The 7 Habits of Highly Attractive People

Image: fitnessarts.org

BY ALEXANDRA HALL

They’d love for you to believe they were born that way—that hotness is some mysterious state achieved only via a blessing direct from the cosmos. But the truth is, most of the preternaturally beautiful people who walk among us—Gisele and a few others notwithstanding—got that way by following a concrete set of steps, tricks and rituals. Some of those are obvious (diet, exercise, teeth brushing). Others are downright bizarre (the now-rampant practice of injecting your own butt fat into your face). But the most effective regimes du moment can be broken down into seven habits that are easy to emulate, even by us mortals.

1. Get Poked

“Bostonian attitudes toward injections versus cosmetic surgery have changed drastically in the last decade,” says Dr. Leonard Miller of the Boston Center for Facial Rejuvenation, who happens to be a whiz at both. “It used to be that no one ever admitted to doing either one. Now they still won’t talk openly about the knife, but they’re far more comfortable talking about needles—especially those that are the most common, like Botox.” These days, even that standby is getting wielded in ways that go beyond the forehead. “I use it for all kinds of tricks,” says Nichole Brennan at Skin Deep Med Spa. “Under the arms to stop sweating. Around the mouth to get rid of smoker’s lips, or around the eye for crow’s feet. In the neck to help sculpt the jaw line.” The latter procedure is one of the most sought-after at the moment, she says. “A little in the jaw muscle reduces a square-shaped face by smoothing it into more of an oval.”

Reshaping faces is the order of the day, explains Masha Banar, the board-certified physician’s assistant who heads up Newton Centre’s Visage Sculpture. “We can use Juvéderm to reshape noses by filling in bumps,” she says. “Radiesse to define cheeks, and it’s great for chins—lots of men want to have a sharpened jaw line. And then there’s Sculptra, which can be used for all of the above, lasts about a year longer than anything else and has a result that’s absolutely natural looking.” (Filler injection prices vary greatly depending on the area treated; schedule a consultation for an estimate.)

2. Be a Flake

The undisputed catchall for skincare are peels, which soften fine lines and scarring, as well as curb breakouts. Thanks to the caliber of our medical community, Boston brims with people who know how to administer them to revolutionary effect.

“There are almost as many kinds of peels out there as there are faces,” says licensed esthetician Deborah Macomber, owner of Baby Face Skin Spa in Norwell. “The trick is knowing that one size doesn’t fit all.” Though some treatments are able to penetrate the epidermis without causing an adverse reaction, medical-grade peels like the SkinMedica Vitalize Peel, done in a series of three to six ($150 per treatment), cause just a bit of irritation. “It prevents and treats various forms of acne and post-acne scarring like you can’t believe,” she says. “And exfoliates dry dead skin cells to promote cellular regeneration.”

Kathy Nash, clinical director and R.N. at Ardan Medspa + Salon, agrees. “To work well, a peel has to be tailored to a client’s skin type.” Her favorite solution is Régenique—essentially one part facial to three parts medical treatment ($250 per session). First she swoops in with a medical-grade microdermabrasion, chasing it with a chemical peel and customized treatments based on individual needs. An ultrasound with electrostimulation provides the finishing touch, helping the skin absorb the various treatments. “It causes a subtle peeling a few days later with absolutely no down time,” says owner Helena Cohen.

3. Undergo Regular Lashings

They may seem a tiny matter, but devotees know the power of properly applied eyelash extensions. “They literally can transform a face,” says Andrea Starr, owner of the just-opened eyeStarr by Andrea. “You can do them for the most conservative clients on one end of the spectrum, or make them full and long for more glam types.” The go-to extensions girl for Red Sox and Bruins players’ wives (actress Molly Sims is also a fan), Starr emphasizes not just the prettiness of her results, but the practicality ($350 for a full set). “They’re a lifestyle change because you wake up with them,” she says. “Having them on cuts your makeup time in half, since you don’t even need any other eye makeup. They’re so natural looking, you don’t want to cover them up.”

The real beauty of fake lashes: They only require upkeep every three to six weeks, and you can’t spot the imposters. “If they’re done right, they should never look false,” says Santina Sharpe at SalonCapri in Dedham (where lashes range from $125–$215). “Great extensions look clean, soft, separated and full—like real lashes, but much, much better.”

4. Think Small

Most conventional workouts worship at the altar of big muscles, but it’s actually the minuscule ones—aka the accessory muscles—that determine body shape and structure. Hence the runaway success of celeb trainers like Tracy Anderson, who’s whipped the likes of Gwyneth and Madonna into chiseled shape. Locally, she’s got followers like fashion designer Daniela Corte. “It absolutely changes how your body looks and feels,” says the toned Corte, who works her major muscles once per week with Equinox trainer Mike D’Angelo, then spends the rest of her weekdays doing two-hour workouts to Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis videos. These are filled with routines designed to trip up the body’s little muscles and yield a dancer’s physique. (The 90-day video program is $89.97 on tracyandersonmethod.com.) “It’s the most challenging, effective workout I’ve ever done,” Corte says. “They switch the program every few weeks, so your body has to constantly readjust.”

The quest to reengineer muscular structure is also behind the deluge of Barre method classes taking over studios far and wide. “Small isometric movements make a very big difference,” says Kellie Lynch, owner of Balance Studio in Cohasset, who heads up the studio’s 60-minute, gasp-inducing Balanced Barre workshop ($15 per class). “We generally don’t use our small muscle groups, which this does. And it makes a huge difference.”

5. Don’t Crash and Burn

The world hardly suffers from a lack of extreme low-cal diets. One problem, explains clinical nutrition and wellness consultant Aubrey Thompson, is that they don’t always help your looks.

“Getting thin fast by under-eating doesn’t address any of the real weight issues people have,” she says. “It doesn’t help you if you’re holding weight in the wrong places, or are unable to retain muscle, or are constantly fighting cravings,” says the head of Living Balance in Norwood.

Also damaging is what bad nutrition does to the rest of our bodies. “What we eat always correlates to how our hair and skin look. If you’re getting the right nutrients for your body, your face glows, blemishes clear up and even dry skin issues disappear.” On the flip side, she says, “When people look shiny and bright, it’s often something they’re doing right nutritionally, not adding something topically.”

To decode her clients’ individual nutritional needs, Thompson performs “metabolic typing.” This involves a hair mineral analysis plus adrenal and thyroid tests to find patterns that relate to the person’s gastrointestinal functions. “Basically, I learn about their genetic requirements, see how they convert food into energy and how their nervous system functions. That’s how I can tell if they need more or less of something.” Then she carves out a customized eating plan (with supplements to reverse any long-term deficiencies) fortified by weekly or biweekly consultations over a multi-month period ($125 an hour, with the option of purchasing discounted packages). During that time, she says, she sees the effects of food as improved nutrition shows in clients’ skin, eyes and faces. “It isn’t just being skinny that makes you attractive,” she insists.

6. Style Yourself Svelte

Best friends will tell you the tough facts of life: Your butt looks gargantuan in those jeans, for instance, or your cutoffs should be banished to the ’90s where they belong. Personal stylists may land the blow more gently, but ultimately serve the same purpose. More than just personal shoppers, stylists build a trust with clients and work with them to find the most flattering combinations. Just ask the wives of Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox players who count on Susan Slosberg (prices vary per hour; visit susanslosberg.com to schedule a free one-hour consultation). She ferrets out, for example, a belted jacket to camouflage a thick waist or a calf-length pencil skirt to lengthen a leg. Ann-Elizabeth Rueppel, a Slosberg client, describes her as a “devil sells Prada” kind of stylist—meaning one who pushes pieces that aren’t just in fashion for the moment, but are a quality investment. And if that investment ever becomes too steep? You can always do the next best thing—grab a brutally honest friend and a three-way mirror.

7. Tress for Success

People with thick or curly hair want sleek locks. People with thin hair want full. It seems that the only human beings happy with their hair are in the pages of the Victoria’s Secret catalog, where frizz and oiliness don’t exist, and perfect, flippy curls always remain in place.

It boils down to texture. Genetic as it may be, it can be toyed with—if not out-and-out altered. “Our full keratin treatment reduces 100 percent of frizz and 60 percent of any wave,” says Ashley Mason of James Joseph Salon. “It also reduces drying time by 60 percent.” The treatment, during which hair is coated with keratin and ironed in eight-inch sections, is similar to other keratin treatments around town, but doesn’t use formaldehyde. (They start at $375 for a three-hour treatment.) “You’re not chemically reconstructing the hair, you’re adding a protein back in, so it’s actually making it stronger. The result is lively but tame hair for three to four months.”

The closest thing to the inverse—turning limp ’dos into thick ones—isn’t a procedure but a product invented in an MIT lab. Living Proof’s Full line ($26 for 5 oz. thickening mousse; livingproof.com) contains Poly Beta Amino Ester-1, a molecule the company invented to mimic the feel of thicker hair. It’s a temporary effect, sure, but then, so is the one you get from a push-up bra.

With additional reporting by Hilary White