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Beautiful trends from 2014 to carry into 2015

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About now, most people are probably saying good riddance to 2014 and hoping for a better 2015.

But when it comes to fashion and beauty, there are trends from 2014 I’m hoping to see more of in the new year.

--Flare came back into denim, and hooray for that. Skinny jeans are great on taut bodies with no hips; flares work better for the rest of us.

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--Salon services took a cue from Uber and became easy to book with a few clicks and swipes on a smartphone. Even better: Increasingly you can summon the salon to your doorstep -- especially nice if you’re prepping for a night out.

--More into DIY beauty? New devices came on the market in 2014 that let you freshen your complexion, fight wrinkles and acne, and remove hair at home with close to professional results.

--Enough with clothes and accessories you wear once and then leave hanging in a closet or stuffed into a drawer. More options for rentals sprang up in 2014, as did recycling options, including the Give + Take Swap Boutique in Santa Monica and recycling programs by major companies such as Eileen Fisher and Nordstrom.

--And eco-friendly and sustainably produced clothing became not just politically correct but more fashionable too.

--Tired of the cookie cutter? Not only did “normcore” pop into the vocabulary of style, with its low-key, individual look that tamps down any notion of designer cachet, but options for personalizing almost every item of apparel multiplied. Shoes, jewelry, dresses, bags -- you can put your own spin on any of them.

--Fashion and beauty companies that sold exclusively online or via other retailers began opening their own bricks-and-mortar stores, giving consumers more ways to check out the merdchandise. (Among the notables: Nasty Gal, Urban Decay and the Elder Statesman.)

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--Beauty is no longer geared almost exclusively to the fair-skinned and sleek-haired. Women of color have grown into a powerful consumer market and hair, skincare and cosmetic companies paid attention, providing more choices for a broader range of customers and expanding the definition of beauty.

--Want proof? Actress Lupita Nyong’o debuted on the international red carpet and instantly proved that an ebony-skinned woman with natural hair could hold the world in awe with her beauty and style. One glimpse of her lip balm during the Academy Awards broadcast was enough to create an overnight spike in product sales, and she was named People magazine’s Most Beautiful Woman of the Year.

I’m sure we’ll be seeing more personalization, eco-consciousness and tech in fashion and beauty in the coming year -- and much more of Nyong’o too.

Now if only someone makes a nail polish that really is as long-lasting as gel without the problematic UV lights used for curing, I’ll tip my hat to 2015.

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