Best New Year’s beauty resolutions for 2019

Some beauty rituals go by the way-side during the year. Here’s your guide to getting them back on track this year.

Wake-up your make-up

You don’t need a whole kit of make-up for summer.

The three essentials are concealer to hide little imperfections, lip gloss to add fullness to lips and brighten the face, and mascara to instantly open and define the eyes.

Ditch heavy foundations (they’re ageing) and switch dark lip pencil to a nude shade to add natural definition to the mouth.

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Swap heavy eye pencils (particularly black kohl) for softer tones like chocolate or taupe to define and intensify eye colour.

Smudge liquid eyeshadow on the lids for long-wearing, summer-proof colour that adds instant radiance to the eyes.

Bronzing powder is another hard-working product that can enhance a tan safely and be used on the eyelids for a quick, pulled-together look.

Freshen your fragrance

Find a new go-to fragrance for the next 12 months.

When searching for a new scent it’s important to define your style and preferred fragrance family.

Fragrance families include classic, modern, sports, spicy, oriental, floral, fresh, woody, fruity or marine.

Once you’ve established what you like, ask a sales assistant to show you all the fragrances that fit into your family of preference.

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Next try the fragrances on provided fragrance cards before applying favourites directly on to your wrist pulse points.

It’s important not to overwhelm the sense of smell by trying more than three perfumes at a time.

Wait to see how the perfume develops on the skin as it will change to reveal the deeper layers of the fragrance, then go on your instincts as it’s often the first fragrance that intuitively appeals that is the best choice.

Shine a light on sun safety

It’s never too late to protect your skin from the sun. Here are five sun-safe tips for you to revise:

1. Apply sunscreen before you pack it, as it takes 30 minutes to sink into skin. Then reapply every 90 minutes.
2. Choose sunscreens that contain ingredients that physically protect the skin, such as zinc and titanium.
3. Thoroughly towel off after swimming. More of the sun’s rays penetrate wet skin than dry skin.
4. Avoid the sun between 10am and 4pm when the dangerous ultraviolet (UV light) is most intense. The peak is between noon and 2pm.
5. Check the UV index report. The higher the index number, the shorter the time you should spend in the sun.

Scrub up your skincare

Now is the perfect time to slough off dead skin cells that have built up.

They not only dull the skin, they can inhibit the penetration of active ingredients and moisturisers.

Exfoliating away dead cells improves texture and tone.

It also encourages circulation and the stimulation of new collagen and elastin fibres while eliminating impurities, breakouts and enlarged pores.

Intensive hydrating treatments are another must, the combination of gentle peel plus a hydrating mask will give your skin a big drink and a healthy glow.

• Age-old battle: 6 ways to make your skin look younger

Home skincare essentials

• A face exfoliant to remove dead skin and give the skin a deep clean
• A light moisturiser in summer
• A hydrating gel mask
• Sunscreen
• Antioxidant serums for photo-protection and anti-ageing.

Care for your hair colour

Summer in particular can take its toll on coloured hair.

Haleema Harris, head colourist at Valonz Haircutters, shares her silky hair secrets:

• Pat coloured hair dry, rather than rubbing, it is fragile.
• If you go to the gym, don’t shampoo hair after every workout – try rinsing with water and using conditioner on the ends.
• When using a hair dryer, angle the nozzle down the length of the hair to keep hair cuticles smooth and boost the shine.
• Give your hair a treatment once a week to keep the cuticles smooth – after applying your conditioner, wrap your head in a towel and relax for five to 10 minutes.
• Avoid washing red hair directly after colouring. Red hair needs extra time to penetrate the hair strand properly.
• Avoid recolouring hair too often as it makes it increasingly fragile. Leave at least three months between hair colour treatments.

Treat your feet

They carry us everywhere, so this year pay special attention to your feet.

To treat cracked heels, use a foot file once a week to refine skin and massage feet daily with a rich cream.

The most common cause of cracked heels in summer is open-backed shoes, so alternate footwear and choose styles that have a strap around the heel or arch support to lessen the slapping effect of the shoe, which is the cause of skin build-up and cracking.

Don’t walk barefoot on tiles or wooden floors as they have moisture-drawing properties.

Wear flip flops in summer and socks in winter to prevent feet from drying out.

• Happy feet: How to care for your feet in summer

Written by Nikki Yazxhi.