LADIES: 17 Steps to Look Perfect at First Date

First impression, they
say, lasts longer and men love ladies
who dress well. Please find the list of
steps you should take to look great for
that first date, which would lead to
subsequent ones...
1. Dress for the Occasion.
Base the formality of your attire on
where you'll be going. For an upscale
dinner, wear a skirt, dress or nice slacks
with a cute blouse. If you are going to a
casual movie, wear a nice pair of jeans
and a slightly dressier shirt than you
usually would. Remember: you want
your outfit to hit about the same level of
formality as what your date will be
wearing.
2. Make Sure Whatever You Wear Is
Freshly Laundered.
Covering dirty clothes with perfume or
anti-odour spray might be fine in a
pinch, but the purpose of a date is being
near someone and getting to know
them. It's better not to risk coming off
as unclean.
3. Don't Forget About Shoes!
If you are dressing up a bit, you might
want to put on a pair of heels or cute
flats. If the date is more casual, consider
a pair of boots or sneakers. Fresh laces
and a damp paper towel can make your
everyday sneakers more date-worthy.
4. Flatter Your Best Features.
Knowing you're dressed in a way that
puts your best look forward will help you
feel confident on your date.
5. Pay Attention to Fit.
Too tight looks odd, and too baggy looks
sloppy and like you don't care about the
date. Aim for a happy medium that's just
right for your body type. Make sure your
pants or skirt fit well around the waist -
you should be able to put three fingers
comfortably in the waistband, but not
much more - and that the hems for full-
length jeans or slacks hit around the
bottom of your ankles. Shirts should
cover your waist without falling past your
back side; the neckline should be an
appropriate cut and one you'll feel
comfortable in, without constantly
pulling it up. If your clothing fits poorly,
consider finding a local tailor or
seamstress. Most will do basic
alterations for a fairly low fee.
6. Find Colours That Work for You.
When you are picking out an outfit,
choose shades that flatter your natural
colouring. To highlight blue or green
eyes, try cool, dark colours such as violet
or deep blue. To highlight brown or
hazel eyes, try warm, light colours such
as coral or off-white. If you're worried
about how your skin looks, use the
colour of your shirt to downplay it by
avoiding bright reds or whites - these
colours will draw more attention to red
spots.
7. Highlight Your Body Shape.
You can use colours to flatter and set off
your build without compromising fit. For
instance, if you are pear-shaped and
have larger hips and legs but a slim waist
and fit arms, wear a dark colour on
bottom and a light colour on top. Dark
colours conceal, so wear something
darker on an area if you're self-conscious
about it. Light colours highlight - use
them to play up your favourite part of
your figure.
8. Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help.
Since most of us don't spend hours in
front of a mirror every day, it can be
hard to know what looks good on
yourself. Ask a friend whose taste you
admire to help you select a good look -
he or she might have already noticed
you look better in certain articles of
clothing. If you are going shopping, ask a
friendly salesperson for assistance. Most
of them love helping people choose
flattering clothing, and they have plenty
of practice doing it.
9. Clean Up.
Pay a little more attention to your
hygiene than usual for a first date.
Looking clean and appealing will help
you feel confident, as well as making you
more enticing to your date.
10. Shower Directly Before You Get
Dressed.
Moisturize with a scented lotion
afterward.
11. Pluck Stray Facial Hairs.
You don't have to go all-out on an
eyebrow manicure, but do have some
tweezers handy to get rid of pre-unibrow
hairs over your nose. Don't pluck any
farther in than above the inner corners
of your eyes. Be on alert for chin or lip
hairs.
12. Brush and Floss.
After you have brushed your teeth, put
the toothbrush on your tongue and
gently scrape it. Then floss around every
tooth. This is especially important if you
have braces - you don't want your date
noticing any food stuck in your mouth
when you first show up. Finish with
mouthwash.
13. Trim Your Nails.
You can cut them almost down to the
quick (where the white part stops) or
keep them slightly longer. If you have
time, give yourself a small manicure with
a fresh coat of nail polish and some
lotion.
14. Apply Make-up.
You can wear a little or a lot, depending
on your personal style. A good idea for a
date is to choose lips or eyes - go
dramatic on one, but not both. Avoid
wearing anything too heavy. You want to
look like a glowing version of your usual
self.
15. Style Your Hair.
If you want to do a new hairstyle, test
drive it the night before to make sure
you can pull it off. Otherwise, go with
one of your usual hairstyles. Amp it up a
bit by adding a cute headband or clip, or
by adding a little more volume than
normal.
16. Put On Perfume or Body Spray.
It's better to put on too little than too
much. For perfume, 2 pumps should be
sufficient; for body spray, no more than
3. You want to smell nice, but not
overwhelming. Keep in mind that your
nose will get used to the scent and
eventually stop telling your brain about
it. Just because you can't smell anymore
doesn't mean your date can't.
17. Finish Up Your Outfit.
After putting on any accessories, step
back from the mirror and take one item
away. Remember, your date wants to
see you, not your thirty cocktail rings and
blinding gold earrings. If you are going in
the evening or during cold weather, take
a jacket. Grab your wallet or purse, lip
balm, mints and anything else you might
need to have.
Naij.com wishes you to have a joyful
time together!