8 Quick Beauty and Style Tricks Beauty & Style
8 Quick Beauty and Style Tricks
Freshen your look with a few simple updates
David Livingston/Getty Images Jane Fonda sported a ponytail and bangs at the 2017 Emmys Awards. Were they faux? We’re so over winter … and that includes the flu, nonstop TV binges and our closets’ cabin fever. Even accomplished, intelligent, experienced women of the world empowered by age and experience — yes, that’s us — get the blahs! The craving to shake up our looks and style is hovering like a drone, so let’s do something about it. Here are eight things that’ll get us out of that I-wish-it-was-spring rut fast: 1 Add fake bangs to your everyday hairdo
Want a change but aren’t ready for a chop or color switch? Jump online and order a faux fringe clip-in like Hair2wear The Christie Brinkley Collection Natural Fringe Bangs ($29, hsn.com) or Hairdo Modern Fringe Clip In Bang by VogueWigs ($29, voguewigs.com)! . They come in a dozen hair colors, including gray. Remember Jane Fonda with her full bangs and ponytail at last year’s Emmys? Faux works for sure. 2 Wear your sweaters differently
Fashion designers do this when desperate to start trends but keep styles that sell. You can: button classic cardigans up the back; wrap colorful crews and V-neck pullovers at the neck as scarves; wear a sweater over a dress to create a two-piece skirt-and-top look; turn your off-shoulder cuff sweaters into cowl necks; rework cowls into asymmetric necklines by flipping up the neck, draping it high and securing with a fancy brooch or safety pin; wear a dressy sweater with distressed jeans; don a big slouchy weekend sweater with slim tailored ankle pants or a pencil skirt; or cinch long, fitted sweaters at the waist with a skinny belt. 3 Change your perfume
Yes, a signature scent is great, but this will wake up your senses. Keep the switch a no-guilt one and buy an inexpensive roller ball instead of a full bottle. Stick with your general category, but choose a different blend of notes. For example, if you normally like classic florals, try a fruity, spicy or citrus floral instead. Apply to pulse points at wrists, back of knees, neck, cleavage and the ends of your hair. Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Gallery Stock 4 Faux glow some sunshine
No matter your skin tone, winter leaves us all a little more ashy, dull, pasty or blah. A self-tanner can quickly bump up your complexion for a warmer look, along with bonus benefits. It can even out your skin texture, so loose crepey spots at neck and cleavage, brown spots, cellulite, leg veins and broken capillaries don’t bug you. Or just add a drop of liquid bronzer to your usual face makeup or moisturizer to bump up the radiance. 5 Get a free or nearly free makeover
Head to your favorite department store makeup counter or a branch of Sephora or MAC. Let a pro see you with fresh eyes and then pick up plenty of free samples, product suggestions or even a minilesson (eyes or brows, for example). The days of no-cost, start-to-finish makeup application are over, but if you schedule a session in advance and if you buy the equivalent of about $50 worth of product, it’s a great prequel when heading straight to a job interview, an important meeting, a date or a dinner. 6 Make yourself a 911 style kit
It will make you feel like a stylist and improve the way your clothes look. Things to stockpile include: Hollywood Fashion Tape ($16, amazon.com), a hypoallergenic double stick that secures gaps between blouse or shirt buttons; Gal Pal Deodorant Be-Gone Removers ($8, amazon.com), reusable pink sponges that whisk away antiperspirant, powder and makeup stains; Foot Petals ($4-$20, amazon.com), shoe cushions in a variety of feminine shapes that adhere to heels, balls of feet and arches to prevent blisters and calluses — and they even work with mules, slingbacks and sandals; a black Sharpie Permanent Marker ($5, amazon.com), to touch up black shoes, boots and bags in a second; and a Conair Fabric Defuzzer ($12, amazon.com), a battery-operated electric shaver that removes lint and pilling from your favorite sweaters. marigo20/Getty Images 7 Nail a standout mani-pedi
I know you’ve been dying to slip back into mules and sandals and rip off your gloves, but weather-wise, that may have to wait. Polish up just for you. Nothing’s more cheerful than seeing bright toes when pulling off your tights or propping your feet up in a bubble bath, or glancing down at nails tapping away on your smartphone or iPad. Get in a warm-weather mood with swimming pool blues like OPI Nail Lacquer in No Room for the Blues ($12, target.com), Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in 656 Swim Upstream ($7, target.com) or Essie Nail Polish in Bikini So Teeny ($6, target.com). 8 Treat your curves to a colorful bra panty update
Nude skin-tone bras and panties are basic but boring. Why not give yourself a just-for-me break and opt for some new matching duos in punchy pastels or prints? Online lingerie sites like True&Co, ThirdLove and AdoreMe offer quizzes on fitting, and the last even has a VIP monthly membership where you choose a bra and panty set for $40. Extra-swerve-y curves? Check out Ashley Stewart and Lane Bryant for a vast range of sizes from 32 to 50 bands and B to K cups in dreamy florals. All have hard-working T-shirt bras, molded cups, underwires, racer backs and sassy girl shorts. Also of Interest
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