How to Look Nice on Your Birthday

Co-authored by Paul Julch, MA

Last Updated: February 8, 2023 References

Your birthday is a great opportunity to celebrate yourself, and a huge part of that is making sure you look your best. Take time picking out a stunning outfit, or go shopping to find something completely new to wear. Style your hair, do your makeup, and get ready to look your absolute best for your special day. Spend a little extra time pampering yourself with some special treatments, like a hair and face mask. Remember, it’s your day and you can be as fancy or as laidback as you want to be!

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Picking Out a Special Outfit

1
Catch everyone’s eye by wearing a sparkly, flashy dress. Sequins and glitter are all the rage and will guarantee that you’re the star of the day. For a more subtle, classic look, pick a cream, light pink, or black sparkle dress. For something that pops a little more, look for red, blue, or a mixed-color dress.^{[1]
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- If the weather is cool, pair your dress with tights and a jacket to keep yourself warm.
2
Keep things classy by wearing a simple black dress. This is a classic style that doesn’t take much time to pull together but that will make you look great! You can keep it casual by cinching the dress with a belt or wearing a pair of fashion sneakers with it, or dress it up by wearing heels and a statement necklace.^{[2]
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- Keep in mind where you’ll be when you’re wearing your birthday outfit. If you’ll be at school, adding a pair of white Keds and a choker necklace would be a cool look. If you’re hitting the town, a colorful clutch and a dangly pair of earrings could help complete your outfit.
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3
Showcase your personality by mixing and matching patterns or textures. For example, you could pair an animal-print skirt with a sparkly top, or wear leather pants with a velvet sweater. Look for pieces that catch your eye that you might not normally put together, and try pairing them up. You might be surprised by what works!^{[3]
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- Stripes and floral prints, polka dots and lace, pink pants and a red sweater—there are tons of great combos that you could wear to make your birthday outfit super special.
4
Stay comfortable and chic by wearing a nice pair of pants and a new top. If your style is more laid-back, try wearing a pair of skinny jeans with a nice blouse. You could even wear a graphic tee and a jean jacket or some other kind of combination to look cool while still keeping things casual.^{[4]
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- Even a nice pair of leggings can help you look and feel good on your birthday.
- If you're wearing a dress shirt, tuck the bottom of the shirt into your pants for a more flattering look. For an edgier look, cuff your sleeves and flip the collar up.
5
Wear a fitted pair of jeans with a shirt and jacket for a more masculine vibe. Black pants, jeans, or khakis are great choices for pants, just make sure they fit well and aren’t too baggy or wrinkly. Add a clean, crisp T-shirt or a nice button-up top, and overtop of that, wear a bomber jacket or something similar to finish off your outfit.^{[5]
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- To keep your outfit on the casual side, wear a pair of clean athletic sneakers. Or, dress things up with Chelsea boots or oxford shoes.
6
Choose an outfit that you feel comfortable and attractive in. What you wear on your birthday comes down to your own personal style. You could use this as an opportunity to wear something fancy and flashy, or you could stick with your normal kind of outfit. Whatever you choose, make sure you like it and feel good in it.^{[6]
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- It’s your birthday, so chances are people might pay a little more attention to you than they usually do. If you love the extra attention, lean into it and choose an eye-catching outfit. If attention makes you uncomfortable, pick a nice outfit, but don’t make it too different from what you normally wear.
7
Thrift a new outfit if you can’t buy a new one. Celebrating your birthday and looking special doesn’t have to require a lot of money. Turn your thrifting trip into a birthday celebration by inviting along a few good friends. You can have fun searching the racks for unique finds and can model the clothes for each other. Look for some of these fun outfit combos:^{[7]
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- A sundress and jacket
- Jeans and a new-to-you sweater
- A sparkly or shiny skirt or dress
- Jeans, a button-up shirt, and a blazer
- Black leggings and a cool graphic tee
8
Make sure your clothes are neat and clean if you wear a uniform. If you’re in school or a job where you have to follow a dress code, you can still look nice on your birthday! Plan ahead to wash your clothes so they’re fresh, clean, and unwrinkled for your big day.^{[8]
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- Don’t forget to clean up your shoes, too! If they have mud caked on them or are scuffed, clean them up so they look like new again.
- If you do have to wear a uniform, focus on making sure your hair, makeup, and general hygiene are on point.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Accessorizing Your Outfit

1
Add a scarf or hat to your outfit for a splash of color and style. Simply loop a scarf around your neck, or get more stylized by using a silk scarf as a choker or headband. During the spring and summer, wear a sunhat or fedora to spice up your outfit, or don a beanie during the winter to keep you warm while still looking stylish.^{[9]
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- If these types of items aren’t your style, that’s totally okay. Choose accessories that you’re comfortable with so that you’ll look natural and at ease.
2
Wear a unique necklace to complement your outfit. A statement necklace can transform any outfit into a more stylized ensemble. If you wear a statement necklace, you really won’t need much else in the way of jewelry. Try out some of these ideas:^{[10]
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- Wear a bright, colorful statement necklace with a plain outfit, like black pants and a nice, single-toned top.
- Dress up a top or dress with a low neckline with a chunky statement necklace.
- Wear a gold, silver, or black necklace if your outfit is really colorful.
- Add a choker to your outfit for a younger, hipper vibe.
3
Pair a dress or skirt with fun tights if the weather is cooler. Black tights are classic, but you could also pick colored or patterned tights for a fun look. If you do wear brightly colored tights, try to keep the rest of your outfit fairly simple, like a single-toned dress or a neutral skirt and top combo.^{[11]
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- A fun way to pick colored tights is to use an accent color from your outfit to match them to. For example, if you’re wearing a patterned dress that has green threading throughout, wear a pair of tights that are the same shade of green.
4
Carry a cool purse or handbag to complete your outfit. If your outfit is neutral in color, use a purse or handbag that is bright and expressive. Buy something new, use something you already have, or thrift a new-to-you bag that can complete your birthday look.^{[12]
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- Think about where you’ll be on your birthday. If you’ll be at school, a regular-sized purse might be best so you can carry your notebooks, pens, and phone. If you’ll be going out, a clutch or wristlet could work well so you can just bring the essentials with you.
5
Add a nice leather belt and a watch to your outfit for a masculine look. If you’re going for a more masculine vibe, it can feel hard to accessorize. Try adding a nice quality dark brown or light tan belt. Similarly, a large watch can add a bit of flash to your outfit without making it feel overdone.^{[13]
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- If either your belt, watch strap, or shoes are made of leather, try to stick with a single shade to make your look more cohesive.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Doing Your Hair and Makeup

1
Create a sparkly, unique look by doing glitter roots on your birthday. Go all out by wearing a sparkly outfit and adding sparkles to your hair, or amp up a toned-down outfit by adding multi-colored sparkles to your hairline. Style your hair how you want it first, and then use hair gel and glitter to create your look.^{[14]
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- At the end of the day, just massage some olive oil into your hair, let it rest for 10 minutes, and then shampoo and condition your hair as normal to get the glitter out.
2
Get a blowout at the salon so your hair is shiny and smooth. A blowout is a great way to get a perfect style for your special day, and it could also last you most of your birthday week! Let your stylist know if you want waves, curls, straightened hair, or some other style so they can work their magic.^{[15]
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Tip: While you can definitely visit a blowout bar, which specializes in this task, you could also schedule a visit at your regular salon and just skip the haircut. Instead, just ask for a wash and style.
3
Style your hair into beach waves for a soft, feminine look. If you normally wear your hair up or tend to straighten it every day, creating beach waves can really make you look different and stand out on your birthday. You can use a curling iron or hair straightener to make waves, or you could even get a leave-in product and let your hair air dry for a similar effect.^{[16]
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- Beach waves look really nice, and they go with casual or fancy outfits. You can also do this style with most hair lengths except for pixie cuts.
4
Use temporary color to create an eye-catching look. Use hair mascara, hair chalk, colored hairspray, or a semi-permanent dye to add color to your locks. This is especially fun for a night out on the town or to just take some fun photos.^{[17]
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- If you really want to change up your look, consider wearing a colored wig! This is a super fun way to look different, and at the end of the day, you can just take it off.
5
Fix your short hair so that it looks intentionally styled. Use a little bit of styling wax or gel to keep your hair going in the right direction and to fix any flyaways. You could try a new style, like the pompadour, adding a part, or a quiff.^{[18]
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- If you have a beard, take some time to trim it up so it looks neat and styled for your birthday.
6
Take the time to do your makeup on your birthday so you look your best. You can go as simple as you want with basic foundation, concealer, eyeshadow, and mascara, or you could do a little more by contouring your face, adding highlighter, or even wearing false lashes.^{[19]
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- Lots of men wear makeup nowadays, even if it’s just a bit of concealer to hide blemishes and even out the skin tone.
- If you'd rather go for a natural look, focus on wearing clothes that colorfully flatter your skin and really bring out your skin and eyes.^{[20]
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Tip: Remember to wash your face before putting on makeup so you start with a clean slate.
7
Give yourself a cat eye or smokey eye for a dynamic appearance. A great way to make your eyes pop is to do something different with your makeup. A cat eye is a great look for the daytime or evening, whereas the smokey eye looks great at night.^{[21]
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- For a special birthday shimmer, use a bronze or gold shadow on your lids before applying your eyeliner.
8
Add a pop of color to your makeup with lipstick or lipgloss. Go bold and bright with red lipstick, pick a shimmery, glittery gloss for a glamorous look, or keep things simple with a light pink shade. You could even get more adventurous and choose a non-traditional color, like blue, green, or black.^{[22]
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- Exfoliate your lips before putting on your lipstick or gloss to make it look as smooth as possible.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Pampering Yourself

1
Take a relaxing bath the night before. Fill up the tub, add some bubbles or a bath bomb, turn on some music, and let yourself relax as you think through your preparations for your birthday. You could even use a body scrub to exfoliate and clear away dead skin.^{[23]
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- This is a great time to shave, too, especially if you’ll be wearing a skirt or dress on your birthday.
2
Do a face mask to hydrate your skin. You can buy many different kinds of masks at the store, or you could even make one at home from ingredients you probably already have in the cupboard. Do this the night before your birthday so your skin will be soft and smooth the next morning.^{[24]
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- Whether you’re a guy or a girl, your skin will love some extra attention. Depending on your skin type, you could do an acne-soothing mask, a pore-minimizing mask, or a simple moisturizing mask.
3
Give your hair some TLC so it is soft and shiny. Buy or make a hair mask to use the night before your birthday. Especially if your hair tends to be dry or frizzy, this mask can really help smooth things out so you can style it in the morning and look your best for your birthday.^{[25]
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Tip: Make sure to rinse the mask out thoroughly so that your hair doesn’t end up looking greasy.
4
Get a manicure and pedicure to make your nails look nice. Whether or not you actually want color on your nails, doing a simple manicure can clean up your cuticles and nail beds and make them look much nicer. If you want to add polish for a splash of color, that is great, too, and a fun way to make yourself look nice for your birthday!^{[26]
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- You can have manicures and pedicures done at a salon, or you can do them yourself at home. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to pamper yourself!
5
Make sure you smell good by wearing some cologne or perfume. Part of looking good comes from feeling confident, and a great way to feel more confident is to know that you smell good—both to yourself and to others. If you don’t have your own perfume, cologne, or body spray, ask an older sibling or a parent if you could try out some of theirs.
- Don’t forget to put on deodorant in the morning, too!

Community Q&A

Question

What do I do if it is my birthday and I have no friends?

Community Answer

Than you can spent your birthday with your family. Remember, friends come and go but your family will always be there.
Question

What do I wear if I want to look nice but I don't have any fancy clothes?

Community Answer

Wear a pair of jeans, flannel shirt, and white Converse shoes. Make up for lost fashion with nails and makeup, gold eyes, red lipstick, and tasteful earrings.
Question

How do I look nice when I'm at school on my birthday?

Community Answer

If you're celebrating your birthday in school, and you do not want to wear a fancy dress and shoes, then you should wear your favorite outfit with your favorite shoes and a simple fancy hair style. For example: bun, fishtail braid, french braids, straight hair, curled hair... And for makeup, don't put too much on. Just wear some concealer, a little bit of foundation, some blush, a really light color of eyeshadow, and some lipstick or lipgloss (for lipstick use a light color). Make sure that you are not breaking the school policies.