MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER

 MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER

What mother doesn't want her daughter to grow up to be a beautiful, elegant woman? In your endeavour to do this, don't neglect her personality development. It may sound clich'd, but inner beauty is indeed just as important as outer beauty. One of the most appealing aspects of a woman's beauty is her self confidence. A confident woman who walks straight, doesn't slouch, can hold a conversation on any topic, looks you in the eye when she speaks and has a high degree of self esteem is far more attractive than someone with a pretty face and no self-confidence or conversation skills. So concentrate on building up your daughter's confidence at the outset. Stay away from negative comments and at no stage should you criticize your daughter. Criticize or check a bad habit without criticizing her. Strive to constantly build your daughter's confidence without making her arrogant. Arrogance is usually a method of self-defence against personal criticism. If you stop finding fault with her, her defences should drop.

Feature Flaws

Remember that short of plastic surgery, your daughter's features cannot be changed. Never, at any stage, let your daughter feel that her nose is too short or too long, that she is too dark or that anything is wrong with any of her features. It is not necessary to have classical features in order to look beautiful. Each person's unique 'flaws' add to their character and their beauty and can actually work to their advantage.

Make-up trends

Most women just want to look pretty, and the best way to do this is NOT by following beauty trends. That hot pink lipstick may be the latest runway rage, but there is no point in wearing it if it doesn't suit you. Teach your daughter not to follow trends as far as make-up is concerned. Make-up is not an end in itself. It is a means to enhancing your best features, playing down flaws and imperfect skin, and making yourself look prettier at the end of the day.

'I want to look like that model in the magazine!' This is a common desire amongst girls and women, and if they don't look as beautiful as the women they see in beauty magazines, they start feeling ugly. Remember that the photograph of that beautiful model has been taken after a professional make-up artist has worked on the model and caked her face with make-up. Then, a professional photographer has taken the photograph under the best and most flattering lighting. Dozens of rolls of film have been shot and a handful of these have been chosen for the magazine.

Skin

Certain things which are within control matter more in ensuring that your daughter grows up looking and feeling pretty. One of the most important of these is complexion. Flawless skin goes a long way in enhancing a person's looks so concentrate more on ensuring that your daughter's skin looks glowing, healthy and completely pimple-free. It is not important to be fair skinned to be beautiful.

Never encourage your daughter to wear foundation of a lighter colour than her natural skin. Her face will look pasty and dull in your endeavour to make her look fair.

Exercise

Inculcate a habit of exercise in your daughter even if she is not plump. This will help keep her in shape for years to come, and will boost her energy level making her feel better about herself. This will automatically make her more attractive.

Grooming

Teach your daughter that is more important to be well groomed than to have perfectly balanced features. If your daughter dresses well, has well groomed, shiny hair, clear skin, walks well and speaks well, she will automatically come across as attractive. So stop obsessing about her skin colour or her small eyes. Keep telling her that she is beautiful until she believes it - and that is when she will truly become beautiful.