How to Make Yourself More Attractive

How to Make Yourself More Attractive

Most people will admit that they don't feel 100% at all times. Even the most beautiful and successful people have off days, but if you're feeling bad about yourself more than you feel good, you might need a shift in perspective.

Despite common thinking, feeling more attractive and desirable may have little to do with your outward appearance.

We consulted scientific studies and spoke to relationship and dating experts to find simple lifestyle changes that you can make to appear more attractive both to yourself and others.

These tips can help you begin to see yourself in a more positive light.

Smile.

Constantly pouting makes you look intimidating, serious, and boring. What's the point of looking beautiful if everybody is afraid of talking to you?

Make yourself look approachable. 

If you want to attract others, you will have to put yourself out there. Try not to cross your arms, avoid eye contact or stand in the corner of the room. These are signs that you don't want to be bothered.

Be confident. 

Even supermodels have insecurities. The key is to have a sense of humor about your imperfections, and not let them drag you down. Even if you don't believe it, get in the habit of telling yourself you are beautiful, and that you look great. Eventually, you will trick yourself into genuinely believing it.

Have a sense of humor. 

Everybody wants to be around people who make them laugh. This doesn't necessarily mean cracking jokes every five minutes; even having the ability to laugh at other peoples' jokes shows that you are a happy, fun-loving person.

Find the right foundation.

If your skin is on the shinier side, choose a makeup with a matte finish, or use a powder. If your skin tends to be dry, choose a liquid foundation.

When testing foundation colors, be sure that you are in a well-lit area, using natural light if possible. Test a few different colors on your jawline, gently rubbing the foundation in. Use a hand mirror to determine which color is best. The perfect color should blend evenly into your skin so that you can no longer see it.

Ask an associate at the makeup counter to help match you with the right color if you are having trouble doing it yourself.

Use a concealer on problem areas.

Having an even complexion will make you look younger and more attractive. Examples of problem areas include dark under-eye rings, blemishes, scars, and/or dark spots.

Your concealer should be a shade or two lighter than your overall foundation, and of a thicker consistency.

Find a subtle, everyday makeup routine.

The key is to enhance your beauty without looking as though you've piled on makeup. Choose a routine that only takes a few minutes so that you can do it everyday. Use the following guidelines to achieve a natural, radiant face:

Moisturize your skin. This will help set the makeup and remove any dryness.

Apply overall foundation and concealer, if necessary.

Wear mascara. Even if you wear no other makeup, a touch of mascara will instantly enhance your eyes and make you look more feminine.

Add some pink. Shades of pink match all skin tones, since we all have a little natural pink in our skin. Applying a subtle blush to your cheeks will give you a warm, sun-kissed glow.

Apply a subtle lip color. Choose a color that is one to two shades deeper than your natural lip color.

Get your sweat on.

You might dread exercise but it can play a big factor in helping yourself feel more attractive.

We're not just talking about exercise's effect on your body physically -- exercise is a great way to take some time to get out your aggression, have some time for yourself, and release endorphins, a chemical that can improve your mood. A 2015 study by the University of Turku found that people who exercised reported an increase in confidence.

"Exercise is a great way to feel more attractive," April Masini, a relationship and etiquette expert, told INSIDER. "Not only are you giving yourself a gift of fitness, but you're releasing endorphins and balancing work, play and self-care."

Give some compliments.

Getting some love from others might seem like the easiest way to boost your self image, but actually you might want to practice giving some love first.

Talking up good traits about others will help you seem more appealing in their eyes and make you realize the good things about yourself, too. Researchers at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China suggested in a 2016 study that men who used metaphors to compliment women were found to be more attractive.

"Learning how to properly compliment may just be the key to a second date," matchmaker Denise Levy told INSIDER. "Making other people feel good about themselves increases your attractiveness. People put effort into getting ready for a date so take the time to compliment the other person and mean it!"

Put a smile on.

It's no secret that smiling makes you seem warm and inviting to other people, which can help how they see you. But it turns out you may even get the same benefits by looking in a mirror and smiling at yourself.

"As social creatures, we are programmed to notice the body language of others and scan for cues of safety and welcome," relationship therapist, educator, and author Shadeen Francis told INSIDER. "Smiling is a universal signal for warmth, approachability, and attractiveness." 

"But this also works for yourself; if you smile at yourself in the mirror, you receive very similar neural cues as you would if a familiar friend smiled at you," she said.

Researchers at the University of Cardiff in Wales in 2009 studied how facial expressions can affect a person's mood and found evidence that suggests people who smile more can actually feel happier.