Unless you’ve been on too many to count, or aren’t really looking for anything serious, dates can be loaded with nerves and expectation. It’s also one of the occasions when we feel the most self-conscious about our appearances. Many people invest in plenty of time before the mirror in anticipation of meeting ‘the one’ or praying that the date swings their way for the better. Placing so much hope and stress on yourself, particularly with regards to your look, isn’t always productive, however.
Practice a bit of self-love
While self-love never magically removed anyone’s insecurities, being kind to yourself is incredibly useful, particularly before a date. If you turn up to a date loaded with insecurity and self-deprecation, you will be doing yourself no justice. Remembering your best and most brilliant qualities in the week running up the date will help you to feel a little bit more optimistic before you venture out into the dating world. Try and show kindness to yourself in your healthcare regime, too. Show your body respect by eating regularly, getting out of the house and maybe even indulging in a face mask.
While you’re prepping, preening, and generally being good to yourself, it’s important to remind yourself that your date will also be feeling the same. When you go out on a date, you are giving someone the best possible version of yourself, which is exhausting in the long-run. It’s healthy and helpful to acknowledge that this phase of constantly trying to impress is temporary and that ultimately, you will both be a bit nervous – if only for the short-term.
Refresh your cosmetics
Perfume, shimmer, precision-perfect winged eyeliner are all just some of the weapons that many of us have in our beauty arsenal. Giving your makeup bag a bit of a refresh will add a bit of exciting novelty to your makeup routine before you head out to meet your date. Hunting around for cosmetics online will help you to find discounts and luxury items such as perfume for a much more affordable price.
Remember that looks aren’t everything
Or course: pick a perfume that makes you feel like a bombshell and wear the eyeshadow that makes you feel sultry and confident. However, remember that your exterior is not everything that you are bringing to the table. Being assertive and letting your personality do the talking are arguably the most important features to put forward. The impact you make with your appearance should be working in tandem with your own best personality features. If you do face rejection at the end of it, you can rest assured that you gave them only your true authentic self, and if they didn’t chime with you then it’s neither your fault nor theirs.
Dating can be such a difficult game for the soul. It can leave us nitpicking at all of our exterior and interior flaws, hoping to reveal only our best qualities. In order to feel confident with your appearance, the first step should be self-love; the second should be your beauty routine.
