New Years Eve Ready!

It is that time of the year again! My top products to get you New Year’s Eve Ready!

First off, lets address what you should NOT do. Do NOT decide to suddenly exfoliate your entire body, two days before. It takes a day or so for the impurities in your skin to show up. If you are exfoliating, do it at least a week before.

Do not decide to suddenly change your skin care for a new “glow.” If you have an allergic reaction for some reason, you will definitely have a glow, just not the kind you want! Think :: Will Smith in Hitch.

Do not decide to try a new hair color… yourself. PLEASE leave this to a professional. There are WAY too many things that can go wrong with coloring your own hair. Believe me, I have spent years fixing my clients’ sudden hair color inspirations.

As long as you avoid those common mishaps, you are in a better position than most to thoroughly enjoy your New Year’s Eve!  Now on to my favorite products for 2011!

1.       Hair: There is nothing better than well-conditioned hair. Make sure to deep condition your hair the day before New Year’s. My current favorite is Salma Hayek’s Nuance line: Black Currant Intense Hydration Hair Mask ($7.99)

2.       Moisturizer for your body: Neutrogena’s Body Oil in Light Sesame. The scent is light enough to layer your favorite perfume on top of.

3.       Foundation:  I always spend more on my foundation. Typically I use Aveda. However, I fell upon this foundation when I realized I had forgotten to pack mine for a very important event. Loreal’s True Match Naturale is a loose mineral foundation that comes with a brush attachment on the top. I never use the attachment, because after one use, you have the potential to contaminate your skin, I.E: acne. It provides GREAT coverage, and if you apply it too heavily, you can buff it out with a powder brush.

4.       Bronzer/Blusher: I am completely obsessed with Salma Hayek’s Cheek Trio in ‘Spice 305.’ It comes with three colors that can create a glow, or a bronzed look. It has a little bit of a sheen to it, so it is a great addition to the apples of your cheeks.

5.       Eye Shadow: I was recently given this amazing gift. Avon has created an “Expert Mega Palette” containing 36 lip glosses, 36 eye shadows, 6 blushes, application brushes, and a mirror, all for $29.99. It is small enough to throw in your purse, and gives you so many options and choices of colors that you simply can’t go wrong. Avon has made a huge come back recently, with celebrities like Ashley Greene to back them. This product was also featured on The View. I love this all in one kit!

6.       Eyeliner: I am a HUGE fan of liquid eye liner. I love the look of Adele’s eye liner and had to try it out. I already had Mac’s gel liner, but always had issues with it smudging. It my opinion, if I spent that much, it shouldn’t smudge. Now I have found the love of my life in eye liner. L’Oreal Lineur Intense in Blackest black. I don’t use a water proof liner, but this does NOT budge!

7.       Mascara: You all know I am HUGE mascara junkie. I am always trying out the newest one I can get my hands on. There is one mascara that has stayed put as a staple in my makeup routine all summer:  Maybelline’s “The Falsies: Volume Express” in blackest black. I apply it from the base of my eyelashes to the very tips, and angle them out slightly to give a “retro” look. It layers well, stays put, and doesn’t clump or flake.

8.       Lip Gloss: My favorite makeup accessory, even when I feel terrible, is lip gloss. In the winter time, I love the look of a glowing complexion. We don’t have the sun to give us a sunkissed look, and I hate the look of bronzer on people in the winter. So, what I love, is a smooth complexion with glowing cheeks and lips. Avon has the perfect color in “Sucked Red.” It comes in a set of 3, and at $7.99 for all three of the glosses together, you can’t beat it.  It is an orangey pink, but it looks great on everybody.

9.       Hair Gloss: I am absolutely in love with Redken’s Argan-6 oil. It is around $20, which is definitely a little more expensive than my typical reviews, but this is a miracle worker for me.  The big hype in the industry right now is all on Moroccan oil. It smells amazing, but personally, it does NOTHING for my hair. I know a lot of stylists that will disagree with me, but I actually had the opposite effect, it dried my hair out. However, Redken’s Argan-6 oil made my hair soft, silky and shiny. It can be applied wet or dry, or both. And because I believe shiny hair a must have, this is a new staple.

10.   Nails: I am the laziest person when it comes to nails, even so, I am in love with Sonia Kashuk’s “Tauped.” It is the perfect shade that changes with what you wear. It can be a brown, a grey, a purple. It’s perfect.

Remember, regardless of your makeup or hair perfection, your beauty absolutely comes from the person you are and the confidence that is a reflection of it.  Let that reflect the gift you truly are to this world, and everything else will fall in place! Happy New Year!!