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Peace, harmony and pedicures.
Who knew something so important for you could be so
much fun?
Here's the first of the dream girl decrees: In order
to feel really fabulous about yourself, confident and
beautiful, and as comfortable in your own skin as you
can, you must start caring for yourself. Pampering yourself.
Remember, you're an amazing, wonderful girl.
Don't just pamper yourself because this book says you
should. Dream girls know they deserve it. I'll just
skim over the basics, because you already know what
they are. Eat well. Drink lots of water. Exercise at
least three times a week. Aside from being good for
your body, exercise releases all those fabulous "happy"
endorphins that give you
that wonderful sense of well-being. (Kind of like shoe
shopping, but not so expensive.) Also, exercise gives
you that extra boost of energy you'll be needing when
you get your rotation in full swing. (See chapter four.)
Of course, you should check with your doctor before
starting any exercise program.
Pampering yourself is crucial to your well-being, and
to the success of the Stop Getting Dumped! method. Even
when your social schedule is jam-packed, you must always
take time out to care for yourself. Here's more. Get
a fabulous dream girl haircut, and a trim at least every
eight weeks. The dream girl haircut doesn't have anything
to do with a particular style, it's whatever cut makes
you feel like Miss Thang, and compels you to walk with
a little swagger and spontaneously flip your hair like
one of Charlie's Angels. You'll feel it right away.
A part of you will halfway expect to look back and find
a trail of wolf-calling construction workers and schoolboys
following behind you, like you're some kind of female
Pied Piper. When you get that feeling, you've found
the right cut. A good stylist can be a godsend in guiding
you towards the most flattering and stylish look for
your face and hair type. Regarding new hairstyles: Never
cut bangs, or make a drastic permanent change for at
least one month after a breakup. When you're smack-dab
in the middle of an emotional train wreck, the last
thing you need to deal with is a hair trauma. Wait a
month or two. When your head has cleared, you'll be
ready to make those appearance-altering decisions with
clarity, and face the scissors with confidence.
Another sure pick-me-up is to try a new hair color.
Go red, go blonde, or go black. A new color can make
you feel like a new person. My girlfriend Kristin was
the queen of this particular move. Like the dream girls'
own version of Linda Evangelista, she tried a dozen
different hair colors just for kicks, and looked fabulous
in every one of them. Be sure to get a professional
color consultation when considering a change. An expert
can help you choose the best shades for your coloring.
Kristin is the only person I've ever met who could wear
nearly any color and look smashing. Make sure your clothes
are flattering. Don't get caught up in trends unless
they look utterly fabulous on you.
Don't worry, if the hot trend isn't right for you, there
will be another one coming along any minute. (Hey, kind
of like men.) Always dress as though you might meet
"the guy" no matter where you're going. No,
I'm not saying you should be sleeping, eating and pumping
gas in a miniskirt and strappy sandals. Just be sure
that no matter where you go, or what you're doing, you
always look your best. Figure out the most flattering
colors and styles for your coloring and body type, and
wear them every day. If you're not sure, ask a couple
of close girlfriends to be brutal with your duds, and
pick their three favorite and most-hated of your outfits.
If you keep hearing the same thing over and over (Sure
those pants are nice, if you're going for a truck-stop
mechanic look...) you can assume it's probably true.
Look for patterns in their likes and dislikes. Does
everybody love you in green? Wear more green! Keep hearing
gray makes your complexion look like
canned meat? Cut it out of your wardrobe, or at least
don't wear it close to your face. Pay attention to what
you're wearing on the days you receive the most compliments.
Figure out what's causing the big stir, and whatever
it is, color or style or both, wear more of it.
Refresh your lipstick throughout the day. Run a brush
through your hair
before you hit the street. Check your shoes for toilet
paper before you leave a public restroom. (This is good
advice for life, not just when you're looking to meet
the man of your dreams.) Be prepared. That way, if you
do end up meeting Mr. Right while you're out walking
the dog, you won't have to strategically veil your face
with your hand because you've got that little fu-man-chu
thing growing on your chin.
Here's where it gets really good.
The dream girls know it is terribly important to indulge
in some little treat for yourself at least once a week.
Get a body scrub, or a massage. Have your nails done
or get the muck steamed out of your pores. Try the entire
menu of girlie delights until you find what makes you
feel the most beautiful and relaxed, and then do it
over and over again like some kind of supermodel opiate.
Aside from making your outside more beautiful, your
soul will reap the benefits as well. There is nothing
more important and soothing than caring for yourself
as a standard of your life. Now, I'm sure you're thinking-
who does this book person think I am? Ivana Trump? I
don't have the money to blow $85 on a facial every week!
I promise, I'm not insane. Not many of us have the money
to do that. The fact is, you can indulge yourself with
a myriad of girlie-girl treats for nothing more than
hamburger money. Hey, I wouldn't insist you needed a
facial every week without telling you how to get it,
would I? Of course not!
Welcome to the bargain spa.
So here's how it works: Start hanging out at your local
beauty schools, or what the girls and I like to call
"The Bargain Spa." You'll find them in the
yellow pages, and almost every town and city has one.
They're usually open during normal business hours for
clients, and most are open on Saturday as well. Beauty
schools are a haven for cheap
treats. Here, you can get crème brûlée
care for lime Jell-o prices.
Students who need practice before their exams administer
the treatments under the watchful eye of a licensed
instructor. Of course, the key here is to only choose
treatments that will wash off. Stay on the safe side,
you don't want to accidentally end up with a 1978 perm,
or only one eyebrow. It's best to go to your regular
salon for anything that will permanently alter your
appearance. There are, however, a number of wonderful,
pampering therapies to be had at the beauty school.
And the best part is, they're dirt-cheap.
Scalp treatments with a deep conditioner and 30-minute
head massage run $5.00 or $6.00. Complete facials with
a deep pore mask, about $5.00. Manicures and pedicures
are a steal as well, usually $3.00 - $5.00. The best
thing, is that these students are working for a grade,
so they'll give you extra time and attention you might
not get at a busy city salon. Yes girls, a $5.00 facial
feels almost exactly the same as a $75.00 facial when
you're in the dark with those little eye patches on,
and that groovy new-age music playing in the background.
Another great tip for bargain basement pampering is
your local massage school. They offer the same type
of deals as the beauty schools, basically cheap massages
by students who are working to get their credentials
under a licensed instructor. And, as you might expect,
a bad massage is quite a rarity. Hour-long massages
by students typically cost anywhere from $5.00 to $20.00.
Now, this doesn't mean that you and your girlfriends
shouldn't splurge once in a while and spend a day (or
a week) at a real spa. There's something absolutely
rapturous about hanging out with your girls, drinking
green tea and padding from treatment to treatment in
those fluffy white slippers.
If even $5.00 a week is too much of a stretch for your
budget (hey, I've been there) you must still take time
out every week to pamper yourself. Give yourself a drugstore
facial, paint your own toes, and lie on the couch with
a deep conditioner on your hair and a bag of frozen
peas on your eyelids. Treat yourself well. If you don't
lead the way, no one else will. And, after all, we dream
girls deserve it.
Excerpted from Stop Getting Dumped! All you need to
know to make men
fall madly in love with you and marry The One in 3 years
or less by
Lisa Daily. This excerpt is reprinted with permission
from the author.
© 2001 by Lisa Daily. All rights reserved.
More Articles by Lisa Daily
Stop Getting Dumped
- Break-up Survival Guide
Using
Feng Shui to Kick Start your Lovelife
Lisa Daily is the author of Stop Getting Dumped!
All you need to know to make men fall madly in love
with you and marry "The One" in 3 years or
less. At bookstores everywhere.
As seen in/on Cosmopolitan, The Other Half and The Sally
Show
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