There's no doubt about it; people who smile are much more attractive than people who frown. Not only are they more attractive, but also people are draw to a smiling person like bees to honey. You don't have to be considered a beauty to be attractive to others. You just have to smile - really! Just think of all the people you know to whom others are attracted. Are they smilers or frowners?

Smiling has a very unusual effect on the body. We can actually trick ourselves into feeling lots better when we smile. This is because smiling and laughing releases painkilling endorphins that are natural painkillers, and seratonin that is necessary to our well-being. These things really do make us feel better both physically and emotionally, so as the song says; put on a happy face.

Smiling makes us appear younger. It only uses 13 muscles in the face, while frowning uses many more and makes sharp lines appear between our eyes and in our cheeks. Lines make us appear older and detract from that attractive, smooth appearance. Smiling lowers blood pressure and boosts the immune system. Do you know a person who is really happy and rarely seems to get the flu or colds? Their smile actually keeps them healthy.

According to Christopher Peterson PhD, University of Michigan, scientific studies have proven that people who are optimistic (and so smile a lot) have much better health due to a more robust immune system. In older people, those who remain optimistic were 77% less likely to die from all causes than those who are pessimists.

Stress makes us look worn out and tired; that's very aging. If we take the time to find something to smile about, it will relieve our stress and make us look and feel heaps better. So next time you are stressed, put on a smile. It will help if you think of all the good things you have in your life, or all the funny things that have happened. You could even keep a book of jokes in your desk drawer to read when things get you down. Smiling stimulates brain and heart activity, so if you are having trouble working out a problem, don't frown, smile. The answer could come to you much more easily.

Smiling can change your mood; it can even change to mood of those around you. So do something good for yourself and help others too. Smile.

No one wants to look a fright, but that may happen if you go into your beauty regime with more enthusiasm than common sense or even knowledge. One of the most common mistakes is to over pluck the eyebrows. We all long for that seductive curve that we often see on celebrities or film stars, but unless you are careful when plucking, you may end with straggles or nothing at all.

A professional treatment doesn't cost much and it might be worthwhile to get your first eyebrow shape at the salon. If you do it yourself, try just after your bath or shower when the hairs will come out more easily. Pluck one hair at a time, starting from underneath and taking away the most obvious hairs. Step back and check frequently to be sure you're not getting the wrong shape. Be extra careful if you are doing your own waxing. Once they are out, that's it; you can't put them back.

That new summer bikini will certainly look much better with a tan, but if you've not had time to get one you sometimes go for bottled tan. The obvious mistake here is in not doing the bits you can't see. So to prevent that mottled look, use a mirror and some tricky twisting to make sure you're all covered. Most tanning lotions are quite good, but some come out gluggy so watch what you get and how you apply it. You don't want streaks and you don't want your hands to be darker than the rest, so wear gloves. But don't forget to do your hands afterwards.

Feet are another area where we can be tempted to neglect the out of sight areas. Other people see your heels even if you don't, and if they are covered in black cracks they will spoil all the care you bestowed on your toes. Remember to use a pumice stone or other heel care product as part of your daily or weekly skin care routine. Cracked heels can be healed with due care and attention.

Too much make-up is another beauty no-no. Go for the natural look, not globs of sticky stuff that make you look like a clown. Make sure you can see properly when you apply your make-up so you don't have an odd bit of hair or eyelash smothered in foundation and stuck to your cheek. Tiny black blobs of mascara splashed below your eyes are another boo-boo you'll want to avoid.

It doesn't matter whether you are tall or short, thin or fat, there are ways to dress that can minimize the parts you don't like and help you to look fantastic. First you must find out what body shape you are. Take a good hard look in the mirror, both front on and sideways. Are you top-heavy with full breasts and skinny legs? Or are you pear-shaped with thunder-thighs and skinny shoulders. You may have a high waist, or long legs and short body. Or perhaps your body looks long compared to your legs. No matter, here are some tips to help you.

Short people should never wear horizontal stripes or pants cut off at knee level. Wide-legged or cuffed trousers are not for you either. Both will emphasize your shortness. Avoid layers, big accessories and wearing too many colors at once. Now for the good news; mini skirts will look terrific on you. Slim-fitting pants with a straight leg are for you. You'll find lots to wear in the teen's section.

Are you really tall? Stay away from pinstripes and vertical lines, patterns or crop-tops. Wearing one color all over will make you look like a giant, while tiny beads and handbags won't do much for you either. The good news is that you can carry off those frilly skirts and flounces with the greatest aplomb. Go for low-waisted pants with either flared or straight - but not narrow - legs. Keep heels to a minimum wherever possible.

If you are top-heavy it's important to wear bras that are the correct size and offer good support. Anything too small will make you look heaps larger. Pastel tops with ruffles or fussy necklines are a no-no, while bulky or spangly fabric will scream "huge!" Tailored shirts that allow just a tantalizing peek of cleavage, with wide-legged trousers to give balance, are your forte. Shorties will scream with envy. Keep the top half darker than the bottom half and plain fabric tops can have scoop necks.

If you find your top half much too small for your taste, by all means wear a padded bra; just make sure it's a great fit and the padding cannot be seen. Lucky you can wear spaghetti straps and halter necks will give you width where you want it. Tops can be lighter in color than bottoms and as patterned as you like. Jackets with a curved, nipped in waist will look fantastic on you, you lucky girl.

Remember that dark colors make you look smaller, so if you have big thighs or bottom, go for dark bottoms and keep the fit flowing, but not way too loose. Those with fat legs should never let their hems fall at the fattest part of the leg, or wear delicate, strappy shoes. Skirts that end just below the knee make legs look longer, while knee-length boots are better than those that do up at the calf.

Before you choose any cosmetics you need to know which shades and tones are right for you. To find out what colors will blend in with your own skin tones, take a look at your skin color in a mirror, but take it out into direct sunlight. Do you see just a hint of blue, or cool toning? Or is there a hint of yellow (warm)?  If you can't decide it could be because your skin tone is actually neutral.

Here is another way to tell: hold up a piece of gold material next to your face, and then swap for a piece of silver material. Which does your skin look better with? If it was the gold, then your skin tones are warm; if silver looked best, then you have cool skin tones. If they both looked fine it could be that your skin tones are neutral. If you truly cannot decide, ask a friend for help.

The three basic cosmetics are concealer, foundation and powder. A concealer should be a shade lighter than your natural skin, so you can blend in any dark areas to look more natural. Some experts advise matching it with the color of your lower eyelid, as this is usually a little paler than your face.

The liquid foundation should be as close to your natural color as possible. Once applied, you shouldn't be able to see it, but rather an improvement in the overall look of the skin quality. The powder should be the same as the foundation in color. If you have red spots such as acne, go for a spot neutralizer that would be used under the concealer.

Eye shadow is not always labeled for skin tones, so as a general rule, if you have warm tones, earth colors look best - red if you are a redhead looks fabulous. Cooler skin tones need pinks, berries and blue/grays. Neutral? Try a combination of the two.

Eyeliner and mascara colors will depend on your hair color. If you are in the light or light brown range, then brown/black is the choice, while the darker browns or black should choose black. Don't forget the lipstick and it should tone with the eye shadow, but can be a shade lighter or darker. If you just love shimmery eye shadow and lipstick colors go ahead and use them but not both together. Shimmery lipstick should be teamed with plain eye shadow and vice versa.

"We are what we eat" is a well-known health adage and advertising slogan. But is it true? Sometimes those with diets high in fats look fine, but that's because the fat lives under the outside layer of skin and helps to plump it up and reduce wrinkles. It doesn't mean that they are healthy. Obese and overweight people are known to be more susceptible to diseases of many kinds.

Lots of Vitamin C is what makes collagen; the stuff that makes your skin retain its elasticity and reduce wrinkles the healthy way. Vitamin C also promotes healing and helps the immune system fight off infection. We get a good supply of Vitamin C from citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage and tomatoes. If you are into juicing fruits and vegetables, choose some of these for your VC fix.

Essential fatty acids are what makes your hair shine and keeps your nails in good shape. Shouldn't we avoid fats? Not the essentially good fats like omega-3 and omega-6. They are the best things for your physical appearance. Skin and muscle also need these essential fats to not only feel good but look good, too. Moisture and elasticity are two advantages these fats give, while they also help clear up wrinkles and skin blemishes.

Water is a wonderful cleanser for your system by flushing out impurities and keeping you hydrated. Your skin will be clearer and your body will work more efficiently when you drink plenty of water. One the other hand, what happens when you scoff down that tin of coke? Would you go and eat 10 teaspoons of sugar straight from the sugar pot? You may as well. 20 minutes later you'll have a peak of blood sugar causing a burst of insulin.

Your liver grabs all that sugar and turns it into fat. The caffeine causes your pupils to dilate and your blood pressure to rise, which makes your liver dump even more sugar into your bloodstream. The phosphoric acid binds magnesium, calcium and zinc in your lower intestine, where it is soon excreted due to the diuretic effect of the caffeine and those artificial sweeteners. So there is an example of a negative way in which diet affects your body. Poor diet makes you lose important nutrients and gain weight.

On the other hand, avocadoes, mangoes and almonds are fantastic for your skin because they have heaps of Vitamins E and A and hardly any calories. Oysters are a wonderful source of zinc, which helps clear up acne and other skin blemishes, not to mention warding off colds and flu symptoms.

There are many beauty routines that you can do at home and once you make them part of your daily or weekly grooming ritual they won't seem to take up too much of your time. In any case it is often more convenient to do them at home rather than organize a baby-sitter or have to go out when you don't feel like it.

Facials are an easy beauty routine to do. Whether you buy the ingredients or make them, you can have a fun and relaxing time giving yourself a facial. Make sure you have at least half an hour free of interruptions, wash your face in warm water without soap and smooth on the cream, leaving a good centimeter around your eyes free. This is because that skin is more delicate and the cream may not be suitable. If possible, have two fresh slices of cucumber ready to pop over your eyes while you are relaxing.

You can also give yourself a home pedicure - so long as your feet don't need professional treatment. Before wetting your feet, use an emery foot file to remove the dead skin around your heels. Soak your feet in a dish or tub of warm water with a few drops of your favorite essential oil in it. If your heels are still hard and cracked, rub them gently with a pumice stone while they are wet. Have a soft towel handy and when the water starts to cool off, take your feet out and wipe them gently dry, paying attention to the skin between the toes.

Just after soaking is a good time to cut the nails as they will be softer. Cut them to a good shape - experts advise cutting them straight across, but it depends on the shape of your toe. Color them with your choice of polish. Clear polish is sometimes a nice change. When the polish is dry, rub lots of moisturizer into the feet, especially the heels. If you have trouble with your heels being hard, add more moisturizer at bedtime and wear cotton socks so it doesn't rub off.

Hair coloring is something you can often do at home, especially easy if it is just a semi-permanent rinse. Follow the directions on the packet and be sure to wear your oldest clothes.  A little more challenging to do are foils and streaks, but it can be done with a bit of patience and perhaps the help of a friend. A store-bought permanent wave can also be done at home with a friend to wind those back curls. Unless you are good at cutting your own hair, it's best to have a professional cut first.

Speaking of hair cutting, why spend dollars just to get a few wisps of hair trimmed off? You can easily trim your own or the children's fringes and save heaps. 

First, what are natural beauty products? Many people believe a ?natural' beauty product is one that has no synthetic ingredients, has not been tested on animals and will not cause an allergic reaction. Trouble is, this is not always so. Some products that are labeled natural or organic actually do have a certain percentage of synthetic ingredients.

Many products classed as natural have chemicals such as stabilizers and preservatives (apart from other ingredients) in them, so don't think you are getting a100% chemical free product just because it has the natural label.

While most companies who sell natural products do adhere to the policy of not testing on animals, it is not always the case. And natural products do sometimes cause allergies to flare up or they may even cause an irritation to the skin that is not found with other synthetic products. So why are natural products so popular?

Most use natural products because they find that the product does work for them. They like the idea of it having no harsh chemicals to be absorbed by the skin. Very often the natural product has a greater percentage of the ingredient that does the job. This is why that natural product works a great deal better than its commercial counterpart. But sometimes, natural products will cause a rash or itch where the commercial brands don't. It all depends on your skin type and problem.

There are many commercial moisturizers out there that have a very small percentage of the actual moisturizing component. They work for some people and they don't work for others. Some products may even make your skin feel dryer, due to the amount of other chemicals that are in it. But some conditions such as eczema need the sort of emollient laden petro-chemical product that commercial brands afford. These products are tested for the condition they are meant to help before they ever come to the public, so you can be sure that they are helpful for your problem and relatively harmless in other ways.

That's not to say you may not find a natural product that works for you for a similar problem; it's just a question of which one. And a doctor cannot prescribe a natural product because so many would be unknown to him unless he majored in alternative cures.

Others are 100% free, but they may need to be kept in the refrigerator. They may not be available on the supermarket shelf either, but are sold via mail order to ensure their freshness.

Where we live and what we do certainly have an affect on our appearance. If the environment in which we work is stressful, then that stress is eventually going to show up on our face and in our bodies. And it may happen sooner rather than later. But how does it happen?

Stress need not be emotional or mental. It can be physical. For instance, if you work in a climate that is very cold or too hot, or has air-conditioning that is drying, the effects of it will show up physically. Air-conditioners often cause dry skin because they take so much moisture out of the air. The drier skin gets, the sooner it will start to age.

Simple things such as poor lighting that makes you squint or a chair that is not ergonomic might even cause stress. The chair may be too big or too small. Perhaps the back is not adjustable and so you cannot feel comfortable. Your workspace may be crowded and noisy, or there could be light from a window reflected in your computer screen. All this tends to cause stress.

But mostly people think of stress as an emotional problem. It certainly can be. You may have a boss or work colleagues that are argumentative and bitchy. Or your job may require things of you that you hate to do or cannot manage. Or perhaps you have to work late and it makes you nervous to be alone in a darkened building. All this stress adds up and causes you to become physically tense. Your muscles tighten and you get a headache. You may even have a backache. Stress causes tension and tiredness. Your body is trying to tell you that it is suffering from stress.

Once your facial muscles tighten up, you end up with frown lines between the eyes. You may have lines in other places such as the cheeks or jaw line. Tight facial muscles will also give you a headache. When our bodies are stressed, whether it is from a physical or emotional cause, they tend to use up a great deal more nutrients to try and deal with it. You need large doses of Vitamin C, A and D to fight off the effects of stress. Calcium and magnesium also help to calm the nerves and make our bodies more able to cope with stress. It may be worth taking extra B vitamins also, as they are used up in stressful situations.

Everyone wants to be more beautiful and fitness is one way to accomplish this. If your tummy is bulging and your thighs sagging then rather than go on a diet, it could be that you simply need to tone those muscles. But there's no need to rush out and buy the latest expensive exercise equipment. For a start, exercising on equipment at home is actually extremely boring, so unless you are truly motivated, you won't keep it up.

Why not try to get your exercise in a more fun way? Sure, you could join the local gym, but again, that is going to cost you money and you need to remain motivated or you'll find plenty of excuses to not attend. Make exercising fun! Buy a bicycle and join a bike club. Join a walking or horse-riding club. Or just go dancing. Dancing is one exercise that will build and tone many muscles while being great fun.

Swimming is another great way to shed kilos and tone up muscles. Winter is no excuse with so many indoor and heated pools springing up. If you live near the coast you are doubly lucky as you can combine swimming with walking along the beach. A sport such as tennis will also make your exercise fun. Don't stop at one thing though. Fill your days up with fun and exercise.

If you are not into sports or going out a lot, you can even exercise with gardening. This is a great way to improve your lifestyle with pretty flowers, but you can also grow those yummy salad vegetables that will help your goal of slimming and getting fit.

Another idea is to borrow the kids skipping rope for a good workout. This will strengthen your legs, ankles, arms and just about every other part of you. Nearly all homes have at least one step and you can utilize this for a great workout simply by stepping on and off, alternating your feet each time. Work up speed and keep it up for at least five minutes at a time. When you first start, you may only be able to do it for one minute.

You can incorporate exercises into your daily routine too. Walk to the shops instead of driving. You may even like to get a dog. Those mournful doggy eyes will soon motivate you to go walking. Throwing a ball or stick for your dog to chase will tone up your arm muscles in no time. No more flab! That's your goal.

If your hair is right, then you'll be able to go forth in confidence to meet the world, but if it is tatty or unsuitable for you, then not even the most expensive clothes in the world will make you look or feel good. So how do you go about finding the right style, cut and color?

Many women stay with a cut or style that they just seemed to grow into from their childhood. Then one day they stumble on something that actually suits them beautifully and they start turning heads. People can't believe that a hairstyle could make so much difference. But why wait for the accidental right style? Make it happen yourself.

Determining the shape of your face is the first step. Tie your hair back in a ponytail and see if your face is round, oblong, square or heart-shaped. It could even be V-shaped or like an inverted V. What about the angle of your jaw? If it seems to form a sharp angle where it turns to meet your ear, you are in luck. Just about any hair length will suit you. But short or pulled back hair is simply wrong for those with a long, sloping jaw line.

Round face? Shade those full cheeks with a few short, choppy layers to tone them down. A bit of volume on your crown will take the fullness away from your face and create a more balanced look. Long hair is good or if you want to go for the upswept look, allow a few tendrils to fall down the side of your face.

An oval face is a versatile face that can take almost any style happily. But the shape of your skull could spoil an ultra-short look.

A long face will look kind of mournful with a long, shapeless hairstyle so go for wispy bangs and a chin-length cut. A pointy chin will be emphasized if your side hair sweeps towards it, so brush it back, but keep it low on the crown.

Blunt cuts and hard, sleek lines will exaggerate a square-shaped face. Soft curves will soften that square jaw line and a bit of height at the crown will take away that square solidity.

You may think that a heart-shaped face is cute, but stay away from anything that exaggerates it or it will look unbalanced. Go for flipped out ends to give depth to the jaw line and choppy bangs to hide the hairline a bit. For an inverted heart shape the reverse is true. Ends should flip in, not out and the top should have fullness to give balance.

Your hairstyle will also be dictated by your lifestyle. You may not have the time to be constantly fussing with something that takes ages to put together.