Beauty rules are made to be broken. I’m not saying you should jump on the super-classy train of shaving off your eyebrows and drawing them in with dark eye pencil. I mean, some rules are for the safety and well-being of everyone around you. But there are some accepted diktats that are unnecessarily restrictive, and you can feel free to flout the authority figures of fashion and beauty and be a sexy rebel.
Rule #1: You should never emphasize both your eyes and your lips at the same time.
- Rebel Yell: If you want to have smoky, dramatic eyes and lips that pop, you should do exactly that! The key to making this work is letting your skin be a flawless, natural-looking canvas on which those eyes and lips can be painted. Your skin shouldn’t be overly caked with makeup, nor overly accented with blush/bronzer/luminizer. Instead, focus on looking like a very natural beauty who just so happens to have va-va-voom lips and eyes.
Rule #2: Prevent your skin from being shiny by using powder.
- Rebel Yell: Dewy skin is in. Having a little bit of shine and glow is sexy, natural, and makes you look so much healthier than a dramatic matte look. Additionally, caking powder on your face is just asking for the plasticine look favored by creepy baby dolls in toy stores everywhere. Dewy goes double for summer, when a fresh-faced look is your best accessory.
Rule #3: Never let bra straps show
- Rebel Yell: A well-coordinated bra strap with a cute, simple shirt can be every bit as flattering as layering with camis, but more supportive for your lady bobbles. Make sure that your bra straps are well-maintained, though. A dull, greying, or worn looking strap just makes you look like you’re okay with dirty panties. At least, that’s what goes through my head when I see it. Also, don’t wear racerback bras with anything but racerback shirts, or there will be too much bra fabric showing in back. You want just the strap, just for a second, just to see how it looks. Glimpses are sexy. Flaunting is tacky. Know the difference.
Rule #4: Always wear sunscreen
- Rebel Yell: Okay, I’m going to tread carefully here so I don’t get ripped open by the skin cancer and anti-aging police. Too much sun exposure is terrible for your skin, and can cause cancer and premature aging and spots and other bad things. But wearing sunscreen every minute of every day is a large part of the reason that Americans are suffering from a growing epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency (which can cause everything from cardiovascular disease to lethargy). A small amount of unprotected sun exposure on a semi-regular basis is a great way to prevent this, and to keep your mood elevated. Think about shooting for 15-30 minutes of sun when you can get it, before going inside and applying sunscreen. Remember that sunscreen takes about 15 minutes after application to give you full protection, so wait a bit before going back into the sun after applying.
Rule #5: Don’t wear white after labor day
- Rebel Yell: There is something imminently sexy and snow-bunny-esque about wearing bright white in the winter. You’ll look pure as the driven snow, and immediately brighten up the darker surroundings of the colder months. Just make sure that the fabrics are cold-weather appropriate, and that you’re not wearing it to a winter wedding, and you should be good to go.
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