Mood and Beauty

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Think of yourself when you wake up in a fabulous mood. You put on an outfit you love, try a creative new hairstyle, then walk to work with a smile and a bounce in your step. Totally different than those frumpy days when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, right?

A great mood makes you feel gorgeous, and is proven to make you look more beautiful too.

When we’re flooded with positive emotions, we naturally see the world in a better light. “Your mood influences what you remember and how you interpret everything around you,” says YouBeauty Psychology Advisor, Art Markman, Ph.D. You’ll remember a rosier past and pick out the positive details in the present. Even looking in the mirror can be a better experience—you’ll be more likely to focus on features you love instead of the “imperfections” that nag you when you’re down in the dumps.

QUIZ: What’s Your Mood Today?   

When you see the best in yourself, that confidence shines in your conversations with others. “When you’re feeling happy or serene, you are much more open to interacting with other people,” says Markman. “That’s generally speaking a more attractive mode to be in.” Not only that, a genuine smile is a lot lovelier than a forced smile or a frown.

Embrace Your Bad Moods

We’d love to be happy-go-lucky all the time, but bad moods are natural—and inevitable.

When the clouds roll in, there’s no need to beat yourself up about it. Regular ups and downs are part of your mind’s natural process—and can be a great opportunity for growth. “All of our emotional states, all of our mood states, have to play a role that is beneficial to us or they would never have survived evolution,” says Markman. “If you wake up one day feeling stressed or sad, ask yourself, ‘Is this [feeling] trying to tell me something?’”