Adore YOUR BEAUTY

#1. Commit to an immaculate complexion

There are many (those with tiny pores and normal or dry skin) who have no skin issues whatsoever. This means they can get away with sleeping with makeup on, never getting a facial and using any type of cleanser. But for acne-prone women, not so much. Your skin requires more maintenance than others to achieve the clear complexion you really want. So this means a fool-proof regimen. Get a mild exfoliator like Origin's Never A Dull Moment to use weekly, a daily deep cleanse with a facial tool like Clairasonic, and a professional facial once a month. And stay away from synthetic or synthetic/human hair blends. The dyes found in them will irritate your sensitive skin, causing it to break out even more. 

#2. Get your scalp analyzed

I have to say, if your scalp is at all sensitive (and even if it's not) you owe it to yourself to get your scalp analyzed by a professional. The folks at PhytoSpecific, J.F. Lazartique and Organic Root Stimulator (at events) will inspect your scalp and strands under a microscope to determine what they are lacking, and will even detect if your body has enough vitamins and minerals (J.F. Lazartique). Then give you a treatment (scalp scrub and mask with steam) and prescribe the best type of shampoo and conditioner it truly needs. Remember, your scalp is an extension of your skin and you have to treat it in the same way: with delicate care.

#3. Leave the lace front wigs alone

We understand the allure of wigs and why they are so tempting to wear. Shoot, we have a few stashed away for when the mood strikes because wigs are oh so convenient. They instantly allow you to get a new look then be able to take it off at the end of the day. And therein lies the issue with lace fronts: they are glued on, a technique meant for temporary use on women who perform on the stage or the silver screen. But because some are convinced that being the star in their daily lives requires a lacefront they've succumbed to this unhealthy practice that includes shaving the natural hairline and damaging their hair and scalp underneath. Ironically this epidemic has produced the opposite effect: our men are not attracted to the look and women laugh at it. So, please, let's leave that in 2011.

#4. Let go of your hair

Did anyone realize how much Rihanna and Solange came into their own when they cut off their hair. While we're not recommending that you go out and chop off your mane, we are recommending that you rethink how attached you are to it—even when it's not your own. After seeing so many women become completely undone when their hair gets cut—on every episode of "America's Next Top Model," "Tough Love Miami and even at our own Big Chop events—we have to say crying over your hair is not healthy. We should love our hair and your bodies. But neither defines our true beauty. And if you find that you are emotionally attached to your hair, then there's a bigger issue. Your hair might be your crowning glory, but what's inside your head are the real jewels. Remember this: if you want to chop it off or if your stylist trims it a little too short, don't sweat it. It's only hair. Because as long as you're living and the follicles aren't closed, it will grow back.

#5. Find a signature makeup look

Every celebrity knows which makeup works for them, so why not you? Do you look best wearing a smoky eye and nude lip or a powerful lip and nude eye? Find out by experimenting. No woman should ever be over the age of 25 and not know how different make styles resonate on her face. So get thee to Sephora, MAC, Lancome, Bobbi Brown, Fashion Fair or your favorite department store and get a lesson. Learn how to create the look you want for when you want it. Being made up by a professional is the best, but there's nothing like knowing how to DIY your own glam whenever you want.

#6. Join #Teamnatural...

But don't condemn those who aren't on it, yet. For decades we were sold the bill of goods that straighter is better. And ironically, we started to wear our hair naturally in protest of this. Then once we gained entry into corporate America and our  hair became a political symbol, we straightened it to get along. But we eventually rebelled back. First with cornrows, then with locks and now with our coils, curls and kinks out and full. Teamnatural is a growing movement, yes. But for many, wearing their hair straight or even with straight extensions is simply a style choice; more of a reflection of how much time they want to spend on daily styling. Nothing more, nothing less. It doesn't mean they are not happy with their natural texture, culture or are harboring some deep level of self-hate. It only means they want to wear this look. This day. And we should respect that. Let's not judge.

#7. Wipe your celly

If you've noticed breakouts along the side of your face where you normally hold your phone, time to keep some facial wipes handy. Cell phones rub against your skin, which has makeup on it. Combine it with daily debris collected from the bottom of your purse and you've got a fool-proof mix for pore attack. And that only leads to breakouts. So keep those hand sanitizers and facial wipes to clean before and after use.

#8. Replace that bedtime scarf...

With a gorgeous satin pillowcase! A satin, not silk, pillowcase will prevent breakage (cotton snags the fibers of our curls and coils), keep your style in tact and allow you to look fly while sleeping. And who wouldn't want to wake up to that.

#9. Commit to a fly body

Laila Ali once said "No one should be walking around with an extra 20 pounds on their body, unless you're giving birth." While we all can't be nothing but muscle like tennis star Serena Williams, we all can commit to doing something. At least three times a week. For no one but ourselves. Because no matter what you say, there is a big difference between being "thick" and being, well, fat.  And it's one thing that women like Serena, Kim Kardashian and JLo have proven it's this: we can have thick thighs, a big booty and a flat stomach too. We've about to "get on it," like Janet says in her new weightloss commericals. Ready to join us?

#10. Love your complexion

The upcoming release of "Dark Girls," Bill Duke's documentary where mocha sistas lament the pain and shame they feel from being dark-skinned makes us sad. First it was our hair, studies showing we're going to end up single and broke, and now our skin tone. Et tu Bill? While it's great to highlight the real pain points that have existed within our community (and I get it), the more they come out the more I just want us to stop holding on to the hurt. To love ourselves no matter what; inject words and deeds of love into a child's heart from a young age; let go of any hurtful words anyone has ever said about your beauty and never, ever, let anyone—except you—define your beauty.

#11. Clean and ditch your makeup tools

So that puff that's inside your pressed powder compact should be the first to go. It's not meant to last forever. In fact, you should use it only once, twice tops. The reason is they act as a conduit, transferring germs and dirt from your face back into the compact. Then it sits enclosed until you use it again. So pick up the inexpensive kind at the drug store, place them inside a glass jar and use as necessary. Note that makeup brushes are more sanitary, but you have to cleanse themas well, at least nightly. Think of it this way: You wash your face everyday so shouldn't the tools that touch it afterward be just as clean.

#12. See the beauty all around you

There's something fabulous that happens when you start to really see and embrace the beauty that's all around you, even in the littlest things or for what the world sees as the most unusual things (think Shallow Hal). Suddenly you become the very things you project and the world only sees the real beauty in you. The world is yours, let's go 2012!