Every year, the 1st of January brings with it a mountain of possibility. What happened last year is exactly that, and the opportunity to start fresh should be grabbed with both hands.

Here’s a few tips to start the new year with a bang!

Clean out your closet

If you haven’t worn it in the past season (ie a jacket you wore in winter 2008 but not 2009), it’s time to let go. Cleaning out your closet, and adding a few new pieces, means starting the new year with a new outlook.

Update your makeup bag

Just like food, make up has a shelf life. Mascara should be thrown out every three months. Liquid makeup like eyeliner and foundation lasts up to one year. Powders such as eye shadow, blush and face blotting powder can last up to two years but chances are, if the packaging has worn off, it’s time to throw it out. Treat yourself to a Pasarella mascara from NP Set to kick off 2010.

Get Outside

Living in Australia means we have no excuse to not spend time in the great outdoors for most of the year. Take your dog for a walk, read a book at the local park, rent a bike, join a local tennis club or get off the bus stop one stop early and walk the rest of the way home. Exercise releases endorphins so not only is it good for you, it makes you feel good too!

Drink more water

Your body is made up of between 50 and 70% water so it makes sense to drink up regularly. Swap your daily soft drink for a glass of water and you will notice multiple benefits such as clearer skin, boosted energy and helping to prevent nasty headaches from dehydration.

Set Realistic Goals

Whether it’s saving for a new hair straightener or wanting to achieve better marks at school, it’s important to set realistic goals so that you are always striving towards something. Think about how good you’ll feel when you reach your goal, and make sure you reward yourself when you get there.

Happy New Year!

Aussie supermodel Elyse Taylor is our hottest export since the girl from Gunnedah put the world under her spell. Joining Miranda Kerr as a Victoria’s Secret model at a recent fashion show in New York, the blonde beauty is winning hearts the world over with her fresh, beachy look easily transforms Taylor into a glamorous pixie.

Elyse’s latest campaign sees her appearing alongside Sarah Murdoch as the face of BOND’s 10th anniversary hipster campaign.

The blonde beauty has graced the covers of ELLE, CLEO, madison and most recently, Australian Vogue.

Check out more here

As always, the ARIA Awards were a show down of Australia’s hottest music acts strutting their stuff not only on the stage, but  also down the red carpet. While some outfits were questionable (Molly Meldrum, I’m talking about accessorising with your white fluffy dog),  here’s our pick of beautiful Australian young women.

MTV’s Ruby Rose rocked the red carpet with a gorgeous red strapless number with ruffles. Throw in her punky blonde hair and tatts, and you have one spunky young lady.

Nat Bassingthwaite went for a grecian style creme dress with gold detail. Check out the platforms on those shoes!

Vanessa Amorosi is back with a new attitude and style to match. This daring dress is seemingly held together with large saftey pins. We are loving her chunky rings!

In what appears to be her signature layered style, Orianthi chose bright blue nail polish to finsh off her look. Michael Jackson’s guitarist is making waves with her track  ‘According To You’.

Lisa Mitchell’s pixie boots drew attention on the red carpet. Pairing her dress with matching chunky bangles, Lisa’s look is simple yet stylish.

Quirky Kate Miller-Heidke was stunning in a floor length black silk gown with feather detail. Offset by her statement orange hair, Kate was a stand out on the red carpet.

Girl of the moment Jessica Mauboy opted for a clean white dress with gathered features and chunky chain detail.

The zip details on her shoes added a splice of rock to the R’nB diva’s look.

For more photos and a full list of ARIA winners, check out www.ariaawards.com.au

Photos by Don Arnold/WireImage

Swimsuit Trends

Vintage: Think frills, polka dots and stripes.

Aztec Prints: Carry this wild trend with confidence and heads will turn.

Bold Colours: Pick your favourite and you can’t go wrong. We’re loving yellow and pink.

Towel
The bigger the better! That way you can share with your bestie if she forgets hers. Express your personality with a large flower print, or stick to stripes for a nautical vibe.

Tunes
Beach radios ensure everyone can enjoy the latest hits while chilling out.

Check out this one from Sportsgirl.

Hat
Channel Jason Mraz with a straw trilby…perfect for the beach or summer festival!

Flats
Go from the beach to the mall in these stylish sandals from Zu Shoes.

Sunscreen
A day at the beach wouldn’t be complete without sunscreen. Remember to reapply to keep your skin beautiful for years to come!

 For all your Aussie Cossie needs,  head to www.aussieswimstore.com

When LG and Prada joined to release the Prada phone, the relationship between fashion and technology stepped up to a new level. It’s no longer the norm to have a simple, functional phone. Since then, the release of Prada’s Bluetooth watch has pushed the boudaires with the ability to communicate relevant data, text and e-mail directly to your wrist.

Here we take a look at some of the products that have turned our favourite tech products into a fashion statement (and vice versa).

The studio 15 laptop from DELL invites users to get creative and connected by choosing their own canvas to represent their individual style.

Surf brand Roxy paired with electronics company JBL to release a range of headphones microphones. The headphones come in a cute Roxy bag and fold up for easy storage.

Never miss a beat with these super stylish handbags that double as an i-Pod speaker system.

Fuji Film has your favourite colour covered with their Fine Pix range. Whether you’re loving Hot Pink or Cool Purple, Fuji have a digital camera to suit every wardrobe.

Perhaps the most interesting of these is the Calvin Klein USB Sunglasses. These babies mean you can take your data wherever you go….but would you want to?

But as fashion is so fickle, will we see a bigger turnover in tech trends to feed our ‘what’s new?’ obsession?

NP Set Cosmetics have teamed up with the alluring Lisa Mitchell for an exclusive members giveaway! For your chance to win one of 30 signed copies of Lisa’s Aria nominated debut album Wonder, along with the Party Set and Jet Set makeup palettes from NP Set, enter here! 

Check out the full NP Set range at www.npsetcosmetics.com.au

For more on Lisa Mitchell, head to www.lisamitchell.com.au

Comprising of nine ranges, Lily’s jewellery line features cute and whimsical motifs such as enamel flowers, fruits, traffic signs, pandas, flamingos and pumpkins, in silver, gold or covered in crystals and is available in Australia exclusively through Trilby Phoenix.

“All of the designs stem from anything, whether it’s the surroundings of places I’ve been to around the world, objects I’ve seen. The list could go on forever.” Her favorite piece? “I do love the animals …The pandas are fantastic.”

You can check out the range at Trilby Phoenix, the exclusive Australian stockist.

For more on Lily, click here