Info about Cosmetics
Confidence – Your Number-One Beauty Asset
Confidence is your number-one beauty asset: it's sexy, sassy and smart. Learn to shine with confidence and not only will everyone think that you're gorgeous, but I guarantee that you'll be one of life's winners.
Confidence - the chief beautifier - is possibly the most elusive asset of all: you won't find it on sale at the cosmetics counter, designer boutique or even a swanky hair salon. Admittedly, a fabulous new frock or a revamped hair-do might act as a temporary booster, but image changes do not give you true confidence, the type that does not require the sanction of others and is strong enough to overcome any number of knocks.
Our confidence levels often fluctuate, rather like a barometer, moving to sunny when we know that we look good or receive a compliment, and getting stuck in a depression when we are suffering from a bout of insecurity. Confidence is a mind-body connection: it's about self-belief and being comfortable with your looks regardless of your shortcomings. Many of us are guilty of putting ourselves down and getting depressed about our flaws, no matter how attractive we are. Even a bad-hair day can shatter our confidence, quite apart from agonising over our large thighs or big nose, say, to which we apportion the blame for practically everything that is wrong in our lives. But remember: beauty is merely about giving an impression, so give the impression that you are content and confident with your looks and not only will the rest of the world think you are gorgeous but, most importantly, you'll start believing it, too.
We've all turned green with raw envy when a lissom Elle Macpherson lookalike strolls across our path with an air of elegant selfassurance. You may feel like poking her in the eye with your lip brush, but bear in mind that true confidence has little to do with 'in-your-face' good looks. Confidence alone is attractive. (If you've ever admired someone's appearance yet had difficulty pinpointing a tangible beauty attribute, you'll understand what I mean.)
One girl illustrated to me what true confidence is all about. Word spread that a friend had met a beautiful woman. On meeting Georgina, my model-agent-trained eye searched for some feature or aspect of her appearance that I could classify as beautiful. Admittedly she entered the room like a seasoned celebrity and had pretty, bob-length red hair, but her features were relatively ordinary, her lips were small and her chin protruded. I was silently calling my friends blind when it hit me: this girl had something magnetic - she exuded an aura of natural self-confidence. I was intrigued with finding out where Georgina's enduring confidence stemmed from. As I spent more time in her company, it became apparent that she had been treated like a goddess from day one. Having quickly learned to love herself from an early age, she had high self-esteem and self-value - a precious gift that she will undoubtedly carry with her for the rest of her life.
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) teacher Jean Pain, who is also an author of self-help books, believes that our upbringing plays a vital role in confidence-building. 'We are all born confident,' says Jean. 'I have yet to find a baby lacking confidence. It's outside influences that cause our confidence to get shaken! Jean has counselled many clients who hated the way they looked and lacked confidence, even though they were physically gorgeous. 'A distorted self-image is not dissimilar to anorexia,' Jean points out. 'When these people look in the mirror they don't see a correct image of themselves. It's as if their beauty is invisible. Many spend so much time comparing themselves with someone else, they lose their own sense of identity.'
At the end of the day, if you don't like yourself no amount of image-tweaking will give you confidence. Therefore, the first lesson in becoming more self-confident is to learn to love yourself.