1. I will cleanse, tone and moisturise
Taking care of your skin will make you look healthier and feel better about yourself. Fact. Take time every day to properly cleanse your face, tone up and add moisture. You don’t have to go the full hog with serums, although we do love them: check out Angela Langford’s Perfect Pores natural serum (£26.50, angelalangford.com), full of gentle and natural goodies, or Rajeunir’s moisture serum for an all-in-one approach to lock in moisture (£42, www.rajeunir.co.uk). A basic balm or oil cleanser such as Murad’s Renewing Oil Cleanser (£29, murad.co.uk); or the Merumaya Cleansing Melting Balm (£14.50, merumaya.com); a simple toner like Janjira’s Pomegranate & Acai Micellar Water (£28, janjira.co.uk) which removes make-up and unclogs pores, or a moisturiser such as Pure and Light’s Organic Essential Face Cream (£49, pureandlightorganic.eu) are amazing for improving your visage. Treat yourself to a bit of luxury: bareMinerals have a new range out called Mineralixirs, packed full of rosehip oil, which helps anti-ageing, soothes skin, and smells gorgeous (from £21, John Lewis).
2. I will wash my brushes and throw away any out-of-date products
Gross, but so many people just leave years of powder or foundation lingering on brushes, sponges and other applicators without bothering to wash them. You don’t need to spend a fortune on dedicated brush soap: baby shampoo will do just as good a job for a fraction of the price. If you’ve not overhauled your beauty products for six months, your make-up is probably past its best. Cosmetics which have gone past their use-by date are more than just a bit crumbly or odd smelling: they can harbour harmful bacteria. Expired mascaras can cause eye infections, ancient cream blushers can irritate or result in rashes. Do yourself a favour: review your cosmetics and face creams with the following mantras. Do I use this? Does it suit me? Is it still in date? And if the answers to any is no, then you have our blessing to discard – which means shopping. Hooray!
3. I will sort out my skin worries
Most people will suffer with some kind of skin complaint and you may not be using the correct products. Cloud 9 Skin Solutions have a fab range including Clarity Skin Clearing Spot Gel (£32, cloud9skin.com). We also love the Proactiv+ range; try the introductory kit for £19.99 (proactive.co.uk) – skin exfoliator, pore targeting treatment, complexion perfecting hydrator and more. But if you’ve been battling with a problem for more than a few weeks, seek advice from a dermatologist or your GP.
4. I will learn how to properly apply make-up
Gone are the days of using your fingers to swipe foundation and hope for the best. A decent foundation brush is the ideal way to apply without leaving streaks. Use a little product and work in – you don’t need to apply it everywhere, with a true colour match you only need to apply to areas needing coverage. The latest must-have is the Beauty Blender (£16, beautyblender.co.uk). An egg-shaped sponge, this clever little tool is designed for perfect make-up application – and no mess. For a super-modern approach, SkinPep offer an Auto Make-up Professional Applicator which gently vibrates for a flawless finish (£29.99, skinpep.com).
5. I will take care of my hair
If there was ever a good time to be good to your hair, it’s during winter. The combination of cold weather and central heating, mixed with heat styling and products can leave hair weak, brittle and flyaway. A hair mask is the ideal way to replenish poorly locks – we love Electric Hair Intensive Masque for hydrating your follicles and nourishing through to the ends (£23.50, electric-hair.com) or Original Mineral Seven Day Miracle Moisture Masque (£9, Selfridges), an intense moisture mask for colour-damaged hair. If you’re one to suffer from split ends, a decent hair oil can be worn through the ends during the day without making your hair look unwashed. Use a product like Ayumi Organic Coconut Enriched Hair Oil, which is wonderfully rich and moisturising and full of Omega 6, sesame oil and coconut oil (£7.99, ayumi.co.uk).
6. I will experiment with my look
It’s easy to get stuck in beauty ruts, relying on the same techniques year in, year out. Chances are that make-up technology has moved on since you decided on your chosen few. Why not head to Boots, John Lewis or Debenhams and let the make-up counter assistants work their magic? Boots in Cambridge also offers a Benefit Brow Bar, where the make-up marvels tend even the most neglected of brows. We also love L’Oréal’s new Paris Perfection Brow Artist Plumper. And for the quickest way to change your make-up look? Go for a bold statement lipstick – we love Lord & Berry’s Crayon Lipsticks in Scarlet and Plum (£10, ASOS.com) or Artistry’s signature colours (£19.60, amway.co.uk).
