Looking Good, Feeling Confident

Women find a real source of strength in looking good, ranking just below family life and work. This was the conclusion of an unprecedented and in-depth study conducted on behalf of Allure Magazine. The magazine reported that 78 percent of women say they make an effort to enhance their looks. 84 percent responded that they feel that men have no idea how hard they work to look good. Apparently, all that effort pays off because an astounding 91 percent say they are satisfied with how they look, in spite of the fact that only five percent describe themselves as being attractive.

These women may instinctively know what I have found in my thirty years' experience as an image consultant; the fact that "Hollywood glamour" will not help you achieve popularity or success in life as much as if you look polished, classy, and radiant. Hollywood glamour is a superficial flash in the pan that seems fleeting. Classy looks go on forever. Classy people have hair and skin that always looks radiant, no matter what the age. These people take care of their bodies and their health, so they wear their clothes well and walk with confidence.

Allure's survey concluded that the most confident women aren't the fresh-faced ingénues in their 20's; they're women in their 50's and 60's. Additionally, an impressive 50% aren't concerned that "I'll look less beautiful as I age," and for good reason. Our mothers and grandmothers aged less gracefully because at most they had cold cream, moisturizers, and night cream. Today we have access to more sophisticated and efficient cosmetics and beauty treatments, so it isn't necessary to lose our skin's luminosity and elasticity. Women also exercise more today so their bodies continue to stay in better shape.