6 Grooming Mistakes To Avoid
Most good grooming is common sense. Careless mistakes can derail your appearance and impact your image in the blink of an eye. It’s easy to overlook these little details but they don’t go unnoticed and they’re speaking volumes about us so here are 6 grooming mistakes I try to avoid. I’m updating this post from a few years ago with a few new ideas.
Clean your eyeglasses every morning.
Clean your sunglasses as well. I use these generic prepackaged wipes from Target. I started with the name brand then switched to generic because they work just as well and why waste the money? My optometrist tells me a spray cleaner and a soft cloth just spreads the smudges around…which I found to be true. I also keep a few wipes in my car and handbag for that inevitable thumbprint that lands front and center in my field of vision.
Wipe the tops of your shoes.
Some people are so meticulous they wipe their shoes clean after each wearing. If you’re that person, skip this step and probably the rest of the list too. Gently clean suede shoes or boots with a suede brush. With leather, it can be as simple as using a paper towel. The point is to remove dust. Polishing shoes is more time intensive so a weekly, monthly or seasonal thing. I like to take my boots and leather shoes to a shoe repairman at the end of each season. He checks the soles for needed repairs and gives them a professional polishing. They come back looking like new.
Lint roll yourself.
Look for errant dog hair, dryer fuzz, shmutz (technical term) and general crud (ditto). Sometimes you can even remove fuzz pills from your sweaters…if you’re lucky. I roll across my shoulders, down my arms and legs, then get the backside. If wearing a coat, hat, and scarf, I give them the same treatment. In a pinch, a piece of tape will work.
Check for chipped nail polish.
This counts for toenails too, if they’re going to be seen. If the polish can be touched up to blend, fine. If not, remove what’s there. Bare nails make a better statement than chipped polish. Even the most beautiful hands look tacky with chipped nail polish. Especially if it’s colored.
Be sure your perfume is not overpowering.
A signature fragrance is wonderful, even preferable, but make sure it’s not too strong. After we wear a fragrance for weeks, months or years, we can become desensitized to it. A light application is safest so we’re not suffocating people in elevators, restaurants, airplanes etc.
Buy and use a sweater shaver.
This simple little tool takes seconds to buzz off sweater pills which inevitably happen under arms, on the inside of your sleeves…anywhere a sweater is rubbed. Even the finest wool can pill, but a quick, careful shave makes your sweater look almost new. I got mine at Target.
What can you add to the list?
You may also enjoy 10 Things That Are Making You Look Older
Thanks for reading and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.
I wanted to add my experience with thinning hair. At 70, it was definitely thinning. I had major health issues (cancer/heart failure) over 10 years. I am much healthier now, but on the advice of the dermatologist, who checks regularly for cancer, I got rid of all products with problematic ingredients. I now simply wash my hair with water. It has become much thicker again – probably from improving health as well, but I am really surprised at how quickly and thickly it grows now. I only use organic products on my skin (rose oil is a favourite) if at all possible and I expect that makes a difference as well. Thanks for the great information.
I was a beauty and fragrance rep for years.
****Many people who wear strong perfumes aren’t aware of HOW strong they are. Biggest culprit for overpowering scent= Aeromatics Elixir by Clinique. Runner up- Poison by Dior.
A tiiiiny bit is more than enough.
All these hints are so important and truly make a difference in appearances.
Thanks Jennifer
There are so many great things about your blog, but one of the very best is the practical, useful, workable, reasonable tips like you give in this edition. I remember you did one on arms! Always a joy.
Thank you, Gayle
An additional grooming thing is cleaning your jewelry. I have seen some ladies with such beautiful rings that would look even prettier if they were sparkly clean. A weekly cleaning does wonders!
Agreed! Which reminds me it’s the time!
I have already commented today but I just wanted to add that I do use powder. I am old 69 yrs. I use Bare Minerals original. I have been using it for years. It goes on with a kabuki brush over a little foundation. Just use a little bit. It really smooths out my complexion. It also has SPF in it! I also like the BOOM blush in a stick. Goes on smooth and doesn’t cake like powder blush.
I use that one too. It’s invisible on me
I always keep an extra pair of tights and pantyhose in my desk drawer at work, just in case I get a hole or a run in mine. To me, nothing says “I’m going for the crack whore look today” like being at the office with a run and/or hole in your hose!
Snorted my tea up my nose on that one:) Thanks for making my day, Kelly.
Do NOT wear pantyhose or nylon type socks with open toed shoes. This is a pet peeve of mine. If your feet are cold, even in the summer, wear closed shoes!
I know it’s not for everyone, but I had lasik eye surgery 20 years ago when was 50. It was the best thing I ever did for my appearance after years of correcting dramatic nearsightedness with glasses and all kinds of contact lenses. No more updating eyewear every year, including reading glasses.
Love your post.
I have been wondering about that but my RX keeps changing every year so I’m not sure if that makes me a candidate or not.
My dad was in the garment industry and taught me to always trim excess threads that hang from sleeves, hems, collars, etc. Those little threads can make an expensive garment look shabby.
Very good one!
I’ve got a good one for you, Jennifer. How about check the hairs on your chin? Sometimes I am shocked when I look in a mirror in good light to find long hairs on my chin. Of course, I pluck them out immediately, but how long were they there before I saw them?
Oh heavens, yes! Every morning, I do a hunt and remove with the strongest magnifying mirror I own and inevitably miss some.
Ditto the comments on powder. I have ordered Revlon’s Volcanic Oil Absorbing Face Roller to use on the areas on my face that are still slightly oily. It has 4.5 star reviews and over 24k ratings on Amazon. Worth a try! I also like the Urban Decay setting spray. Helps to keep my make-up in place it these days of masks. I know that ironing is a thing of the past, but I still iron most everything I wear except for things like sweaters. Lint rollers are my friend as I have a dog – lest I look like a dog too! I clean my glasses every day with an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner along with my wedding ring. They come out sparkling! Love that thing!
I have been meaning to try that Urban Decay setting spray…thanks for the recommendation.