For 2010, I am encouraging all my friends to make a beauty resolution, one they can realistically maintain.  I find it’s far easier to do this when you divide your goal into several steps.

So here are three steps that will help you make (and keep) your new year’s beauty resolution:

Step 1: Set small and specific beauty goals. By analysing your existing beauty routine you can identify the exact areas you want to improve or change. A resolution could be as simple as investing in a new foundation which you’ve been putting off all year because you find cosmetic counters intimidating.

Step 2: Set an action plan of how you are going to achieve your goal. Cosmetic counters can be daunting, so don’t be afraid to ask a friend whose makeup you like for help. Find out which brand she wears and if possible, get her to introduce you to her makeup artist.

Step 3: Set a reasonable timeframe for implementing your action plan. The probability of achieving your resolutions significantly reduces the longer you leave it. So aim high – if you can tick off one beauty resolution come Australia Day you know you’re doing well!

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• Wear Sunscreen.  If sunscreen isn’t your top priority (and it should be), keep spray-on sunscreens in your bag and car for quick, fuss free reapplications.
• Be Hygienic. Switch to disposal sponges and applicators if you can’t commit to regularly washing yours.
• Rationalise. Pull out all your lipsticks/lip glosses from every drawer, handbag and makeup bag. If you own more than three in the same shade, make a note to yourself not to buy anymore!

I’m often asked whether you really need to use brushes to apply makeup, instead of using your own (free!) finger tips. 

Makeup artists, including me, usually use a combination of both. But it doesn’t mean they are interchangeable. When I use a makeup brush, it’s because the result will be far superior to my finger tips, and vice versa. It always depends on the situation and the person’s face.

But to make things easier, and because a lot of people I know are a fan of rules, here are some circumstances when I prefer to use a brush: 

1. Applying makeup to small areas of the face. For example the inner corner of your eyes, or on small pimples or age spots. These areas require precision application, and finger tips can be too big and inaccurate.
2. The type of makeup. For creams and powder based makeup I use brushes for application control and blending ease. More often it’s the liquid based makeup I save for my finger tips.
3. Layering makeup. When I need to apply several products on top of each other, like a corrector and concealer to cover eye bags, using finger tips can be counterproductive. This is because the warmth of our finger tips can dissolve and lift off the makeup which has already been applied. Using a brush allows you to apply new layers on top, without disturbing the makeup underneath.
4. Bacteria Containment.  Once bacteria are on your finger tips it can quickly spread to other areas of your face. So on any inflamed/infected area; I’ll either use a brush which can be disinfected immediately after use, or a disposable option like a cotton bud.

Cetaphil’s original Gentle Skin Cleanser has been one of my favourites for a long time. The only reason I don’t use it every day is because it doesn’t remove makeup as quickly as some other cleansers.

Recently Cetaphil added a second cleanser to their range, the Oily Skin Cleanser (pictured). After a few months of trialing it on and off, here are my findings when I compared the two:

• The Oily Cleanser removes makeup in half the time of the Gentle Cleanser. In just one cleanse it removes a light to medium application of makeup.
• Both formulas are low lathering but the Oily Cleanser dissolves makeup as soon as you apply it, removing the need for a face washer (an essential with the Gentle Cleanser).
• The Oily Cleanser has a detergent-like scent whereas the Gentle Cleanser is fragrance-free.
• The Gentle Cleanser can be used on a range of skin types from allergy-prone to dry, combination, acne prone to oily. 
• The Oily Cleanser is strong. Normal, combination or moderately oily skin types will find it overly drying and may feel skin tightness. You need to have very oily skin to use this product over a long period of time.

From my experience it’s hard enough to get guys to wear sunscreen every day in summer, let alone now that we are in winter. The guys I know commonly complain that sunscreen feels too thick and greasy on their skin. Often it’s because they haven’t chosen a sunscreen that’s tailored to their skin type. Guys just don’t have the patience to test a few products in the search for a sunscreen texture that they will like. 

So to help our male friends and partners protect their skin as much as they should, here are some products I recommend.

For guys with combination or oily skin, it’s essential to choose a formula that is matte, light weight and fast absorbing. Try:

·         Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture SPF15

·         Nivea Sun Spray SPF15+

·         Dermalogica Solar Defense Booster SPF 30

Guys with normal to dry skin can afford to combine their sunscreen with a moisturising base. Try:

·         Nivea Men Protective Moisturiser SPF15

·         Ego QV Man Moisturise SPF 30+

·         Ultraceuticals Protective Moisturiser (untinted) SPF30+

All these products are just as good for girls to use, even though some are labelled for men.

If you love the look of your lips after drinking red wine or eating berries, chances are you’re a lip stain fan. Lip stains are a great option for a hint of colour, without the heaviness of a lipstick or stickiness of a tinted lip gloss. Benefit Cosmetics’ Benetint is my favourite lip stain but it is only available in two shades.

Unfortunately lip stains are more expensive than other types of lip products. This is partly because they can be used in multiple ways, for cheeks and lips, and are priced as such. But for people who are only going to use the product on their lips, the extra expense may not be worth it.

So here’s a makeup tip for recreating a lip stain effect, with products you may already have at home.

• Lightly moisturise lips with clear lip conditioner (Chap Stick, lanolin, paw paw etc)
• Using a coloured lip pencil (in a shade you want the stain to be), line and fill your entire lip area working from the centre of your lips and outwards. As you approach the edges of your lips, keep your strokes light to avoid a harshly drawn in lip line.
• Blot lips with tissue. The lip conditioner and some colour will transfer onto the tissue, leaving your lips with stain of colour.

Fringes can make dry foreheads oily and oily foreheads problematic. If you have a thick fringe, I’m sure you’ll agree that maintaining clear skin on your forehead can be a challenge.  The hair on your forehead coupled with hair styling products can create havoc in that area.

When you get a fringe cut, you need to adapt your existing routine to the changed the conditions of your fringe area. The moisturiser that you were using may now be too rich for your forehead. And makeup doesn’t survive well under the weight of the hair.

So to keep things clean and clear (literally), I recommend using skincare and makeup products on your forehead sparingly. Concentrate on washing your fringe as regularly as possible; simply section your hair so you don’t wash it all. And when you have to use products around your fringe area, keep them oil free and matte.

.. Don’t put away your sunscreen altogether. As the intensity of the UV rays decreases during the next few months, you may want to lower your SPF rating. But remember that UV rays can still reach us on the cloudiest of days, so it’s important to continue with your sun care routine even as the weather gets cooler.

Well groomed, defined brows will open up your eye area, frame your face and may even be youth enhancing. But eye brow tools don’t come cheap. A kit containing tweezers, a brow brush, clear brow gel, a brow pencil, brow shadow and an angled brush for filling and shading, will set you back at least $200.

But you don’t need to limit your brows to brow-only specific products. General cosmetic products are often cheaper than the specialist products and can work just as well. Here are some non brow specific products I use on on a regular basis, not just in these tough times:

• Instead of investing in an eye brow brush, use a tooth brush instead. It’s a fraction of the price and performs the same function. Its inexpensiveness also means you’re more likely to replace it when it gets gritty – important for hygiene.
• Skip the clear brow gel in place of hair spray. Mist a small amount of hair spray on your brow brush (or tooth brush) and comb through brows for a similar taming effect.
• Eye shadows and brow shadows aren’t remarkably different formula wise. If you can find an eye shadow that also suits your brow hair, use it for both.

Not all of us were born with sharp cheekbones like Halle Berry or Mischa Barton (pictured). And so a little bronzer can go a long way to enhancing the cheekbones we were born with.

But be warned: sculpting your cheeks with bronzer takes practice, good lighting and plenty of blending. If your application is too strong, you may end up with zebra-like makeup stripes. And if you’re too light handed there’ll be no visible difference at all.

Here are my 5 steps on how to sharpen your cheekbones with bronzer:

1. If you haven’t done this before, try a powder bronzer first. Powders (in general) blend better than liquids and so are easier to control.

2. Remember that powder needs powder to blend. So always set your liquid base (foundation, primer, or tinted moisturiser) with powder first. If you don’t do this, your bronzer will be difficult to blend and may end up looking patchy.

3. Get to know your face. Using your finger tips, find the area just below your cheekbone. This is where you will need to apply the bronzer. You may need to suck your cheeks in a little to find this spot.

4. Using a brush slightly smaller than your blush brush, brush bronzer onto the area, concentrating the colour towards your hairline and ear.  Then blend until you can’t see any visible bronzer lines. Good lighting is crucial here.

5. Finally, apply a small amount of illuminator directly above where you have just applied bronzer, the fleshier part of your cheek. The contrast between the light illuminator and shaded bronzed area will further enhance your cheekbone sharpness.