I kept seeing “looksmaxxing” everywhere. Big promises. Big claims. I got curious. (If you’re wondering why the idea’s suddenly everywhere, this in-depth analysis of the looksmaxxing trend and its implications breaks down the cultural uptick.) So I picked a popular guide and ran with it for 45 days (very similar to the 45-day looksmaxxing guide review that first sparked my interest). I took notes, real notes, on what worked for me and what just ate my time.
Here’s the thing: I’m not a model. I’m a regular person with a desk job and two alarms. My face gets puffy in the morning. I squint at screens. I forget SPF. Same boat? Cool—this is for us.
Where I Started (the real stuff)
- Age 33. Mild acne scars on my cheeks.
- Dark circles. Some from family. Some from sleep.
- Hair looked flat by lunch. Frizz city if it rained.
- Shoulders rounded from laptop life. Neck tight.
- Clothes fit… fine. The fit wasn’t sharp though.
- I smiled with my lips closed because my teeth looked a bit yellow on camera.
Side note: if acronyms like “LTB” confuse you, I bookmarked this plain-English explainer on the LTB meaning in looksmaxxing so I could keep up with forum chatter.
I wanted small wins. Quick ones, then steady ones.
The Plan I Followed (and tweaked)
I broke the guide into six buckets: face care, grooming, hair, body, style, and camera tricks. I kept what felt sane. I cut what felt silly. (For a broader roadmap that unpacks each of those buckets, check out this comprehensive guide on looksmaxxing practices and community insights.) I also skimmed the community notes from Looksmaxxing.org and later compared them with a 90-day deep dive (field report here) before locking in my routine.
Face care I kept
- Morning: rinse, CeraVe AM lotion with SPF 30. I used a pea-size. I forgot twice. My nose paid the price.
- Night: gentle wash, pea-size Differin gel (adapalene), then a thin layer of CeraVe cream. I counted “one Mississippi” between steps so it set.
- Eyes: a dab of Aquaphor at night on the outer corners. It kept makeup smooth.
Real example: By day 10, the tiny forehead bumps were gone. A coworker said, “Did you sleep?” I hadn’t. The skin just looked calmer.
Grooming that made a difference
- Eyebrow trim with small scissors every Sunday. I used a spoolie, brushed up, snipped the long ones only.
- Nose hair trimmer (Philips Norelco). Took 20 seconds. Sounds silly. Changes your whole face.
- Crest Whitestrips for 10 days. Shade shift was small but clear on Zoom.
- Nail buffer. Two minutes. Clean nails look rich even when you’re not.
A quick scroll through Sharpman pointed me toward quality tools that actually lasted, so I wasn't rebuying cheap clippers every month.
Hair changes that stuck
- I switched to a blunt collarbone cut. Less fluff. More shape. Cost me $70 and some nerves.
- Shampoo every other day. Tiny bit of leave-in cream. I used Briogeo. Frizz went down.
- Part shift: I slid the part one finger over. My face looked more balanced. Wild how fast that worked.
If you want to see how a longer timeline stacks up, this 60-day Looksmaxx experiment dives deeper into hair and skin changes.
Body and posture (slow but real)
- 8k steps on weekdays. 10k on Sundays. I didn’t run. I just walked loops on phone calls.
- Push-ups against my kitchen counter. 3 sets of 12. Shoulders popped a bit in shirts by week 3.
- Wall slides for posture: back, elbows, wrists on wall. Slow up-down for 60 seconds. Burned like chili. Worked.
BTW, a friend with high blood pressure pointed me to this HTN looksmaxxing piece that pairs posture work with heart-smart habits.
Style tweaks (not fancy)
- I tried color cards, but here’s what helped faster: I wore one dark solid near my face (navy or black), and one light solid on the bottom. It framed my face.
- Pants with tapered legs (Levi’s 247 chinos). No more puddle at the ankle.
- Uniqlo Airism tees under button-ups. No sweat marks. I felt calmer in crowds.
If you chase a higher “PSL” rating, know that tailoring can move the needle more than color theory; this straight-shooting PSL looksmaxxing rundown shows why.
Camera and lighting (sneaky but big)
- I raised my laptop on two books. Chin up. Double chin down.
- I turned to face a window. Not sideways. Not behind me. Straight on. Eye bags looked softer.
- I used 0.75x zoom on my phone for selfies. Arms longer. Head smaller. Strange trick. Not magic, but it helps.
Some folks even let algorithms do the heavy lifting; this week-long test of looksmaxxing with AI is a fun rabbit hole if you’re curious. All those tweaks helped my dating-app photos land more right swipes; but boosting the chat after a match can make or break the vibe—before you fire off another “hey,” check out this actionable Tinder sexting walkthrough for step-by-step examples on turning a match into flirty momentum without coming off creepy. Once you have the conversation rolling, if you’re in Silicon Valley and wondering where to actually meet up, the neighborhood-focused resource for Palo Alto hookups breaks down the best after-work bars, late-night lounges, and discreet spots so you can turn those fresh matches into effortless, real-world chemistry.
Fast Wins (first 7 days)
- Eyebrow trim and nose hair. Instant tidy.
- Whitestrips. Day 4 was the first “Whoa” in the mirror.
- Part shift and window-facing light. People asked if I got new makeup. I didn’t.
- Sleep from 6 hours to 7. I set a hard stop on screens at 10:30. Dark circles got 20% better, which is… a lot.
You know what? Sleep beat every serum.
Slow Wins (weeks 2–6)
- Differin smoothed my skin by week 3. Purge was mild. I used a pea-size. More than that stung.
- Steps plus counter push-ups gave me shoulder lines. Shirts sat better. I didn’t change the scale, but I looked stronger.
- The blunt cut grew into shape by week 4. Day 1 had me unsure. Day 28 had me smug.
I didn’t obsess over numbers, but someone who did—testing pure PSL metrics—put the process under a microscope in this candid PSL field test.
What Flopped (for me)
- Derma rolling at home: I turned bright red and got two breakouts. I stopped. I’ll leave that to a pro.
- Hyaluronic serum under sunscreen: it pilled under makeup. Little balls on my face at work. Not cute.
- Brow growth serum: itchy lids by day 6. I tapped out.
- Ice facials: fun once. No lasting change for me.
Costs and Time
- One-time: hair cut $70, nose trimmer $18, nail buffer $6.
- Ongoing: CeraVe SPF $15, CeraVe cream $14, Differin $14, Whitestrips $35, leave-in cream $12.
- Daily time: morning 5 minutes, night 6 minutes, steps during calls, push-ups 3 minutes. Total about 15 minutes if you count it straight.
I skipped the pill route entirely