Expert Skin Care

Glowing Skin

Often ignored, what you do and don't do with your skin can truly make or break an outfit. What's the point of donning a knock-out strapless party dress when you've got dead skin flaking from your elbows? Two easy steps can make all the difference. Start by sloughing off winter's dry skin by using a moisturizing scrub, like Glow Rescue's Organic Sugar Scrub in peppermint and lavender ($38 for 473 millilitres at BeautyMark [1120 Hamilton Street]). The mix of essential oils, including sunflower, sweet almond, jojoba, macadamia, and wheatgerm, exfoliates skin, while vitamin E moisturizes for a baby-soft, supple feel. Next, lock in moisture with one of three seasonal body butters ($20 each) from the Body Shop (various locations). Spiced Vanilla and Cranberry Joy will leave your skin smooth with a festive scent, while Coconut Shimmer will give your skin an added glow—great for shoulders and arms when you're wearing sleeveless dresses.

Ocean-Inspired Nails

This season's nail trend is all about shimmering oceanic hues. For a bold look, try a lusciously dark blue, such as Ming Blue ($13) by MAC Cosmetics (various locations), or a festive forest green, like Anna Sui's shimmer nail polish in 90 ($15 at Sears [various locations]). If your outfit is colourful enough, glistening shades of silver or gold are also trendy choices. L'Wren Scott created a daring gunmetal shade for Lancome ($16, at Holt Renfrew [737 Dunsmuir Street]), or if you prefer to dip your nails in gold, try Christian Dior's Timeless Gold ($21 at Holt Renfrew).

Retro Hair

With this season's Mad Men –inspired retro fashions, hair naturally followed in its prim and proper, feminine steps. For girls with longer locks, infuse moisture into winter's dry locks with John Masters Organics Shine On ($39 for 118 millilitres at BeautyMark). This organic leave-in product keeps hair smooth and silky, a perfect base whether you choose to wear your hair up or down. Complete a vintage look by trying a modern beehive, which sits lower on the head than its 1960s inspiration, or a low ballet bun is a great way to put statement jewellery in the spotlight. If you prefer to wear your hair down, achieve soft and bouncy waves with John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Dream Curl Perfecter Spray ($9.99 for 200 millilitres at London Drugs [various locations]). For girls with of-the-moment pixie cuts, add playful texture to your 'do with the Body Shop's Beeswax Texturing Wax ($10).

Cat Eyes

Unleash your feline instincts with cat eyes this holiday season. This look can be worn two ways: with defined precision or with the subtle use of shadows. For the classic, black liquid-liner look, try Stila's Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner ($26) or Geisha Ink's Liquid Eyeliner ($30) from BeautyMark. With markerlike brush tips, both products make drawing lines effortless even for the shakiest of hands. If you'd rather stay away from liquid eye liner altogether, achieve cat eyes by sweeping two or three shadows across the eyelids. MAC's eye-shadow duos and trios are perfect for experimenting with different hues. The Illusionary/Burning Ambition duo ($19.50) complements all skin tones with its blend of golden colours, while the Style Influencer trio ($19.50) will let you play with shimmering silver, deep blue, and mauve brown.

Classic Red Lips

Red lips are always in style and a great colour boost to pale winter skin. Yves Saint Laurent's Rouge Pur Couture ($30 at Sephora [various locations]) comes in 10 shades of red, from bright orange-red, to vampy maroon. While red lips look great on everyone, paying attention to subtle differences between pigments and finding the right one for your skin tone can really make the colour pop. Those with cooler skin tones should veer towards shades of red that carry almost a blue tone, such as deeper plums. Girls with warmer skin tones should look for bright reds with a hint of orange to complement your golden complexion. If you're making a big statement with the rest of your beauty look, such as trying out the smoky cat eye using a trio of colours, keep the rest of your makeup simple, including your lips. NARS offers two creamy, nude hues that you can layer with your lip gloss, Honolulu Honey and Promiscuous ($24 each at Sephora), to achieve a polished yet subtle look

(source: http://www.straight.com/article-365063/vancouver/top-five-beauty-trends-and-tips-holidays)