Here’s to bettering our beauty routines!
Some say “New year, new you!” We say: new year, new beauty resolutions! The flipping of the calendar means it’s officially time to refresh and reset our beauty regimens, so why not commit to a couple of beauty resolutions in the name of forming better habits this year?
Whether you’re looking to kick your nail-biting habit to the curb, determine your true undertone for better makeup matches, or find your signature scent, here are seven beauty resolutions to stick to for a prosperous year rich in self-care.
Happy New Year, and happy scrolling!
1. Find your true undertone, once and for all
Gone are the days of wearing makeup that doesn’t match your skin tone. 2024 will be the year you find your true shade by really knowing your undertone! TikToker @princessraquelle has summed up four simple tests—the vein test, the paper test, the sun test, and the jewelry test—to help you best determine your undertone.
For the vein test, you’ll check the veins in your face, neck and wrist to see what colour they are. Blue-toned veins suggest a cool undertone, green veers warm, and a combination of both leans neutral. For the paper test, observe whether your skin appears pink (cool-toned) or yellow (warm-toned) when holding up a piece of paper next to your face in natural light. The sun test will reveal your undertone by considering whether you burn or tan in the sun (burning indicating a cooler undertone, and tanning suggesting a warmer one).
Lastly, take a look at your jewellery preferences. If you think gold looks better on you, then you may have a warm undertone. If you love the look of silver, your undertone may be cooler. This, of course, could also just be a matter of personal opinion, so be sure to run through all four tests for the best results!
With over 50 shades that cover every undertone from peach to golden, Haus Labs’ viral Triclone Skin Tech Medium Coverage Foundation with Fermented Arnica is truly inclusive. Once you’ve determined your undertone, we’re sure you’ll meet your makeup match here. Everyone say ‘thank you, Lady Gaga!’
2. Find your signature scent
There’s something incredibly chic about finding a signature scent that you can eternally rely on, but how do you find it? Taking notes from Asia Grant on TikTok, you’ll want to begin by knowing what your goal is. Ask yourself questions like: “How do I want to feel? How do I want to be remembered? How long do I want it to last?” And of course, keep your budget in mind.
Your next step will be to research scent families to determine if you’re more of a floral, fresh, woody or citrusy-scent sort of person (just to name a few). Once you’ve nailed that down, it’s time to secure a few samples and take those fragrances for a test drive! “When you’re looking for your signature scent, you really want to take that time to feel the scent on you, to live within the scent,” says Grant in her post. “See if you’re really identifying it with who you are as a person.”
Perfume discovery sets are the best way to sample a wide array of fragrances without committing to buying full-size bottles. With offerings from Burberry, Marc Jacobs, and Chloé, we love the look of this Sephora Favourites Deluxe Perfume Sampler set.
3. Stop biting your nails!
@signetbeauty Replying to @katiehecker07 How to stop nail biting & cuticle picking💅🚫😖🩸#nailcare #nailtutorial #nailvideos #nailbiting #cuticlecare ♬ original sound – Signet Beauty
There’s no better time than the start of a new year to break bad habits, and one of them should be biting your nails! “Doing your nails and taking care of your hands is one of those things that we really do for ourselves, and it’s something so small but it makes you feel so put together instantly,” shares the Signet Beauty account on TikTok.
In the months ahead, keeping your nails well-manicured by pushing back, trimming and oiling up your cuticles will result in nicer-looking fingertips that will be harder to pick at, and will make you less likely to chew your nails off. Treating yourself to a manicure or a trendy set of DIY press-on nails will also help, because no one wants to waste money on a mani that’ll only be bitten off soon after, and press-ons will keep your natural nails out of sight and out of mind. Just think of all the manicures you’ll be able to pull off by the end of the year…
Press-on nails are cost-effective, easy to use, and just as gorgeous as manis crafted at a salon. These Bare but Better press-ons by imPRESS are a must-have for nail-biters looking to leave that habit behind in 2023.
4. Keep your makeup brushes clean with a simple routine
If you can’t remember the last time you washed your makeup brushes, consider this your sign to do it more frequently in 2024. We know it is a pain, but once you find a simple routine — like this one posted by @by.emmaleah — it’ll become a total breeze and your skin will thank you for it.
For the deepest clean, start by soaking your brushes for a few minutes in a bowl full of water and micellar water. Then, reach for a bar of Dove soap and swirl your brushes around the soap under running water until clean. “These [soaps] are so cheap and affordable but they work so well at removing the makeup from brushes it’s honestly insane, and I’ve tried so many expensive makeup brush cleaners before,” explains the TikToker. Quick, easy to do, and easy on the pockets!
As per the recommendation from the TikTok above, you’ll want to keep Dove bar soap on deck for makeup brush cleaning. Plus, if you’ve got sensitive skin, you can shop these beauty bars in a fragrance-free, sensitive-skin-safe version.
5. Treat your hair with masks frequently
Prioritize your hair’s health this year by committing to the frequent use of hair masks for healthier, stronger, more glossy-looking locks. To achieve the best results, be sure to buy a mask that suits your hair type best.
According to this TikTok posted by @vidalabsau, fine hair types should stick to lightweight masks inclusive of ingredients like aloe vera and argan oil that’ll hydrate the hair without weighing it down. Thicker hair will require more “heavy duty” ingredients like shea butter and coconut oil, while those with curly hair should look out for labels that read “deep moisture” to help keep curls defined and moisturized. Lastly, anyone with an oily hair type should reach for “clarifying” masks, and colour-treated hair types will need reparative masks to help nurse your hair back to health after intense dye jobs.
If you need a total reset from holiday party hairstyling, kick off the new year with an intensely hydrating hair mask like this one by Moroccanoil. In just five minutes, the main argan oil ingredient works to nourish the hair for improved texture, hydration, and manageability.
6. Swap pimple popping for pimple patching
Pimple popping is so last year. Make 2024 the year you stop popping your zits, and start treating them with pimple patches instead. “Popping your pimple will not actually get rid of the problem, it actually might push pus and bacteria deeper into the skin,” explains general practitioner and aesthetic doctor Raj Arora on TikTok. “This can result in more swelling and redness, and actually makes the pimple more visible.
Not to mention, as she shares, it can also lead to the development of scabs, redness, scarring and hyperpigmentation. In addition to preventing you from picking, pimple patches can also work to heal your blemishes at the same time. Fight the urge to pop your pimples for the betterment of your skin and cover them up instead! You won’t regret it.
These cult-loved pimple patches arrived in Canada last fall, and we’ve been happy to have them ever since. Made with medical-grade hydrocolloid, these Mighty Patch patches are designed to extract impurities, while protecting the skin from picking in the process. As the brand says, “Don’t pop it, patch it!”
7. Commit to SPF all year round — even during the winter
Be honest, did you wear SPF all year long in 2023? We won’t call you out if you didn’t, but moving forward, it’s always important to include this step in your beauty routine. Yes, even in the dead of winter. In a TikTok posted by Dermalogica Canada, we learn why. “Did you know that snow can reflect up to 80% of UV rays?” asks the Dermalogica rep in the post. Needless to say, in order to keep our skin protected from potential premature aging and skin cancer brought on by UV rays, make sure you’re applying sunscreen all year-round.
As seen in the above TikTok, Dermalogica’s Dynamic Skin Recovery moisturizer is packed with SPF 50 to help keep our skin safe and protected. Doubling as a sunscreen and a moisturizer, it’s knocking out two important skincare steps in one go.
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