There is something about crisp fall days and chilly winter nights that sends single people out in search of a cuddle buddy.
If you're hoping to find someone special to snuggle with, there are several things you can do to make getting cozy a more comfortable (and probable!) experience.
First of all, remember that when you get up close and personal with someone you want them to notice the twinkle in your eye (not the eye boogies you didn't wash away) and the charm of your smile (not the visible plaque between your teeth.).
You want them to snuggle in close and enjoy the heat of your body (not gasp for desperate breath while choking on your body odor). And you hope that the enjoyment of heated skin and hearts beating as one doesn't get distracted by funky long yellowed toenails and some strange patch of flaky skin you hadn't even noticed til they scrunched up their nose and pointed it out.
So working down from head to toe, don't figure that since it's winter you can ditch the razors, abandon body sprays and forgo a couple days or weeks of shampoo, just because it's cold and you'll be wearing more layers than usual.
1. Touchable locks at any length.
Wash your hair no less often than every other day. Greasy hair looks gross and adds to skin problems.
Just say no to flakes. Wash with a dandruff specific shampoo and exfoliate your scalp with your fingernails while washing your hair.
A little dab of hair gel or hair mousse mixed in your palm with a little water and smoothed evenly over the top layer of your hair does a great job keeping your hair from getting static-y in the dry winter air. Use less than you think you'll need to keep it from looking greasy.
In a pinch a dime sized drop of hand lotion can take the place of hair gel to keep hair tame.
Buzz cut or razor the back of your neck if your hair is short and use a mirror to make sure you don't end up with a long random strand.
2. Keep your ears clean.
Ears are often neglected and they need attention too. There are some to caution against putting things in your ears so be sure if you use a q-tip or cotton swab you only clean the very outter part of the ear canal. Some medical specialists suggest using warm olive oil, baby oil or mineral oil dripped inside your ear (and then drained back out again) to pull out the balls of wax your ears make. If nothing else, just wrap the end of a tissue around your pinkie and give each ear a good swab.
Don't shower with earrings in or leave them in for too many days and be aware that earring holes need attention too.
No one wants to nibble on your ear and taste dead cells, so if you've ever pierced your ears and there is a hole remaining, recognize that it's going to get regularly filled like a zit with a yellowy or brownish, whitish gunk that stinks and is basically gross. Get that stuff gone or this could put all ear licking or nibbling to an abrupt end. Which would be a serious shame since that can be a surprisingly erotic turn on.
3. Mind the nose.
Keep nose hairs trimmed and out of sight.
Have tissues on hand if you're dealing with a cold, allergies or anything that might bring on moisture in that general area.
If you're prone to excess skin oil use tissue paper or face powder to eliminate the shine.
Use tweezers to carefully remove dry flaky skin.
A dab of
mentholatum on chapped skin around the nose can restore normal skin texture in hours.
4. Keep that mouth kissable.
Brushing teeth twice a day should go without saying.
Flossing and mouth wash are great additions.
Brush your tongue. If you could see the gunk on that flapper jammer you'd rip it out of your own mouth.
You can exfoliate your lips during a nice warm shower with some rubbing of your fingers or a soft tooth brush. This cuts down on unsightly peeling lips.
And last but not least, chapstick that pucker.
5. Facial hair beware!
Beards are in right now (but only for men!) so guys, keep them trimmed, clean and not scratchy, and laddies get out the tweezers to make any longer or noticeable hairs around your upper lip disappear.
Beard hair is different than head hair and it's recommended that you don't wash your beard with shampoo or face soap. If you have a long beard (anything longer than 2 inches) you might want to invest in special beard soaps and conditioner oils. You seriously don't want dandruff flaking off your beard.
If you're clean shaven kind of guy or going for the 5 o'clock shadow look, keep your razor lines straight, tweezer any hair that resists the blade and moisturize that skin. A little scruff can be sexy, but no one wants to get facial road rash from kissing or nuzzling you.
5. Embrace your natural skin color.
Some people are used to having or getting a tan during the sunny months and are surprised to discover their skin has gone back to it's natural birthday suit shade. Love the skin you're in!
Forget tanning beds, spray tans or bottle bronzers: let your skin be true to itself and relish your ancestry whatever it means your melanin looks like.
If you think your skin tone is shockingly pale and that bothers you, just remind yourself that soft healthy skin is a thousand times better than a fake-bake that leads to skin cancer or old leather couch skin. Honestly whoever is lucky enough to peel of your layers to get to the fun below should be happy with your skin being healthy at its natural shade.
