Overhaul Your Image - Instantly! | Women Lifestyle, Fashion, Health, Beauty and Personality

Overhaul Your Image - Instantly!
Category : Women Lifestyle, Women Fashion, Women Beauty, Women Personality, Self Development

Radiating Confidence Image No matter how self-assured you are, you’ve probably at some point pretended to be something you’re notsay, to ace an interview or impress a guy you’ve been eyeing. While we generally agree with your motherthat it’s best to just be yourself-faking isn’t always bad. “Envisioning yourself as confident, calm or courageous can make it easier to take on those traits,” says New York City psychotherapist Ruth Rosenbaum, Ph.D. We’ve outlined the specific strategies you need to fake the finer things in life, from looking red-carpet glam to sounding like a Rhodes scholar.

These 11 quick fixes will have you sounding smarter, dressing chicer and radiating more confidence in no time.
1. Confidence
“Ninety-three percent of your impact is conveyed through body language,” says Mel Silberman, Ph.D., a professor of adult and organizational development at Temple University and the author of PeopleSmart (Berrett-Koehler, 2000). If you want to wow someone, make eye contact, stand tall, and try not to fidget.

If you’re nervous about giving a speech or entering a room with panache, try visualizing your success first. “Shifting your attention inward can trigger changes in heart rate and muscle tension. Studies have shown that muscle fibers can conform to your thoughts and visualizations,” says Rosenbaum. She suggests finding a quiet place to conjure up the images or feelings you want to convey: “Let all disturbing or distracting thoughts fall away. Then close your eyes and see yourself handling a specific situation the desired way, including as much vivid detail as possible.” Your newfound confidence will stem from feeling you’ve already accomplished that task.

2. Intelligence
Smart people won’t grandstand about a subject if they don’t know all the facts, says Silberman. He recommends instead that you study current events before a big occasion. Read the newspaper from cover to cover, from the gossip to the opinion pages. “Don’t just talk about facts; try to discuss the consequences of those facts,” he advises. Instead of just saying, “I don’t think there should be school vouchers,” be prepared to explain why. “And ask questions so the burden isn’t on you to do all the talking,” says Silberman.

3. Sophistication
Haven’t dined at the restaurant du jour or seen the hottest play in town? Cultivating culture takes time, energy and money, but it can make you more desirable on the job and in social circles. Be au courant with the cultural scene: Read the book review and arts sections of your local newspapers; for a crash course on politics, theater and art exhibitions. Once you feel you’re educated, throw around words like neoclassicism and sangfroid (pronounced “sang-f(r)wa”) And then, of course, you’ll want to look the part: Tie your hair back into an 1-can’t-be-bothered bun, don glasses, wear black clothing and pearls-cultured, of course.

4. Power
Whether you want to rule the world or simply get a point across, remember that knowledge is power, says Patricia Fripp, a San Francisco-based executive speech coach and the author of Make It So You Don’t Have to Fake It. Prep carefully for every meeting or interview. Once you’re there, lean forward to prove that you’re listening and engaged. If you’re seated around a table, position yourself in the power spot-directly opposite the boss, if possible-and make eye contact. Look around the room as you speak slowly and clearly, and keep your sentences short and succinct. “But don’t speak until you have something valuable to say,” advises Fripp. And never undermine your remarks by prefacing them with self-deprecating lead-ins, like “This may be dumb, but….”

Your appearance is also key in the workplace. “If you have a poor haircut, bad haircolor or ragged nails, it’s the first thing people see,” says Betty Halbreich, director of the solutions department at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City and coauthor of Secrets of a Fashion Therapist. Go for a polished look with a tailored suit and one eye-catching piece of jewelry-like a marcasite pin or cuff bracelet. Keep your hair and makeup clean and simple, but telegraph your power message with don’tmess-with-me red lips and/or nails.

5. Glamour
True glamour isn’t just about sequins and sable; it’s about attitude. In other words, if you start thinking and acting like a person who turns heads, you will, says Halbreich. Look in the mirror, tell yourself you look runway-ready, and practice your strut.

Need to pull out all the stops for a big dinner party or charity benefit? Scour stores for something clingy or strapless and stilettos that you can actually walk in. Choose one sparkly accessory-like a sequined evening bag or a pair of attention-getting rhinestone earrings.

When it comes to makeup, take a tip from forties screen sirens, says Laura Geller, a New York City makeup artist. Use a soft liner to draw a line across the base of your upper eyelashes and pump up the blush. (”More color on your face will make you feel brighter and more alive,” she says.) Define and fill in lips with a liner, and top with a bold red lip color with a hint of gloss. Wear your hair in a chignon with soft tendrils framing your face, says Yarn Varin, owner of New York City’s Yarn Varin Salon.

6. Chic
Chic is about looking understatedly stunning and effortlessly smart. It’s a quality that tells others that you’re a class act. Clean lines and natural fabrics (like cashmere, cotton or crisp linen) are de rigueur. Hunt for staples like a fitted black jacket, a pin-striped suit and a classic watch, says Halbreich. Stand back and look in your three-way mirror with a discerning eye. “Note the length of your skirt or the drape of a dress, and find a good tailor-a perfect fit is key to being chic,” she says.

Aim for monochromatic makeup-similar colors on your eyes and cheeks and a pretty apricot or soft peach gloss to define the lips. Your hair should be clean and sleek; to add luster, use one of the many new “shine” sprays on the market, says Varin. Keep nails trimmed short and buffed or polished in a sheer or pale pink shade.

7. Youth
Smile. It will take years off your face.

8. A Good Night’s Sleep
For those o us who burn the candle at both ends or just look as though we do, a milk compress may help. According to David E. Bank, M.D., director of the Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic and Laser Surgery in Mount Kisco, New York, the lactic acid in milk is a great anti-inflammatory. Lying down with head ele vated at a 45-degree angle, apply a cloth soaked in cold milk to your face and eyes for 15 minutes. Other options: Place chilled teaspoons (put in the freezer for 15 minutes), cool wet tea bags or cold cucumber slices over eyelids.

To boost a flat morning-after mane, Varin recommends flipping your head over and giving hair a good brushing from the underside. If your strands still look stringy, sweep them off your face into a sleek ponytail and apply gel to any flyaways. As for makeup, “use under-eye concealer and pick a brighter-than usual blush,” says Geller, who suggests giving tiredlooking eyes a wakeup call by lining the inside rims with a bone-colored pencil.

9.A Slim Figure
A fashionista tip if you’re trying to hide a few extra pounds: Wear your jeans one size larger. The reason? Looking slimmer is all an illusion. Clothing, says Halbreich, can camouflage most figure flaws: Longer skirts in supple fabrics will glide over wider hips, and a V neck will actually make a largebosomed woman seem less chesty. A slightly elevated heel will elongate legs and help balance the proportion of the body. And, of course, there’s that old slimming standby, black, which makes you look leaner instantly.

If you must pour yourself into a tourniquet-tight sheath or just-washed jeans, steer clear of carbohydrates, salty foods and carbonated drinks for a day before you wear them.

10. A Curvy Shape
None of us was born with a perfect body. Fortunately, there are sartorial strategies to hide that fact. If your chest is modest, you might pick up a padded bra, or try Halbreich’s old movie-star trick: Unbutton a soft silk shirt to your belly button (or as low as you want to go) for a tantalizing hint that there’s cleavage where there’s really not. Boat-neck tops will broaden your shoulders and give you a swanlike neck. Born without a waist? Wear a low-slung belt to get some definition.

11. Serenity
“Our bodies respond chemically to our thoughts,” says Rosenbaum. “Deep breathing sends out an everything-isokay message to your brain, making you feel calm.” If you’re in the middle of a confrontation or tense situation, try this exercise: Inhale through your nose, count to four, and then exhale for another four counts to slow your breathing. Repeat until you feel yourself unwinding.

If you’re anticipating a stressful situation, practice “left-nostril breathing” before you arrive: Place a thumb over your right nostril and inhale through the left. Then move your little finger over the left nostril and exhale through the right. Do one series this way, and then do the reverse (inhale through the right nostril and exhale through the left). To relax your facial muscles, try a mini shiatsu massage: Using the pads of your thumbs, firmly apply pressure to the inner corner of each eye for 10 seconds. Apply the same pressure to your temples, then under both cheekbones.