Be the hot chick : want to be instantly cuter and cooler? Then you gotta get it right in your head, young lady. These 10 simple tricks will help you transform from ok to oh-wow … right now

Some girls try sooo hard to get a guy's attention. The really embarrassing scenario is when a girl acts too into him with "ooh, baby" eye contact or over-the-top hair-flipping and giggle "signals." Other times, a girl will swing the other way because she's secretly shy. So she'll go for the hard-to-get aloof routine, basically behaving as if she hates the guy. These are amateur maneuvers, not snag-him strategies.

If you want to get noticed without looking like an extra on the The O.C., you're on the right page. Summer means your playing field is large, and there are more available guys. Your choices increase, so your chances of getting it right increase. And getting a sweet, smart, into-you boy to notice you does not translate to dressing skimpy or faking like you're into stuff just to impress.

What it does mean is being the best version of yourself. It means confidence. It means having fun and not thinking about if you said the right thing or wore the right outfit. It means talking, laughing, digging your friends and simply just hanging cool. It means mastering the ways of the Hot Chick. Want to be her? We thought so. Keep reading.

The Meet

When he's right in front of you.

HOT CHICK TRICK GIVE SOME LIP SERVICE

By medical-world definitions, when you're nervous, your heart pumps harder and faster, which means there's a serious rush of blood to the head and gut. Thinking is harder because breathing is challenged. By boy-world definitions, when you're nervous, no guy can really tell. Guys don't know what shy looks like. They just remember whether or not you were nice or sweet or whatever.

So, just fake it 'til you get past those first few edgy minutes, because you will get a grip. Try this: Gently bite the corner of your lower lip. It smarts enough to help you remember to breathe (which helps you to think, which helps you to relax), but is still quite cute and flirty.

When he's checking you out.

HOT CHICK TRICK STRIKE A POSE

Summer is about baring a little more than usual, since it's too hot to hang out in your usual jeans and hoodie. And sometimes it's a little hard not to be self-conscious about your bod. But a better option is to up your confidence. How? Resolve not to think about your body but to think instead about what's in front of you--a store, a pool, the sun, your BFF, skater boy.

Even just a fleeting moment of self-consciousness can alter your body language (crossed arms, sagging shoulders), which is figure-unflattering and transmits as, "I feel ugly." Trick your mind with a perfect pose: Straighten your back, pull the shoulders behind you a bit, raise your chin slightly, and simply hold on to your shoulder-bag strap with those hands. This is the brain science behind fashion modeling--see how confident it makes supermodels look. No one focuses on how fat or not-flat your belly is, except you. So stop.

When he finally says "hi."

HOT CHICK TRICK SAY SOMETHING

Most boys love to talk about themselves. So get him going on something he's into, and just watch how fast things turn in your favor. The one glitch is that lots of guys aren't talkers around girls--even a class clown might shy-out around a girl he thinks is cute. So ask a genuine question that can't be answered with a "yes" or "no," such as why he's at the mall (since that's where you ran into him).

There's also standard conversation-sparking stuff, like if he's going on any trips this summer or has heard of anything fun to do at night. If he responds by turning the question back to you ("Not really, what about you?"), simply answer. Tell him you've been hoping to find a cool all-ages club and how your family is going to Nags Head in August. Just don't go overboard. Yammering on and on about yourself is the ultimate turn-off for a guy, so remember that your goal is to get him talking.

When he's showing off.

HOT CHICK TRICK ASK FOR A MINI LESSON

During the school year, you're managing homework and other social stuff, so setting out to learn a new skill is a huge time-sucker. Now that it's summer and weather is your friend, consider learning something that's a "guy thing." Why pluck piano keys if your instructor is some retired music teacher?

Wouldn't it be cooler to get private lessons from some cutie? Golf can be a winner. If that's too starchy for you, learn to surf or join a co-ed soccer team. Then, the obvious trick is to find the boy you think is skilled (read: hot), and ask him if he will help you improve your swing, catch the perfect wave or do a mean header. He'll be into showing you what he's about. Betcha.

When he hints at hooking up.

HOT CHICK TRICK GET HIS NUMBER

His signal might be subtle, or he might just ask outright what you're doing tomorrow night. Either way, it's so completely common for a guy to throw the ball in a girl's court when it comes to committing to the hook-up. What to do? Ask him for his digits. If that sounds painfully scary, you could just say you'll e-mail him later, which is an obvious cue for him to offer up his Hotmail address.