Beauty School Directory Blog

Don’t wear white after Labor Day. Always match your shoe and handbag color. Choose one or the other: a dramatic eye or dramatic lip. We’ve all heard these types of fashion rules and have added many of them to our own sense of style. But, while these fashion myths are widely practiced and stringently followed by many women, stylists are urging women to break free from the rules. If you’ve been letting outdated fashion and beauty rules hold you back, in 2012, redefine your style and break free from the mold to update your look for the new year.

Cosmetics
Perhaps one of the most widely followed beauty rules is the idea that women must choose between a dramatic eye or dramatic lip. One of the biggest trends for 2012 is a return to the Old Hollywood glamour of stars like Rita Hayworth and Veronica Lake. Modern-day starlets like Taylor Swift and Kristen Stewart have each been spotted pairing smokey eyes with bold, red lip color. Stylists recommend that ladies opt for a creamy and dewy complexion – sans bronzer or heavy blush – that will allow the lips and eyes to shine.

The smoky eye is being redefined with color – blue to be exact. While shades of blue may summon flashbacks from the ’80s, blue is certainly en vogue again. Navy, gray-blue and silvery blue tones can create an attention-catching eye that is great for an evening out on the town or for the office.

Other makeup don’ts that are becoming do’s? Things like, always wear lip liner with lipstick (pro makeup artists say just use a good lip brush to apply it instead); avoid red lipstick if you’re rocking red hair (it’s skin tone, not hair color, that makes all the difference); don’t put eyeliner underneath the eye (it’s been rumored to make eyes look smaller, but it can actually enhance the eye if you apply carefully and use a brown or taupe shade); and only apply blush to the apples of your cheeks (keeping the blush higher up can help contour and enhance your cheekbones).

Skin and Nails
If you are one of those women who likes to have a matching mani/pedi, break free from the mold and try mixing up the routine. If you’d like to become more creative with your nail color, try mixing colors but opt for the same finish. Or, try choosing from a blend of metallic colors.

And just because you’ve already got tan skin doesn’t mean you can’t get some mileage out of a good bronzer; you just have to be strategic about it. If you want to add a little more sun-kissed warmth to an olive complexion, apply bronzer to the hollows of your cheekbones or at the temples.

Hair
Even though most women wash their hair every day, they may be doing more harm than good. Over-washing your hair can cause the scalp to procedure excess oil and can subject your tress to the harsh sulfates in many shampoos. Break the once-a-day rule and trying washing your hair every other day, and you’ll increase your number of good hair days each week.

Delaying coloring your hair because you don’t want to start the endless cycle of root upkeep? The good news is that we’re past the point of pretending that we’ve all just got naturally gorgeous red or brown or blonde hair, and thanks to the ombre trend, it’s okay to show a little root these days. Using a mix of high- and lowlight shades will help add depth and avoid the “color line” when hair starts to grow out.

Beauty trends come in and out of style, but what we love about the industry these days is that the strict rules of yore are giving way to more flexible individuality. And beauty specialists are using their creative skills to turn so many “do nots” into fabulous “dos”.