I was doing some research about first impressions and across the board it has been revealed that people form a first impression of you in three seconds!! So literally in the blink of an eye, a complete stranger can form an impression of you (be it right or wrong). So fortunately or unfortunately (depending on how you view it), how we look is extremely important. And at the top of the first impression list would be your dress and grooming. For men, grooming is a lot simpler. For most it means a clean, neat appearance, a good cut and a shave. For women, however, we have to have the same neat appearance but the makeup says a lot about us and our personality.
I recently went to an all female function where I started looking around the crowd and assessing the women's makeup. One thing I noticed is that for most women, their clothes and makeup matched. Let me explain what I mean. There are some women who could be considered classic - their clothes were always polished and they had an elegant air. They looked at ease in their skin and their makeup reflected that. Their makeup was polished, simple and not overdone. Then there were other women whose clothes always had a flair for the flashy or something eye catching. Their makeup reflected that as well. They tended to wear brighter eye makeup and bolder lips.
So what does your makeup say about you? Does it say that you are lazy, plain or boring? Does it say that you could not care less about what you look like? Does it show that you lack confidence in yourself? Does it show that you want attention? Does it show that you are always in a hurry? Does your look say you care too much or you could not care at all? Knowing what your look says is the first step. So how do you change what your look says about you? I think one of the first things you need to do is assessing what your look actually says now and then decide what you want it to say. Then make changes so that the first impression is accurate.
Some practical advice:
• If you want to project that you are bold and confident - try wearing a bold red lip set against beautiful skin.
• If you want to exude self confidence - like you are comfortable in the skin you are in - try a minimalist makeup look with neutral eye colors and a more natural lip. The trademark of this look is beautiful skin and an overall look which flatters your best parts.
• To create a look of classic elegance, try the very feminine lighter eye shadow colors and darker lipstick.
• Are you someone who is outgoing and vibrant and you want your look to reflect that? Or maybe you have a diva personality and lots of flair? Then try wearing makeup to give off that dramatic look - a heavier eye shadow look (replete with eyeliner and mascara) in richer tones as well as a stronger lip colour with richer berries (using lipstick as opposed to lip gloss).
• Finally do you want to be seen as a modern sexy woman? Then try a smoky eye paired with a lighter tone nude lip. This look shows that you know how to keep your look fresh and up to date. The great thing with this look is that you can be light handed with the smoky eye in the day and heavier at night.
Also smoky eyes can be purple, navy even dark green and not necessarily your traditional black or grey. So if you have decided that your look does not match with what you want to say, make a few wise makeup choices so that the first impression is the right one.
