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The first date

by the editorial team ,
The first date

The first date can be just as stressful as a job interview. Sure, having secured a date with him in the first palce is a good sign, but you need to make sure of the second! Here's some advice to follow so that you feel comfortable on the day and get luck on your side. Here are our dos and don'ts.

First date dos:

-Do look good.Try to look your best: well-dressed, but not overdone. Wear make-up but keep it as natural as possible, and make sure you have freshly-washed hair, pristine nails, white teeth, light perfume, etc.

- Do ask questions. Don't interrogate him, but show him you're interested in what he has to say. You want to know about what he does and what he likes.

- Do vary the topic of conversation. You may be a huge Bowie fan, but don't scare him by trotting out your favourite songs on each album he's brought out since 1967. Vary the topic of conversation to show him you have an open mind.

- Do be pleasant. Smile, laugh (when appropriate, not at the end of every sentence!), be relaxed, funny and slide him little compliments: men are sensitive to flattery.

- Don’t give in. If you really like him and you're serious about snagging him, don't sleep with him on the first date. Keep him keen and fuel a little mystery to keep him waiting.

- Do send him a text afterwards. When you get home or the morning after, send him a little text to let him know you had a good time. This will give him the confidence to arrange a second date!

First date don'ts:

- Don't overdress. Don't think too much about what you're going to wear. If you go OTT you could feel uncomfortable and he might think you're dressing up just for him. Go for something simple that reflects who you are; something you feel comfortable in, and something that puts your best assets on show.

- Don’t cake yourself in make-up. Don't trowel it on: he'll wonder what you look like underneath and what you're trying to hide.

- Don't try to impress him too much. There's no point pretending to be a fan of Mozart just because he's a music student, or a Tarantino buff if you’ve never seen Pulp Fiction. It might work for the first date, but you won't be able to keep it up. Be yourself, with your own interests - you'll find something in common!

- Don't give him your life story. Talking about yourself is good, but he doesn't need to know how many times you've been dumped, how you've always wanted bigger boobs and what your childhood dog was called. Don’t do all the talking either: let him get a word in!

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