How to Glow Up After a Breakup

It’s not about revenge — it’s about winning yourself back

I had my first heartbreak at 16.

He was my first boyfriend. I wouldn’t say we were in love, but it was teenage infatuation and at that age it feels the same.

We hung out and I tried my best to be pleasing to him. He was an incredible kisser and we gave each other our virginity.

I liked him and loved being in a relationship. But it ended when he told me he had a crush, and it wasn’t for me. He was really into one of my closest friends.

He broke up with me so he could date her and I was devastated.

I was hurt, confused, and just a mess of feelings. I didn’t know what to do but I knew I needed to change something about myself. For whatever reason, that’s what felt right.

So I took stock of my style — if you could call it that.

I was a bit chubby and tried to hide it underneath oversized hoodies that I wore with jeans. I wore bandanas as headbands and somehow didn’t see anything wrong with that. And my idea of doing my makeup was to cake on some foundation that wasn’t even the right shade (I could never find any brands that catered to pale girls and it showed).

I was a total dork, and if nothing else I wanted to come out of this relationship looking a little more put together.

I went to the local department store with a friend and we paced around the hair dye aisle for close to an hour until I settled on the brightest red dye I could find. I bought new makeup to go with all that foundation I was wearing, and some clothes to complete the look.

I turned my mousey brown hair into a deep, bright red. I used eyeliner and eyeshadow — way, way too much of it but it was a step in the right direction at least. And from then on I wore things that accentuated my curves instead of drowning them in baggy fabric.

I looked like a new person and I felt like one, too. I had used the breakup as motivation to transform into a better version of myself.

Even though he left me heartbroken, I stayed friends with my ex-boyfriend. One night, we were heading to a party together. His dad was driving us…

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