8 Beauty Rescue Tips For February

February can be such a blah month.

We are deeply buried in the drudgery of winter. Our skin and hair look far from their best after weeks and/or months of cold winds and warm fires, hats and scarves,  harsh weather paired with central heating. No matter how toned and fit you may or may not be, if your skin and hair don't look fabulous, then neither do you.
And in the middle of this yuck-fest Valentine's Day sneaks up on us. That one day where we really do want to look gorgeous.

So whether you want to just break up the mid-winter blues, or whether you want to get read for V Day, here are 

8 Beauty Rescue Tips For February

Use An Oil Cleanser

Sometimes all you need is a small change to your program.

Oil cleansers are super gentle to your skin, especially when your skin is feeling roughed up or sensitive in the abrasive winter climate. They dissolve makeup and give you a deep cleanse while leaving your skin feeling nourished.

Believe it or not if you have an oily complexion an oil cleanser can be your best friend. Pour some oil into a glass of water and what happens? The oil floats on top - they don't mesh. But oil lifts away oil, and can leave your skin feeling fresh and normal.

Exfoliate

Harsh weather outside and warm rooms inside can leave your skin not only stripped, but with a layer of dead cells dulling up the surface.

I'm not a fan of facial scrubs - I always think they scratch the baby skin underneath, perpetuating the problem. I am however a huge fan of enzyme masks for exfoliation. The enzymes eat away the dead skin cells and leave your complexion fresh and glowing.

Exfoliate Your Body

While we are on the subject of exfoliation, don't forget the rest of your body. 

Put the glow back into your skin with a luxury body exfoliant like the fabulous REN Guerande Salt Exfoliating Body Balm 

Use A Deep Moisture Treatment

Your skin needs, in fact it craves a really good moisture treatment right now.

My skin saviour this winter has been the incredible Neal's Yard Wild Rose Beauty Balm

It softens, it soothes, it nourishes and it protects.

Stave off the signs of premature aging and make your complexion absolutely glow with this magic balm.

Drink Half Your Weight (In Ounces) In Water

One of the best things you can do for your complexion is to drink tons of water.

For those of you who don't live in the world of metrics (I think that's only America and Liberia)

divide your weight in pounds by 2, and make that the number of ounces you drink in pure water - not coffee/tea etc.

You will start to see and feel a difference within the first couple of days.

Plain water too boring? Try adding some slices of fresh lemon. Drink it hot or cold, just drink it!

Get A Brow Fix

Nothing changes up your face quite like changing up your brows.

Have a brow specialist evaluate, then reshape and color your brows. It will rejuvenate and freshen up your look.

While we are on the subject of brows, AVOID those cracked out, super squared, slimey looking, psychotic brows that are all over Instagram, unless you either are a drag queen, or want to become one.

Wear A Vibrant Lip Color

Paired with the reshaped brow the most invigorating, fresh and fun thing you can do to waken your winter face is to change up your lip color for something a little vibrant.

Instead of a bold red, opt for a fun fuchsia, or at least a vivacious, lively pink.

Get A Manicure

Don't forget to revitalize your fingers! Take the time to go get a really good spa manicure.

Make sure your cuticles get groomed, your hands and fingers get a really good deep treatment, and then finish it up with a really pretty nail color.

How To Wear The New Season's Bold Lip Colors

Bright, bold, commanding lip colors can be overwhelming to wear.

Dior Rouge Lipstick via Harpers Bazaar.com

If you normally wear nudes/neutrals/soft hued lip colors

a bold lip can be downright scary.

But bold, bright colors can be super flattering.

They give you an instant "wow" factor,

turn a tired girl into a vibrant girl,

are youthful and fun,

they make you sparkle,

and are a super quick way to look totally pulled together.

If you're wearing a bright lip the rest of your makeup can be dialed down, so they also make getting ready a speedy assignment. 

Michelle Williams spectacular red lip in the new Louis Vuitton campaign

With a new breed of luscious saturated and not too shiny shades of red, fuchsia and pink hitting the market, now is a great time to venture out of your comfort zone and take a walk on the bright side.

There are a few tricks to nailing this look though,

so let's take a look at how to wear the new season's bold lip colors.

Beautiful, bold lip

1. Know Your Undertone

Try on some different shades at the cosmetic counter. See if you look better with a blue undertone or a more coral undertone.

Most of us look good in pink, so find your perfect pink and then look at other shades with that same undertone.

Smelling a good sale, the girls behind the counter will fall all over themselves to help you!

2.Condition Your Lips

Dry, chapped, flaky lips don't look particularly enticing at the best of times, and look especially bad with a bold lip color.

Gently exfoliate your lips and hydrate with a good lip balm a decent amount of time before doing your lips.

Immediately prior to applying your lipstick, gently blot your lips to remove any surface slipperiness.

3. Bounce The Light

If you have a smaller or thinner upper lip you can make it look more fleshy by popping a tiny amount of luminizer or highlighter just into the top of the cupid's bow, and then blending it in with your finger. Light will hit it and bounce off, making your lip look fuller and slightly bitten.

4. Line Your Lips

With a bold lip statement you need a defined lip shape. Either use a pencil that matches your lipstick, or use a nude pencil that matches your skin.

If you are going to build the lip by going outside the natural lip line, trace the liner back inside the lip prior to reaching the corners of your mouth - otherwise you look like you have food stuck there.

5. Use A Lipbrush

A lip brush presses the lipstick into your lip, and allows for precision when defining your lip shape.

Apply the first coat, blot, and apply a second coat.

6. Minimize The Rest Of Your Makeup

With a bold lip you generally want to soften the rest of your look.

Let the bright lip color make the statement for you. Keep your eye makeup neutral but defined, give the cheeks a soft bronzy glow and define the brow to keep your look balanced.

7. Whiten Your Teeth

A bright lip needs white teeth. Keep your teeth polished up and gleaming white to get the maximum out of your look.