By Kim Lance, Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine

Just as in traditional dating, online dating does carry with it a few risks. There are always going to be people out there with bad or harmful intentions. While several online dating services have implemented screening and safety measures to weed out some criminals or married people, this is never foolproof, and it is entirely up to the individual to take safety measures into their own hands.

Here are five online dating safety tips that are vital to protecting yourself when dating online:

1. Make your email account anonymous. Use a free email account service like Hotmail or Yahoo! to set up an email account that does not give out any personal information. Do not use your work email address or an address that indicates your full name when communicating with online dating matches. Also, don’t give out your email address too soon. There are some people out there that use online dating services to gather email addresses from innocent singles so that they can send out SPAM messages.

2. Give your cell phone number rather than your home number when in the phone call stage of online dating. If you are listed in the phone book, giving out your home phone number is practically the same as giving out your full name and home address. With online technology, it is easy to type a home phone number into Google, and, if the number is listed, your name and address will show up along with the phone number. You may be giving out more information than you think you are.

3. Meet in a public place on your first few dates. A public place guarantees a higher level of security and safety as there will be several witnesses around and your date will not know your home address. It’s also a good idea to tell a friend where you will be and when you will be returning, just in case.

4. Always be weary of anyone asking for money. If someone you communicate with through an online dating service starts asking you for money before you meet, you can almost guarantee they are scam artists. There are “Russian Bride” agencies out there trying to scam unsuspecting men out of money by having women (sometimes the women don’t even really exist) ask for money from the men for flights out to see them, only to disappear after they receive the money. There is no reason that online dating should involve giving money to the other person. If you want to visit Iveta in Slovenia, fly out to see her, don’t blindly give her money.

5. Trust your gut. If your gut instinct tells you that a guy or girl is not telling you the truth, has bad intentions, or will end up hurting you, listen to that instinct. If you notice any red flags, such as pressing for personal information too soon, insisting to pick you up at your house for the first date, or possessive tendencies even before you meet, think twice about sharing your phone number, email address, or especially home address. Also keep an eye out for someone who may already be married. If they never want you to call, won’t give details about their lifestyle, and try to keep everything secret, there is a possibility that you are dealing with a married person.

Remember that even though some dating sites tout background checks, you have to stay on your guard. People can slip through the background check cracks so don’t let the criminal and marriage checks give you a false sense of security. Online dating can be a safe and fun way to meet quality singles, but never take anything for granted and always keep your guard up in the beginning.

–

Kim Lance is the Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine, an Internet publication covering online dating through news, reviews, experiences, interviews, and articles.

This article is copyright and may not be republished. Used with permission.

By Kim Lance for the Date Gifts Website

Whether your going on a first date, celebrating your 10-year anniversary, or proposing marriage, roses can be the perfect gift to complement any romantic occasion. Giving the gift of roses provides a certain impression of elegance and class that can really impress your partner. Couples have been expressing their love to one another with roses for centuries. However, because it is such a common gift, you may want to put a bit more thought into how you can make your gift of roses unique. Don’t run the risk of looking cliché in the eyes of your date; add some creative thought to your gift. There are a few ways to give the elegance of roses and yet still make the gift creative:

1. Roses With a Message
One unique way to give roses as a gift is by putting a message directly on the petals of your roses. SpeakingRoses.com allows you to inscribe a brief message on your rose to add a little creativity to this classic gift. For a first date you can have a flirty “Hey Cutie” written on the petals or, for a romantic time such as an anniversary, you can have “I love you” written. You can even put “Will you marry me?” on a rose as a unique proposal method.

2. Gold Trimmed Single Rose
Several florists (and even some jewelers) will sell roses that are trimmed in gold. While this will cost you a bit more than a dozen regular roses, a single gold trimmed rose can add a level of deep romance to your gift, not to mention creativity. An added benefit to a gold trimmed rose is that is lasts much longer than a regular rose. Roses are typically enameled and trimmed in gold to give them the look of fresh cut roses with the special sparkle of gold.

3. The Chocolate Rose
Many women (and some men too) love flowers almost as much as they love chocolate. Why not give two gifts in one with the chocolate rose! Gourmet chocolate and candy shops often sell chocolates that have been formed into unique shapes for special occasion gifts. One of those shapes is usually in the form of a single rose. You can buy one chocolate rose or buy a dozen and arrange them as if they were a bouquet of real roses. If your date loves chocolate she (or he) will undoubtedly be pleasantly surprised.

4. One Rose Stands Out From The Crowd
If you are planning to give the traditional gift of a dozen roses, but want to add that extra creative flair, go to your florist and buy a 11 red roses, and 1 uniquely colored rose. Roses can come in a variety of colors so make sure the single rose is enough of a contrast to stand out from the 11 red roses, but that the color does not clash with the other roses. When you deliver your bouquet tell your special someone that their amazing beauty makes them stand out from the rest of the crowd and that the single beautiful rose that is set apart from the group of red roses symbolizes that special beauty in your partner.

These are four distinctive ways to make your gift of roses have a stronger impression on your significant other. While roses are a wonderful gift to celebrate your loved one or a special occasion in your relationship, adding some creativity by using one of these ideas may help you better show what a unique impact your partner has had on your life and further emphasize how much you care for them. It will also create a vivid happy memory for your loved one to treasure for years to come.

–

Kim Lance is the Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine, an Internet publication covering online dating through news, reviews, experiences, interviews, and articles. She is also a regular contributor to DateGifts.com.

This article is copyright and may not be republished. Used with permission.

By Kim Lance, Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine

We have all experienced it… the butterflies in your stomach when you see him or her from across the room; the shortness of breath when you brush past your crush or stand close to him or her in the elevator; the increased heart rate when your arms lean against each other in the movie theater. These are all signals that you are falling for someone. Recognizing this is easy, but letting someone know your feelings is much more complicated. Here are a few ways to hint to your crush that you are developing feelings beyond friendship and to find out if they feel the same.

The Honest Approach
The easiest way is to take a deep breath and spill the beans to him or her directly. Just set a time where you can get your crush alone and tell him or her your true feelings and ask if they feel the same. You will be laying it all out on the line and possibly setting yourself up for immediate rejection, but it is the quickest way to get it all off your chest. This method takes a huge amount of self-esteem, however. If you are not a self-confidence superhero, perhaps a more subtle approach would be best.

Increase the Flirt Factor
A good way to feel out the possibility of a friend becoming more than a friend is to slowly become flirtier with the object of your affection. Smiling a lot, making lots of eye contact, an occasional wink and quick, private glances when in a social setting can give your crush subtle signs that you are giving them more attention than others. If you pay particular attention to your crush over other people it shows your crush that you have special feelings for him or her.

Get More Physical
Take any opportunity you can to reach out and touch your crush. No, I don’t mean invading their space and making them feel uncomfortable. Simple take opportunities to touch their arm or hand as you engage in conversation. Give your crush a hug when saying goodbye or greeting each other. Nudge them in a flirty way when joking with them and lean in close when they are telling you a story or secret. Increased physicial contact is a good way to drop hints that you would like to be closer to him or her, both relationship wise, and physically.

Be Plentiful With Your Compliments
Start complimenting your crush when they get a haircut or wear a nice outfit. This will not only make your crush feel better about themselves, but will also let them know you think they are attractive. Making comments like “you have such a great sense of humor” when your crush makes a joke or “you are so smart” when discussing an important issue is a good way to let your crush know you really like them.

No tactic is foolproof, and it may still require you flat out telling your crush your feelings if they don’t get the hint, but they could help you get a better sense of how your crush feels about you. With any of these tactics, it is important to read your crush’s responses. If they respond to your comments or actions by getting embarrassed or annoyed, chances are they don’t feel the same about you. If they respond to flirting with more flirting, it is a good sign they are crushing on you too.

–

Kim Lance is the Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine, an Internet publication covering online dating through news, reviews, experiences, interviews, and articles.

This article is copyright and may not be republished. Used with permission.

By Kim Lance, Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine

If you think that your choice of photo to associate with your online profile doesn’t really matter, think again. The fact is the profile photo is one of the main factors in determining whether an online dater will give your profile a second look. And if you were thinking about not associating a photo with your profile, don’t expect to get any responses. Many online daters specify their searches through online dating profiles to only show results of people with photos. The online dating profile photo is a vital component in determining your success in the world of online dating.

Your gut reaction may be to put up the best picture you have of yourself when choosing your photo for your online dating profile. It is understandable that you would want to make yourself look as attractive as possible online…after all, you are looking for a date right? Well, it might be a better idea to pick a profile that is a little more representative of how you really look, not how you wish you looked.

As mentioned above, the profile photo is one of the main things that convince a man or woman to approach another as a potential match online. If you put up a photo that does not accurately represent how you really look (your photo is several years old, you have gained 20 lbs since your photo was taken, or your photo has been altered to make you look more attractive) your date will inevitably get the wrong impression of how you look. You run a high risk of disappointing your date and developing trust issues right off the bat when you meet in person and look quite a bit different than he or she was expecting.

At the same time, make sure your photo is both realistic and flattering. Even though you don’t want to give an inaccurate impression about how you really look, remember, you are still trying to get a date. Don’t post a picture in your online dating profile of the time when you were four months overdue for a haircut or the day you forgot to put on make-up. Ask a friend or two which photos of you bring out your best qualities while still giving a realistic impression of what you look like on a good day.

If you have the option to put up multiple photos of yourself, do so. For your main profile photos it is probably best to get a nice head and sholder shot so that your profile browsers can get a good sense of what you look like. But, take advantage of the multiple photo option by using it as an opportunity to show off some of your more unique features and personality traits. Choose photos that show you having fun, participating in outdoor activities, or posing in beautiful natural settings.

Additional Online Dating Profile Photo Tips
- Don’t put up photos of you with other people. The person browsing your profile may not know which person you are and may be more attracted to the person posing with you.

- Make sure you are smiling in your photo. You want to give a potential match the impression that you are a happy person ready to start a happy and positive relationship.

- Don’t post photos that reveal personal information about your work or living space. If you post a picture of you standing in front of your house with the address showing a sign to your office building, you may be revealing more information to online dating members than you wanted to. Keep your photo as anonymous as possible.

- Keep in mind what you want to portray to others when choosing your photo. Don’t put up pictures of you drinking or drunk, flashing the camera, or flipping the bird if you are looking for a serious romantic relationship.

–

Kim Lance is the Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine, an Internet publication covering online dating through news, reviews, experiences, interviews, and articles.

This article is copyright and may not be republished. Used with permission.

Online dating has quickly become the number one choice for singles to meet people to date. The online dating industry has been continually growing in popularity and for good reason. If you are on the fence about whether to try out online dating as a way to find romance, consider these five positive reasons why using an online dating service might be a good choice for you.

1. Greater Choice
A single utilizing an online dating service has a better choice of potential matches than a single using more traditional dating methods like the local bar or coffee shop. With online dating you are allowed to browse through several profiles looking for that special someone. When you head to the corner coffee shop you only have a chance of meeting a handful of single people, and sometimes never meet anyone at all. With online dating you have greatly increased your chances of finding someone interesting.

2. Get What You Want
Many online dating services allow you to search through profiles based on certain key phrases or through a filtering process. By only looking through profiles that have the word “Christian” or “sports fan” in them, you have an increased chance in finding someone that shares your views and interests and eliminated those that don’t. When you meet a man or woman at a bar, you have no way of telling right off the bat if they are Christian or Atheist, a San Diego Charger’s fan or if they think that football is a violent sport. By using search functions and filtering on online dating services to identify profiles of potential matches, you can eliminate the time spent looking through profiles of people that do not share your interests.

3. Personal Info Can Stay Private
A great thing about online dating is its anonymity. When initiating contact with someone you have been attracted to online, you don’t have to give out any personal information…not even your email address. You can take time to really get to know a person before giving out personal information like your phone number, unlike other forms of meeting people. If you meet someone at a singles spot, you are forced to give away your phone number in order to keep in contact, even if you have just met the person and don’t know enough about him or her to know if they have good intentions.

4. Fears and Embarrassment Can Be Reduced
If you decide to contact someone though email you can take the time to really plan out what you want to say to that person with online dating. If you see someone across the room and try to approach them, sometimes nerves and embarrassment can get the best of you. You may have planned out what you were going to say, but when you approach it all gets flustered coming out of your mouth. With online dating you can sit down and think about your email, read it over a couple times, and send it knowing that you have expressed yourself to the best of your ability. The social awkwardness that can come with approaching someone on the fly in person is virtually eliminated.

5. It’s a One on One Experience
At a bar, club, coffee shop, or other traditional singles meeting place, it is almost impossible to make a personal connection with someone you are interested in. There is active competition for attention at these social gatherings and a one on one interaction can be very hard to come by. With online dating it is personal right from the beginning. You communicate one on one in a private email conversation with the person you are interested in and are able to form a personal connection right off the bat, rather than compete in a room full of other single guys and gals all out for the same goal.

For singles fed up with the traditional dating scene, and looking for a change, online dating may be the way to go. You can meet more people with similar interests without sharing personal information and, once you find the perfect profile, you can form an immediate personal connection. It is certainly worth a try.

–

Kim Lance is the Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine, an Internet publication covering online dating through news, reviews, experiences, interviews, and articles.

This article is copyright and may not be republished. Used with permission.

By Kim Lance, Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine

The warm days of summer provide the perfect conditions for exciting romance and fun outdoor date ideas, but as the seasons change and the winter winds pick up, many couples may find it more difficult to come up with exciting date ideas when its cold, rainy, and, sometimes, snowy outside. Here are five winter date ideas to help keep those warm feelings between you and your sweetie burning even when it isn’t warm outside.

Winter Date Idea #1: Ice Skating
Wrap up in scarves and gloves and take your partner to the local ice rink for some fun winter-time exercise. Due to the cold weather, you and your loved one may have given up some of the outdoor date activities that would bring you together during warmer months. Don’t give up on outdoor activities just because its winter. Ice skating can be romantic (holding hands, picking her up when she falls) as well as great outdoor exercise.

Winter Date Idea #2: Christmas Light Gazing
Take advantage of all of the holiday house decorating during the Christmas season by planning a date to drive around your neighborhood looking at Christmas lights. You can keep warm in your car, listening to Christmas music or romantic tunes and share the joy of brightly lit houses with sparkling colorful lights and festive decorations.

Winter Date Idea #3: Snuggling By The Fire
What is more romantic than gathering under some warm blankets in front of a blazing fire? If you have a fireplace in your house or apartment, make a date with your partner to spend some cuddle time in front of a fire. You can make hot chocolate and keep warm by the fire at home or, if you don’t have access to a fireplace at your own home, go to a café or lodge with a fireplace and share a dessert and coffee while enjoying the warmth of the fire.

Winter Date Idea #4: Holiday Gift Shopping
Holiday gift shopping can be a stressful activity, but it doesn’t have to be. You can turn your holiday gift shopping into a fun couples activity. The key is to keep it light hearted. Plan a day of shopping in your favorite mall or shopping center, with a lunch break in between in order to sit and unwind a bit. Go with the intention of browsing around for gifts, picking up things here or there – don’t go with an agenda to find everything you are looking for…this could lead to stress or anxiety. Make sure you plan your shopping date far in advance of when you will be giving the gifts, so that you can take your time while you and your partner look around.

Winter Date Idea #5: Have a Snow Fight
Wrap yourself up in a heavy jacket, lace up your snow boots, and venture outside into the snow for the day. You and your loved one can spend the day building snowmen, making snow angels, and having playful snowball fights. Enjoy the snow while you can, it doesn’t stick around all year, after all. It’s a great way to get exercise and afterwards you can head indoors for some hot cocoa.

Remember, just because the weather turns cold, it doesn’t mean your dates have to loose their warmth. You can have a fun and romantic time with your partner even when it’s snowy, stormy, or icy. Take advantage of the winter weather with fun in the snow and ice skating, keep warm in front of the fire, and participate in holiday activities like shopping and Christmas light gazing and your winter is sure to be full of warm and happy memories with your sweetheart.

–

Kim Lance is the Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine, an Internet publication covering online dating through news, reviews, experiences, interviews, and articles.

This article is copyright and may not be republished. Used with permission.

By Kim Lance, Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine

New to the online dating scene? Well, believe it or not, online dating can be just as competitive, if not more so, than traditional dating. Don’t let that discourage you, however. Many people have found a date, and often marriage, through online dating services. There are tips and strategies that can help you get your profile noticed over your competition. Here are three strategic steps you can take that can give your profile the look and feel it needs to attract the kind of people you would love to meet.

Tip 1: Pick the Perfect Profile Photo
Your photo is one of the most important factors that will attract people to your profile. First and foremost, make sure you have a recent picture. Sure that picture of you in the bikini while on college spring break back in 1995 may be cute, but when your date meets you expecting you to look like you did in college, your date will be disappointed. This can create mistrust and cause your date to feel upset and deceived. This is never a good thing when trying to start a relationship.

Also, pick a photo that will show off your best features. Make sure you are wearing a friendly smile, it will be much more inviting than a serious pose or, obviously, a frown. Always avoid photos where you are with another person, or, worse yet, you have chopped the other person out of the photo, only to leave behind a mysterious arm. Your date may be confused by which person is actually you or wonder who the “mysterious arm” belongs to.

Tip 2: Use Your Username to Reveal Your Interests
You may think your username is just your way to log in to your online dating service, but this isn’t the case. Your username is one of the first things that someone will read about you and a good username can mean the difference between a profile view and a profile pass up. A common technique is to go with the traditional anonymous username like “Jenny321” but why miss out on a key opportunity to catch someone’s attention or reveal a bit about yourself?

Make your username original and make it say a little something about your personality. Pick “SweetSinger” as your username if your hobby is singing or “DodgersDude” if your an avid Dodgers fan looking for company. Your clever username will not only share a little bit about your personality or interests, but can also attract people with the same interests. But be careful not to give the wrong impression. Just because you interpret the username “FunLovin” to mean you love to have fun, the person viewing your profile may think “FunLovin” means you are looking for some fun lovin’, if you know what I mean.

Tip 3: Don’t Say It, Prove It! And Be Specific
When developing your profile description, you may be tempted to write something like “I’m funny and smart with a good sense of humor.” This is simply a boring list of adjectives… the same adjectives that are showing up on thousands of other profiles. If you want your profile to really stand out, you need to describe yourself through specifics.

Instead of saying you are “funny” or have a “good sense of humor”, make your profile funny. Crack a couple of tasteful jokes or relate a funny incident. This will prove to your viewer what sort of sense of humor you have. If your sense of humor is attractive to that viewer, they will contact you. Rather than just stating that you are “smart”, list your favorite books or your interests that would prove to your viewer how smart you are. This will also give your viewer some specific examples that he or she will be able to relate to directly.

Remember, just because you have a profile up, doesn’t necessarily mean you will immediately get responses. These three tips will certainly help, but play around with the contents of your profile until you start getting the results you want. If no one is responding to your list of interests, put up some new ones. Switch your photos every once in a while to see what sort of response you receive. As you experiment with your online dating profile, you will hopefully begin to find the responses you have been looking for.

–

Kim Lance is the Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine, an Internet publication covering online dating through news, reviews, experiences, interviews, and articles.

This article is copyright and may not be republished. Used with permission.

By Kim Lance, Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine

First dates can be scary for both men and women, particularly when it comes to making that good first impression. While your first date will most likely go off without a hitch, there are some things every man should avoid when taking a woman out for a first date.

Don’t Ever Show Up Late
Being punctual for a first date is an absolute must. Showing up to your date late will give your date the wrong impression. She may get the impression that you are always tardy, that you don’t care enough about her to show up on time, or, until you arrive, she may think she has been stood up. In any case, it is bound to put her in a bad mood and may give a sour note to the beginning of your date. If you have to show up late because of forces beyond your control, make sure you call your date to let her know or, if one of you does not have a cell phone, call the restaurant or meeting place so that they can let her know.

Don’t Show Up Disheveled and Dirty
It is important to give yourself enough time before the date to freshen up and look your best. If you show up to a first date looking shaggy, unkept, and smelling funky, your date will get the wrong impression about you. Your date may think you look this way all the time and immediately be turned off. Give yourself plenty of time to shower, shave, and iron your clothes. That extra half an hour could be the time you needed to give yourself the attractive edge your date has been looking for, and remember, not having the time to get cleaned up for a date could be detrimental to its outcome. A well groomed nicely dressed man will win out over a stinky slob every time.

Don’t Check Out Other Women In Front of Her
When you go on a date with a woman, you have committed yourself to her for the period of the date. Because of this, it is absolutely out of line to be checking out other women while you are on a date. This is rude and unacceptable. Constantly being distracted by other woman walking by will most likely make your date insecure and definitely doesn’t give her the impression that you are interested in her. If you are constantly looking over her shoulder at the hot blonde at the next table, one of two things are practically guaranteed to happen: 1) Your date will feel very bad about herself, thinking she is unattractive or unwanted, or 2) Your date will get extremely angry and annoyed with you, making for a bad drive home and a diminished chance of a second date.

Don’t Dominate the Conversation
When on a first date, you may feel the need to impress your girl with stories and interesting tidbits about you. That’s great, but don’t go overboard. Remember a conversation is between two people, not one person talking at another. It’s a great idea to share some intriguing stories and thoughts with your date, but make sure you are giving her enough time to equally participate in the conversation. Ask her questions about herself, this will show her that you are interested about her as a person and will give you the opportunity to learn more about her.

Don’t Whine and Complain
Yes, we have all had our bad days, but a date (especially a first date) is not the place to air all of your grievances. Chances are, your date is expecting to have a good, fun time when she meets up with you. If she is greeted with a “Gosh traffic was such a pain…I hate this town” she will immediately be turned off. Complaining sets the tone for a stressful, unhappy date. Even if you have had a taxing day, don’t spend the night whining about it. Just be happy to be spending time with the woman you are interested in. Smiles are contagious but so are frowns. Whether you know it or not, your bad mood could affect your date and how she feels about you. You want your date to remember you as funny and upbeat, not a downer.

Don’t Be Too Physically Aggressive
It is very important to read into signals your date gives you before going in for a kiss (or more). Don’t automatically think that just because you have had a good date that your date is ready take your physical relationship to the next level. If you are interested in kissing your date, start off with hand holding, a hug, and slowly build up to a kiss. Always respect your date’s wishes. If she says no to any physical advancement, take her response at face value and back off. A man who is too aggressive when it comes to intimacy can turn a woman off and could actually make the woman afraid or anxious.

Don’t Tell Her You’ll Call Her If You Don’t Intend To
Telling a woman “I’ll call you” when you don’t intend to do so is a bad idea. If the woman was interested in a second date with you, her disappointment will only be magnified if she waits around for your call only to learn that you never had any intention of calling for a second date. If you don’t want to call her, just end the date by saying “It was nice meeting you” or a simple “Good bye, have a nice rest of the evening”. This way you are not leading her on or getting her expectations up. On a reverse note, if you do want to arrange a second date, make sure you let her know.

Planning for first dates can be nerve-wracking, but following some simple guidelines while on the date will help to ensure the best date possible. If you are friendly, on time, respectful, and attentive, chances are you and your date will have a great time and, if the attraction is mutual, your first date could be the start of a beautiful relationship.

–

Kim Lance is the Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine, an Internet publication covering online dating through news, reviews, experiences, interviews, and articles.

This article is copyright and may not be republished. Used with permission.

By Kim Lance, Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine

You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. It’s true that most people make instant, often subconscious, judgments about someone’s personality based on the first few seconds of their first meeting. Because of this fact, it is vitally important to look and dress your best when meeting for a first date. Appropriate attire, good grooming, and fashionable style can really impress someone on a first date, and may be the make-or-break factor regarding how they would feel about a second date. Here are some tips to help you look your best when trying to impress.

Learn to Look Your Best
If you do not have an inert sense of style, you may need to do a little bit of research in order to find out what looks best fit your body type, complexion, and personality. A good way to find out what colors look best on you is to have a color analysis done. Visit a reputable spa or salon that can perform a color analysis on you and find out which colors work best with our completion. Based on the analysis, go out and buy some outfits that work within your compatible color scheme.

Another way to find out what outfits, make-up, and fashion choices look best on you is to keep track of what your friends, family, and co-workers are saying about you. If your best friend keeps commenting about how good you look when you wear a particular color, make note of that and wear that color on your date. If co-workers rave about your new haircut or outfit, it’s a good sign that that haircut or outfit is flattering on you and would be a good choice for a first date.

You can also take a friend that you consider to be stylish out shopping with you for your date outfit. It may also be a good idea to read through some fashion magazines to keep up-to-date on trends and purchase dating clothes based on recommendations. Make sure you wear your new outfit out in public before you go on the date to see what sort of reaction you get from your peers. Don’t experiment with something brand new on your first date.

Be Subtle – Less is More
Don’t go overboard when getting ready for your date. We all want to look our best, but nerves may cause you to go a bit too far with your make-up, clothes, or fragrance. Remember, subtle make-up that emphasizes your best facial features can make a better impression than trying to hide your flaws with heavy make up and bright lipstick or blush.

It is also important to go easy on the clothing accessories and jewelry. Nice earrings, a handsome watch, or tasteful necklace can help emphasize a person’s beauty and style, but heavy gold chains, rings on every finger, and gaudy bracelets can actually distract a date from recognizing your natural beauty.

When wearing cologne or perfume, don’t drench yourself in your fragrance! In order to avoid being overbearing with your fragrance, spray the cologne or perfume in front of you before dressing and then walk into the spray. This will give a subtle hint of fragrance without an overpowering aroma.

Dating Fashion Dos and Don’ts to Always Remember
Here are a few fashion tips you should always abide by when going on a date:
1. Have clean, nicely manicured hands, well-groomed facial hair, and a clean haircut.
2. Wear clothes that fit and flatter you, avoid anything too baggy (it could make you look fat or frumpy) and stay away from anything too tight or restricting.
3. Dress appropriately for the occasion, stay away from tank tops and sandals (even if it is your usual style) if you and your date are attending a dinner party

And here are some things you should avoid when dressing to impress on a first date:
1. Don’t wear brand new shoes or an outfit you are not comfortable in as new shoes have the potential to really hurt your feet if they are not broken in properly and, if you are continually adjusting your tie or collar because you are not comfortable in a suit, you will turn off your date.
2. Avoid heavy make-up and outrageous outfits, they take away from who you really are and your natural beauty.
3. Don’t try to be too trendy; you may not be able to pull it off. If you want to experiment with your look, do it before the date and get feedback as to whether or not the look works for you.

–

Kim Lance is the Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine, an Internet publication covering online dating through news, reviews, experiences, interviews, and articles.

This article is copyright and may not be republished. Used with permission.