On VH1’s “Tough Love,” matchmaker Steve Ward and his mother, JoAnn, help love-challenged women get in dating shape by giving them advice from a man’s perspective. If you have ever watched the show, you’ll know Ward has little mercy when it comes to making women realize what they’re doing wrong. Here are 12 of the worst offenders:
1. “Hair extensions, fake eyelashes and Spanx. They all scream ‘fake.'”
2. “The wandering eye. She’s looking at every guy in the room instead of the guy she’s with.”
3. “The constant playing with the hair. Leave your hair alone; it looks great.”
4. “The constant application of lip gloss. It gets everywhere: on the glass, in her hair. You don’t want to kiss her because you feel like you’ll mess up her lip gloss or it will get all over you.”
5. “A negative attitude. I don’t care how bad traffic was, or how hard it was to find a parking spot, or that the weather is bad so your hair is frizzy.”
6. “Being too self-obsessed. The line is crossed when you’re too self-involved and you’re overly concerned about your appearance to the point where it’s noticeable. Personal maintenance is fine. A guy knows a girl has a routine. There’s the one-hour routine for a Saturday night and then there’s the half hour routine for going to work. A guy doesn’t want to sit ready for 20 minutes. When you’re truly 20 minutes from being ready, let him know.”
7. “More than 4.5-inch heels. More than that is absolutely too much; they look like stripper shoes.”
8. “Smoky eyes. I would like to know you have a normal eyelid.”
9. “Wolverine acrylic nails. A normal manicure is fine; really long nails can be gross.”
10. “Ordering the most expensive thing on the menu without any reference to it. It’s a little off-putting. Say something like ‘I’m going to pass on apps, but I’m really craving lobster … is that cool?’ It’s extremely appreciated. Just as important as a thank you.”
11. “Ordering champagne. It’s ostentatious. It’s meant to be something you drink when you’re celebrating.”
12. “Constant checking of the phone. Put it in your purse or in your jacket pocket. If you need to talk on the phone (which should only happen once — if that — per date), excuse yourself and go to the bathroom.”