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Seeing how I take an exorbitant amount of photos, I figured I’d write up a post on how to be photogenic. Yes, that’s right, this is a post on how to be photogenic. Now, you may say “Not everyone is photogenic!”, and to that I say “Everyone can have a good photograph of themselves.” I feel that a good photographer should be able to get a good picture out of anyone. So with my hobby being photography, I figured I might as well try to help myself by improving the outcome of the pictures I take. So without further ado, 7 steps to how you can be more photogenic.

1. Find the right smile! – Yes, everyone has a good smile that can be caught in a photo. Now, if you have bad teeth, maybe you have a closed mouth smile. Maybe you have a great smile when you’re laughing, so try to laugh a little when the picture is being taken. Your smile could even be more of a smirk, if it works for you, then go for it. Just make sure you have some sort of smile going for you!

2. It’s all in the eyes! – This one’s hard to describe, but I do have to say that if you have the right look coming from your eyes, it can definitely make a picture shine. Maybe it’s the way you look at the camera/photographer, or maybe it’s something else you’re looking at. The eyes can play a big part in how your photo will turn out.

3. Angles, Angles, Angles – Some people are fortunate in that they can have their picture taken at any angle, and they’ll come out looking good. However, most people don’t have that luxury. Instead, they usually do have a good side. Try to find out what’s your good side, left or right, and try to stand in a way during pictures that it shows off your good side.

4. Watch what you Wear! – If you know you’re going to be photographed, try to find clothes that have colors that compliment you. Maybe they’ll show off your eyes better, or maybe your shirt color will hide any blushing you may have in your face. Also, if it’s going to be a full body photo, wear something that might make you look slimmer if you’re worried about your weight.

5. Act Natural – Sometimes the worst pictures that come about are ones where the person tries too hard to pose for the camera. Unless the photographer is asking you to pose, or you know what you’re doing when you do pose for the camera, then just act natural! Out of most of the pictures I’ve taken, some of the best ones are ones where the person isn’t trying to pose for the camera, but instead are just being themselves.

6. Be confident! – Confidence can be seen in photos. If you are confident with yourself, then it’ll show up on camera! If you’re timid and shy, then the picture will show it. So be confident about yourself, have good posture, and let your confidence be seen!

7. Don’t hide from the camera!!! – Even if you think that pictures taken of you are bad, the photographer will never have a chance to have any good pictures of you if you’re always avoiding/hiding your face from the camera. I mean worse comes to worse, if I can take multiple pictures of you, I know that I’ll get atleast a few good ones in there. So next time you see me coming to take pictures, don’t hide, don’t run, just smile and let me take pictures!

Well, there you have it, 7 steps I think will help in making you a more photogenic person. So I leave you with a good picture that was taken by me recently. Enjoy!

One of my favorite shows on TV is Project Runway. It’s one of those reality TV shows but in this case, they design clothes! I’d have to say that fashion is definitely one of my hobbies, and something that I love to keep track of. In light of that, I decided that I’d pass on some of my ideas on how to be better dressed. This post’s only for women, but I may come out with another guide for men if people want me to. I hope this helps!

1. Trends Smrends.
Ok, so you read the magazines and they tell you what’s in season or out of season. The problem with this is that we don’t always look good in the new trends. So look for colors and textures that enhance your overall look. Don’t buy just because it’s trendy. And as with all trends, they come and go pretty quickly so if you’re trying to go trendy, go for some timeless pieces (refer to step number 3).

2. Invest. Invest!
Sometimes, we tend to buy just because things are on sale. But let’s look at the logic behind this. Buy a nice timeless blazer or a fitted jacket for $100 bucks that will last…say 5 years. That’s $20 bucks a year. Buy a flashy trendy out-in a year jacket for 68 bucks on sale and wear it for two years and buy another one and wear that for two years and if you annualize that, we’re at 170 bucks. So the moral of the story is? You’ll save and look good over time.

3. Buy timeless pieces.
So what is a timeless piece? I consider timeless pieces those that fit correctly. Trends aside, when you buy things that fit, you’ll always look good. Solids and pinstripes also never go out of style. Shirts with mandarin or Nehru collars are also timeless. They always look expensive and refined when paired with the correct lined pant or lined skirt.

4. Colors! More Colors!
I used to wear a lot of black. I guess it was a high school thing. Then I realized that colors can do a lot for us. Colors can make us look younger, older, more fun, more serious, more stylish etc. If you’re pretty uneasy with color, start with darker outerwear and cut the dark colors with some bright ones. Example: wear a black wrap sweater and black pants. Cut the all black outfit with a sharp shiny powder blue shirt and a pair of pointy heals.

5. Dress for the occasion.
Choose colors as appropriate for the event. Black/grays always make you look more professional. Red is a power color. Pinks, lavenders, and powder blues are more feminine. My personal favorite is brown. I think different shades of brown are a universal color that tends to look good on most everyone for any occasion (well unless you’re going to a white party or the like).

6. Fit.
Buy things that fit. We shouldn’t buy the smaller size for our ego sake. Buy the bigger one and go get it tailored. Better to pay a tailor (or ask a relative!) and get a good fit than to buy more shirts that don’t fit. This again, deals with investing in better pieces (step 2). On another note, fit can also help you accentuate different parts of your body and hide flaws (if popularity demands, I will write a post about fit in a future post).

7. Versatility.
When you buy different pieces, buy things that go with pieces that you already have in your closet. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of putting the right things in the right combination for a new look. Case and point, I wore an outfit last week to work that consisted of a shirt that I bought in high school, a skirt that I bought a month ago at a sale and a pair of boots that I bought two years ago. All these different pieces (timeless pieces!!) put together in the right combination meant: wow, where did you get that?

Recently, I got a chance to do help some of my friends with their eye makeup. Also, someone had requested that I write an article on the subject. So for those that are reading, these guidelines can be used for any occasion such as the next homecoming, prom, or just any other day. I hope you enjoy!

1. Fix your eyebrows! – Your eyebrows frame your eyes so if you want people to notice your eyes, trim and tweeze eyebrows. If it is your first time plucking your eyebrows, I suggest that you first tweeze all the loose hairs that are below your brows then ask a professional/ more experienced person to help arch your eyebrows correctly. This way, you can see where your arch should be and how your eyebrows should be shaped. Keep up the maintenance thereafter.

2. Prepare the canvas! – Many people forget to apply foundation on their eyelids. Remember to do this and your eye makeup will stay longer and apply more evenly.

3. Choose your eye pencil! - Black is the most used color. I’d say that a brown eye pencil is my preferred pencil of choice – different shades for different skin tones of course. Trace a line along the base of your top lashes. When you trace, trace as if you were drawing a dotted line. When you’re done with the dotted line, use an eye shadow applicator to blend the line together. This is the trick to a more natural look.

(For single eye-lids: use a dark brown pencil and do the same as above. Only when you blend, blend upwards and outwards.)

4. Eyelids! – For first timers, blend one neutral color over the entire lid. For those that use a compact with a dual eye makeup set, apply the lighter color over the entire lid. The brighter/darker the colors are, the harder it is to blend. If it is your first time doing this, experiment with lighter/neutral colors first.

(For single eye-lids: When blending your eye shadow, blend your whole lid except for your brow bone area. For an added touch, blend a white line right along the bottom of your eyebrows to make the eyes more awake. Make sure to blend well!!)

5. More Color! – For those of you that have double eyelids, use a corresponding eye shadow (i.e. a darker shade than the one you used for step 4) and sweep it close to the base of your top lashes. Use the same corresponding eye shadow and blend in the crease.

(For single eye-lids: focus on eye penciling techniques and sweep color close to the base of your top lashes.)

6. Mascara! – Choose water proof mascara. Apply upwards and outwards. Wait 15 seconds to let the first coat dry. Apply once more. When complete, move onto lower lashes.

7. Last minute tips! – Before you go, check to see if there are any smudges or bits of mascara above and below your eyes. Dab with a tissue if necessary. Remove all eye makeup before you sleep. And as always, get at least eight hours of sleep everyday and drink plenty of water to avoid puffiness around the eye.

There you have it! Some of my eye makeup tips for you to use! As I always say, if you have to spend more than 15 minutes on your makeup, you might be doing something wrong or girl, you’re just putting too much on.

Ciao!

Well, it’s been awhile since I last wrote the two guides “How to Win A Girl” and “How to Win A Guy”. Seeing how many hits they’ve generated, and the popularity of those two posts, I figured I’d write a follow up post on “How to ask someone out.” I’m also writing this because my brother said that this was one of the most searched phrases on the internet, and why not get more hits to my site! So here goes, a few tips on asking someone out.

1) Find some one on one time – It’s a lot easier to ask someone a question when it’s only the two of you. Fewer distractions, and fewer people that can get in the way. So simply find a good time where you can be with just that other person.

2) Work up to it – Would you ask a stranger such a personal question? Most likely not! Even though you most likely know the person you want to ask out, you don’t want to just drop such a question on them. Work your way up to it in the conversation. Start out talking about other things that can get the both of you just talking. After awhile, you’ll both be more comfortable since you’ll have been talking for a period of time.

3) Be happy, smile! – If someone were trying to sell you something, and during the whole time they had a scowl on their face, would you really want to buy anything from that person unless you really had to buy it? Likewise, when trying to ask someone out, I would hope you’d actually be happy that you’re talking to that person. You may be nervous, but at least hide it by smiling!

4) Be confident! – This follows up on the previous point. Confidence is key if you want to help out your chances. Image can be everything sometimes, so help yourself out and at least pretend to be confident and know what you’re doing when asking the other person out. If you come across as wishy-washy, then how will they even know if you’re seriously asking them or just joking around? So relax, and be confident when you ask!

5) Do something nice – While not always necessary, this step can never hurt…unless you give the other person something they absolutely hate. So stick to the simple things, such as giving the other person a flower, or a nice card. Something that they’ll be able to appreciate. This does not mean you should go spend a lot of money on something. Buying someone’s affection will never work. So no need to waste your money and overdo things. Think simple, think nice.

6) Just ask! – If you want to ask someone out, you need to just simply ask them out. The other person will never know your intentions if you never get around to asking them. So just repeat after me: “Will you go out with me?” There you have it, nothing more to it than that. There’s also no need to drag things out for long periods of time. It’ll only make the other person annoyed or angry, and that won’t help you at all. Remember, if you never ask, you’ll never know what they may have responded with.

7) It’s not the end of the world - While asking someone out can be a nerve wracking time, it’s not something that should put you into a depression if you don’t get the answer you’re looking for. Relationships are hard, and require two people for something to actually happen. If only one person wants a relationship, then there’s really nothing the other person can do. You may have done all you can for them to like you, but in the end, it’s not your decision as to what they’ll answer. So even if they say no, everything will still be ok.

So there you have it, some guidelines to what you can do in asking someone out. These are only guidelines, and may or may not work, but you’ll never know unless you ask.

Some helpful posts:
How to Win a Guy in 7 Steps
How to Win a Girl in 7 Steps
7 Steps to a Better Looking You!
7 Steps to Better Etiquette
The Value of a Good Smile!
Making Skillful First Impressions!
How to Apply Eye Makeup in 7 Steps

Heh, I should put together a book and sell it…

It’s about that time of the year where finding a job/internship is on the mind for many students. Being a HR major and having read many resumes professionally and as a friend, here are some tips that you might find helpful.

1. Responsibilities vs. Action – Use action words. Start your bullet points or paragraphs with a verb. Responsibilities included organization and implementation of X program? No! Implemented X program for X audience? Yes!

2. Accoutered a team of ten with X training – Use words that are common. Don’t make recruiters look up words. Some of those “I scored an 800 on my SAT” words will not come up on resume searches because normal people don’t use them. When trying to find words to use, think about the words that a recruiter would search for. Accoutered? No! Coached? Equipped? Yes!

3. Get to the point – Be brief. Stick to one page if you are just starting out. Only executives, in my opinion, should have 2+ pages. Recruiter reads many resumes a day. Help the recruiter pick you out by inserting a summary of qualifications near the top of your resume.

4. Font matters – Use at least a 10 pt. font. Use a professional font like Times New Roman. Please spare the Comic Sans.

5. Tailor each resume for a specific job – Use the right objective. If you have an objective on your resume, make sure it makes sense for the job to which you’re applying. If you wrote an objective that does not match the job, that’s an automatic weed out. If you are not sure what you want to do, don’t have an objective for the sake of having one. Leave it out and save space for something else.

6. To PDF or not PDF. That is the question – Read the submission criterion. Follow it. Many people jump too quickly and send a PDF, thinking they will avoid all of the formatting problems. Some companies, even large ones, do not have systems that can readily read and process PDF files. If they ask for a Word document, please send a word document. If you do send a word document, make sure that you’re using a font that comes standard with Word. Otherwise a recruiter will see stars and symbols and have to manually enter in your resume. That, my friend, is not a good thing.

7. Check for errors before you send – Read your resume before sending. When in haste, people will send resumes with spelling and grammatical errors. I have seen some resumes where the person has addressed their objective sentence to the wrong company. Don’t get yourself eliminated because you can’t rite good.

Hope these tips helped. If you want me to read over your resume or have any questions, email me or leave a comment. Happy job hunting!