I receive compliments quite regularly, on anything from my hair to my shoes (and everything in between). I give compliments quite freely as well, even going up to strangers. In fact, just today I complimented a woman's skirt, which was just the perfect kind of swishy/flippy, sigh.
I lived in southern Spain as a kid and one of the best lessons I learned from that warm, gregarious culture was the sisterly kindness of women complimenting women. I have endeavored to emulate that behavior here in the U.S. I have never had someone respond with anything other than delight when I offer a compliment. It's such a simple way to make someone's day, to let them know that you *see* them and appreciate something about them (their style, that color on them, their perfect cat-eye eyeliner job, you name it!).
