This post is an opinion piece generously contributed by Jason Reschka.
There are a lot of things that I have come to learn about women since beginning to date my fiancé. But as far as I’ve come, there is still one pressing issue that I have just begun to figure out- why on earth does it take her so long to get ready? Seriously. Last weekend we went to a wedding for one of her high school friends. She started getting ready 2 hours early and we were still a half hour late. When I asked her what took so long she just said that she wanted to look good for me. But I, like most men, wouldn’t have thought she looked any less beautiful at the one-hour-mark as she did at the second. So to save some time, I decided to provide just a few things that men actually notice about girl, and clue you into which of those not-so-subtle details tend to go right over our heads. Focus on the points below, and we’ll think you look beautiful no matter how much time you spend in front of the mirror.
What I have learned about hair is that it is as much about a girl’s security, as it is about her beauty. Find a girl with long hair and tell her to cut off 4 inches and see what she says. Hint: it isn’t going to go well for you.
The truth is, each guy is different. I may think a girl’s hair looks best up in a ponytail, when another guy may prefer the straight or curly look. But one thing is for sure, unless you wake up with perfect hair every morning, we notice when you’ve done nothing. You don’t need to blow-dry, straighten, or curl your hair every time you leave the house, but we notice when it looks clean and healthy rather than frazzled and disheveled. Get it cut regularly and put a little serum in it, brush it out, or whip it up into a ponytail if you don’t have a lot of time. Just show us that you care about your appearance, and we’ll care about it too.
Nail designs were always something that I wondered about. I never could understand why females sometimes spend money to get her nails professionally done when she could just buy the polish and do it herself at home. However, this quandary got it's answer when the day arrived that I saw what fiancé’s nails looked like when she did them herself; no matter how much she tried, her efforts were no better than a child's drawing when he/she is first learning to color inside the lines. Seriously, there were times when there was more paint on her skin, then on her nails. What am I getting at here? We don’t notice your nails as much as you do and we definitely don’t care what color they are. Nonetheless, if you must polish them and you have as much difficulty as my girl, then spend the few extra dollars and get them done professionally or have a friend help you out; messiness won't score you any points in anyone's book.
I would have to say that this particular aspect is what I notice most about a woman. I am not talking about a someone's lack of makeup, but rather I'll notice when females lather layer upon layer it on her face — and the impression is not necessarily good. Personally, whenever I see a girl with too much makeup, I instantly wonder what she would look like with none. When in doubt, less is best and a little goes a long way. If you want to play up your eyes, then don’t do a bold lip. If you’re going for a summer time glow then by all means swipe on some bronzer, but don’t look orange. As my fiance kindly explained to me, cosmetics are ideally meant to play up your facial features rather than compete with them or cover you like an unrecognizable mask.
In the end, us guys can be pretty clueless when it comes to the finite elements of cosmetics and beauty. Therefore, do what makes YOU comfortable and happy; more than anything else, we'll take note of a confident air and big smile.