Beauty Resolutions: Vow To Stop Doing This To Your Face in 2017

Despite your best intentions, chances are good you committed a couple beauty no-nos in the year that was. (Or, was that just us?) We asked beauty experts for their thoughts on the worst of 2016—and what to avoid in the year ahead.

Alejandro Falcon, Artistic Director for Osmosis Colour Cosmetics has worked with celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Celine Dion. Here's his rule of thumb: "Sometimes, it’s all about following your own instinct on your beauty level. If it feels off, it usually is. And if you're not getting the compliments you're looking for, it’s time to make change."

Contouring and Bronzer: "Contouring became like the new kale almost overnight," says Alejandro. The natural look of a "normal" face was no longer the standard. "You had to have a perfect oval-shaped face or you were not beautiful. Sometimes fixing something that is already working does not make it better." But, the flip side to all that contouring—highlighting—can be equally unappealing.

Too much Highlighting: Everyone has off days, but working too hard to hide it can have you looking like a reverse raccoon instead of refreshed. Alejandro says: "It is true that concealing and highlighting under the eyes does make us look refreshed and younger looking, but this is not always the case." He says that no matter your age, you should avoid overdoing the highlighting since it can make eyes look smaller or cheeks look too flat.

When Light-Colored Lips Go Wrong: Lighter lips are always a great partner to smoky eyes to soften and balance the look. But, Alejandro isn't a fan of the look on "a darker skin when there isn’t a bolder look on the eyes. You can still wear a lighter color [lipstick], but depending on your skin tone, you might want to enhance it with some pink...to avoid looking washed out. Especially if the eyes do not have any kind of definition from a liner application."

Founder and Editor in Chief of Beautyinthebag.com Wendy Lewis isn't a fan of naked pouts either. "I love nude lip colors, but if you choose a shade that matches your skin tone and is matte or overly pale, they just wash you out and your lips blend into your face with no definition. Choose a nude with a pink or peach tones, and add a gloss, to make your lips looks soft and pretty—not deadly!"

Borrowing from the Boys: You know all those reports about how men's skin looks so much better because shaving exfoliates their faces on a daily basis? Well, some women have been taking razors to their own faces...to mixed results. Celebrity makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff is extremely careful with any tools she uses on famous faces. Instead of a razor (yikes), Sheriff suggests using a beauty tool called Dermaflash. The device exfoliates, plus removes unwanted peach fuzz, she explains.

Halloween eyes: Wendy says that the Goth look for daytime (past high school, at least) is a no-go. Smoky eyes are sexy and gorgeous. But, an opaque dark gray or black eye is just over-the-top—and actually a little scary.

Insta Eyes: From eyebrows that look like you used a stencil to shape and color them, to way too many lash extensions, to heavy, thick bands of false lashes that make you think the circus is in town, Wendy isn't a fan of beauty that's wholly store-bought. "Makeup should enhance your natural beauty, rather than overtake it. Think of eye makeup like the famous Coco Chanel fashion quote: Before you go out of the house, take one thing off."

And finally, an informal social-media poll declared that the scariest trend of the past year would have to be too-long, too-pointy nails. If you plan on putting in contact lenses, holding a baby, or touching anything that's delicate, you might want to reconsider the pointy mani. Listen, We can't all be Khloe Kardashian. (Feel free to peep her amazing nails. Just don't copy them.)

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