Every year, January brings us resolutions and hope for new beginnings and there's no better way to kick-start the new year than to change up your image. Takes a lot less effort than 6 am starts in the gym every day, if you ask me.
I'm not knocking gym bunnies, I'm just jealous I haven't caught the exercise bug yet. I said yet. Now if that isn't optimistic I don't know what is.
So whether you are an exercise-phobe like me or you have been working your little heinie off and are now looking for a makeover but you don't know where to start, rest assured that you have come to the right place.
What you will need
If you don't already have it, you are missing out. Go and download it (but be warned, it's addictive).
- YouTube
Videos, videos and more videos. Sure where else would you learn to tie a scarf? Seriously, there are a million different ways.
What to do
- Get a hair cut
There is nothing like starting the year a-fresh to get you focused towards positive goals. Feeling good on the outside can very much help you feel good on the inside. I spent the last ten years in the fashion and TV industry, and my partner (she did hair, I did makeup) was trained in Israel. They have a very different way of training over there and it's done on an apprentice level, which is lovely. But long story short, they believe that hair holds memory and by getting a cut you are releasing all the bad memories that you have been holding on to. I love this idea, it's so empowering.
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- Learn three hair styles
The next thing to do is go to your Pinterest page. Create a board (it can be private if you want) for hairstyles that you like. Choose three so you have an option of a day style, a going out style, and an office style. It is very important to search for styles that suit your face shape. If you have pinned a load of Kim K images but you are blond with a round face, those styles may not suit your features.
Find celebrities that you resemble the most, taking colouring, cut, face shape etc into the equation. Once you have decided on the three looks you want to learn, find videos on YouTube and teach yourself how to create those looks at home. If you are struggling, feel free to request videos and I will do my best to get them uploaded for you. Also, don't be afraid to ask your hairdresser to show you a few things.
- Eyebrows and lashes
Changing your eyebrows and lashes can completely transform the way you look. You never look at an image of a celebrity and see any of them with uneven brows or lashes. Even images of celebrities with no makeup show they still have amazing brows and lashes. That's why they always look so good.
Let me let you in on a little secret. The psychology behind beauty is that the human eye is naturally attracted to symmetry. If you were to draw a line down the middle of a celebrity's face, she would probably be close to being perfectly symmetrical. When your eyebrows are symmetrical and even, it makes your face look more symmetrical and therefore, more attractive.
Please make sure that you go to a really good brow technician, though. If your beautician is telling you she can't get you perfectly shaped brows because they are just naturally uneven and if it takes them only 5 - 10 minutes to do them, find a new technician. I specialise in eyebrows and have been doing them for the last nine years. Trust me, it is more than possible to make them even. The difference brows can make to your face is huge.
Change your makeup look
Like you did with your hair, go on to Pinterest, find a celebrity with your colouring and face shape and see how they wear their makeup and what suits their features. Choose one look for day, one for night, and one for special occasions. Alternatively, search for a look with a dark lip focus, one with a smoky eye focus, and a 'natural' one. Then find the videos on YouTube that will teach you how to copy the looks. Practice doing them step by step and have the video on beside you which you should stop and start as you need to. Really practice one look at a time until you have nailed it; practice makes perfect, after all.
- Invest in a new handbag, boots, and coat
Again take to the internet and find the style you like on a celebrity with your shape and colouring etc. (The reason I choose celebrities is that they have professional hair, makeup and stylists to bring out their best features and emphasise all their attributes so that hard work is done for us.) Then, whether it's Penneys or BTs you hit up, find something similar in style to kick start your new look.
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Which one of these tips are you going to tackle first? Or are you going to start with the gym?
