Beauty Fix: Ch-ch-ch-changes! From trends to growing older, here’s how to alter your beauty routine
This week we’re talking change. Yes, we all have our tried and true favourite beauty products, but sometimes you have to switch it up. From growing older to latching on to the latest trend, Beauty Fix will guide you through the best reasons—and products!—for change.
Read on with Beauty Fix! »
A pretty significant birthday is coming up and I’m determined to proudly age with grace. Should I start changing my beauty routine?
Happy birthday! I’m also at an age where my friends and I are starting to panic over the physical signs of aging. You’d think we all had Peter Pan complexes based on our fears of fine lines and wrinkles. Anyway, it’s not really that bad—especially with the perspective that so long as you have your health, you have everything. (Which is true, of course!) I’m guessing you already have that mentality in place, so consider this simple trick to help your skin look and feel as fine as your mind: Rather than apply makeup with a collection of brushes, use your hands to press and blend the pigment into your complexion. After all, it’s only when makeup sits on top of tiny creases that they become more noticeable. A B.B. Cream might be your best bet, because it brightens, hydrates and gives the effect of foundation in one super-powered lotion that covers all the bases. Try: Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream SPF 15 ($20, at drugstores), and you can apply a pea-sized amount with your hands, no precision required.
Something about my go-to black eyeliner suddenly seems too harsh to wear. If I’m going to switch it up, is there a new colour or technique I should try?
The urge to switch up your makeup routine is normal and expected—and awesome! I’ve admitted a thousand times my admiration for wing-tip eyeliner and Louis Vuitton’s look for spring—‘60s doll eyes with structured liner and loads of false lashes—but you could try a softer springtime approach by trading in your inky shade for a sapphire, emerald or amethyst pencil instead. Smudge the pigment right into the lash line and pull it upwards at the outer edge to dress up your eye area with a jolt of colour that doesn’t look fussy or overdone. Choosing a jewel tone over a charcoal or black will open your eye with brightness and a softer version of “bold.” Try: Nars Soft Touch Shadow Pencil ($28, narscosmetics.ca)
I like this early summer weather, but how can I make my legs look awesome in a cute pair of shorts when I have yet to complete my pre-summer workout plan?
All hail the sudden switch to unseasonably warm temperatures! But before you bust out the shorts, here are a few housekeeping tips to make sure your legs look summer-ready. Even if you don’t believe that cellulite creams work, what they promise to do is on the right track: to smooth bumps, improve tone, and pull loose skin taut. Tackle all those concerns at once with a cellulite cream of choice, or try a series of separate treatments. Start with a scrub to stimulate blood flow and smooth the appearance of cellulite. Believe it or not, leftover grinds from your emptied pot of coffee are an excellent stimulant for cellulite—someone once told me that their relatives in Russia took them straight from the coffee maker and into the shower as a DIY scrub! Then turn to a citrus-based cleanser to improve skin tone—such as Sonya Dakar Cara Cara Daily Body Wash ($40, ebeauty.ca). Finish off with a super-good self-tanner for extra glow—it will also help give your legs a more elongated appearance.
What’s next for nails?
You almost have to ask, what’s not next for nails! Three standout colourways are in bloom for spring: electric brights, earthy nudes and metallics. The first is for those with an affinity for anything exciting— apply neon shades liberally to short nails. You could also get fancy and paint the underside of your nails a different colour than what’s on top, like Adele did with red at the Grammys. If you would describe yourself as an earthy girl, then shades inspired by stones, mushrooms and sandy beaches will suit you well this spring. And for fans of the royal family and all things regal, gold, bronze and antique silver polishes will make your hands glisten on a hot summer night—and no doubt catch the attention of Prince Harry, should he be marching by! However, it’s not all about the polish: press-on nails are about to make a comeback and I predict you’ll love them a lot more this time around. I’m digging the wide selection of patterns that Broadway Nails has designed for their Impress Press-On Manicure ($9, at drugstores) sets, and best of all, you can apply them in 10 minutes or less!
I’m talentless when it comes to styling my short hair, which I’m painstakingly trying to grow long again. Although I wear it naturally on most days, I’d love an option for special moments when I want to look “put-together.”
I wonder how many girls sway from cutting their hair in the first place because of their fear of the grow-out phase. I concur that the worst is when you’re in that awkward phase between your original style and old layers that no longer make sense, but it’s not all that bad! One of the looks I love most on long hair wannabes is a slicked back style with a lacquered-looking topcoat from shine gloss or hairspray. Brush a water-based gel into your hair while it’s still wet, then slick it back with a fine-tooth comb until it’s sleek to the max. A tiny little hairband to keep short hairs in place helps, and so does a finishing spray that’s enthusiastic about shine, like Oribe Soft Lacquer Hair Spray ($47, donato.ca). Besides, slick hair is in—Prabal Gurung and Alexander Wang used it on their spring runways as a style that looked fashionably sporty.
 I’m guessing you already have that mentality in place, so consider this simple trick to help your skin look and feel as fine as your mind: Rather than apply makeup with a collection of brushes, use your hands to press and blend the pigment into your complexion. After all, it’s only when makeup sits on top of tiny creases that they become more noticeable. A B.B. Cream might be your best bet, because it brightens, hydrates and gives the effect of foundation in one super-powered lotion that covers all the bases. Try: Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream SPF 15 ($20, at drugstores), and you can apply a pea-sized amount with your hands, no precision required.
Something about my go-to black eyeliner suddenly seems too harsh to wear. If I’m going to switch it up, is there a new colour or technique I should try?
The urge to switch up your makeup routine is normal and expected—and awesome! I’ve admitted a thousand times my admiration for wing-tip eyeliner and Louis Vuitton’s look for spring—‘60s doll eyes with structured liner and loads of false lashes—but you could try a softer springtime approach by trading in your inky shade for a sapphire, emerald or amethyst pencil instead. Smudge the pigment right into the lash line and pull it upwards at the outer edge to dress up your eye area with a jolt of colour that doesn’t look fussy or overdone. Choosing a jewel tone over a charcoal or black will open your eye with brightness and a softer version of “bold.” Try: Nars Soft Touch Shadow Pencil ($28, narscosmetics.ca)
I like this early summer weather, but how can I make my legs look awesome in a cute pair of shorts when I have yet to complete my pre-summer workout plan?
All hail the sudden switch to unseasonably warm temperatures! But before you bust out the shorts, here are a few housekeeping tips to make sure your legs look summer-ready. Even if you don't believe that cellulite creams work, what they promise to do is on the right track: to smooth bumps, improve tone, and pull loose skin taut. Tackle all those concerns at once with a cellulite cream of choice, or try a series of separate treatments. Start with a scrub to stimulate blood flow and smooth the appearance of cellulite. Believe it or not, leftover grinds from your emptied pot of coffee are an excellent stimulant for cellulite—someone once told me that their relatives in Russia took them straight from the coffee maker and into the shower as a DIY scrub! Then turn to a citrus-based cleanser to improve skin tone—such as Sonya Dakar Cara Cara Daily Body Wash ($40, ebeauty.ca). Finish off with a super-good self-tanner for extra glow—it will also help give your legs a more elongated appearance.
What's next for nails?
You almost have to ask, what’s not next for nails! Three standout colourways are in bloom for spring: electric brights, earthy nudes and metallics. The first is for those with an affinity for anything exciting— apply neon shades liberally to short nails. You could also get fancy and paint the underside of your nails a different colour than what’s on top, like Adele did with red at the Grammys. If you would describe yourself as an earthy girl, then shades inspired by stones, mushrooms and sandy beaches will suit you well this spring. And for fans of the royal family and all things regal, gold, bronze and antique silver polishes will make your hands glisten on a hot summer night—and no doubt catch the attention of Prince Harry, should he be marching by! However, it’s not all about the polish: press-on nails are about to make a comeback and I predict you’ll love them a lot more this time around. I’m digging the wide selection of patterns that Broadway Nails has designed for their Impress Press-On Manicure ($9, at drugstores) sets, and best of all, you can apply them in 10 minutes or less!
I’m talentless when it comes to styling my short hair, which I’m painstakingly trying to grow long again. Although I wear it naturally on most days, I’d love an option for special moments when I want to look “put-together.”
I wonder how many girls sway from cutting their hair in the first place because of their fear of the grow-out phase. I concur that the worst is when you’re in that awkward phase between your original style and old layers that no longer make sense, but it’s not all that bad! One of the looks I love most on long hair wannabes is a slicked back style with a lacquered-looking topcoat from shine gloss or hairspray. Brush a water-based gel into your hair while it’s still wet, then slick it back with a fine-tooth comb until it’s sleek to the max. A tiny little hairband to keep short hairs in place helps, and so does a finishing spray that’s enthusiastic about shine, like Oribe Soft Lacquer Hair Spray ($47, donato.ca). Besides, slick hair is in—Prabal Gurung and Alexander Wang used it on their spring runways as a style that looked fashionably sporty.
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