Wear more color and 11 other things to remember in 2012

If the world is going to end this year, might as well go out with a bang. So, this year, strive to become bolder, braver and wiser in the decisions you make and the actions you engage in.

Here are things you shouldn’t forget as you rock 2012.

1. Wear something quirky. You know, a cute, sculpted hat, starfish-shaped sunglasses or neon-colored pumps. If you can step out in something relatively outrageous in this world of vitriolic fashion bloggers and Twitter haters, and survive, then you’re sure to get through any other obstacle — fashion-related or not — that comes your way.

Dream destination for this year: Bhutan

2. Wear more color. Tangerine tango is the color of the year. Pantone has declared it. The citrusy shade, a darker, feistier cousin of coral, from the tropical sun-stroked South, is enough of a hint that this year is going to be brighter, bolder, fiercer than last year — if you take the muted honeysuckle color of 2011 as a comparison.

It’s a good thing for us since this color is well-suited to the browner and more olive Asian skintones. For making major impact, pair it with equally bold blues, emerald greens and golds.

3. Chew food carefully. When was the last time you really chewed your food properly like your mother told you to? Sit down and chew every bite until it’s properly masticated pulp. You’ll be surprised at how good it feels and how good food actually tastes. Also, it prevents you from becoming too gassy.

4. Surround yourself with people who work outside of your industry. It’s good to know what other people are involved in that’s completely different from yours. Learn what other people are doing to make a difference, to get ahead or even just to survive. A different way of life leads you to a different viewpoint and eventually a more open way of thinking.

It’s not orange: Bold tangerine is best when paired with other bright colors.

5. Sometimes, sacrifice comfort for fashion. Alexander Wang’s sky-high metallic loafers from last season, Balenciaga’s sculpted-heel, open-toed booties, and the now-classic YSL platform pump were all created, not so you can trek in them from one end of The Fort to another, but to make your legs look extra-long and extra-lean and extra-fierce. Plus, a smashing pair of heels force compels the body to lift the butt, straighten the spine and square the shoulders. And encourages you to catwalk it out down the sidewalk. Worry about your sore arches later.

6. Bargaining should only be done when shopping. Try to get a good deal when buying clothes, gadgets, bags, mass merchandise. When it comes to your relationships or your career, don’t settle for anything less than full-price. You can wear cheap clothes, but never cheapen yourself by going for a relationship that comes too easy and breaks down way too fast, or for a job that doesn’t value you the way you value it.

7. Travel because you want to, not because you have to. Traveling for work doesn’t count. A trip only becomes a real journey if you planned everything, booked everything and researched everything yourself. Travel only becomes real when you’re giddy at take-off and even giddier the moment you touch down at your destination. It becomes an adventure when you expect nothing and everything at the same time.

As good as it gets: Underwear is the currency that makes you feel good about yourself. Bra and panties from DKNY Intimates at Rustan’s.

8. Edit your life. Cut down on excess. Throw out things you don’t need. Question. Put an exclamation point next to your goals. Change your story if you have to. Just don’t put a final period unless you’re sure of a happy ending.

9. Keep your friends. The real ones. Those who will fight for you and stay loyal even if they haven’t heard your side of the story. Those who will tell you, to your face, that you’re becoming too bitchy outside of your PMS period, or are setting yourself up for heartbreak with that guy and that, yes, that dress does make you look fat.

10. Moisturize. Nearly every skincare problem — lines, dark spots, dullness, dryness, oily spots, blemishes — can be solved by using the right moisturizer — with SPF — even as early as in your teens. Twenty years from now, when everyone else is buying off vouchers for laser treatments and lunchtime surgeries, you’ll realize how your investment in day creams, night creams, eye serums and hydrating lotions has paid off.

Up the heel: For a better-looking bod, wear fierce, sky-high heels.

11. Laugh along. Don’t take what other people say too seriously. Learn to laugh at silly jokes, grand gestures and stupid mistakes. Learn to laugh at yourself. Life will be so much better if you do.

12. Invest in underwear. Even if no one but your cat, and in the heat of the moment, your otherwise preoccupied partner, will see it; even if you have no intention of posing for the Pirelli calendar; even if you don’t have Adrianna Lima’s curves, buy nice underwear. That fits just right. That doesn’t itch. That enhances your curves. That makes you feel good.

Wet dream: It’s never too early to moisturize. A lightweight gel moisturizer, such as Clinique’s Moisture Surge Intense, is ideal for our humid climes.