“Putting your best face forward” is more than just throwing on make up for a job interview or Zoom call. To me, it means to take care of yourself and present yourself not only the way you want the world to see you, but how you want to see yourself.
While a lot of us are working from home now and not necessarily “going into the office”, it is still so important to take care of yourself and put your best face forward. I know that if I’m not feeling my best, I’m definitely not going to be doing my best at work or in life.
Today, I’m going share my top 4 tips on how I put my best face forward.
1. Take care of your skin.
First and foremost, let me say, skincare is so much more than product recommendations, nice scents/colors, and frilly packaging. There is power in the simple act of taking care of yourself and putting your health first. Even if you only have 5 minutes in the morning and before bed, it is so important to take care of your skin – and especially wear sunscreen!
If you are in the process of looking for a job, it can be really difficult to always feel your best. Now more than ever, looking for a job can be really challenging. It is so important to take care of yourself in order to stay motivated and continue in your job search, or even to continue doing your best at your current job. To me, taking care of your skin is one of the best ways to make time for yourself and take care of yourself so that you can always be putting your best face forward!
My philosophy on skincare is to keep it simple. The more products you layer on, the more likely you are to cause irritation or break out! More complicated routines can also be more difficult to stick to. My skin care routine for reference is:
- Cleanser – my favorite is the CeraVe foaming face cleanser!
- Toner – right now I’m switching between 2. In the morning, I use the ISNTREE Green Tea Fresh Toner, and at night, I use Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Exfoliant (the one in the dark gray bottle).
- Moisturizer – I have been using the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream that comes in the giant tub for years.
- Eye Cream – I usually use something that has a small percentage of retinol in it.
- Sunscreen (AM only) – The Purito Centella Sunscreen is my current favorite!
2. Have some sort of morning and evening routine.
If you’re working from home, it can be so tempting to just roll out of bed and pull out your laptop and just start working – at least it is for me! However, not having a clear start and end to your day can make it more difficult to separate working time from personal time and induce extra stress on yourself.
For me, it is so important to have some sort of morning routine and evening routine to help me differentiate the beginning and end of my day. This doesn’t have to be any crazy 3-hour long routine that makes you wake up at 4 AM. I try to keep mine pretty simple.
For me, I like to make sure I always do these 3 things in my morning routine:
- Wake up, get out of bed, and drink a glass of water.
- Shower, skincare, and put real clothes on.
- Plan out my day and make my to-do list.
And my evening routine consists of:
- Make & eat dinner.
- Unwind with an episode or 2 of whatever current Netflix show I’m watching.
- Put on pajamas, do my evening skincare, and fall asleep in my bed – not pass out on the couch, which has always been a bad habit of mine!
For me, having these simple routines at the beginning and end of my day help me define when and how my day starts and ends, regardless of if I’m in the office or working from home. This in turn helps me feel my best and put my best face forward!
3. Dress for success, but keep your audience and occasion in mind.
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve been given is “dress for the job you want, not just the one you have.” However, this can really depend on your situation.
If you’re working from home, it probably doesn’t make sense to wear a full suit or even slacks. But you definitely wouldn’t wear your pajamas to work! Putting on “real clothes” (as I like to call them) is so important to help you feel like you’re actually going after your day rather than just going through the motions.
“Real clothes” to me are somewhere between pajamas and a full suit, and I typically wear similar things to work for simplicity’s sake. My favorite outfit for working from home is usually a t-shirt and leggings, and if I’m going into the office, I usually wear jeans, a blouse or nice t-shirt, and sneakers. I usually always wear earrings and sneakers too – it is just something small that makes me feel more put together than not wearing those things.
4. Don’t just “Fake it ‘til you make it” – exude confidence.
Another piece of advice that I’ve been given (and I’ve given out too) multiple times is “fake it ‘til you make it.” This can be a pretty good attitude if you are going into a situation feeling unsure of yourself. However, I like to change my mindset on this and remind myself to exude confidence rather than “fake” confidence.
When I am feeling unsure of myself, anxiety and nerves can really get the best of me. Even worse, this can really prevent me from presenting myself well! When I start to feel this way, I remind myself of these 3 things:
- You know more than you think you do.
- Sometimes you have to do difficult things, but that doesn’t mean you can’t handle it.
- You don’t grow unless you are challenged and get out of your comfort zone.
This mantra has done wonders for changing my mindset when I start to feel anxious, especially if I’m going into a situation I may not feel super prepared for. The next time you’re feeling stressed out, try repeating a positive mantra to yourself, and see if it gives you a confidence boost too!
There you have it – my top 4 ways to put my best face forward. While these may not be revolutionary tips or advice you’ve never heard of, these simple rituals and routines for me make the biggest difference in being my best self. The simple acts of taking care of my skin, having routines, dressing for success, and exuding confidence all help me feel like the most bright and shining version of myself!
What do you do to put your best self forward?