8 Secrets to Being the Life of the Party

1. Take the Prime Position: When you arrive, grab one or two of your friends and head straight for the middle of the room. As other people walk in, you'll appear to be the center of attention and they'll naturally gravitate towards you.

2. Show Your Shoulders: The more skin you show in the winter, the more you will stand out in a crowd. Wear a strapless dress that maximizes the amount of shoulder you show off. Make sure it's a solid color (patterns cause you to blend in) such as red, fuchsia or turquoise and you'll turn more heads than all the women in LBDs...combined.

3. Perfect Your Smile: The biggest mistake people make in social situations is putting on the perma-smile, which comes off as insincere. Instead, don a close-lipped smirk, like you have a secret you're just dying to tell. Then wait until after you say hi to someone to flash them a big smile. You want them to think that they're the reason you're suddenly so happy.

4. Don't Be Afraid to Touch: When you're chatting with someone, casually place a hand on his or her arm. Touch triggers good feelings and signals special treatment — so not only will the person you're talking to like you more, other people will wish they were the object of your rapt attention.

5. Try This Alluring Posture: Rather than sitting with your hands at your side, move one elbow onto the back of your chair. This subtle move amps up your sexiness factor and exudes confidence. If you're standing, you can get the same effect by leaning on a nearby bar or countertop with one arm.

6. Hands Off Your Hair: Messing with your tresses sends a message to both men and women that you're insecure or nervous, which makes them suddenly get the urge to refill their drink.

7. Let Your Cocktail Do the Talking: Hold your glass in one hand and off to the side as opposed to directly in front of you with two hands. Doing so will show off your wrists (a move men find particularly attractive because it hints at openness and vulnerability) and leave your midsection — a power zone that communicates confidence — unobstructed.

8. Get Moving: As the party gets packed, change your locale every ten or fifteen minutes. It can be as simple as walking from the bar over to the window or the couch. Each time you move to a different setting, you'll be seen from a new angle, making you seem instantly more dynamic.