So, what exactly should I do to look more polished?

This article is aimed at those who leave their facial peach fuzz untreated and tie their hair back, so those who have already mastered makeup don't need to read this.
If you're a stylish person who fits this description, feel free to close this tab and go watch a new semester makeup video on YouTube instead.

※The goal setting in this article is not to look like Kanna Hashimoto or your favorite Instagrammer. The goal is to reach an average level.

0. Introduction

High school debut, college debut, getting a crush, job hunting, etc...
The timing for when you start caring about your appearance varies from person to person, but eventually, the time comes when you have to care about it whether you like it or not. To some extent, this is equal for both men and women. There's no point in complaining, and it's rarely a bad thing to look good, so once you read this, I hope you'll try it out with a light heart.

If you compare a messy-looking unattractive person (peach fuzz all over their face, skin breakouts, unkempt hair, tacky clothes) with a neat-looking unattractive person, the latter is overwhelmingly more likable.
Since 80% of women in the world maintain proper grooming, choosing to look messy and making your unattractiveness stand out is a huge handicap in life.

1. What exactly should I do to look polished?

I researched this to death when I had my high school debut.
I remember searching for 'how to look polished' and seeing a Korean-style girl with see-through bangs on YouTube saying 'Easy way to look polished 🌸' and closing the video instantly. I can't forgive that.
No matter where I looked, all I found were videos and articles by naturally pretty girls with parallel double eyelids who had already mastered makeup, giving advice on how to become even cuter.
For a plain girl who doesn't understand the difference between base, primer, and color corrector, there's no budget, no clear goal, and no idea where to even start.
Because I didn't understand, I lost motivation and wanted to put it off.

So, where should you start? It's obvious, but starting with the things that take the most time is the most efficient.

① Cure your skin breakouts

Start with this.
It's obvious, but skin with many problems lacks a sense of cleanliness to others. No matter how beautiful someone is, if their face is covered in acne, their beauty is diminished and the impression is bad.
If you're anything less than super beautiful, you can imagine how others see you.
Q: So what should I do 🙄?
Q: Should I get laser treatment 🙄?
Q: Should I buy expensive cosmetics 🙄?

Yes, both acne treatment and dry skin treatment are covered by insurance. Before buying ridiculously expensive creams, trying proper medication is the first step. It's cheap and reliable. You can get medicine for about 1,000 yen. You can cure acne for the price of 1.5 bubble teas.
※If it's not current acne but rather severe acne scars, don't bother with Melano CC or Nivea packs; it's faster and easier to get Pico Spot treatment (20,000 yen for the whole face). In the first place, skincare products won't cure acne scars. That's all a lie.
And in parallel with curing your skin breakouts, you should do this:

② Diet to reach a standard weight

There's no need to aim for a model's physique from the start.
If you set K-POP idols or lounge hostesses as your goal, it's too far away and you won't be able to maintain your motivation. Let's aim for a healthy beauty weight first, and then think about what comes next ❣️

By the way, the diet I'm talking about here isn't about fasting or taking Mounjaro, but about eating three meals a day and exercising properly.
I don't recommend reducing the amount you eat or doing laxative diets, because you'll just end up looking messy due to skin breakouts and stress-induced weight gain. That's something for people who can spend about 1 million yen a year on cosmetic medical procedures as a shortcut.
Eating plenty of vegetables and eating what you like within reason is the best way.
However, I want you to refrain from snacking and greasy late-night food. This also causes skin breakouts. By the way, as I said before, it's not a bad thing to aim for celebrities or Instagrammers, but it's better to consult with your own motivation because it's a long road. It's like studying for entrance exams to get into the University of Tokyo.

2. I don't need that, I just want to glow up as quickly as possible.

I get it. Dieting or clearing up skin takes time and is a hassle, and you don't want to hear about long-term plans when you want to be cute by tomorrow.
For now, you want to do something about that "frumpy" vibe radiating from your whole body—I understand that feeling. So, what's wrong, and what should you fix?

Fix my hair, makeup, and clothes, all of it.

All of it.
Since that frumpy vibe is radiating from your entire body, it's inevitable that the problem areas are your entire body.

Looking for shortcuts from the start is a massive mistake. Pretty-chan discriminates against the type of person who asks skinny people if there's some easy trick.
You can't achieve anything without effort. You won't lose weight rapidly just by taking this supplement. All those weight-loss ads on YouTube are lies. There's no such thing as impacted stool, and there's no secret method known only to Instagrammers. Enzymes won't make you lose weight either. Supplements and mysterious gels won't increase your bust size. Green juice might support someone else's daily life, but it won't support yours. Well, actually, if it's just these three things—hair, makeup, and clothes—
if you work hard, you can at least manage the overall image in two days
You can make it work with money, money, money, and effort.
So, what do you do first?

3. Glow-up for now: Part 1

1. Go to a hair salon

Start with this. Above all else, this. If you're already doing weekly treatments, using hair oil after bathing, and wearing a silk hair cap properly, you don't need to do this.
For example, are there flyaways sticking up on top of your hair? Does your hair look dry overall? Is your hairstyle itself just plain frumpy? Are your ends trimmed evenly?
For now, if you fix your hairstyle, you can look like a normal person. First, let'sbreak free from the ponytail.

Please look for a hair salon using something like Hot Pepper Beauty. Don't use Minimo or those local places that charge 2,000 yen for a cut. Absolutely not. Book a place on Hot Pepper where a cut and color is around 8,000 yen after discount, or if you have the budget, around 12,000 yen after discount for a cut, perm, and color.
If you live in or near Tokyo, there's no deep meaning to it, but it's also an option to try Omotesando or somewhere similar just to boost your vibes.
When ordering from the stylist, be bold and say,
"I want a makeover, so please give me a stylish but safe hairstyle that isn't difficult to style."
Just be honest. The stylist is not your enemy. Open your heart. First, the important thing is to specify that it shouldn't be difficult to style. Fluffy Korean-style hair or a wolf cut like Aimyon's are cute, right? But you can't recreate those. If you can, that's fine. I've never had success watching how-to videos that claim anyone can do this 3-minute hairstyle.
Since you'll be styling your hair every day from now on, the secret to looking your best is actually getting a hairstyle that you can manage even if you oversleep in the morning.
So, don't forget to ask them how to recreate the hairstyle in the morning after they cut it.

If you ask, they'll teach you how to use a curling iron or straightener, and if you don't have one, go buy one at your local Don Quijote for 3,000 yen. A SALONIA one is fine.
(Colors other than black or brown are for advanced users, so it's better to avoid them! This is discriminatory, but when I see someone with blue inner color that has faded into a muddy color, I think, 'Ah!! An otaku!!')
Okay, so what's next?

2. Go straight to a brow salon after the hair salon

Since you've already left the house, please get your eyebrows done too. There are places in the world that will fix your eyebrows for about 3,000 to 5,000 yen. If an amateur touches their eyebrows, nothing good will come of it. If you accidentally shave a line into them, you'll be crying for two months, and even if you happen to think you look cool, you probably don't.
Just Google 'eyebrow salon' and go straight there after your hair appointment.
The reason for going after the hair salon is to have your eyebrows matched to your new hairstyle.
So go after the hair salon, okay? Seriously.

You just need to go to the brow salon; there's no need to offer your own opinion.
Just by handing over the money, they will automatically make them suit your bone structure and vibe. You don't have to think about anything.

While you're at it, stop by a drugstore on your way home and buy a T-shaped razor for facial shaving and some cotton pads, and at Muji, buy some toner and emulsion (if you're unsure, get the moisturizing type).

*If you have extra money, buy the items listed in the separate article on basic skincare/makeup.

Then, in the bath that day, shave the peach fuzz off your face, avoiding your eyebrows. You might as well do your arm hair too. After your bath, don't forget to moisturize with the toner and emulsion using the cotton pads.
If you don't do this, your skin will break out and you'll be depressed for about three months.

3. Glow-up for now: Part 2

Yes, in one day, the problems of your hairstyle, eyebrows, and facial peach fuzz have all been solved at once.
Your parents will probably keep asking if you got a boyfriend. Continue with this momentum into the second day. However, some people need the second day, and some don't.
The second day is for finishing up with shoes and clothes, but
what do you usually wear? SHEIN? axes femme or LIZLISA? Just some random jeans and a hoodie? Some mysterious otaku clothes you bought online? If that's your style, keep reading.
By the way, I want you to consider that clothes you like as a hobby and clothes that look good and give off a nice vibe are two different things. Everyone should at least own some safe clothes that make a good impression.
For those who aren't particularly interested in fashion, or are into Lolita fashion, or are the 'princess' of an otaku circle, the first place you should head to is

GU

They have a wide range of sizes, plenty of basic fashion shapes, and they're reasonably priced. Beginners should definitely go to GU first.
By the way, here is an idea of GU's coordination and price range.

With this set of clothes

It looks like this.
If you keep the shoes and bag from the outfit above but change the clothes

It looks like this.
And if you try combining the first cardigan with the second skirt

It can look like this too. Depending on how you combine them, you can create 3 more patterns. GU is infinite. If you go to their official website, there are tons of outfit ideas, so please look at those and buy the whole mannequin look at first. Do not trust your own sense of style. Since your frumpiness is a result of lacking that sense, trusting your own judgment here is full of danger. Please just buy the entire outfit you see and think, 'Oh, that's cute!'

4. Summary

That's it for now. Good work. Actually, I haven't touched on makeup or skincare at all yet, but for makeup and skincare, just watch YouTube videos like 'JK Recommended Makeup' and buy everything they use.
(Added Jan 2022: I wrote an article on how to get everything for 50,000 yen)
https://note.com/52hzwhale/n/n2abc8d40a1a4
For now, even without makeup, if you follow this article, you definitely won't be treated like a frump.

The only people who are visibly treated like frumps are those who don't take care of their grooming, so if you just keep yourself well-groomed, you've basically cleared the first hurdle.
To become a 'cute girl' from here, you'll need makeup and daily discipline, so everyone do your best. There is no such thing as a girl who is cute without doing anything, so it's daily discipline.
That's all for this time. The sequel: 'Daily Base Makeup' is a paid article, so if you don't know how to buy it, please DM me.

https://note.com/webview/notes/n3dcb99ce41f9?no_track=1Also, I am currently writing a separate piece called 'Don't Buy Cosmetics You Don't Understand the Purpose Of,' so please look forward to that.
Well then, good work.