What's the difference between a beauty staple and a beauty rut? 

    An example of a beauty staple is that you always wear red lip color. You wear a variety of reds, depending on your mood, outfit and the occasion. You wear reds in varying formulas - Sheer red for daytime, a dramatic, matte red when making a statement, a red gloss to the gym. A beauty Rut, on the other hand, is you only wear Revlon Cherries in the Snow day or night, for every occassion, for many years.

  I've encountered many women in the course of my career who never bothered with makeup because they never learned how to apply it. Never wearing makeup is another type of beauty rut. You're stuck because you're intimidated, afraid of messing up or simply at a loss where to begin.

  When I attended beauty school in Australia I was there in search of a career. I met a lovely young woman in class and I just assumed she also had aspirations to be a professional makeup artist. To my surprise, she had no interest in pursuing makeup professionally. She told me that every couple of years she takes a makeup course to learn new techniques and discover new colors. I told her she'll always be beautiful with that attitude and to this day I believe that's true.

Keeping an open mind and being open to new things is key to looking your best. I've noticed that many people stick to whatever they were initially taught when they first learned about makeup. Many clients will say things like "I was told to never ever use Coral lipstick" or "I was told I have a cool undertone" They may have been told this at a department store makeup counter when they were fifteen years old and they keep it as gospel for the rest of their lives (Or until they meet me and I tell them how styles change, formulas change and YOU change, so none of these "rules" are written in stone.)

Sometimes we get into a beauty rut because it's all we know, other times because it's what we like. I have a beloved aunt who has beautiful blue eyes. She wears frosty blue eyeshadow (think Barbara Eden in I Dream of Jeannie) for as long as I can remember. I've talked to her very frankly about how out-of-date the look is and how if she wants to make her blue eyes pop, she should try a warm brown instead of frosty blue shadow. I've even applied it (Brown shadow) for her and she looked amazing. Did she embrace warmer toned eye makeup? She did not. As soon as she could she reverted back to her frosty blue eyeshadow that washes out her blue eyes. I was told once that people stick to things like hair color or makeup that they had at the happiest time of their life, no matter if it's no longer the look for them. I guess that's why taste is subjective and the goal really is to be happy with oneself. 

 Makeup can be a powerful tool. It helps Cancer patients counteract the physical side effects of treatment as they continue to work, raise their children, etc. When we're young, everything looks good! We choose makeup because of fun packaging, yummy scents or because the color looks pretty in the compact. As we mature, we have to be more strategic about makeup. Is the color too harsh? Is it softer and therefore more youthful-looking? Does the application technique lift the features? I find that my philosophy of "Minimum Makeup, Maximum Impact" becomes more important as we age. If you choose the more flattering shades and apply them correctly you can quickly and easily make a big difference in your appearance.

I referanced department store makeup counters earlier - my favorite description came from a client who had a makeover at Bloomingdale's and says she came out looking like "a birthday cake" Its funny because we all know what she's talking about. That said, I think its a great idea to stop by a makeup counter and ask for some makeup pointers. You may not like everything they apply, but you might discover a new product, shade or technique that will be a gamechanger for you. 

If you suspect you may be in a beauty rut - been wearing your makeup the same ways for many years, it's a great idea to look into something new. It will refresh your look, ensure you look more modern and lift your spirits!