The Brunette Diaries

Signs that he is falling in love with you

Men aren’t always good at expressing emotions, but if you are alert enough you can pick up these cues from him that suggest he is falling in love with you.

You must be able to pick up cues because he won’t always say it

He sends you text messages for no reason

The more he sends you messages, the more he cares about you. It just goes on to show how love-drunk he is. He may vie for your attention when he sends you mundane messages. Do not ignore them. Take them as a cue that he is falling for you.

He calls you just to hear your voice

He just loves to call you. He cannot resist calling you even if he doesn’t have a reason. He wants to hear your voice. He may call you and maybe not even speak much, but listen to what you have to say!

He texts fewer people

You may figure that he is giving you his sole attention and you may wonder why and how come. Understand that he has sobered down his social interaction because he is beginning to become love struck.

You hear his buddies giving him a hard time of late

You may hear a hint when he talks about how his friends feel he’s been behaving differently. They’re actually making astute observations about subtle behavioural changes that you may not have picked up on.

He sometimes talks rubbish just so that you can ask him what’s wrong

This can be at the later stages of being love struck. He tends to talk rubbish with the expectation that you ask him if everything is alright. He may be seeking attention. No guy says that straight up. Guys are masters of emotion masking.

He will text you just to stay in touch all day

If you see such quirky behaviour in a guy, do not be repulsed and wonder what’s wrong. You are wrong! ‘You’ happened to him. He cannot resist the thought of you and is falling in love.

Mistakes that can ruin new love

Comfort levels differ in the initial stages of love. Understanding may be present in the relationship, but being able to perceive problems and personalities early, may be harder than you expect. Usually, couples tend to ruin new love by getting into things too quick. Let us look at a few common mistakes that couples make in new love:

Let your feelings develop and do not force them

Asking for help too often

You can ask him for help once in a while, but if you do it too often, you may make him question your intentions. He may believe you are taking advantage of him. Do not behave like he is your husband already, this will scare him away.

Double dates

Double dating can be fun to show off your new boyfriend. But if you keep doing this, he may misunderstand you. He may believe that you want him around just as eye candy.

Overdressing

Do not be a diva every time you meet him. Men perceive this as fake. In a new relationship, it is important to be yourself and not fake so he is not scared away.

Cribbing

Usually, women have a habit of setting things straight right at the beginning of the relationship so that they are not taken for granted later. Men are repulsed by women who crib about things they do even without knowing them that well.

White lies

At the beginning of a relationship, it is important to build trust steadily. You cannot expect him to trust you from the word go. As you build this trust, even the small white lies that you tell can ruin this trust.

Physical involvement

Be slow when it comes to committing to certain things. Do not be hasty when it comes to being physically involved. Be patient, show that you love him and not his body.

When it comes to new relationships, be sure to take things slowly. For you do not know what you rush in to.

Falling in love too fast?

There are times when the first time you seen him, you know he is the one for you. You get hooked up with him and before you know it you are getting serious. Time to slow down! Contemplate whether it is too risky that things have gone so fast. Love is clearly a risk, but letting it become an absolute blind risk is unwise. Taking your time and getting well-acquainted with the other person is the right way to go. Let us look at some pointers which may help you understand the risk of falling in love too quickly.

Analyze and scrutinize

Humans are the only species who can reason what they do. There is time to reflect on every decision we take. Only time will bring out our true personality hidden under the cloak of infatuation. Therefore, it is imperative that you take your time to decide whether he is right for you to share your love with.

Love is patient

If you are falling in love, then let time grow your securities. Giving a relationship time to blossom will only help it stay healthy and long lasting. If you wait, your partner’s weaknesses will eventually surface, and you will be in a better position to decide whether you are willing to accept them.

Love doesn’t happen at first sight, infatuation does!

There are some who are under the impression that love happens even at first sight. This is untrue. Falling in love has a lot to do with your heart and not with outward appearances. Appearance is only a trigger for you to be attracted to someone’s personality. And so, the next time you feel a certain good-looking person is good at heart, think again!

Falling in love is a risk. This is a given. But are you making this high risk, blind-sky-diving-with-no-parachute risk? Fall in love with your head and your heart! Not just your eyes!

Steps To Get A Guy To Fall In Love With You

Are you looking to hook up with a guy who you’ve had your eye on for quite a long time? You may not feel confident to approach him… well, there’s your problem, in fact. If he ever notices that you lack confidence, it can be a real turn off to any guy. While most claim that there is something called love at first sight, we beg to differ. He can fall in love with the way you look, and have a crush on you, but love you? Love is something more meaningful and the term has been thrown around wrongly too often.

(Also read – Signs that he is falling in love with you)

So here we look at steps in which you can build up your confidence to walk up to the man of your dreams and make him fall head over heels for you.

Love yourself

Loving yourself is the first step towards being loved. If he sees that you love the way you look, he’ll perceive you to be confident. Everything we see and read on television and magazines gives us an unrealistic perception of what our bodies should look like. Instead, learn to love yourself just the way you are, and he will too.

(Also read – Mistakes that can ruin new love)

Love everything you do

Any boy will be much more likely to fall in love with you if you love what you do and feel more positive about the things in your life. If you make it known that you’re happy pursuing your interests, work, or career, then he’ll be more inclined to want to get to know you.

Melroy Day, a 21-year-old I.T. student feels that, “The biggest sickness society suffers from is ‘what will people say’. A girl who could get rid of this unreal expectation of society and love herself will be much more attractive to me.”

Get his attention

If you want a boy to love you, then you have to look like a fun person to be around. 19-year-old Maargi Mehta opines, “Whenever a guy sees you, you should have a big but genuine smile on your face, do something different, be fun to hang out with.”

Body language

You don’t want to be friend-zoned, do you? It’s important to get your body language right and not send him the wrong message from across the room. This can involve eye contact, standing upright and not showing any signs of nervousness.

Show something special

If you have a special talent, portray it. Highlight your strength and hide your weaknesses. He’ll love how you are different from others when you show him some skill that you may possess.

(Also read – Falling in love too fast?)

Be mysterious

Don’t give him a chance to get to know you completely. Make him want to come back for more. Don’t tell him every story you know, make him want to ask you things. Don’t show too much excitement and he will long to hear from you!

You have to be patient. Love doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s surely worth the wait, because it is beautiful.

Tricks to stop night snacking

Most weight watchers have this problem of late night food indulgences that they cannot control. It throws diet out the window and leaves them feeling guilty about their diet plans which they strictly kept up to until the late night splurge. Here are a few tricks and tips to stay away from late night snacking and keep the diet in control:

Distract yourself

Thinking about food alone can induce hunger pangs. To beat this unhealthy late night snacking habit, you will have to begin by replacing your food thoughts with other thoughts. Distract yourself by reading a book or playing some video games until you fall asleep. You could also try calling a friend or taking a warm bath, which will help you sleep better.

Delay dinner

Delaying dinner will help you stay full for longer time and won’t allow you to binge on more food later in the night. Early dinner may make you feel hungry by bedtime and you may end up binging on the wrong type of food when you are hungry that late.

Brush your teeth

Not only will brushing your teeth keep your teeth healthy but it will also keep you from eating anything more. It is the ‘clean mouth’ feeling that will keep you from succumbing to your cravings for junk food.

Include fibre and protein to your dinner

Having fibre and protein in your dinner will help you feel satiated for a longer period of time. This will help you eliminate the habit of late night binging.

If you still have these late night cravings, then go in for a low calorie alternative that you will not feel guilty about.

How to resist the urge of eating junk food

Do you find yourself struggling to keep a diet going for more than a week? Do you give in to your cravings just a few days after making that almighty decision to go junk-food-free? Well, we’ve all been there. It’s a hard decision to make and even more difficult to stick to. After all, junk food is all around us on the streets, and is most often irresistible. Here are steps to follow so that you can slowly resist the urge of giving in to your cravings for junk food.

(Also read – Tricks to stop night snacking)

The excessive craving for chocolate stems from deficiency of magnesium in your diet

Identify your craving

According to diet specialists, a craving for a particular food may arise due to something lacking in your diet. For example, the chocolate craving is related to magnesium deficiency and the sugar craving is related to protein deficiency. You can eliminate these deficiencies to make sure you rid yourself of these cravings.

(You might find this interesting too – Are you obsessive about healthy food?)

Remove temptations

Stack your fridge with wholesome food rather than junk

Temptations are stronger when they are easily available. Keeping a pack of fried potato chips in your kitchen isn’t going to make things easy for you. Try this – go to the grocery store with a full stomach. This way you won’t bring home the usual junk that you bring that can tempt you to forget your diet.

(Try reading – Food that influences your weight)

Buy wholesome food

Most often, you give in because you find a shortage of wholesome food at home. Well, you have no one to blame. Stack your fridge with good, healthy and wholesome food so that you don’t have an excuse to binge on junk food.

Avoid boredom

Keep yourself busy so that you don’t binge due to boredom

Most people eat when they are bored. Keeping yourself busy will help you stay away from unnecessary snacking.

Drink water

Drinking plenty of water is very important. Usually, people confuse thirst with hunger and binge on something unnecessary. Dehydration can also cause unhealthy cravings.

Now that you know what to stay away from and what not to, consider indulging once in a while, just to satiate your taste buds.

Food that influences your weight

There are certain kinds of food that have a positive impact on your weight loss goals and some that have a negative. Most of us are looking for that positive impact – in other words – to lose weight. But there are some who are looking to put on some mass and this can be a challenge also. Here are some different categories of food items that have a big impact on your weight loss or weight gain ambitions:

Food that correlates to weight gain includes:

Potato chips

High in starch content, potato chips are a stockroom of fats. Potato chips also contain a great deal of salt for taste. Its deep fried nature traps oil unlike most other food and these characteristics together can cause severe weight fluctuations due to bloating.

Sugar beverages

Sugar based beverages increase the overall intake of sugar in the body. This increase is directly related to calorie levels; and higher calorie levels means higher risk of weight gain – especially when the intake is that of sugar, lots and lots of sugar.

Processed meats

Meats like salami and sausages are high in salt content. They also include unnatural preservatives which give it a longer shelf life. Besides being plain unhealthy, these food items cause steady weight gain.

Food that correlates to weight loss includes:

Vegetables

There is no surprise here, as veggies have been forced down our throats by our parents who have claimed that veggies are supremely healthy. We have been challenging this claim since childhood but as we’ve grown up, we have come to terms with the reality that veggies are the healthiest weight balancing food one can have, even in the long run.

Fruits

Fruits are great in taste and high in not just protein, but vitamins and other minerals also. All in all, fruits are a perfect supplement to add to your diet to facilitate weight loss. Add a wholesome fruit diet to your meal plans and you will never regret it.

We may or may not have our favourite food in this list, but it is imperative to consider that to achieve our weight goals, we have to contemplate an element of sacrifice that is needed. If we can incorporate in or delete these food items from our diet, we will be on our way to achieving our goals!

Tips To Resist Junk Food

That constant struggle between fitness and fatness can get you really frustrated! The war of junk food cravings over health is one that almost everybody fights. If you do have certain fitness goals to achieve, it is important to abstain from, or reduce the intake of junk food, but at times the cravings seem too strong. Here’s how you can resist it.

(Also read – Super foods that help you lose weight)

Determine your weakness

A particular food may be your weakness. Figure out what it may be. For instance, I have a weakness for two-minute noodles. Figure out what is your junk food favourite and it will be easier to abstain from it.

(Also read – How to resist the urge of eating junk food)

Find your triggers

It is important to figure out what triggers you to indulge into junk food. The triggers may range from depression, boredom to medical conditions. Try to list down what exactly is your trigger, and if needed consult a doctor. You can also stay away from these triggers by keeping yourself busy.

Find replacements

If you frequently have a craving for a particular food, consider replacing that food with a healthier alternative that is quite similar. For example, if you love sweets, try indulging in mango, which is a healthier alternative and may be equally tasty.

(Also read – Food that influences your weight)

Eat regularly

Another way to stay away from junk food is by eating healthy regularly. By doing this, you don’t leave space for unnecessary binging, which involves junk food, usually. Plan smaller meals, probably 5-6 a day, instead of the usual 3 meals a day.

Half size your portion if you indulge

If you do indulge, try making the portions of your junk food lesser. Only take a few bites of your dessert, or share your dessert or meal with a friend or partner. You can even try eating it slowly so that the brain is satiated.

(Also read – Are you obsessive about healthy food?)

Exercise

Exercising will make you feel guilty to indulge in junk food. This is because you are putting in effort to lose weight. Exercise can balance blood sugar levels and ease your digestion as well.

10 most common makeup blunders and how to avoid them

Come on ladies let’s face it; a little bit of good makeup is all that we ever need and we’re good to go! “Wake-up-and-makeup” is very common place in today’s times. But who would want to pay a bomb to any regular makeup artist every time? It’s the DIY age and makeup enthusiasts are not at all lagging behind when it comes to teaching or learning newer techniques to enhance your favorite features.

But hold your horses, ladies! It’s true that makeup if done right can work wonders for a woman, but there’s always a flipside to it. If your makeup goes wrong it can actually make you look 10 years older! And no makeup artist will tell you this but there are some really easy mistakes that you could make even with the traditional techniques. But worry not, because we at The Brunette Diaries have got your back. Read on to know what to avoid during your daily makeup routine and still look ever so pretty.

Moisturizer

Rule of the thumb: Always moisturise well! A good shine-free moisturizer is a must-have for every woman. But mind you, one can easily go wrong with this one. Using a heavy moisturizer will only make your skin shiny and allow your makeup to sink into your pores. Not only that, it could even result in highlighting your lines and wrinkles let alone hide them. So make sure to use the right moisturizer for your skin. A light oil-free moisturizer would be the best bet.

Foundation

Using the wrong colour of the foundation or the wrong type depending on your skin will only add to your woes. Choose the best foundation by applying some on the jaw line and checking whether it blends in with your skin shade. Powder foundations are best for oily skin; however, liquid foundations are easier to apply and blend well.

Concealer

This one can be really tricky. Going too heavy with concealer under your eyes will only make your dark circles standout. Make sure to use the right shade of concealer and try using minimal amount. The best shade is just one tone lighter than your skin.

Mascara

This makeup must-have is meant to lengthen the lashes and make the eyes look bigger. But if the mascara isn’t applied correctly it could give your lashes a clumpy look. This mistake is usually committed when you don’t curl and brush your lashes before using mascara on them. Using a wrong mascara brush will also do no good. Take this tip: use a water-resistant light mascara to help keep it from running.

Blush-on

The old adage goes by smiling wide and applying blush-on to the apples of your cheeks. But the clown-like rounds are far from flattering. Besides, that makes your face look saggy or jowly. Avoid using too much blush-on if you want to keep your makeup simple yet chic.

Lip Liner

Wearing a lip liner that is too dark in comparison with your lipstick may give the illusion of having a ring on your lips. Your lip liner should be of the same shade as your lipstick to avoid jarring.

Eye Liner

Too much liner will attract attention to your eyes are and sometimes, if gone wrong, you may end up looking ‘Goth-like’. Make sure to apply a thin stroke very close to your eyelid.

Powder/Compact

You’d think that powder or a compact can never go wrong. We’re sorry to say that it sometimes does. Women who apply powder or compact to set the makeup in place don’t usually realise that it accentuates the wrinkles and fine lines on their face. Make sure to apply compact sparingly and avoid the under eye area.

Eyebrows

Overly tweezed eyebrows make a face look considerably thinner and older. Go for a shape that suits your face type. If you have scanty brows, use a pencil two shades lighter than you hair colour and make soft, short strokes and blend them in properly. This will give your face a lift while adding to the oomph.

Blending it in

Any makeup artist would agree that when wearing makeup it shouldn’t be overwhelmingly obvious. Learn to blend your makeup well. Using a soft round sponge, blend your makeup keeping in mind to highlight your best features and downplay the flaws.

And you’re good to go! We hope this helps you when you wear makeup next time around. Remember ‘Less is more’.