10 Beauty Tips To Fall Back On

Smooth your hair, safely

Okay, so you don’t want to shell out $300 for a salon hair-straightening treatment—or worse, risk being exposed to the toxic formaldehyde still being used in some. Good news: You can get frizz-free at home.

New kits work like the salon service, using keratin to temporarily fill in holes in the hair shaft—without formaldehyde. Shampoo or spritz on the formula, dry your hair, then (and this is the key) seal in sleekness by flat-ironing. The result is smooth hair for up to thirty days.




Be a natural (brow) beauty

Don’t go all tweezer-happy full brows are more flattering. "Tweeze strays where necessary, then fill in your brows with a pencil one shade lighter than your natural brow color," says celebrity brow expert Robert Bolanos. This creates a softer, more natural effect using the same shade can look harsh.

Make over your makeup

If you’re not already hooked on mineral makeup, now’s the time to get in on this healthy trend. The latest mineral finds boast good-for-your-skin ingredients like soybean extract and seaweed, in addition to being free of preservatives, synthetics, and artificial oils.

• Two fresh gems to try: Makeup pro Bobbi Brown’s first mineral product, a foundation (Bobbi Brown Mineral Makeup SPF 15, $38), and the new pressed mineral eye shadow from Bare Minerals, shown (Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow)


Give skin the spa touch

The latest way to get amazing skin: Power up your face-washing routine with a rotating cleansing brush, the at-home facial appliance derms are buzzing about.

"The micro-massaging bristles help loosen trapped makeup and dirt without additional scrubbing," says Tina Alster, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC. "Plus, we’ve seen conditions like acne and rosacea start to clear up when these brushes are used."

• Check out Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System, which comes with a sensitive-skin brush; additional brush heads are $25 each.

Try the new cut that’s good on everyone

When you’re feeling the need for a hair change-up, consider the bob the hottest chop around. Besides looking great on all face shapes, it can be styled straight or wavy and still look chic.


Paint your nails olive

Military green on your nails? The shade surprisingly flatters all skin tones and pops against the fashion colors that are hot now like plum and navy.

• A few polish picks to choose from: Butter London Nail Lacquer in Wallis.

Upgrade your brush

Free your inner redhead

No wonder celebs like Drew Barrymore and Scarlett Johansson have recently experimented with going red: The color is known to warm up all skin tones, says William George, owner of James Joseph Salon in Boston.

The simplest way to get it? An at-home foam hair color, which is drip-free and spreads easily. (Go for copper if you’re fair, auburn for olive skin, and mahogany for dark tones.)

• Try L’Oréal Paris Sublime Mousse ($10), John Frieda Precision Foam Colour ($13), or Samy Fat Foam Hair Color ($9).

Get big, fat lashes

Nothing opens up your eyes like long, thick lashes. If yours are naturally sparse or short, there are two new ways to make over what you’ve got:

• At the salon, check out CryBaby, a 30-minute service where a waterproof fiber mixture is applied over lashes, boosting volume and length for two weeks (it slowly wears off).

• Don’t want to leave your house? Try Cilea ($70)

Soften your skin with oil

Heavy creams aren’t the only way to hydrate when the weather, and your skin, get dry. Facial oils are just as moisturizing, and sink in quicker meaning you don’t have to wait long to apply makeup. "They’re packed with hydrating fatty acids and feel very light," explains Tammy Fender, a facialist in Palm Beach, Florida.

• Darphin Organic Tangerine Aromatic Care.