Selecting the Suitable Restaurant: It's Not the Money, It's the Experience. Choosing the right setting for your game is like walking a tightrope. It's a balancing act, tipping too far in one direction can be disastrous. You might think that you should go with something super fancy - wrong! Super fancy will freak her out. It will seem like you are trying too hard to impress her, have an ulterior motive, or compensating for some obvious flaw in your personality.
If you're heading for a first date, chances are you're a bit nervous. Take a deep breath. Being informed and planning ahead are the masculine man's best defenses against first date jitters.
Have a Game Plan
It's important to decide where to go and what to eat. As a masculine man (and the one who asked her out) you'll want to do the planning. You don't necessarily want to call all the shots on the date, but you do want to know her preferences. It's a good idea to ask her if she had something in mind. Be flexible, have a few options available and go over them with her in advance, so she feels like she had a say. Most women will admit that they want to be swept off their feet on a first date and that means that they want to enjoy the man's company without having to make the major decisions.
Consider any common interests and plan an activity that you would both enjoy. You can start by reading over the arts/culture section of your local news sites or local papers for fun date ideas. Remember that if a location or activity is boring, the burden falls on you to entertain her and keep the conversation going. If neither of you are into art, chances are that ceramic exhibit at the gallery downtown will have you both bored to tears.
Women love dates that are just a little unexpected - but not weird or out of her (or your) comfort zone. If monkeys make you nervous, don't go to the zoo, even if you know she's an animal lover. Don't go sailing if you can't swim. And avoid high risk activities like zip-lining across the Grand Canyon unless you're both into rock climbing. You want to come off as fun and exciting, but don't fake compatibility by trying to be someone you're not.
Since conversation is such a huge part of the date, stay away from a movie or concert, unless that's only 50% of the date. You want the chance to talk to her and you won't be able to talk through the movie or scream over heart pounding music!
Selecting the Suitable Restaurant: It's Not the Money, It's the Experience
Choosing the right setting for your game is like walking a tightrope. It's a balancing act, tipping too far in one direction can be disastrous. You might think that you should go with something super fancy - wrong! Super fancy will freak her out. It will seem like you are trying too hard to impress her, have an ulterior motive, or compensating for some obvious flaw in your personality. Avoid those places with over-attentive waiters and ultra expensive entrees - unless you have a very, very good reason for it. When picking the right restaurant - it's not about the money, it's about the experience. She's dating you, not the restaurant.
On the flip side, too casual isn't the way to go, either. You'll come across as a cheapskate. Or even worse, that you just didn't care enough about the date to make an effort. You'll also want to skip the chain restaurants by going for something with more personality. Every town has a hip and trendy place that comes alive at night without your breaking the bank. It's also a great idea to pick a restaurant that you are familiar wth, so you'll feel more comfortable and in control. If you decide to try a new place, be sure to check out their reviews before you make the reservation, but don't get too adventurous by using your first visit as the chance to try a completely unknown cuisine. You don't want to discover on a first date that your stomach didn't agree with you.
Pay attention to the ambiance - stay away from noisy restaurants or bars. If you aren't sure about the noise level of a place, read reviews online. One of the most common things that people mention in reviews is that the noisy level got in the way of an intimate evening. You don't want to have to scream over a crowd to have a conversation with your date.
You can also look for a restaurant/bar combo, where you can have a drink and break the ice while you are waiting for your table. Or opt for a quiet meal and then visit another trendy nightspot for after dinner drinks. Whatever option you choose, make sure she knows in advance so she can dress properly. You want her to look good don't you? She'll be mortified if she's dressed to the nines and you take her to a place where corndogs are considered a delicacy. Nothing embarrasses fashionable ladies more than dressing for the wrong occasion.
Well, actually, there is - and that brings us to how you prep yourself for the date.
First Impressions Count: Dress to Impress
It's beyond embarrassing for your date, if she looks terrific and you look like you just rolled out of bed. Yes, we can tell when a man has put thought into his appearance. A good outfit for a first date should be clean, without damage, wrinkle-free, comfortable and properly fitted, with matching dark color socks. Get a full-length mirror and inspect yourself out from head to toe. If you wearing something newly purchased, be sure to check for tags. You don't want to go on a date with your pants size stuck to your leg.
And Gentlemen - but don't forget about body odor. "Stench No.5" will have us running for the door. Take a shower and wash your hair, and if you don't have time, at least change out that sweaty shirt and underwear. If you are just coming straight from work, use clean wipes in packets (even restaurant packets will do), or baby wipes to give your armpits a quick wipe. Don't douse yourself in cologne - you're not a mobile perfumery. Remember to check your shoes and nails - both should be clean. The finishing touches tell the most about a person, because so many people overlook their importance.
Finally, pay attention to your face - well in advance of your first date. You should already be on a men's face care schedule, but this is especially true on the day of your date.
Your goal is for your face to look clean, fresh, and inviting. You want to entice her to wonder what your skin feels like if she were to press her face to yours. And if you are hoping for a goodnight kiss, a stubbly tired-looking face is bound to be a road block.
If you're a guy who never cleans his face, or thinks he can get away with splashing water on his mug, think again. Plain old water or bar soap (don't even think about it) robs your skin of moisture. It clogs your pores and doesn't clean away the dead skin cells and environmental debris that the masculine man accumulates on his face every day.
The best way for your skin to retain collagen and elasticity (key factors in retaining a youthful appearance) is to put your face on the proper maintenance schedule. The first step is to wash your mug with a high quality anti-aging cleaner that's powerful enough to get rid of the junk on his face, but mild enough so that his skin isn't stripped of moisture. Drug store cleansers and body-washes are packed with additives, lack anti-aging ingredients, and don't do much for your face, even if they're cheap.
Step two is a treatment for your face to help fight fine lines and wrinkles. The daily shave and exposure to the elements can lead to skin damage and premature aging. You can reverse the damage with a treatment that harnesses the power of science and nature to save your masculine hide. If cleaning your face is the "workout", the treatment step like a post-workout protein shake for your face. It will help your skin bounce back and feel better than ever.
Finally, make sure that you apply a masculine face protectant to complete the regimen. The protectant seals in moisture so your skin looks clean and fresh all day long. Much like the treatment, a high quality anti-aging protectant it's essentially a force field that helps keep the bad stuff out - like skin-damaging free radicals and grime, but keep the good stuff (like moisture) in, and helps boost the collagen and elasticity of your skin. High quality protectants made with essential oils and nutrients will prevent your skin from looking parched and flaky - a definite turn off for the big first date!
Once your mug is looking good, it's back to getting ready for the first date.
See the conclusion to this article in: Masculine Men's Anti-Aging Face Care Series - How To Overcome That First Date (Part 2 of a 2 Part Series)
Masculine Men’s Anti-Aging Face Care Series - How To Overcome That First Date Part 2
How To Overcome That First Date Part 2 of a 2 Part Series. Date Night. At the Restaurant/Conversation Starters. Pay Attention to Her Body Language. Saying Goodnight and Follow-Up.
Why The Beauty Industry Hates Men Part 5B - Writing On The Wall
The Three Ingredients Of A Missed Business Opportunity. Misjudging the marketplace. Not seeing the warning signs. Not partnering with the right solutions provider. And, the Future List Of Top 10 Stupidest Beauty Company Blunders.
Why The Beauty Industry Hates Men Part V - Lessons From Yahoo, Xerox, and Compuserve Part 1
But of all of the "if I only knew then what I know now" ponderings, the ones that keep us up at night, lamenting not just what might have been, but what should have been - are the opportunities that we let slip right through our very own fingers. Those are the opportunities that sting the longest and cut the deepest, because in hindsight we see, with tragic clarity, that they were actually designed for us. Those opportunities came knocking at our door, and all we really needed to do was turn the doorknob, let them in, and reap the life-changing rewards. But for a variety of reasons we missed it. And so the knocking stopped, the door remained closed, and the opportunity went elsewhere.
