[As published on Emmagem.com HERE]
Happy 2014! We hope you had a good holiday with your loved ones, leaving you well-rested to take on the new year with renewed vigour. It’s a good time to make new resolutions and stick to them while you’re still feeling motivated. With everyone moving towards self-improvement, we’ve put together a few effective (but totally do-able) ways you can update your look to match your new spirit.
Change your lipstick colour
Thanks to the K-pop invasion, statement lip colours are making a strong comeback. But gone are the dated, heavy, overly creamy textures. In their place, bright, fluorescent lip stains that stay on, even after the 4th cup of coffee and many, many kisses later. One slick, and we’re hooked for good! Some of our favourite brands: Tarte (available at Sephora), 3CE and Victoria’s Secret.
From left: Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tint in Spirited, 3CE Lip Pigment in Electro Pink, available at Hermo.my, Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Mightiest Maraschino
Line your lower lashline with coloured liner
We tend to stay away from coloured eyeliner because it’s associated with glitter and tweens. Not exactly work-friendly material. But it’s amazing how the right amount of shimmery colour can enhance your eyes. Celebrities like Jessica Alba and Jessica Biel prove that you can rock glittery eyeliner in your 30s and not look like a confused tween. Choose rich colours like emerald, turquoise and amethyst, but stay away from red, orange or lime green.
Opt for a shorter, low-maintenance haircut
One of the best ways to de-clutter your life is to get a well-deserved haircut. And by haircut, we don’t mean a trim. We mean a dramatic at-least-4-inches shorter ‘do. If you have long hair, shag it out ala Alexa Chung, or go for a Karlie Kloss-inspired bob. Ready to try something even edgier? J-Law’s pixie cut does the trick, allowing you to dress it up or down depending on the occasion. The best part is that it’s so low-maintenance, you can disguise a bad hair day as a ‘nonchalant messy chic’ look.
Darken your hair colour
We’re blessed with naturally dark hair, but somehow we’re guilty of bleaching, lightening and processing it until it achieves a totally different shade (yours truly included). This year, why not go back to your roots instead? I tried a deep brown shade last year, and I liked how fair it made me look. Take these Asian celebrities like Vivian Hsu, Shu Qi and Fan Bingbing as examples – all these years, they’ve never changed their hair colour, preferring to stick to their heritage. I think I’m going to trade in my ash brown locks for a jet-black hue. What say you?
(Images: lifeandstylemag.com, shelookbook.com, stylebistro.com, fashionhoob.com, vogue.in, ninemsn.com.au, hdwallpapersinn.com)