Less is More in 2009
We’d like to propose a New Year’s resolution for 2009. It’s a resolution you might wince at initially, but we have no doubt you’ll thank us in the end.
It’s time to tone down the hair, the makeup and the over-the-top wardrobe. Introducing: the makeunder.
"Honestly, the flashier you are, the more of a mask you’re wearing," says Lindsay Burns, personal stylist and owner of Style Savvy. "(A makeunder) isn’t boring. It’s a step ahead."
By no means are we suggesting you embrace the "just rolled out of bed" look. Rather, it’s more a push toward Angelina Jolie and Jessica Biel and a pull away from Christina Aguilera and "The Real Housewives of Orange County."
The makeunder applies to those who require longer than an hour to put on their face; women who blow out sockets styling their hair; the ladies whose clothes are so loud they should come with earplugs.
Other than doing yourself a huge aesthetic favor, the makeunder offers a slew of other benefits.
"A fresh, clean look is more attractive, but you can also look a lot more youthful with less," says Melissa Conner, a local makeup artist who has worked on Carmen Electra and Jennifer Tilly. "And, in this economy everyone has budgetary reasons at the forefront of their minds."
Confidence, maturity and security also tend to go hand-in-hand with a pared down look that favors simplicity over excess. It’s also a fine way, Burns says, to be taken seriously.
Take a look at the tips our experts provide for liberating an overdone look.
Here’s to an effortless, confident you in 2009.