Happy New Year everyone! Now is the time for new years resolutions and setting goals for the coming year. Breaking out of old ruts is one we should all have! If you are stuck in a beauty rut now is the time to give yourself a fresh new look for 2005. I understand with our busy lives we start off skipping a few beauty steps because you feel like you just don't have the time and the next thing you know you are totally neglegting yourself. Another way we get stuck in a beauty rut is by using the same old standby colors and products we always have because we are overwhelmed by the choices and just don't know where to begin. Well my beauties, empty out those drawers full of old makeup and dump out those crusty makeup bags, its out with the old and in with the new! With the following steps and January's "These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things" list I garuntee you will smash your way out of any old rut and emerge the goddess you are ment to be. Let's start from the inside out. First look at your diet. Are you eating right and excersinig? We have enough information now to get healthy you just have to do it. I'm not talking about celebrity dieting I mean good healthy choices that will make your skin glow and your teeth, hair, and nails strong and beautiful. Lots of water for hydration, fruits and veggies for antioxidants, calcium and protein for strong bones and muscle will keep you gorgeous. Absolutely no smoking and keep caffein and alcohol to a minimum. Next try a new haircut and maybe a slight color change, nothing drastic, just an updated look for the new year. Then really look at your skin. Are you happy with the texture? You don't need to spend a million bucks to get great looking skin but you do need to get into a habitual daily routine for morning and evening. This is a routine that is as important to your beauty as brushing your teeth is to your mouth. Cleans, moisturize and protect! For daytime never skimp on sunscreen and in the evening choose a great eye cream and a wrinkle fighting lotion to keep you supple. A good scrub a few times a week will polish your skin and don't forget your body, it needs a good scrub and moisture too. Update your foundation. Make sure you are using a new sheer formula that does not mask your skin and choose a concealer that is not too thick and cakey. Old formulas are the worst! Powder only if you must and translucent at that. I never want to see opaque matte skin again. It makes everyone look old and tired. Think bright for blush and this is a must for everyone for a youthful look. For your eyes tools are the key so stock up on a good lash curler and good brushes so you can sweep on new shades effortlessly. Lucious lips will be yours with a sexy new gloss and don't forget your teeth. Nothing is as amazing as a new white smile and talk about a fresh new look!

1. The Perricone diet. With all the omega 3's from salmon it is made for perfect skin. Available at amazon.com.
2. Bumble and Bumble damage therapy cleanser shampoo. This keeps my hair looking strong and healthy and oh so soft no matter how I abuse it. Available at.
3. Gly Derm Cleanser. Exfoliate and cleanse at the same time available at a dermotologists office near you.
4. M.D. Forte spf 30 Environmental Protection Cream. For totally protected skin available at www.mdforte.com.
5. Crem de la Mer. Of Course your worth it! Available at Bergdorf Goodmans.
6. StriVectin SD. This breakthrough wrinkle fighter is all the rage and rightfully so. Originally made for stretchmarks it erases wrinkles for an age free face. Available at sephora.com.
7. Strivectin SD Eyecream DAH! Available at sephora.com.
8. Fresh Brown Sugar Scrub. For a flawless body available at sephora.com.
9. Keihl's Cream de Corps body lotion. Total luxury for the body available at Barney's New York.
10. Benefit's NonFiction Foundation. This silky soft liquid foundation let's the true you show through keeping skin fresh and radiant available at benefitcosmetics.com.
11. Kevin Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer Concealer. Available at beauty.com.
12. Mac Blot Powder in "meduim". The puuuurfect translucent. Available at any MAC store nationwide.
13. Laura Mercier loose blush in "apricot". This awesome color is gorgeous on everyone and gives you a fresh young look.
14. Japonesque eyelash curler for an easy way to open up the eyes. Avaialble at Alcone Beauty Supply New York.
15. Brushes by Sephora. They have the best array of quality brushes at affordable prices. The must haves are big blush brush, angle brush, eyeshadow brush medium and large, non-latex sponges, and concealer brush all available at Sephora.com.
16. Nars lipgloss in "Orgasm". Nars blush in "Orgasm" was a runaway hit that lit up the cheeks of celebrities like Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez due to its peachy/pink perfection so they created a gloss to match. It is a must have for 2005.
17. Awake Stardom Pure Lipstick in Daphne Pink available at beauty.com.
18. Crest White Strips Premium. This is the most inexpensive but effective way to get a beautiful white smile in 7 days. I swear by them and it really lights up your whole look. This is the best and most important beauty secret there is. Avaialble at drugstores nationwide.

So your looking for a new foundation and don't know where to begin? Have you never worn it because it feels smutthering. Well the new way to wear foundation is too choose a coverage that evens out skintone but allows skin to show through without looking masky or heavy. Skin should feel light and be able to breath and have a slight youthful glow. Matte powdery skin is dated looking.The first thing you do is to analyz the type of skin you have. If you have a smooth texture and a few imperfections you might want to stick with a tinted moisturizer or sheer liquid makeup. If you have a more blotchy complection that needs a bit more coverage a silicone-based liquid or cream might work better. An unsmooth texture with imperfections fare well with a powder foundations, oil-free creams or an aersol base like Classified Cosmetics ERA spray foundation (my favorite!). Oil-free are great for oily skin but tend to be way too dry for a more normal complextion. I love the silicone based liquids that tend to work well on everyone and I love to mix in a bit of shimmer cream at night for an all over glow. Stay away from any shimmer if you are older for it will just highlight any fine lines. Anytime you want to test the color of foundations apply it to the chest area. This will show you if the color dissapears intot the skin or not. If you use the wrist like in the past it will never match. When was the last time your wrist was the color of your face? Always apply a moisturizer first then use fingers or a sponge to blend into your skin. Set foundation with a translucent powder so you will have a perfect canvase for the rest of your makeup.