It feels like I’ve been staying in every night for over a full calendar year, largely because we all have. 2020’s global pandemic put a sustained pause on most social activities, and a year later as we’re vaccinating our way back into society, it’s now possible to reenter the world, frolicking about (responsibly), hugging our homies, and even… dating new people.

For anyone who spent the last 16 months single, as I have, getting back into dating can feel extremely “??????”. Personally, my emotional energy was focused on...world events...so I wasn’t really putting myself out there on the apps mid-pandemic, you know? Having been a hermit for a year, my IRL dating expectations are off to a clunky start these days — but none too soon, as I’m teetering on the brink of my loneliness is killing me. Beauty took a backseat to my days that blended into one another, and for a minute, I forgot how effective beauty is at lifting my mood. A swipe of color on my cheeks and lips, mascara on my lashes, and a cloud of perfume are a simple and effective remedy for temporary existential ennui, and getting back into a daily makeup routine has actually helped to remind me that there’s a whole world out there just waiting for me to flirt with it and tell me I’m pretty (hi).

While it may take me a minute to reacquaint myself with my former social prowess, in the time it takes to gather my wits about me, a great way to distract an awkward beat from befalling a date is...looking extremely hot. That’s where date-night beauty comes in. I’ve forgotten how fun and good it feels to be hot and in public sometimes! First dates can be the beginning of a great love story or a tragic tale you tell your friends the day after — but hey, no matter which way it goes, a good, confident mindset is truly make-or-break before you even decide whether you want to take this date to a second location. Hence, beauty.