By romance recovery's Johanna Lyman for galtime.com
flirting in the summer sun
As the weather warms up, people start spending more time outdoors.
Suddenly, the local park and the beach can be viable places to meet eligible partners, or at least practice your flirting skills. Here's how:
1. Flirting is mostly non-verbal, and it's all about attitude. The key attitude is confidence. If you lack confidence, you come across as desperate. Too much confidence (which is usually a cover for low confidence) comes across as over-bearing or cocky. Neither is sexy. If you're nervous about flirting, I recommend that you make it an experiment. Make it more playful by having a silly goal. Perhaps one day you collect jokes, and another you ask people to name the most unusual place they've ever visited. Have fun with it!
2. "You're never fully dressed without a smile." It's a line from the play "Annie," but a great smile is a person's best tool for flirting. I mean really, have you ever seen someone flirt without smiling? And with the warm weather here, you can wear very little, but don't leave home without your smile.
Related: 5 Reasons to Answer that Booty Call
3. Take care of your skin to keep it glowing. If you're going to be showing some skin, you want it to be in good shape. Use a dry brush or loofah to remove dead skin, moisturize, and don't forget the sunscreen. Always rinse off when you come out of the ocean or a pool, and reapply that sunscreen often.
4. Bring along a four legged friend. Well behaved dogs are notoriously good matchmakers. If you don't have a dog, borrow one from a friend. If you spot a cute single guy with a dog, approach him. Remember that it's a good idea to ask if it's OK to pet the dog before you touch it. Smile and ask his the pooch's name. The guy will probably give you his dog's name, and you can be silly and a little off-beat by asking the dog a few light, fun questions about his owner.
Related: 5 Ways to Be a Better Kisser
5. Look Them In the Eye. Lisa Faulkner, the Pole Dancing Professor, offers this suggestion. "Experiment with eye contact the next time you're out for a summer stroll. You'll be surprised at how few people actually look into your eyes. Dogs and kids are the most likely to hold your gaze. Practice until you're comfortable allowing people in to see a bit of your feminine essence, your authentic self. Eventually, you'll notice that you start attracting eye contact, smiles and conversation with your magnetism."
6. It's All About the Technique: A great flirting technique, regardless of the weather, involves using your eyes in a different way. Look directly into his eyes for just a second or two, then look down and away for a few seconds. Then, drag your gaze back to his eyes, as if you can't help yourself. When you look at him the second time, bite your bottom lip gently. It'll drive him wild!
7. Touch him casually as you talk. A light hand on his forearm or bicep, just briefly, lets him know you're interested. Guys need lots of signals before they're sure you like them, and most guys are too shy to ask you out unless they're sure you'll say yes.
More from GalTime.com:
- 3 Mistakes Women Make in the Bedroom
- How to Talk Dirty
- When Your Friend Flirts with Your Guy: 5 Tips
- 5 Things Men Can Do to Turn Women On
