saw that back sleeping is a definite hack for how to get a prettier face. Sleeping on your stomach causes the lymph (or fluid) to pool at the front of your sinuses, causing puffy eyes and a puffy face. Sleeping on your back allows the lymph to drain properly.
When I say I saw instant results, I’m not kidding. I suffered for years with puffy eyes and dark circles every morning (and sometimes the entire day) just thinking that was my lot in life. It wasn’t fun having people ask me “what happened” while completely disregarding the killer outfit I had on at the office. Not anymore.
Wow, I’m still amazed just thinking about it.
And honestly, because I have such a curvy back (or spine), I’m still not 100% a back sleeper, for comfort reasons. I use pillows to support my body so I’m sleeping slightly at an angle, but my face isn’t pushed against anything anymore.
6. Protect Your Hair While You Sleep
If you have fine, thin, or curly hair, this beauty tip is revolutionary for how to look pretty effortlessly. Honestly, it can benefit everyone especially if you’re a back sleeper or someone who tosses and turns a lot. Hair breakage can occur from the friction against your pillow at night, especially if you aren’t using a silk or satin pillowcase.
Protect your hair by putting it in a silk sleep bonnet, like this one I’ve had from Lily Silk for years. I tie my hair up with a silk scrunchy, in a loose ponytail at the top of my head (called a pineapple), and then put the sleep bonnet on. Another option is to wrap your hair in a silk scarf or the very least, braid it.
Protected hair means fewer split ends and breakage, plus better second, third, or even fourth-day hair, which is great if you want to extend the time between wash days.
Sure, the sleep bonnet may look a little funny, but who’s looking at you while you sleep except maybe those beautiful angels watching over you?
Related Post: 10 Stylish Loungewear Items You’ll Want To Wear Out
7. Eat A Proper Diet To Look Prettier
A nutritious diet is a tried and true method for how to make your body look better. We’ve all heard that quote from Hippocrates circa 400 B.C.E. “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. In other words, your food will either heal you or poison you.
The healthiest foods are organic, natural, and unprocessed. However, many factors go into what specific foods are healthiest for an individual versus what causes inflammation. Our bodies are very smart and they alert us when something is wrong through stomach issues, allergies, skin issues, and the list goes on.
Any food that causes you inflammation should be avoided. Inflammation on the inside will eventually, if not immediately, show on the outside. Processed foods and sugars cause inflammation, so avoid or limit as best you can.
Seek professional help through a dietician who can help you test for food allergies and sensitivities. Get on the right diet and your body and beauty will thank you.
8. Skip The Alcohol
Oh drinking. It’s advertised as such an attractive past time, but it does nothing good for you in the beauty department. Quite the opposite, in fact.
This is a short PSA that’s helped me give it up (almost…at least).
Alcohol is poison. When you drink, you’re putting poison into your body. Poison causes your body to decay. The more poison you ingest, the quicker the rate of decay. Decay isn’t pretty.
When I think of it like that, I want to avoid alcohol at all costs or at the very least severely limit how much I imbibe.
If going to a party at someone’s house, bring an alternative to alcohol, like kombucha. Or bring ingredients to make mocktails with instead. Dive into virgin cocktails when you’re out at the bar, which are slowly gaining momentum (but not quickly enough lol!).
Related Post: 15 Perfect Bar Outfits For Your Next Night Out
9. Dress In Your Best Colors To Be Pretty All The Time
You can make yourself look pretty by wearing your most flattering colors. Flattering colors are what brighten your face and make you look fresh. Unflattering colors dull your complexion and can even make you look sick. The same goes for metals in jewelry.
People are either warm-toned, cool-toned, or neutral. Warm colors look best on warm-toned skin, cool colors look best on cool-toned skin, and neutral skin can go either way.
Your best colors are based on a combination of your skin tone, skin undertone, eye color, and natural hair color. The best way to do this is to have a professional color analysis done. If you haven’t the time for that, perform one at home.
Test 1: Blank Sheet Of Paper
Hold a blank sheet of paper next to your face. Does it brighten your face or make it look dull? If it brightens, your skin’s undertone is cool. If it looks dull, your skin’s undertone is warm. If you can’t tell, you might be neutral.
Test #2: Color Of Your Veins
Examine the veins on the underside of your wrist. Blue or purple veins indicate a cool undertone and green veins indicate a warm undertone. If you can’t tell, you might be neutral.
Test #3: Silver Vs. Gold Jewelry
Compare silver and gold jewelry against your face. The metal that shines and brightens your face is the winner. Gold jewelry looks best on warm skin tones while silver jewelry looks best on cool skin tones. If you’re not sure, you may have a neutral skin tone and can go either way.
On a side note, skin that typically burns easily is cool-toned while skin that tans easily is typically warm-toned.
Pro-Tip: Always perform a close-up assessment in the mirror to see whether your face looks fresh or dull before finalizing your outfit. You just might need a different color top.
10. Rock Your Hair’s Natural Texture
This may be a touchy subject and in no way am I saying that you can’t look pretty with different hair. NOT AT ALL. However, there’s a reason we were born with specific features. They were meant to go together, like a puzzle.
Maybe it’s just me, but have you noticed when someone wears their hair in its natural texture, they tend to look younger, fresher, and more beautiful?
After what seemed like a lifetime of straightening my hair so that it was flat against my head, I decided to embrace my natural texture: a combination of wavy, frizzy, and curly. The early 2000s were brutal, without allowances for even a ponytail crease (IYKYK), so my hair was incredibly damaged and falling out. It wasn’t pretty anymore. It didn’t even feel like my hair.
Because I’d been programmed by society to believe my natural hair wasn’t pretty, the transition to my real texture was as much an inward one as it was outward. It wasn’t easy during the first few years of the transition, but the results kept getting better and better and better! I do use hair products for styling and protective purposes.
I can honestly say, I’ve never been so in love with the hair I have until now. It’s been a major confidence booster. Everyone else seems to like it a lot, too.
11. Go Au Naturel With Makeup
That is to say, go with either no makeup, a little makeup, or the most natural-looking makeup for your complexion. French girl chic, some may say, The concept is to slightly enhance your natural features or keep them as-is. The level at which you do so is your personal preference.
For those of us who aren’t makeup artists, I again recommend the help of a professional. Book a consultation with a beautician and get a personalized routine for how to look pretty naturally. Having a go-to natural makeup routine with the right products will give you the confidence to look your absolute best for any occasion.
12. Always Wash Your Face Before Bed
This one should read, “Always remove your makeup and wash your face before bed”. Seriously, always do this.
I had a health teacher in high school who would repeatedly tell the class that wearing makeup would kill us. He was funny and definitely a bit extreme.
When you go to bed with your makeup on, your skin can’t breathe and is prevented from the overnight healing and restoration process. Plus, the makeup seeps into your eyes, which can cause an eye infection.
Always make a point to remove all makeup and do your skincare regimen before bed, regardless of how tired you are. I know people in their late 30s that still aren’t doing this. I won’t miss mine though; I’m too important to settle for less.
13. Take Your Vitamins & Supplements
In addition to a healthy diet, your beauty routine might need additional vitamins and supplements.
For example, vitamin D levels can drop in postpartum women, which can make you look and feel tired, cause hair loss, and a multitude of other things. Getting routine bloodwork can ensure your body has everything it needs to live a life of vitality and look beautiful.
I’m not a licensed professional, so this isn’t medical advice or even recommendations. Always consult a healthcare professional before taking any supplement or vitamin.
However, the following supplements have greatly improved my skin, hair, nails, and youthfulness of my face:
- Dr. Berg Vitamin D + K2 + Zinc
- Ancestral Supplements Grassfed Beef Liver Capsules
- Osmosis Wellness Recovery Prebiotic, Omega & Fat Pad Renewal Supplement
- Osmosis Wellness Skin Perfection Elixir
14. Try Facial Exercises To Look Prettier
One of the best “how to look prettier tips” I’ve found in my thirties is facial exercises. Facial exercises are where you work the muscles in your face so they are toner, more supple, and hold their shape better. This also includes exercises for your neck as well.
We all know that aging + gravity causes our skin to sag and droop. There’s nothing wrong with that, but there are natural ways to prevent it from happening so quickly. The answer is facial exercises (sometimes known as face yoga).
The internet is full of countless methods and courses to try and I recommend trying a few until you find one that works for you. I’ve found the best methods are the ones that are quick and effective, like Anastasia Burdyug’s Super Face, so you’ll do them every day without feeling like it’s too much of a chore (i.e. less than 15 minutes).
I’m not affiliated with Super Face, but have completed the course and love the results. My favorite part is that the dark circles under my eyes have lightened a lot. Facial exercises also help move lymph, which is great for de-puffing the face, too.
15. Meditate to Look Pretty Everyday
Last, but not least…not in the least bit least, is meditation. How can meditation help you look more attractive and beautiful?
Meditation works from the inside out. At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that when you feel good you look good. Well, meditation helps you feel good. This practice helps you slow down, relax, release muscle tension (even in the face), become present, process emotion, heal past trauma, change your mindset, and find your truth.
This post could go on for days with all there is to say about the practice of meditation, but I will sum it up by saying that it promotes deep, internal wellness. When you feel good about yourself on the inside, it carries over to the outside. Meditation helped me accept so many ill-perceived “flaws” about myself, overcome negative self-talk, and actually love who I am and the way I look.
It has also helped me take better care of myself because I feel more worthy to do so, which in turn, makes me look and feel like the most beautiful version of myself. I leave the house every day feeling a lot more confident that I am beautiful and I want to share that with everyone I interact with because we’re all on this journey and everyone deserves to be and feel beautiful.
I hope these tips for how to look pretty help you on your journey. Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which is completely within you. On those days you need a little extra help remember this: A cute hat can completely fix a bad hair day while the perfect perfume can set them in a trance!
Got any beauty hacks for how to look better instantly? Share them below.
This post was all about how to look pretty
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