Hello 2012. A new year means a new semester, new attitude and new wardrobe. While most people hit the gym a little harder in early January and February than any other time of the year, I tend to go to the mall. I love a fresh start and making each year more stylish than the next. If the Mayan calendar is right and twenty twelve is our last year, don’t you want to go out looking amazing? With these simple adjustments you can take your drab 2011 clothes into the new year with a bang!
1. Change Your Mane
After a bad break up the first thing most girls do is chop their hair off or dye it a completely new color. Well I feel like I broke up with 2011 and went straight for the dye! Celebrities such as Drew Barrymore and Rachel Bilson have been sporting the newest trend in hair color: ombre. For those of you who aren’t familiar, ombre is when the hair is dark at the roots and gets progressively lighter as it goes down in length. The end result is an effortlessly cool look that doesn’t need to be styled to look great. I personally have done my own hair this style both at the salon at home using a boxed color and I love it! If you’re nervous about doing it yourself, here’s a Youtube tutorial that explains the steps for you. This look works for every hair color from platinum blonde to bright red to dark black!
2. Get the Perfect Pout
There’s nothing chicer than a powerful pout. The red lip is the ultimate statement in fashion. It’s bold and can turn any outfit from casual to amazing. The secret is finding the perfect shade to match your skin color. You really need to find out what the undertones of your skin are. Are you more of a yellow-toned girl or a pink? If you’re unsure (it can be hard to tell sometimes) just go to Pentagon City Mall or Georgetown Sephora and ask someone at the counter to help you. Once you’ve determined your undertones, it’ll be easy to find your perfect shade! Read this article to discover your shade of red!
3. Fake, Fake, Fake
Not gutsy enough to finally get that nose piercing or tattoo? Want to try on a dramatic look for the night without the permanence? Well make 2012 the year you buy the perfect false lashes or sport a fake piercing just for fun. It isn’t Halloween but you can still fool people! Websites like this offer no pierce body jewelry that is a lot less painful, expensive, and permanent. You can even get henna tattoos in a black color, which will fade away in about a week or two!
I love to pile on the mascara but even then sometimes my eyelashes aren’t quite as long as I’d like. That’s where fake lashes come into play. You can buy any from the most natural to the craziest bedazzled or colored pair. Think Nicki Minaj. Sephora offers the most amazing duo kit complete with less dramatic cat-eye lashes for the day and a fuller set you can switch to for the night. For only $8 this kit is a double duty deal!
3. Go Bold
With the winter and snow officially upon us, it can be easy to slip into a neutral colored funk consisted of bulky sweaters, leggings, and boots. I am guilty of that exact outfit more often than not. However, this year make sure to think out of the box and experiment with bolder colors, textures, and patterns. The easiest way to add some fun to your outfit without going overboard is with accessories. Go for a metallic envelope clutch from BCBG Max Azria for $68 in either gold or silver to add some flash. In order to brave the slush and snow in style, invest in a pair of shearling LL Bean boots ($158). If you want to put the weather behind you and get ready for spring, a bold color pant will definitely do the trick. Don’t be afraid of bright colors like apricot yellow or rosy pink (both $78 from Topshop). Another great way to be bolder in 2012 with your jeans is to take an old trend, like acid wash or tie dye, and make it new again. These jeans from Topshop that only have tie dye down the leg are the perfect balance.
There are so many ways to update your wardrobe for the new year. If you don’t want to go on a shopping spree, simply mix and match the clothes you already have in different, unexpected ways. Maybe wear your leather jacket with a flowy skirt. Pile on the bracelets or rings when you usually wear none. Dye your hair, wear red lipstick to class, try on a piercing for the night. There’s no reason you shouldn’t have fun experimenting in 2012…it could be the end of the world!