How We Look Impacts How We Feel

​​It was a cold morning in January of 2003, and I'd been married a little less than 6 months.  I popped out of bed early that morning and spent a little extra time curling my hair and putting on more makeup than usual.  My new husband (who'd been my boyfriend for the 4 years prior to our marriage) woke up, took one look at me, and said, "Why are you getting all fancy for work - it's not like it's your birthday or something."  The thing was - it WAS my birthday.  I was turning 22, and I was feeling pretty that morning.  I thought surely he was joking, but...he wasn't.  We argued for several minutes about the date before he admitted defeat.  Talk about a newlywed fail, but it's given me great material and gotten a lot of mileage over the past 15 years!

Why is it though, that I spent extra time on my appearance that day?  It was a special occasion and by fixing my hair and makeup, I felt pampered.  I already felt excited about my birthday (remember I was still in my early 20's when birthdays were a little more fun than they are in your late 30's!)  so I had extra energy to spend on myself.  I also knew that I'd likely be getting more attention than usual that day and wanted to look my best to make a good impression.

"It's unfortunate that judgments about our character can form in such a short amount of time, but because we know this is true, we can use that knowledge and create the impression about ourselves that we want to portray."

We often hear that looks don't matter and try to teach our children the same.  And, though I strive not to judge a book by its cover and certainly want my children to look beyond the surface, the truth is, that looks do make an impact on how others view us and treat us.  First impressions take a mere 7 seconds to form, and even if we try not to, we evaluate others before they've even opened their mouths to speak.  A Business Insider article states that  "within seconds of meeting you, people decide all sorts of things about you, from status to intelligence to promiscuity."   It's unfortunate that judgments about our character can form in such a short amount of time, but because we know this is true, we can use that knowledge and create the impression about ourselves that we want to portray.  Though we can't control many parts of our appearance, there are things we can do that show that we care about ourselves.  ​

Spending time on our appearance isn't all about other people's impressions, it also impacts our own confidence and self-worth.  There have been studies to prove what my Grandma just intuitively knew.  "I can't face the day until I've put my face on," "I feel naked without my lipstick" are both statements I heard from her.  A 2011 study done by Harvard and Boston University researchers reported that women felt more confident while wearing makeup.  Interestingly, even the color of lipstick makes a difference. The British Heart Foundation polled women and reported that 26 percent of women felt more confident when they wore red lipstick.  Even something as simple as taking a shower or putting on clean clothes can make you feel better when you've been under the weather.  Taking time to focus on your appearance can take your mind off of a stressful situation.  Feeling pretty helps you to get over feeling down - even if only temporarily.

We have to be careful not to cross that very faint line between caring about how we look to create the impression that communicates our authentic self to the world and focusing on appearance to our own detriment, putting others' opinions in front of our own values.   If fixing up is something that boosts your mood and confidence and helps you get some respect along the way, there is NOTHING wrong with it (and it doesn't even have to be your birthday!)

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LipSense Giveaway!

I'm doing a giveaway this week to go along with this week's blog post theme.  Enter for your chance to win one of two Lipsense Starter Kits (includes a lip color, gloss and remover.)  A special thanks to Snazzy Beauty who is collaborating with me on this giveaway.  I've added LOTS of ways to enter!  Join us LIVE next Sunday, May 20 at 9 p.m. EST to find out if you won! ​

*New likes to the My Life In Order Facebook page get TWO entries
*New followers to My Life In Order on Pinterest get TWO entries
*New newsletter subscribers get TWO entries
*If you already like the Facebook page, invite your friends to the page, have them like the page and tag you in a post on the page to enter BOTH of you!
*Share the My Life In Order Facebook page for an entry
*Share a My Life In Order Facebook post for an entry (share multiple posts for multiple entries!)
*Comment on a My Life In Order Facebook post this week for an entry (comment on multiple posts for multiple entries!)
*Comment on this blog post (below) for an entry
*BONUS entry - new members to the Snazzy Beauty Facebook group get an entry!

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Sources

Nudelman, Mike, and Drake Baer. “8 Things People Decide within Seconds of Meeting You.” Business Insider, 15 July 2015, www.businessinsider.com/8-things-people-decide-within-seconds-of-meeting-you-2015-7.

Adamns, Rebecca. “How Lipstick (Yes, Lipstick) Can Instantly Make Your Day Better.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 14 Feb. 2014, www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/12/psychological-benefits-of-lipstick_n_4722612.html.