Grooming tips for Valentine’s Day

Dr Blossom Kochhar

Getting ready for your loved ones is always fun and exciting. Whether you have been in the dating game for a while or are getting ready for your first date, it is important to do some preparations. Here are some essential tips that would help you get ready for a perfect date on the Valentine’s Day.

Be clean and confidence
Cleanliness give you confidence so be sure to have a shower, clean and clip your nails, brush your teeth and moisturise.

Before you leave for the date, be sure to brush your teeth for 2 minutes to prevent bad breath. You feel fresh and confident knowing that your breath is fresh and clean.  Floss, gargle and use a mouth wash to have fresh breath. You can even add 2-3 drops of cardamom essential oil when you gargle to prevent foul breath. If you are going out to eat, it is helpful to carry mints in your pocket or purse.

Shower before you go on a date. This brings your confidence to next level. Bathing or a shower before the date ensures you smell and look your best. Use a body wash to scrub your skin. Bathing also reduces body odours. It creates a feeling of well being and the physical appearance of cleanliness. Rose is the symbol of love and so is the rose essential oil. Add a few drops of rose oil in your bath water to enhance romantic aroma of rose.

Wash your hair with a shampoo to keep your hair clean and tidy. Keeping hair in good condition is also a combination of caring for it on the outside and nurturing it from within with a well-balanced diet and use of essential oils. Add a few drops of ylang ylang essential oil into your bath water and use them after shampoo. It brings a shine to the hair and make your hair smell good.

Taking care of your skin
Besides looking clean, your skin may very well be the first thing your date is going to see when you finally meet up. So you need to be sure that it has never looked better.

Nothing can recover your skin than a beauty sleep. Getting enough sleep prevents dark under eye circles and wrinkles. Exfoliate your face the night before your date to brighten your face. This way, your skin may look soft and blemish-free. Do not forget to moisture the skin to make it look supple and soft.

Having a good skincare regimen over time will make any date a happy one. For beautiful skin, it is essential that you follow a good skin care regimen. You can go in for a salon session before your special date to look at your best. Services like manicure, pedicure, facial, massage and waxing can be done with the help of a professional so that you don’t go wrong.

Clothing and accessories
Whether you care much for fashion or not, remember that your clothing is a form of non-verbal communication and it also forms part of your impression for your date. When you choose an outfit that is appropriate for your date and the weather forecast. Dress as you are comfortable dressing and be you. Be sure to dress modestly, wear clothing that looks cared for, smell fresh and suits the setting for your date.

For a special occasion, high heels might be just the thing but kick them off whenever you can. But when it comes to shoes it is advisable to choose comfort over appearance. If you want a dressy footwear option, go with dress shoes like Oxfords, flats or kitten heels. Being comfortable is at the utmost important to be on a date otherwise your date might not feel comfortable.

Since a date is a type of special occasion, consider spicing up your look by styling your hair little different than usual. Make sure that you don’t go for a fancy hairstyle. Go for a hairdo that makes you look pretty and comfortable at the same time.

Do your makeup if you want. Just like your outfit, what makeup you put on will depend on the type of date and the look you’re going for. Customise your makeup look based on your personal preference and outfit. For a casual date, go for a neutral-looking makeup. If it is a fancy date, try bold makeup with smoky eyes and red lips.

Wear minimal fragrance. Don’t bathe yourself in perfume, cologne or body spray. Don’t forget to wear deodorant. Even if you are not a fragrance fan, deodorant is a must.

These are many things that girls need to know when they are getting themselves ready to spend some time with your special one. Now I would like to give you some tips on how to behave when you are with your date.

Dos
Arrive on time for a date. Your date might not want to wait and get disappointed on a special night.
You should always keep a smile ready to greet your date. This will release feel good hormones to help you feel relaxed, happy and optimistic.
When you plan a date, it is helpful to come up with a few things to talk about before you go. This way, you can fill in an awkward silence with meaningful conversation.
Keep your phone to silent mode before the date so you aren’t distracted. Before your date arrives, set your phone on silent so it doesn’t vibrate or ring.
Talk about positive topics when you are with your date. This is a time to connect and get to know each other better.
Try to relax and think positively if you are nervous or start worrying. Going on a date can be intimidating and nerve-wrecking, but keep in mind this is totally natural.
To make your date feel special, you can offer to pay for the meal and activities. It is not polite to expect the date to pay, so have some money on you just in case.

Don’ts
Don’t be late for your date. It is not a good thing to make your date wait.
Don’t go on a date when you are drunk.
Don’t talk about your past relationships. If you are on a date and talking about your past relationships may imply that you have not moved on.
Don’t constantly check your phone. It may imply that the date is boring or you being rude.
Don’t check your appearance constantly. Taking care of your appearance is one thing, but you should not be self-obsessed and make other person uncomfortable.

These are some of the important things that you need to be ready for your special V-Day date. Take a little time to plan your date so that everything goes as smoothly as possible. Once you’ve got the night planned out, get yourself looking the best.

Dr Kochhar is the founder and chairperson, BKCCAD