AW: Eyebrows are an important part of making a strong first impression. I find her thin ends perplexing.
ASHIRA: The ends of my brows have thinned out naturally, and it's a challenge to grow them out without looking unkempt.
THE POSE
AW: The subtle tilt of her head and the sideways stance suggest she's confident and a little flirty.
ASHIRA: I think my face looks too full straight on, so tilting my chin makes it look slimmer. A sideways stance is always more flattering for me.
THE HAIR
AW: She's clearly patient, as the braiding process takes hours! The pale-yellow headband is inviting. I bet she works with a lot of people - and easily so.
ASHIRA: I recruit interns for a nonprofit in Omaha and coach them on achieving career and academic goals. So, yes, you could say I'm patient!
THE SKIN
AW: Even with minimal makeup, her skin is beautiful - and she likes to show it off.
ASHIRA: I had really bad acne in college and covered it up with tons of makeup. Accutane helped, and now I just use tinted moisturizer and bronzer.
After giving us her first impressions above, Wechsler answers Ashira's questions.
ASHIRA: After being on Accutane, I'm happy with my skin except for the intense dryness around my mouth. Why is that happening?
AW: Do you lick your lips a lot?
ASHIRA: I do, ever since I had braces when I was in college.
AW: You should do a little behavior-modification therapy on yourself. Get a lip balm you love using and tell yourself, "For one day, instead of licking my lips, I'm going to apply this instead." You'll notice a difference by day's end.
ASHIRA: What about my eyebrows?
AW: Take two weeks and let them really grow in, then have them professionally groomed and shaped. From there, all you have to do is maintain that shape with good tweezers. They will really frame your face - like the top of a picture frame. Any other big concerns?
ASHIRA: A few months ago, I started running and lost 25 pounds. But I'm going back to school to get my MBA, and I'll also be working full-time. I'm worried about not keeping up with my exercises and gaining everything back.
AW: Get a friend to run with you on a regular basis. Studies show that working out with another person is one of the best ways to stick with it - and it's more fun. You seem like you take on a lot, and you might easily frustrate yourself by trying to do too much. Start slower and be consistent rather than trying to run every day and not achieving that goal. Give yourself a break.
