'You look great… It’s amazing what you can do with make-up' 17 of our favourite backhanded compliments - YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Sign in Welcome!Log into your account Forgot your password? Password recovery Recover your password Search Sign in Welcome! Log into your account Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password A password will be e-mailed to you. YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Home Life ‘ You look great… It s amazing what you can do with make-up’ 17 of our favourite backhanded compliments By You Magazine - December 2, 2018 You know when you’ve been given a backhanded compliment – first there’s a warm, fuzzy feeling, then the sting of the insult kicks in. Whether it’s a deliberately catty comment or praise gone pear-shaped, these are our favourites (so far…) George Marks/Getty Images I told my husband to go out and have a nice time one Friday night and he said: ‘I don’t want to have a nice time, I want to be with you.’ Sara, 49. When I went to the States on holiday, my mother said that I would look slim there as most Americans are obese. Still love her, though! Helen, 49. I was once showing off a new black leather coat to a friend, looking over my shoulder with a smouldering expression. The friend said: ‘You look like Garbo. From the back.’ Barbara, 59. I was at a black-tie do, all dressed up, and feeling sort of ok in my red Tommy Hilfiger skirt and a gorgeous top. At the end of the evening, I was queueing at the coat check when a young woman came up to me and said: ‘I just want to say that when I get to your age, I hope I dress half as well as you.’ Patricia, 50. I was working in LA once as part of a TV crew and a young guy on set said to me: ‘I just wanted to say, I love your haircut, it looks great.’ ‘Oh thanks!’ I said, thinking how nice, because he was quite good-looking too. I’ll bank that, I thought. He continued, ‘What I really love about it is, it’s so age-appropriate. Living in LA , I see so many women your age trying to look younger. I think it’s great that you’re just embracing it.’ Kate, 42. Personal highlights include: ‘You’d be so pretty if you were thin’ and ‘You’ve got such an expressive face.’ Ellie, 28. H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Get​ty Images I was away with a group of friends at a wedding and the girls had spent two hours getting ready. We went downstairs and a male friend said: ‘You all look great, you’ve done a really good job.’ Anna, 32. My mum’s friend, who I’d just met, told me: ‘I love your skirt. I wouldn’t wear one so short – it’s fabulous that that doesn’t seem to bother you.’ Lucy, 22. Stranger in a pub: ‘You’re a nice looking chick… with a big nose.’ I wouldn’t mind but he was no George Clooney himself. Polly, 32. ‘You’re really photogenic!’ ie, you don’t look so good in the flesh… It’s been a feature throughout my life. Caroline, 45. A colleague recently told me: ‘I really didn’t like you when I first met you but now I think you’re really nice’ Sarah, 30. A woman once commented on how amazing my daughter is at ballet, then added: ‘She must get it from her father as you’re more sturdy; more… you know, hockey-like’ Amanda, 53. A ‘friend’ once said to me that there are many different types of beauty… and I was beautiful on the inside. Lindsay, 46. ‘You’d have an OK body if you went to the gym.’ Isabel, 28. ‘You look great – because you were too thin at one point, weren’t you?’ Celia, 32. When I was single, I went to see Bridget Jones at the cinema. Afterwards my friend said she was so pleased she had gone with me because I was so much like bridget. Liz, 50. Have you received a backhanded compliment? Let us know at [email protected]. Compiled by Luisa Metcalfe RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR Everything we know about The Crown season 5 Aldi s exercise equipment is on sale with up to 50% off The best Halloween events for 2022 across the UK Popular in Life The You magazine team reveal their New Year s resolutions December 31, 2021 Susannah Taylor The TLC tools your body will love January 23, 2022 How to stop living in fear February 6, 2022 Susannah Taylor My pick of the fittest leggings February 27, 2022 Women’ s Prize for Fiction 2022 winner announced June 17, 2022 These BBC dramas are returning for a second series June 30, 2022 Susannah Taylor gives the lowdown on nature s little helper – CBD April 17, 2022 The baby names that are banned across the world April 27, 2022 The Queen has released her own emojis May 26, 2022 Sally Brompton horoscopes 27th June-3rd July 2022 June 26, 2022 Popular CategoriesFood2704Life2496Fashion2240Beauty1738Celebrity1261Interiors684 Sign up for YOUMail Thanks for subscribing Please check your email to confirm (If you don't see the email, check the spam box) Fashion Beauty Celebrity Life Food Privacy & Cookies T&C Copyright 2022 - YOU Magazine. All Rights Reserved