Great Grooming for Women

Glamour galore! There are more beauty products peddled today than the number of stars in the Little Dipper and if it keeps going like this the Big Dipper won’t be far behind. With all the choices of perfumes and potions to make a woman beautiful, appealing and polished it seems almost unnecessary to go over great grooming tips for dating girls. In last weeks column I hammered on the guys so this week the girls get some tips that a person can take or leave but from the mail I get grooming is definitely on the mind of those who are looking for relationships. If ever there was a sticky situation it’s the differences in what we accept as good grooming from each other. So here’s some helpful items that have nothing to do with the latest beauty products, the hottest smells or the newest trend in hair length and instead concentrate on some of the most basic and probably the most vital aspects of grooming when you want to get close.

• Be Clean.

This is the same thing I said to the guys but for the ladies it goes just as importantly at the top of the list. Being clean is a subjective thing so let’s break it down. Wash your whole body including inside your ears, between your toes and any other part of your anatomy that has flesh close to flesh that tends to be un-fresh! What a way to say wash everywhere! That goes for both women and men.

I know a woman who I’m certain showers every day and keeps a clean and well-organized wardrobe but she has dirty ears. I don’t know if she just doesn’t take a wash cloth to them or if makeup gets in as she applies it in the morning but she has short hair and I can see inside her ears on occasion and it isn’t a pretty sight. Of course I love her anyway and its not a big deal, but then again I’m not dating her nor do I want to kiss around that area. Get a scrub brush and get that skin clean and shiny, then put some lotion on your limbs to keep them soft and healthy. When we bath every day we rob our skin of some of those natural oils so if you do shower each day then make sure you replenish your skin.

Note: Some people don’t shower or bath each day, some people hate baths while others would never dream of stepping into a shower when a bath would do. I’m open on all of these things but it still remains that being clean is important. So if you don’t shower each day then at least do a sponge bath on any areas that perspire. I would recommend highly to always under all circumstances bath or shower just before a date. Give your date the best and cleanest you have to offer.

• Naked skin wins!

The only good way to use fragrance is on the naked skin. Even if you go a tad bit on the heavy side it’s covered by your clothing and only really releases when you need it as your body heats up throughout the day. It spoils your clothing to spray fragrance on after you’re dressed and the odor of your scent will be much too powerful to handle for anyone with a sensitive nose. When dating you want the guy to want to get close enough to smell you, not have to hold his nose when you lean forward half an inch.

Most people who wear too much fragrance don’t even realize they have that much on since we quit smelling our own scent quickly but it’s a turn off for lots of other people, so the naked skin wins when it comes to wearing fragrance.

• Excess can be a mess.

Any time you do things to extreme you take the risk of offending another person and most of the time it’s a sign you need more attention rather than an attractive look. By this I mean excess of makeup or accessories or over the top clothing. In a dating situation you are trying to build a relationship and so the focus should be on bringing your true self to the party. Too much makeup, accessories, loud or really suggestive clothing makes it hard to get through to the person underneath There are always exceptions to what I write about but we’re talking about a dating situation where you want to build something with one other person and the best place to start is at the base which is you and not the excessive trappings some people wear to protect themselves. How much is enough?

When you use makeup it is to enhance your appearance and not hide it. Accessories should compliment the clothing and body, they should not have you as a walking display case.

Also when your clothing accentuates your best assets and makes you feel wonderful, not to draw attention to certain parts you’d like stared at by strangers.

Wardrobe is a whole different article but I hope you get the idea that everything we put on should enhance who we are.

• Clip, Shave and Shine.

I already went over cleanliness now I get to mention the little pesky things that are paramount if you want to appear finished and pulled together. Have your hands looking good. That means your nails trimmed and clean. The polish, if you wear it, new and not so bright you could find them from 50 yards away in the dark. I don’t think a woman has to paint her nails to appear finished but she needs to have well kept hands if she wants someone to hold them. I do think that bare nails are a better look than chipped and peeling nail polish. If you paint your nails keep a small bottle of remover in your bag or car so you can take if off if they start to look shabby.

Shave those parts of the body that are normally associated with smooth skin. Under your armpits, on your legs at least from the knees down and around your bikini line if you’re going to be prancing around in a bathing suit. Unwanted hair is a huge turn off for both men and women.

• Basic Stuff.

Brush your teeth and, as someone helped me with recently, also your tongue where the real bad breathe begins. Make sure you carry mints in your bag. Don’t wear so much lipstick that it gets on cloth napkins or smears all over your glass when you take a sip. Eating together are some of the most romantic times and it could be dampened with a lipstick ring glaring from a glass. Have your clothing fresh and clean and don’t wear something that will make you are your date uncomfortable. Sometimes showing a lot of skin on the first date is extremely uncomfortable since where do you look? How do you react? Also getting cold and having your nipples showing through your shirt could be a message you don’t want to send on a first date. Since we never really know about the weather bring some extra things so you can layer items of clothing over what you have on or take some things off and still be appropriate. Don’t lead your date on to think you’re some hottie when really you just wanted him to admire your tan. People can get the wrong impression quickly and it’s important you don’t send the wrong signals.

If you think about your grooming from head to toe and everything in between you’ll be fine and make a fabulous first impression. I know there are lots of styles and events to choose from when your dating but how you groom yourself when going out with someone says a lot about you and also a lot about how you feel about them. Honor your date with your appearance, it’s the first gift you’ll give.