Best Beauty Trends of 2013

In 2013, lips and brows are bold. Skin is glowing. Hair is any way you’d like it, as long as it’s shiny, gorgeous and healthy. Here are some beauty trends to try out for your most dazzling -- and slightly daring -- look this year!

The New Red Lip
A red pout has always been a staple of chic, and this year is no different. What is new is the finish: a soft stain instead of slick and glossy or matte.

“We saw it on Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway at the Golden Globes this year,” says Emma Willis, a makeup artist with Blushington Makeup & Beauty Lounge in Los Angeles. “With the rest of the face muted and natural, the total effect was soft and very feminine.” 

This year’s hues range from crimson and scarlet to cherry or pink-red, and you can find stains in balms, crayons or pots. Pat it on with your fingers, or for a crisper look, outline the outer edges of you lips with a pencil and then fill in.

Assertive Arches
Brows aren’t backing down. They’re stronger and thicker than ever. On the fashion runways, wildly exaggerated arches were created with lots of tinted brow gel, powder or pencil and a stay-put wax. You might not want to go quite that bold, but put down the tweezers for a few weeks -- except for cleaning up stray hairs well below your arch -- and see how you look with more brow-wow.

Jewel-box Eyes
This is the year you’ll want to adorn yourself in sapphire, jade, turquoise and emerald. And yes, you can afford it! We’re not talking gems, but eye shadow and liner in jewel tones.

Try a thin swipe of green or blue liner along your upper lashes and a wash of shimmery or satin shadow on your lid. Keep it simple. “We’re doing a single color on the lid instead of the multiple hues of the smoky eye,” says Willis. “It’s fresh and glamorous at the same time.”

Glowing Skin
Fresh, glowing skin is the perfect complement to dramatic brows and sparkling eyes. Here’s how to get it right:

  1. Prep your skin with a primer along the T-zone. “Most women use far too much primer,” says Willis. “You don’t need it everywhere.”
  2. Using a foundation brush, apply a slightly luminous foundation. Look for words like “radiance” or “illuminating” in the product’s name.
  3. Buff with a makeup sponge for a flawless finish, and apply a very light dusting of translucent powder to set. “Use a large round powder brush instead of a powder puff,” suggests Willis.
  4. Create beautifully flushed cheeks with cream blush. “Warm a small amount on your fingertips,” advises Willis. “Smile and then press onto the apples of your cheeks.”

Do-it-your-way Hair
Low ponytails, high top knots, loops, braids, buns and beehives. With the Hollywood awards season in full sway, hair has more turns and twists than the plot of the Twilight saga. No one look is dominating the red carpet. The trend:  try something new. Take inspiration from Michelle Obama, who got her new bangs just days before the inaurguration. Whatever 'do' you choose, remember that healthy, well-cared-for hair is always in style!

What trends are you loving this year? Tell us in the comments below or @thestyleglossy

Get Beautiful in Your Sleep

In the movies, the heroine always wakes up looking perfectly refreshed and gorgeous. Sure, she may have Hollywood magic on her side, but the rest of us have a potent beauty weapon too: sleep!

It turns out, there really is such a thing as beauty sleep. “Sleep allows the body to go into several stages of non-REM and REM cycles for restoration of body functions,” says Dr. Vermén M. Verallo-Rowell, a research dermatologist. Further, the emerging science of chronobiology -- the study of the impact of biological rhythms and their effects on the body -- has uncovered subtle differences in skin behavior at night. The skin is more permeable; it expends fewer defenses against the daytime’s free radicals, pollution and sun damage; and oil production is lower. All these changes help active ingredients absorb more effectively at 2 a.m. than at 2 p.m.

Here’s a guide to the types of treatments and products that work their magic in the dark.

Hair Conditioners
Sometimes called “deep conditioners” or “reparative masks,” these temporary leave-on hair products can work even better when they’re allowed hours, not minutes, to absorb deeply into the hair shaft. Before bedtime, massage the mask along the ends and mid-shaft of dry hair and comb through. Rinse and style as usual in the morning.

Heavy-duty Moisturizers
Quick-absorbing, lightweight hydrators with built-in sunscreen are perfect for protecting the skin during the day and providing a satiny base for your makeup. Nighttime is when you’ll want to slather on the thicker, richer, more emollient moisturizers that may look greasy but provide more reparative moisture benefits. This deeply penetrating moisture can have a carryover benefit into the daytime.

Retinoids
Dermatologists suggest that patients use over-the-counter and stronger prescription retinoids (tretinoin, tazarotene, adapalene) only at night because these topical forms of vitamin A can degrade in light and make the skin more vulnerable to sun damage and more likely to burn. “They have become the gold standard of what dermatologists recommend to help exfoliate, lighten brown spots, stimulate collagen production and clean out pores,” says Dr. D’Anne Kleinsmith, a Michigan cosmetic dermatologist.  

Active Treatment Products
Many treatment products work best when they’re not competing with layers of cosmetics and sunscreen, says Dr. Patricia Farris, a Louisiana dermatologist. What’s more, active ingredients such as salicylic acid, which exfoliates dead skin cells, as well as peptides -- tiny proteins that stimulate collagen to help reduce the signs of aging -- are most effective when they’re not being diluted by perspiration or fending off daytime environmental stressors like pollution and sunlight. The increased blood flow to skin at night, along with nocturnal water loss, may help these ingredients better penetrate the skin’s barrier layers.

Rough-skin Erasers
Products made to soften rough skin on the feet or hands are likely to get the best results if they’re applied at bedtime. Many include alpha hydroxy acids (lactic, glycolic and citric acids) that penetrate the outermost layer of skin to promote exfoliation. Or, try this softening treatment suggested by Dr. C. Ralph Daniel III, clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center: Soak hands and feet in room-temperature water for up to five minutes. Apply an extra-thick moisturizer, such as shea butter or petroleum jelly. For the best overnight penetration, pull on a pair of light cotton gloves or socks.

Antiperspirant
Some extra-strength antiperspirants are specially formulated for nighttime use, but a regular formula can also be more potent during the night’s optimum conditions. “For people who have problems with excessive perspiration, it makes a lot of sense to apply an antiperspirant before you go to bed,” says Kleinsmith. “When you’re not already perspiring, you can block the sweat glands more easily and let the medication work more effectively.”

5 Beauty Resolutions for a Stunning 2013

Resolved: To be more beautiful than ever in 2013 -- and with less effort!

Who doesn’t want that?  Here are five super-easy ways to be your most glowing, stunning self throughout the upcoming year.

1. Don’t go to sleep with your makeup on.
Whether you get home at midnight after a night out with friends or drift into slumber land while watching TV on the couch, it can be tempting to tumble into bed without washing your face. Try to resist. As you snuggle against your pillow, the day’s collection of dirt and oil, along with makeup, are being pushed into your pores. And, it’s those blocked pores, that lead to pimples, blackheads and whiteheads, says Dr. Joshua Zeichner, a dermatologist and researcher at New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Too exhausted to make a stop at the bathroom sink? Keep a pack of makeup-removing towelettes on your bedside table.

2. Choose the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair type.
Today, you can find products customized for fine, medium or thick, curly and color-treated hair. Research has shown that these hair types all have different structures, says Jeni Thomas, a research scientist on hair and scalp health for Pantene. What makes one type of hair glossy and manageable might lead to bad hair days for another. One example: The ingredients that offer humidity resistance to thick hair can weigh down fine hair. 

3. Use an SPF product every day.
Yes, you’ve heard these about two million times, but the best thing you can do for your skin is to protect it with an SPF 30 or higher 365 days a year, rain or shine. The harmful UV rays that cause premature aging, a mottled skin tone and leathery texture penetrate clouds and are especially harmful when they bounce off snowy surfaces. With so many new ways to get sun protection -- tinted moisturizers, BB creams, light formulations -- there’s no reason to stint on shielding your delicate skin.

4. Don’t fry your tresses.
Hair dryers, curling irons, flatirons, crimping wands -- these hot tools can help you achieve your look of choice, from pin-straight locks to beachy waves. But, as Thomas points out, “Some high settings can exceed the boiling point of water and may be far hotter than you need to achieve your style.” Style your hair safely by coating your strands with a thermal-protectant product, using the lowest temperature you can to achieve your style and avoid going over the same area again and again.

5. Do moisturize every inch of you.
Yes, we mean from face to heels with stops along the way for chapped lips, elbows and knees. You might want to choose different formulations for different times of year -- body butters in winter, light mists or gels in summer -- but keep up a year-round moisturizer habit for soft, supple skin. (And make sure you’re giving your hair the moisture it needs too!) The best time to apply moisturizer is while your skin is still damp; that helps the ingredients absorb more efficiently.

Photo: Corbis Images

Beauty Essential: Concealer

Concealer can be a girl’s best friend, especially after a night out sipping salt-rimmed margaritas. But even teetotalers can wake up with under-eye bags or dark circles -- resulting from lack of sleep, fluid retention, hay fever or just the deep-set eyes you inherited from Mom and Dad. Dermatologists say the thin tissue around the eye is subjected to more stress than are other areas of the skin, making it one of the earliest problem areas for women.

A good concealer can hide the problem, but there’s an art to finding the right shade and formula. For that, we asked Eugenia Weston, an Emmy-nominated celebrity makeup artist. She says there’s a reason most concealers are either peach (orange-based) or yellow: Each color does something different, which is why they’re often packaged side by side in a single compact. The trick isn’t deciding between peach and yellow (most of us need both), but choosing the depth of tone they’re available in -- light, medium or dark -- to match the pigment in your complexion.

Choosing the Right Color Concealer
If you have bluish or dark circles, a peach concealer will help cancel them out. But if your under-eye area and eyelids are pink-tinged, a common condition among the fair-skinned or allergy prone, a yellow concealer will counter the redness. The formula -- cream or liquid -- is a matter of personal preference. Cream concealers offer more coverage but take a little more skill to apply; liquids are sheer and a better bet for minimal circles or younger skin.

How to Apply
Using your ring finger for a light touch, prep the under-eye skin with eye cream so that the concealer won’t drag on. If you woke up with puffy peepers, apply a tightening or firming eye gel instead. The coolness and lifting ingredients should help send those bags packing.

If you wear foundation, bring it up under the eyes. Using an oval-shaped 1/3-inch wide synthetic bristled concealer brush, apply three dots of concealer starting at the tear ducts and ending at the iris. Paint them down and outward to cover the entire area. Gently blend in the concealer with your ring finger, using a press-and-roll motion. If upper eyelids are pink, stroke on yellow concealer there as a neutralizing eye shadow base.

Use a Powder
Set your concealer with one of the new ultrafine mineral powders in a colorless, one-size-fits-all translucent shade. “Dip the corner of a triangular latex sponge into the setting powder -- I use pressed rather than loose for neatness -- and blot it right up against the lash line,” says Weston. Powdering concealer is an often overlooked but essential step. “Otherwise, the mascara and eyeliner you’re about to apply will smudge as the day wears on, creating the very darkness you’re trying to eliminate.”

How Hair Can Help
It never hurts to think outside the box. If under-eye circles are chronic, a good hairstyle can deflect attention from them, says Tom Brophy of the Tom Brophy Salon. For instance, sideswept bangs cut from a side part will direct the beholder’s gaze away from the under-eye area, as will soft layers around the face. “What I would avoid,” says Brophy, “is a middle part or horizontal fringe, both of which would only frame the problem area.”

Also, consider that your natural hair color may be exaggerating those under-eye circles by casting a shadow on them. Colorist Michelle Vance at the Tom Brophy Salon has a solution: Lighten up. “Since dark shades and ashy tones can accentuate under-eye circles, think about taking your overall color one shade lighter. Or add a few blond highlights around the face to brighten things up,” she says.

Next thing you know, those sunglasses that were hiding your under-eye circles will have nothing to do but act as a headband up in your hair.

Secrets to Flawless Foundation

Want gorgeous skin? Fake it! Sure, a proper skin care regimen, smart diet, regular exercise and never even looking at a lit cigarette (much less smoking one) will give you good skin. But to get to great, you need to bring in some artifice: foundation.

How to Choose the Best Foundation for You
The right foundation is what gives stars who walk the red carpet the look of poreless, airbrushed skin. And it can be yours too. First, choose the foundation that’s right for you in both texture and color. If your skin is oily, you’ll want to control your T-zone with an oil-free formula or a powder foundation. Mineral makeup is a good choice too. Those mineralized particles suck up extra moisture.

Opt for a cream or liquid foundation if you have dry skin. Look for words like “hydrating,” “moisturizing” or “luminous” in the product description. 

Hate makeup? Get the benefit of foundation without looking like you’re wearing any with a lightweight tinted moisturizer or a BB cream. These “beauty balms” are all-in-one wonders, acting as primer, coverage, moisturizer, skin treatment, sunscreen and even concealer. Find a shade that matches your skin exactly. When you swipe it across your jawline it should melt into your skin invisibly. Step into natural light to check it. (Yes, you want to go foundation shopping in the daytime.)

Application Secrets of the Pros
Borrow a few tricks from makeup artists for perfect application. Brett Freedman, a Hollywood makeup artist who has worked on stars like Emily Blunt, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Lisa Kudrow, says prepping your skin before your apply foundation is key. He likes to lay down a veil of lightweight oil-free foundation with a flat-top brush, allow it to dry for a few seconds and then use the same brush to apply foundation. “That way there’s still a touch of moisturizer on the bristles when I’m smoothing foundation over the skin,” Freedman says.

Makeup artists also spend at least a minute or more blending foundation so it completely melts into the skin. They make sure to blend around the hairline, ears and neck. Forget these areas and you can end up with the dreaded VFL (visible foundation line).

The pros are divided on whether to apply concealer before or after foundation. If you apply foundation first, some makeup artists say, you’ll know exactly where you need concealer. But Kimara Ahnert, who owns a makeup studio on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue and includes Brooke Shields and Cameron Diaz among her well-heeled clients, makes a convincing case for starting with concealer.

“Under-eye concealer first,” says Ahnert. “And foundation only on the rest of your face.” And here’s where her advice is truly eye-opening: “Do not double up!” she says. “If you layer foundation on top of the concealer, you’ll dilute it or completely blend away what you’ve just applied.”