Happy New Year! The next 52 weeks could be your chance to improve upon 52 things in your life. 52 improvements may seem like a lot, but start making a list and there are probably at least that many you could come up with today. Anything goes-this is your list, but stick to specific items so that your goal is not too broad to accomplish. For example, the ever popular resolution to “get fit” is such a broad statement that it is difficult to monitor your progress and stick to your goal. However, if you break it down into several small steps, it is much easier to tackle:

  • Join a gym
  • Buy comfortable work-out clothes and shoes that fit
  • Take advantage of the free consultation with the personal trainer at the gym
  • Go to one new class a month
  • Meet with a nutritionist ,etc., etc.

Beauty and skin care can easily become a part of your resolution to improve upon yourself. Are you using the right products for your skin type and tone? Are you committed to a skin care regimen? Do you actually wash your face every night before bed? These are all little items that can go on your list. Beauty is not just cosmetic, but it is the way you feel about yourself.

For this first week of 2013, ask yourself if you are using the right lip color for your skin? Lip color is one of those trends that changes every season. It is easy to fall into trying the latest color and finish, but choosing the appropriate lip color can enhance your skin tone, hair color and healthy appearance, even making your teeth look whiter and your smile more vibrant.

The first step to determining which lip color will suit you is learning your skin tone- warm, cool or neutral.

Warm skin tones are yellow-based, look good in gold jewelry vs. silver, have an easier time tanning, look good in golden hair colors as opposed to ash, and have veins that appear green on the underside of their wrist.

Cool skin tones tend to look better in silver jewelry, burn easily, look better in ash hair colors over golden hair colors and have veins that appear blue on the underside of their wrist.

Neutral skin tones have qualities of both warm and cool tones and look equally good in gold and silver jewelry, look great wearing white, black or ivory clothing and can choose hair colors in either ash or gold tones. If you are not sure which category you fall into, a Beauty Consultant can help.

Warm Colors

Cool colors

Once you know your skin tone, stick to like colors when choosing your lipstick. Generally, warmer shades of lipstick or those with yellow undertones will suit a warm skin tone – coral, cappuccino, caramel, golden browns with hints of bronze. For a cool skin tone, choose from the pink, mauve and purple spectrum, which also includes blue-toned reds and classic beiges with pink undertones. Most cosmetic companies suggest a skin tone right on the product, making it that much easier to choose. Also, you can visit a beauty counter to try it before you buy it.

Another tip to determine what color to wear is to look in the mirror. Your everyday color should be a shade or two darker than your natural lip color. To find this, turn your bottom lip down with your fingers until you can see the color of the inside-yes, it seems strange. The shade of the inside of your lip is the ideal lip color for you. The idea is to enhance your beauty-not cover it up-by choosing the color that is most naturally flattering.

Happy Shopping!

image credit- agingfabulous.com