Pantone recently spent some time observing people’s current color trends and preferences in order to pick a color of the year. The answer they came back with may surprise you: ultraviolet. The choice was inspired by “color signals” among consumers, and the self-proclaimed color experts stated that their decision indicates a message of hope, “because it takes two shades that are seemingly diametrically opposed—blue and red—and brings them together to create something new.”

Perhaps that’s reading more into a color than is necessary. Or perhaps it’s a message we can all take to heart in our exploration of our personal beauty. Maybe 2018 can be the year that you step outside your comfort zone, push aside the thoughts of what you can and can’t “pull off,” and create a new definition of beauty. And perhaps exploring the color of the year will be the gateway to an entirely new look for you.

The Eyes Have It

Eyeshadow is a great place to begin exploring new colors in your makeup routine. So put aside those shades of brown, and try out something a little bolder. Purple can make a beautiful impact as an eyeshadow, helping to add a powerful punch of color to your look. Our Glorious eyeshadow is just as beautiful as the name implies, with a subtle shimmer that will make the color really stand out.

Add a purple finish to your look with a deep violet eyeliner, like our Noble liner. The deep violet is dark enough that even those with more conservative styles can be comfortable using it. But the underlying purple tones will really draw out the color in your eyes and highlight their natural shape and beauty.

A Royal Kiss

Purple is the color of royalty—and the occasional pop star. But ultimately, purple is a confident color, and perhaps that’s why many women tend to shy away from it in their makeup routines. It can be an intimidating color to tackle. But if you wear it with as much confidence as this color demands, it can give you an entirely new outlook on your own beauty.

If you’re just beginning to explore the color purple in your cosmetics, our Royal lip gloss is the perfect way to pump up your confidence. You can layer it over your favorite nude or pink lip color to add a deep, berry-toned shine to your kiss. As you grow more comfortable with using purple hues in your makeup routine, you might venture into something bolder, like our LipLast in the vibrant violet color that we call Remarkable.

However you choose to add it to your cosmetic pallet—in subtle hints or bold strokes, on the lips or the eyelids—try exploring purple this year. You just might find an entirely new look and gain a new perspective on your own beauty. And odds are, you can pull it off a lot better than you think.

Where does your definition of beauty come from? Whether you realize it or not, there are many influences on your personal definition of beauty. Your mother, sisters, friends, significant others, and, of course, society at large all play a role in manipulating or perspective of what it means to be beautiful. With so many influences pushing and pulling on our views, it’s normal for things to sometimes become skewed.

But now is the time to put things back into perspective. Who will you allow to continue defining your beauty for you? At Shine Cosmetics we live by a motto: Nobody can create or define your beauty but you.

Identifying Your “Beauty Influences”

If you’re like most women, you’re already bogged down by others’ definitions of beauty. Your own definition is simply a combination of different “beauty influences”—others who have pressed their definitions of beauty on you. So how do you separate those opinions to find what you truly believe to be beautiful?

First, write down what you think makes a woman beautiful. Is it being a size 2? Is it perfect lips and a flawless complexion? Glossy hair and a swan-like neck? Once you’ve written down everything that you think makes a person beautiful, try to define where each of those ideas comes from.

Was your mother always obsessing over her skin and applying endless creams and layers of foundation? Perhaps her perspective caused you to believe you needed perfect skin to be beautiful. Did your best friend fawn over long and luxurious eyelashes, and constantly experiment with mascaras and eyelash extensions to get those beautiful lashes just right? Maybe she influenced your definition of beauty as well.

Defining Your Own Beauty

Once you’ve identified as many beauty influences as you can, make a new list—this one of the things you see in yourself that make you beautiful. Maybe you love your eyes. Perhaps you adore your freckles or your full lips. Let these things become your new definition of beauty.

Because Shine is not about hiding your imperfections. It’s about showing each and every woman that your beauty is not defined by society or anyone around you. It’s about highlighting those things you love about yourself and becoming your own kind of beautiful. Always remember that beauty products don’t create beauty; they simply let your natural beauty shine through.