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"Squash your beauty resolutions\\n...and make the new year easier with these brilliant look-great shortcuts.\\nKeeping nails trim lengthens the life of your manicure. \\\"My clients with long nails say they're tired of redoing their manis because one nail is chipped,\\\" says Donna Perillo, owner of the Sweet Lily Spa in New York City. When nails are short, edges are less likely to bang against your keyboard; plus, you won't be tempted to use them to claw open a can of soda. Fewer nicks means that you can wear bold colors with confidence. \\\"Besides, nudes and pale pinks may be *more* likely to clash with your skin tone, whereas brights create such a stark contrast that any color looks good,\\\" Perillo says. (Try this season's eye-catching neon grape, electric fuchsia and tropical green.) Or, for the ultimate in minimal maintenance, buff nails to a subtle sheen, no polish needed. Simply move the rougher side of a buffer (such as Ms. Manicure High Gloss Shiner &amp; Buffer, $1) horizontally across your nail in one direction; going back and forth causes scratching and splitting. Switch to the semismooth side and repeat to sweep natural oils up from the nail bed, distributing them all over. Your reward: a no-worry manicure.\\nIf you spend more time with your colorist than your BFF, you might be ready for an easier (not to mention cheaper) alternative: bringing your haircolor closer to the shade you were born with. The newest at-home color kits are virtually mistake-proof, thanks to low-peroxide formulas and ultra-easy applicators. \\\"Ideally, you want to go one or two shades lighter or darker than roots\u2014no more than that,\\\" says Marcy Cona, of Cleveland, global creative director for Clairol. Try U Color by Umberto Beverly Hills, $12, with prefilled sachets that make messy mixing unnecessary, or gentle Clairol Natural Instincts Rich Color Cr\u00E8me, $9, which has almost no ammonia. What's trickier is finding the right tone for your hair, whether warm, cool or neutral. Cona suggests going out in the sun and looking in a hand mirror: If your hair is brown and you see hints of red (or, if you're blonde, hints of honey), your tone is warm; look for the word *golden* or colors such as champagne, caramel or auburn on the box. If you don't see golden or red undertones but there's a richness and depth to your strands, your tone is cool (look for names such as espresso, blue-black, ash or platinum). If your strands look consistent, you're neutral. You have a free pass to try the tone of your choice.\\nWant to save time in the morning, not to mention energy? (All that blow-drying can be exhausting!) \\\"Make the most of what your hair is meant to do rather than taming it into a style that doesn't come easily,\\\" says Ammon Carver, Vavoom artistic director in NYC. Worried about frizz or your hair falling flat? It's all about finding the right products. \\\"To calm frizz, it's important to cover curly hair with a nonsticky smoothing cream from roots to ends, while strands are still damp,\\\" Carver explains. For polished waves, shampoo and condition before bed to ease the A.M. rush; towel-dry, then apply a light-hold cream (such as Pantene Pro-V Curls Anti-Frizz Cr\u00E8me, $6) and put hair up in a bun. In the morning, gently tousle with a blow-dryer. To add oomph to straight strands, apply a volumizing mousse such as Tresemm\u00E9 24 Hour Body Foaming Mousse, $5, after shampooing; blow-dry by dragging strands near your hairline in front of your face; then flip hair back into place. \\\"This trick gives a mini-arch to roots for lift that really lasts,\\\" he says.\\nIt's tempting to experiment with all the newest potions and lotions at the beauty counter. But the truth is, skin doesn't like change. \\\"The key to beautiful, healthy skin is consistency,\\\" says Jeffrey Dover, M.D., a dermatologist in Boston, who counsels patients to stick with a streamlined regimen. His advice: Wash with a cleanser that's tailored to your skin type so you don't disrupt skin's pH. If your skin is sensitive, use a fragrance-free creamy wash such as Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, $8. For combination skin, go with an exfoliating cleanser such as Skin Effects Purifying Effects Deep-Cleaning Enzyme Scrub, $7. And if you're oil-prone, use a foaming mousse such as Kiehl's A\u00E7a\u00ED Damage-Minimizing Cleanser, $25. After washing, target any complexion concerns, whether lines, dark spots or breakouts. An ingredient nearly every skin type can benefit from is collagen-boosting retinol, which exfoliates and evens out the complexion. Gentle Vichy LiftActiv Retinol HA Night, $42, combines wrinkle-fighting retinols with water-attracting hyaluronic acid to combat dryness. Finally, prevent future damage by using sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 daily, before applying makeup. \\\"I tell patients that less is more, and they love to hear that,\\\" Dr. Dover says. \\\"It simplifies their day.\\\"\\nA pluck here, a pluck there, and the next thing you know, your tweezing ritual has robbed you of most of your eyebrows. What's the deal? \\\"Grooming can be soothing,\\\" says Ann Kearney-Cooke, Ph.D., director of the Cincinnati Psychotherapy Institute. \\\"Focusing on a tedious task is mesmerizing in its way, and it also lets you feel more in control of your life\u2014which helps ease larger worries.\\\" But there's a good reason for sparing your eyebrows: \\\"Full brows frame and accentuate your eyes, so you can get away with wearing less liner and mascara,\\\" says Anastasia Soare, a celebrity eyebrow stylist in Los Angeles. If your brows are sparse, your first move is to let them grow in gradually, one row at a time. That requires patience\u2014brow hairs can take about three to nine weeks to sprout. To ease the awkward transition, fill in gaps with a pencil or powder that matches your brow color, Soare says. (Try the L'Or\u00E9al Brow Styliste Professional brow shaping tool, $10.) Once brows have grown in, get pruned by a pro. Tell her you're looking for a brow shape that flatters your face (generally, your natural arc) and ask her to leave them full but polished (i.e., not bushy). Afterward, limit your DIY touch-ups to no more than once a week, rather than every morning. \\\"Resist the urge to pluck just one more hair,\\\" Soare says. Soon, you'll have broken your tweezers-happy habits for good!\\nInstead of rubbing on foundation regardless of whether your skin needs it, be selective. (No one is scrutinizing your pores on that trip to the corner market.) You'll save precious minutes if you dab concealer only on specific areas: under eyes, to erase reddish-purple tones and brighten your complexion; on eyelids, to prep for eyeshadow; around your nose, to hide broken capillaries; and on your chin, to eliminate shine. (Try Revlon Age Defying Moisturizing Concealer, $7.) Convinced that your eyes are invisible without mascara? (A SELF poll found that 37 percent of women believe this.) Trade the wand for an eyelash curler and you'll see a more naturally gorgeous you. \\\"When you curl lashes, it's as if you're rolling up an awning and letting light shine on the eyes so they sparkle,\\\" says Troy Surratt, a makeup artist in NYC. Try a curler with a colored pad, such as the Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curler, $20. \\\"The contrast makes it easy to be sure that you've secured every last lash,\\\" he says.\\nWhether you choose to remove a little hair from your bikini line or take it all off, what matters is that you feel comfortable with the process. Which brings to mind the Brazilian and why you might want to consider forgoing those bare-as-a-baby results (besides the obvious reason\u2014pain!). \\\"Pubic hair acts as a natural buffer against chafing. And, as you get older, you'll want to leave some hair there for camouflage because everything, and I mean *everything,* sags eventually,\\\" says Amy Wechsler, M.D., a dermatologist in NYC. She suggests a protective yet groomed V shape. If you're doing your own waxing at home, choose a formula with antiseptic tea tree oil or soothing lavender (such as Sally Hansen Lavender Spa Body Wax Hair Removal Kit, $10). \\\"These ingredients thinly coat skin, so wax grabs only hair, easing pain,\\\" says Cindy Barshop, owner of Completely Bare in NYC. If a razor is your weapon of choice, try the dual-ended Schick Quattro for Women TrimStyle, $11, which sports a shower-friendly battery-powered trimmer on one end (to get even tiny hairs) and a razor on the other end (for a satiny finish). Be sure to wet skin thoroughly and use a slick hydrating cream (such as EOS Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream in Lavender Jasmine, $4) to help prevent irritation. Move the blade against your natural hair growth for ultrasmooth results.\\n\\\"We live in a world where women arm themselves with magnifying mirrors and scrutinize their skin endlessly,\\\" says Dennis Gross, M.D., a dermatologist in NYC. That's partly why finding even very faint veins on your thighs, dry patches on elbows and knees or a sprinkle of bacne can provoke surprisingly intense emotions. Be nice to your psyche\u2014and your skin\u2014by adopting a kinder, gentler head-to-toe routine. Skip potentially damaging super scrubbers for an alpha hydroxy acid\u2013based formula such as Piori Advanced AHAInvigorating Face and Body Scrub, $60; it's designed to banish rough spots and help hydrating creams and lotions penetrate more deeply. Bonus: \\\"Speeding up skin's renewal makes it appear more even-toned and radiant,\\\" Dr. Gross says. Follow with a body moisturizer that contains humectants such as hyaluronic acid, which encourages water to cling to skin. A good hydrator helps plump up lines and create a more uniform skin surface, all the better to reflect light and give you an allover glow. To look radiant in a pinch, use a body lotion with a hint of self- tanner. (We like Nivea Sun-Kissed Firming Moisturizer, $8.) You'll enhance your true skin tone without risking zebra streaks."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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