How many of us actually keep our New Year’s resolutions? We start the year out with the “new year, new me” mentality only to fall flat after a week or two. Well not this time, because this isn’t a sermon about resolutions. This is about facing your fears – your beauty fears, that is.

A ton of girls in my chair at work compliment me on my hair and sigh something like, “I wish I could do something like that…”

My response is always, “Well why don’t you?” Even if the color doesn’t turn out the way you had hoped, nine times out of ten, it’s easily reversible. And even if your hair is that one out of ten times where we can only do so much to change it, color fades and hair grows back!

There’s always the overwhelming possibility that you’ll love your new look and be thrilled that you took the leap. Just be sure to work with a licensed professional first before you have to go and waste the cash to cover that boxed hair color that seemed like a cheaper alternative at the time.

Red lips are another thing that have women totally petrified. It may seem scary if you’re not a gal who likes to wear a lot of makeup, but how much or how often you wear makeup is not the issue. The biggest red-lipped mishaps I see are when ladies choose the wrong color for their complexion and when they forego a good lip liner beforehand to prevent bleeding.

Everyone, and I mean everyone can wear red lipstick.  The key finding out if you’re a warm or a cool by clicking here and choosing either a more orange-toned or true red lipstick if you’re a warm or a cool-toned red lipstick if you’re a cool.  Neutral skin tones are lucky: they can wear any red.

The next step is to line your lips first to make sure the creamy consistency of the lipstick does not bleed into the fine lines around your lips.

Always be sure to bring your lipstick and a little concealer in your bag for touch-ups throughout the day.  There is nothing worse than not checking a highly pigmented pout throughout the day and finding out eight hours later that your lipstick has mysteriously migrated to your chin.

Last, but not least, practice! The best way to eliminate fear is to practice. Don’t wait until that wedding you’re attending soon to show off that lipstick you’re unsure about.  Apply it after you get home from work or class and wear it around the house a few times first to know how that particular lipstick formula will wear and to get that perfect application down.

I wrote an entire article about stiletto nails last semester because they are so incredibly trendy and this trend shows no signs of slowing down. Many girls come into the salon excited to get their claws done and others are still too afraid to move away from the average square shape.

While I am always an advocate to doing what makes you feel comfortable, if you’re thinking you want to try something new like stilettos, why not attempt it for two weeks and if you totally hate them, just have your nail tech square them off when you go to get them filled.

For those nail enhancement virgins who have never had acrylics and would like to try them out, what have you got to lose? They are relatively inexpensive and totally removable.  You would not believe how much a compliment on your perfectly manicured nails when handing a store clerk your credit card will totally make your day.

Most beauty related fears are easily remedied. Hair color, lipstick and acrylic nails are only temporary, after all. So plunge into a new color, practice that red lip, try some claws on for size and always remember that the only attribute you need to “rock” something is confidence.