…You know what I’m talking about! Sooo, raise your hand if you ever had a photo session in your bathroom? **Raises hand** I admit it and I have NO shame in doing so! Hmmph! Hahah.

Don’t be embarrassed because everyone who is anyone has done it – from the stars in Hollywood to the girls next door and the boys across the street. Bathroom pixs are a pretty much a necessity in your profile; it’s pretty much guaranteed you’ll find at least 1 shot. AT LEAST 1! It’s like a rite of passage into the social networking world.

The greatest thing about taking bathroom pixs is that it doesn’t even matter where the bathroom is OR who it belongs to! I’ve seen it happen before my very eyes. Hrmmm…drunken people at the club, out-of-towners at a restaurant, fans at a sporting event, girlies getting dolled up in a hotel, etc. The list can go on for days and that’s totally fine. The bathroom is just an attractive place to take pixs because it’s convenient. I mean the mirror is just right there…Regardless of the reason, I encourage it!

So, after numerous hours of research (not really) I was able to compile a list of quick tips to achieve the perfect bathroom pix.

IF your pictures are anything like the examples below, please keep reading…HAHAHAH!

You want to keep these factors in mind:

Clean your bathroom. You’ll look like a slob with your makeup, clothes and hair supplies on the sink, shelves and floor.

Wipe down your mirror. A blurred picture may mean you’re trying to hide your mug? Or that you’re uberly lazy?

Keep the makeup at a minimal. This applies to both sexes:
Guys, the guyliner thing is a big NO NO. This sends a message to us – are we gonna end up sharing makeup?
Ladies, NO clown makeup. Keep it simple and cute. You don’t want guys to think you’re high maintenance…yet.

Lighting Keep in mind how bright/dark the bathroom AND phone lighting is. Why you may ask? The lighting could unpleasantly modify your picture to make you look horribly pale and ghostly or orange-y like an umpa lumpa. Hahah! YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!

Have (some) self respect. NO NUDITY. Not even a little. This means no crotch shots with clearly visible private parts. Yuck! Have some clothes on, please. It doesn’t have to be your Sunday’s best but certainly not underwear or skimpy lingerie. This will leave absolutely nadaaa to the imagination so keep those X-rated images for when you actually start chatting with someone you like. Deal?

TMI & Stuff. Absolutely NO on-the-toilet seat pixs. Gagggg. Do we really wanna see how you look when you’re using the toilet? It’s gross, useless and quite unattractive!

Show your face. Doesn’t this sound familiar? This lets us know that it’s actually YOU! There are way too many Body shots & faceless pictures out there, how can we not assume it’s NOT a fake? Proclaim that supernatural body (arms, abs, legs, hips, butt & so on) of yours by including that head of yours.

Ohhh yeahhh. Actually LOOK INTO THE MIRROR & NOT INTO YOUR PHONE. Youuuu-whoo! Your phone is obstructing our view of your gracious face. Also, remember to disconnect your phone from the charger before you take the picture – it’s distracting and unsafe? Hah.

Note: Before you post your picture for the world to see, ask yourself: How will the pix portray me? Would momma approve of this shot? Will I be embarrassed if this gets plastered all over the web?

Skouts, do you agree with my factors or am I missing some? What elements do we need to concoct the perfect bathroom pix? Be a sport and help out fellow users by adding your input.

Good day,
Sheena

P.S
“Like” this if you’re guilty of a bad bathroom pix! Hahah.

Ever wonder what that guy was thinking when you…? Well, wonder no more! Consider this a special blog because I’m letting a man share his opinions! Gasp! Hahah! I thought it would be interesting to co-write this with a friend and self proclaimed pro flirter, Philippe aka anonimus to give Skouts an insight to how women and men differ in their thought process. This could be quite useful for you hopeless flirts out there! He graciously agreed to let me pick his brain sooooo here we go! Feel free to comment with your thoughts & stuff.

Let the deliberation begin…

“Winks”

Sheena: I loathe winks! PERIOD! Call me a hater, call me what you will but I just think it’s effortless. Girls, are you with me?! If someone winked at me in public I’d mistake it for a twitch and laugh hysterically. Hahahah!

Philippe: We don’t mind winks at all in all reality it’s a show of interest for us… For women a wink is lazy and not thought out… For men it’s a show of interest and allows us to know that if we hit u up we’re likely to actually get a response haha most women are bad about responding back they think ignoring someone is the way to go. IT’S NOT!

Playing hard-to-get

Sheena: You wanna play games? Sure, bring out cards and have your money ready because that’s the only game I’ll play. I say ON TO THE NEXT. Who needs to be kept in the dark these days when there’s sooooo many other guys in this world. You snooze you lose, buddaaaay!

Philippe: It’s not so much playing hard to get that bothers us. It’s getting no response at all that pisses me off… women assume if they ignore a man it’s going to get their point across but it’s obvious it doesn’t… you have to be direct with us… kinda like a child… if you don’t tell us your not interested then men will continue until we have an answer..Blocking or reporting us is NOT the answer. Hahah.

P.S.
“Like” this and share it with your friends.
Much love!

How do you know if your flirt is into you? This is a tough question and the best answer I could come up with is…If they want to communicate outside of Skout. Consider yourself triumphant if you got the digits (phone number), a screen name ( instant messaging), an email address, a friend request on Facebook or Twitter, etc. If they wanna get to know you a bit more then they must be attracted to you, right?! Or am I wrong? I don’t know. You tell me!

Personally, I wouldn’t give out my private information until I know for a fact that this person is stable in the head, rational, not a creepy creeper, so on and so forth. It may take days, it may take months but I don’t give a rat’s arse! I need to be able to sleep at night knowing that I’m not dealing with a nutcase! Can ya’ really blame me?!

One thing that boggles my mind is how some people can nonchalantly post their phone number and email in their profiles…I just don’t understand!! HELP ME UNDERSTAND!! You might as well buy a billboard and post your home address for the entire world to see. But that’s just me.

Skouts, when would you give a flirt your personal contact information?

Here are some answers I got from fellow Skouts when asked this very question. During the process of my research I learned that the ladies were quite hesitant with answering me. I wonder why? This saddens my little heart.

Guys

Sage: I guess when or if you feel 100% confident in that person? Lol

Omar: well i get to know her for a long time and then after that i will give my info etc lol

Patrick: Maybe a few days?

Girls

Marlena: definitely after I talk to them awhile, not just one or two messages. I’d prolly give my email first

Chissy: I give them a fake number first. Haha then I take it from there.

Alexia: I DON’T! I stick to Skout. If they want to get to know me like they say then get to know me on here.

Yes, we all want to build our social networking empire and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that but we live in a time where our lives are virtually accessible. One piece of info can lead to another. You give them A and they come back with B, C and maybe even D! Anywho, all I’m trying to say is try to be safe and use your best judgment. With that said, go get your flirt on!

Good day,
Sheena

I often find myself at a crossroad – should I block or should I report? To evaluate the severity of the offense I created a cheat sheet for myself. Feel free to add to it if you like! Reporting people is vital to helping our communities stay safe and clean. Thus, I urge you to be a good samaritan and report those who YOU feel need to be reviewed. Skout has a zero tolerance policy for users who don’t abide by our Terms of Service, whether it’s while chatting, in the notes section, a picture comment, a status update or whatever it may be.

Without further ado I give you my mini guide to categorizing offenses.

Report Categories

Sexual content – unwelcome sexual advances and pictures.

Violent content/Dangerous content – if I feel threatened or in danger.

Hateful content – users who are racist, ignorant, sexist and many more.

Copyrighted content – users who create fake profiles, uses other peoples images or illustrations.

This is spam or scam – users that want to lure you for money. Report immediately!!

Underage content – users 17 years old or younger.

And as for the Block feature? I’ll use that for users who annoy me, spam me with messages, those who are rude, people who like to flaunt, one worded people, and yada yadda. Nothing too crazy, just want to get them outta my nose hair. No shame in that, right?

Now it’s your turn! Skouts, how do you usually decide the fate of the flirt?

Good day,
Sheena

Skout has guidelines and rules. Big whoop. This shouldn’t be news to you. However, we’re looking to give our guidelines a face lift.

We’re looking to make our system more…uhmm…welcoming. One thing that sparked our interest was body shots. Noooo. Not that kind of body shots, silly. I’m talking about the profile pictures of JUST certain body parts (abs, butts, chest, legs & blah blahhh).

Currently, our system accepts pictures of headless body parts. Hahaha. Doesn’t that just sound S C A R Y? I guess it would be less scary if it was accompanied by many other ordinary pictures (with a face, perhaps). We’re not looking to completely prohibit it, just trying to revamp what’s deemed acceptable for future Skout users.

Now, to the users who love and adore their body so much that it’s all you want to showcase – please, take a minute to include your face!

As users of a social networking/flirting app we’re just wired to show the best parts of our body, I totally get it. But, where do YOU want us to draw the line? What pictures should we consider acceptable or not acceptable?

Ladies, are you comfortable with guys just having body shots in their profile?
I would rather much see a charming smile versus your flat washboard stomach. But that’s just me. Plus, I like to know who I’m talking to!

Men, what do you make of all this hoopla? Do you think it’s a big deal if you don’t want to show your face?

What I’m trying to say is would you miss pictures like these?!

Sometimes I just wanna say, O.M. G. Did he really just say that? It should be a criminal offense when a guy lacks game.  It’s sad but we can (try) to help! Viva la (Skout) revolution!

Pet peeves, we all got them so let’s dish it out (semi constructively). Let’s give fellow Skouts an insight to what’s annoying as BLEEEEEP so we ALL can avoid them. Deal?

Grrrrrreat. Let’s begin.

Ladies and gents, we all want the same thing. What’s that you ask? A BREATH (or even a gust) OF FRESH AIR!!!  As cliché as it sounds, its BLEEEEEPING true! Unfortunately, I can’t exactly tell you what to say to charm your flirt. Wahhhh! I wish I could. However, I can advise you on what NOT to say. To avoid sounding like a mentally bankrupt douche/douchette, refrain yourself from blurting anything sexual within the first few hummm…seconds!! This happens a whole bunch. More than you know. It’s pretty much the general rule to NOT say something you wouldn’t humanly say to another person’s face. Well, at least not someone you just met?! Remember that you’re hiding behind a screen for goodness sakes so, please please please stop acting all ballsy. It’s definitely not a cute look.

Fellers, would you just mosey on up to a women and say, “Hi. Wanna see my shaaalong?” I hope not! That’s really creepy and in the real world we would call that sexual harassment! I’d run, hide, duck and cover. How haunting would that be?

Anywho, the moral of this story is to HAVE (a tad bit) RESPECT FOR YOURSELF (AND FELLOW USERS). It’ll get you much further than being a total creeper. Self respect is pretty sexy – it demonstrates that you have principles, integrity and a buncha other good stuff. But, that’s just me.

So, Skouts, what are some of the things that grinds your gears? Whether it’s on Skout or just in general, we’d like to hear from you!

Good day,
Sheena

…dun dun dun!!! What to do?! What to do?! We’ve all been there (admit it!).

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be thrown off your game, fast! Various thoughts will run up and down the aisles of your mind causing confusion and chaos.

Thoughts such as: What does he want exactly? Do I ask him? Do I send pics of me taking pics of myself? Do I send them pics of my dog & me? That’s cute, right? Or how about my mum and me? A sexy pic? Uhh, Would he think I’m easy? Ahh, What if he doesn’t like it? Bleh, What angle would be most flattering? Natural lighting? Hmm…ponder ponder…

It always starts with a nice casual chat (nice weather, eh?) that would later turn into an exchange of a few sexually frustrated but flirty words (wanna see what I’m wearing or lack of?). It’s usually followed by smilies, winks or the occassional virtual flowers and hearts. It’s fun, it’s sweet, so how can one resist? You wouldn’t want him to lose interest in you but at the same time you want to leave your goodies to the imagination. It could be awkward, it could be exciting, but this is what happens when you flirt…virtually.

So tell me, what do you usually do when your flirt wants to exchange pixies?

Holy moly?! You guys are really on the ball!
When I say, “Skout Community, we need help gathering Pick Up lines for our app! Help!” — you all really know how to pitch in and contribute!

The feedback was massive for our last blog post, and we simply can’t thank you guys enough. It’s pretty obvious that we have the best mobile flirting community, and our app would definitely not be where it was if it weren’t for your suggestions and help.

So again, thank you!
But now down to the good stuff.

Part of my job as Skout’s Community Manager & Blogger is to actually use the app. I don’t just sit here blabbing about something I know nothing about! In fact, I actually spend a lot of my free time getting to know the community on here, and even doing a little flirting myself!

And let me tell you — there are some crazy people out there. Haha!

The risk you take with every dating-based application or website is that you’re probably going to stumble onto some major d-bags, or just people who have no “game”, really. It’s unavoidable! Not everyone comes in this picture-perfect package like I do. Bahaha!

For example, sometimes when someone sends you a message on Skout, you go to check out their profile, look them over, and just see that you’re not interested at all. That can’t be helped! And it’s totally not your job to be attracted to everyone on the planet.

But the lame thing is that regardless of whether or not you are into this person, sometimes they Just. Won’t. Quit.

Behold:

GROSS!!
Okay, so I ignore you for three days in a row, thinking you might get the hint and see that I’m just not interested. This is a chatting application, after all. We’re given the luxury of just “pretending not to see a chat invite”, since it’s almost completely anonymous.

But what makes you think that after 3 days with zero correspondence, a picture of your PENIS is going to make me want to talk to you?! EWWWW!

Oh, and by the way? An unsolicited dick picture is most definitely enough to get us to throw you out. If you notice from the above photo, I already blocked him by the time I took the screenshot. But blocking isn’t enough! Blocking someone only stops them from messaging you. We want you to report people who send you unsolicited dick shots.

Skout — cleaning up the mobile flirting space one pervert at a time.

Other times, you feel like the conversation is coming along just fine! No penis pictures, he’s kinda interesting-looking, you’re talking about relatable things, yadda-yadda-yadda.

But then he/she says something that kind of just turns you off.
Maybe he comes off a little strong? Maybe he just doesn’t know how to smoothly transition into taking your chat to the next level? Either way, it’s easy to turn a picky girl like me off. And at this point, all I can really do is politely let them down.

Personally, I like to take the humorous approach.
For example:

I am attracted to intelligent and charming men with good taste & conversational skills. And just the way he blurted out, “I’m 21, do you have a man?” was like … “Uh, what?”

It came from out of nowhere. I was like, jeez, at least put some effort into getting to know me better. It completely turned me off to the idea of even chatting with this kid, and at that point, I had to let him down politely.

But of course, not everyone you meet on Skout is going to charm your pants off. In fact, I’m sure most of you aren’t even as ridiculously selective as I am! I’m kind of a stickler when it comes to who I let into my life. That’s just how I roll.

But thankfully, every once in a while a cool guy will come along who knows just what to say.

He came at me with a creative introduction that tailored to the information I’d put up on my Skout profile, made me laugh because it made no sense at all, and followed up pretty smooth!

Job well done, KP, and way to stand out.
Your profile, chatting skills, and overall flirting expertise were pretty badass. Enough to get me chatting with you!

But enough about my adventures, Skouts. I want to hear about yours!
Do you have screenshots to share with me from your own dating adventures on Skout? Do you have any hilarious or cool stories to share related to our app?

Leave a comment and let us know!

And as always? Happy flirting, Skouts.
XOXO Cheri XOXO

Why hello, hello, Skouts!
First and foremost, thank you so much for all of your generous opinions and suggestions in our previous post — you have no idea how much your collective ideas count and how helpful all of your input has been!

As I’ve mentioned in the comments, a lot of what we do for the app is dependent on your voice as a Skout user. We might think we’re doing an incredible job, but oftentimes we have no idea what you guys and gals are thinking. We want to bring you the best possible dating application experience ever, and in order to do that, we just need your input!

So of course if you have any suggestions, just drop us a comment or let us know.
We are most definitely listening. Seriously. We are. We actually moderate each and every comment that comes in!

But okay. Now down to the good stuff.

I’ve noticed that a lot of you (guys mainly) seem to be having problems getting other Skouts to respond to your messages. So here’s some advice from me to you on how to at least start a conversation over Skout and generate some feedback or interest:

1. Upload more than one picture of yourself!
In fact, upload as many pictures of yourself as you can from as many different angles as possible! Have a full-body picture? Upload it! We wanna see your style and get a feel for how you really look. Have a close up shot of your face? Upload it! We want to see what you look like! None of this blurry crappy picture stuff — your myspace angles aren’t going to cut it here.

As a potential flirt or friend looking through the app, we want to make sure that you’re not just some creeper weirdo using one fake picture that you happened to find online. Skout users get tons of messages every day from other Skouts looking to flirt or chat with us. You want to make your profile at least stand out and give us a reason to talk back, so stack your Skout profile with awesome shots of you and STAND OUT!

2. Your Skout profile is like your “digital dating resume” that we quickly skim and critique. Spend some time on it to make it represent you! You’re basically selling yourself as an individual and you need to compel us to speak with you!

One of the best ways to do this is to fill out the About Me section with something interesting about yourself, or perhaps a link to your Facebook or Twitter so we can go check those out and see that you’re a real, living, breathing person and not some sham! When you think about how many Skouts are actually reaching out to each other on this app every day, it’s almost overwhelming. As a Skout user, we all have the option to be a little picky with who we decide to speak to, so always remember to put your best foot forward and STAND OUT!

3. Start off with a creative greeting when you spot someone you’re interested in chatting with! While “Hey, what’s up?” is fine and dandy, it’s definitely not as intriguing as, “Hey, I noticed your profile mentioned that you played Video Games. I play too! It’s cool to see a girl on here who appreciates Call of Duty. Do you play any other games?” Etc etc.

Get my drift??
This is a chatting app, basically. You want to be able to start the conversation off right!

Also, try to steer away from conversation starters that make you come off as a creeper/weirdo. Unless we give you the green light to take it sexual with us, we’re probably going to immediately assume that you’re a douchebag or a psycho rapist or a fake profile. You need to assume that a lot of us are new to the online/mobile dating experience and take it easy on us!

So have I drilled “standing out” into your head yet, Skouts?
Step up that game!

While you may not get a response to every single message you send out, don’t let that discourage you. It’s a bit tougher to impress potential flirts & friends in the online/mobile dating environment in general, so stock up your Skout Profile with pictures and info, start more interesting conversations, and don’t come off as a creeper!

There’s some fierce competition out there.
Don’t forget to ask questions if you need more tips or advice! Just leave me a comment and I’ll get back to you!

And as always? Happy flirting, Skouts.
XOXO Cheri XOXO

Aileen asks: “I’m so sick of being single and I’m done searching. How can I use Skout to get a boyfriend?”

In the constant search for “the one,” some of us have turned to colleagues or friends and asked , “Why am I having so much trouble finding the right guy/gal?” In fact, recently on Facebook a friend of mine created a friends group asking all of us to give him straight answers on why we think he doesn’t have a girlfriend yet.

Comes off as a little desperate, right?
But that’s what some of us are dealing with!
Yes, searching for “the one” can be incredibly difficult. And as the saying goes, you have to kiss a whole lotta’ frogs before you find your prince.

The Skout app makes it easier, but Skout can only do so much.
Skout helps you meet other people who are on the application for the same reasons that you are. But when it comes to actually securing a girlfriend or boyfriend (assuming that this is why you’re on our application), it’s up to you to take those extra steps.

For instance, you are in control of whether or not you actually meet up with any of the flirts you end up chatting with through Skout. It’s up to you to take advantage of this awesome tool that you’ve been given to open up more doors.

So how can you use Skout to get a boyfriend?
Well, it starts with popping the app open and looking through your options. And if you don’t like any of those, try checking the app from a coffee shop. Or from a book store. Or at a concert! Anywhere but from the comfort of your own home, where I’m sure a lot of you have been using the app from. You’d be surprised at how many options you actually have on Skout. Remember that Skout is a GPS Dating application — finding singles based on your current location. So get moving!

Next, grow some balls! Work up the courage to maybe actually meet some of the people that you end up chatting with on Skout. And after you two meet? If the chemistry is there? Then bingo — you’re in the money.

Relationships are gambles and there is no guarantee that you will end up finding your perfect match through Skout, but we offer you the means to get out there and go for it! The rest is up to you.

To our readers here on TheFlirtBlog.com, do you have any advice for Aileen? Since our last contest was such a success, we’ll do it again: the best advice for Aileen gets a free Pro Membership. Remember to comment with an email address where we can reach you if you win!

And if you have any questions of your own or just need to get something off of your chest, be sure to let us know (anonymous or not)! Sometimes, it helps to get another person’s opinion when it comes to matters of the heart.

And as always? Happy flirting, Skouts.

XOXO Cheri XOXO