Amplify Your Beauty With These 7 Steps

Beauty is not a one-size-fits-all description. Our skin types, hair, and bodies are all different as well as our beauty likes and dislikes. No matter what we look like all of us can be beautiful each day with a tiny bit of effort and a little confidence.

Cheese! How Do Your Teeth Look?

If you're a heavy coffee drinker or red wine is your drink of choice, chances are good you could use a little whitening action on your teeth. (Guilty!) You don't have to go all out with in-office whitening treatment if you don't want to. Simply use a whitening toothpaste or whitening strips.

Beauty Tip: When it comes to getting your picture taken, smile with your teeth! Even if you don't love how your teeth look you will always look more natural and beautiful in photos if you smile showing teeth.

When It Comes to Makeup, Think Classic, Not Trendy

Sometimes when you're looking at fashion magazines or beauty blogs (or heaven forbid, fashion week!) you come away thinking you need to stock up on the latest trendy makeup products - be it green eyeliner or shiny wet looking lipstick. Stick with the classics for a truly beautiful look because so often the trends leave you looking older. With a little trial and error you will find what makeup looks best on you, and once you figure out what works for you, you'll always look great.

Beauty Tip: One sure way to look back at a photo and cringe is by overdoing your eyes and your lips. Pick one feature and do it right. Then, leave the other parts of your face more natural. If you're going for a smokey eye look, play down the lips with a sheer or nude. Do you love red lipstick? Play down the eyes with simply mascara and sheer shadow.

Skip Tanning

You might think that a tan makes you look more beautiful, but all that tan is doing is aging your skin and in the worst case scenario it gives you skin cancer. Sun exposure is actually the #1 cause of aging skin. Stay sun safe, and keep your skin looking young, by applying sunscreen daily.

Beauty Tip: Self-tanners are totally safe, as long as you are remembering to protect your skin from the sun with daily sunscreen applied multiple times. Self-tanners are so great these days that once you know how to properly apply your favorite product your "tan" will look completely natural.

How Does Your Skin Look?

It can take just one breakout to bring down your self-confidence. That's why taking care of your skin daily is important. Cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize, and protect against the sun on a regular basis - head to toe. Sticking to a skincare routine will mean that your skin is not only healthier but also younger looking, smoother, and brighter. 

Beauty Tip: If you don't wear sunglasses every time you're outside, start today. Wearing sunglasses will help reduce your likelihood of getting crows feet.

Dress in Clothes That Make You (Not the Mannequin) Look Good

This is huge, friends. It is so hard to pull off a trend if you don't have the perfect body for the trend. Ask the people who jumped at jeggings when they first came out and soon realized they were never ever meant to wear jeggings. When it comes to fashion trends, pick the ones that suite your body and forget the rest. Instead, accessorize with trendy items of the season and stick with the clothes that make your body look good. Not everyone should be wearing low-cut jeans (Hello muffin top), neon 80's re-runs or animal prints. Ask a real friend for her opinion and don't be offended by what she has to say.

Beauty Tip: Pinterest is a great place for clothing inspiration. There are so many wardrobe ideas on this site. You can find whatever you are looking for. 

Take Care of Your Nails

You could be doing everything right, the flattering clothes, the right hair color, the perfect shoes, but if your nails are jagged and chipped, you will not look your best. I don't mean you have to polish your nails every other day, but simply keeping your nails filed, in a uniform shape and clear of chipped polish will be worth it.

Beauty Tip: Your hands are your biggest age-teller. Have you ever seen a woman with the face of a 30-year-old but the hands of a 40-year-old? Use your excess skin care products on your hands to help slow down their aging. Also, use sunscreen on your hands daily as well.

Find a Good Hair Stylist and Visit on a Regular Basis

Two things that will kill your look is going to a new stylist each time you need a haircut and not going until it's a dire emergency. Look at your co-workers or friends' hair and if you see someone who always has good looking hair, ask for her stylist's info. It's always good to give a stylist a few visits to see how he or she does once you've shared your long-term goal. Don't wait for split ends to take over your hair, either. This will only lead to desperation to pick the first stylist who can fit you in and that might be a recipe for hair disaster.

Beauty Tip: Sick of your long hair? Considering cutting it short? Before you decide to cut your hair short, think it over very carefully. Not everyone can pull off short hair. Sometimes all that is needed is a color boost or bangs.