Every day, I feel like my world is being flooded from all angles with beauty tips. There are millions of ways out there to "correct" and enhance every single aspect of your appearance if you look for it. There is also a different answer to every single question you could possibly have depending on your hair type, skin type, size, shape, age, personal style, cultural background, height above sea level, distance from the equator, blood type, taste in vegetables, movie preferences, skill level in the game of Monopoly... etc.

Okay, maybe a few of those aren't true, but it really does feel like there is a ridiculous amount of "answers" to achieving what we consider to be beauty. It can be a bit daunting. Every single human being is so vastly different, no one method or routine will work for everyone, or satisfy any one idea of beautiful.

I do find make-up and beauty rituals fun sometimes, and I do enjoy a good YouTube tutorial for such things. Still, sometimes I feel like I am drowning in beauty tips and tricks and hacks and only discovering new things that I am being taught to deal with that I didn't even know were wrong with me until someone told me how to fix it.

In order to combat this feeling and make things easier for anyone out there that might feel as I do, I have boiled down all of the tips I have encountered, mixed them with what I've learned in my own experience, and created what I believe to be the last beauty tips anyone will ever need. The best part is, no matter what your hair type, skin type, etc... they will work for absolutely everyone!

I hope you enjoy.

1. Laugh.

I don't know about you, but whenever I get into one of those face contorting, barely able to breathe, sore in the stomach type of laughing fits, I feel more beautiful than ever. And whenever I see another person in that state, I find a very special type of adoration toward them that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. I find nothing more attractive than seeing a person in such a pure state of joy. The photos I've captured of my friends in this state are my favorite photos of them. The lighting doesn't matter. Their outfit doesn't matter. The jungle-bird-esque sounds they were making did not matter. Nothing mattered to them at that moment except for whatever it was in that instant that brought them joy. Happiness is beautiful. Laugh lines look good on everybody.

2. Be kind to others.

Compliment people. One of these days, pay for the coffee of the perpetually chipper person you always see at your regular coffee shop. Give extra good tips and pleasant notes on checks for exemplary service. Say things such as, "Your smile makes me want to smile" and "I really like your style, you have great taste" to strangers that you interact with. If you see someone struggling to reach for something on a shelf at the grocery store, offer to help. Help mothers carry their strollers up subway steps. Sweet, small moments between people are always beautiful things to witness. A little gesture may seem meaningless or trivial, but they are always bigger than they appear. Kindness breeds kindness. Your gesture will be passed on to another person. People who find joy in the happiness of others carry an energy that shines out of their pores and can be felt by everyone around them. Kindness is beautiful, and it is contagious.

3. Do things that make you happy.

Knit something, read a book, journal, go for a walk in a park, make something lovely in a coloring book... whatever little activities make you happy, do more of them. No matter how busy you may be, find a place in your daily schedule to spend at least ten minutes to just be happy. Just ten minutes. Maybe just sit down and list all the good things that happened that day. Find an activity in which you know you can just be at peace with yourself and your circumstances. Don't forget that mental and emotional health are part of your overall health. Taking at least a little time to take note of these things and make yourself feel emotionally and mentally well is part of self care. When you have positive energy within you, you will glow.

4. Take care of your body.

Eat well and exercise. This doesn't mean "diet." This doesn't mean train like an Olympian in the gym. Healthy eating and exercising should not be looked at only as a means to obtain a specific ideal of physical appearance. These are just things you simply must do in order to function properly. When you consume the nutrients that your body needs regularly, and you are moving enough to keep your muscles and bones and heart strong, your body will be happy. When your body is in proper working order, you can do more of what makes you happy. Physical self care should not be something that causes people stress about their appearance. Healthy habits should never be practiced as a means of self-punishment. Healthy habits are an act of self love and respect. They should be practiced so that you can be well. Your body is so awesome. Tell it that you love it by putting good things in it and reminding it that it can do great stuff. Wellness is beautiful.

5. Be welcoming to love

It seems that we live in a world that enjoys saying "love is complicated." In truth, love is a very simple thing. Codependent relationships are complicated. The simple feeling of love and the act of loving, is not. It may be the first thing we learn to do when we are born and placed in the arms of our parents. When we are allowed to do it freely, without obstacles or fear, we do it very well. It is easy to close out our surroundings. It is easy to find reasons to dislike something. It takes a little vulnerability and courage to love something. It is also much more pleasant to love than to hate. Practice finding all the good and all the reasons to love, admire, and appreciate before judging. There is so much beauty around us every day. When you are open to the little beautiful things, and you let yourself be affected and show affection, your day-to-day will be more enjoyable. Life is more vibrant when you are simply open to it and respond to the experience with love and gratitude. Other people can see and feel it. Love is beautiful.

So these may not have been the type of beauty tips you were expecting, but if we want to talk about outside looks, good health and happiness surely do have an impact on one's appearance. These practices can give you brighter skin and shinier hair, but overall, the energy of a kind, loving, happy person is the kind of beauty that you can feel, and that shines far past appearance any day.