Beauty Resolutions

First of all, I would like to say happy new year to all of my readers.  I hope that this year will be your best and most beautiful yet!

Every year, I create New Years Resolutions.  I love using the new year as a time to plan, set goals, and evaluate the progress I made over the past year.  If you would like to read a post about new years resolutions in general, please check out my post from last year here.

 In the spirit of the new year, I thought I'd share a few of my beauty-related resolutions with you. 

1. Quality over quantity.
This a goal I started working on over the past few years.  In the past, I owned every trendy drug-store brand makeup item that existed.  I had piles of makeup in every imaginable color and formula.  I did use it, though.  I had fun matching my makeup colors perfectly with my outfit, and trying all types of looks.  

However, when I went away to college and was forced to scale back, I realized that I actually preferred a more streamlined makeup routine.  I noticed there were certain colors that I wore regularly, and that, when it came down to it, most of the inexpensive items that I had were pretty similar.  After being forced to toss all of my mint-green eyeliners and hot pink lip glosses in order to conserve space, I began to favor my new more neutral and natural look.  So, over the past few years I've weeded out all of the drugstore junk in favor of a few key higher-end products.  Nowadays, I'd rather have one amazing pallet than a pile of inexpensive shadows, or one really luxe foundation instead of 5 ho-hum ones.  This is one resolution I generally stick to, unless I manage to get a super-deal on the cheap stuff.

2. Take care of my hands and feet.
This goal always makes my yearly list.  I like the idea of well-manicured hands at feet at all times.  I think it looks polished and shows the world that you care about yourself and the impression you make.  But sadly, since I stopped getting salon manicures in order to save money, I don't always keep this resolution!  

 3. Add a little lip.
This resolution is a new one this year.  In my past high-maintenance makeup routine, I wouldn't have been caught dead without lip gloss.  The thing is, though, that I have horribly dry lips that flake and crack regularly.  It is so severe that  I'm pretty sure it is some type of skin condition.  As I downsized my makeup routine, I started using lip gloss and lipsticks less and less often until I finally gave them up altogether.  I decided that most lip products further aggravate the dryness and that adding color to dry flaky lips just draws attention to my problem.  These days, I just smooth on some Nivea lip balm and call it a day!  The items pictured are the last few glosses that I have yet to throw out.  I decided I should use them here and there, and then finally, toss them for good.   

4. Use up all my samples.
I request lots of samples online, and generally, I use them up as I get them, with the exception of a few that I stash for travel.  However, lately I've had some around that I either saved, forgot about, or procrastinate on writing reviews for.  So, I'm going to finally give these products a try.  Expect to see some new reviews in 2014!

5. Take excellent care of my skin.
This means using gentle face washes, removing makeup, and washing my face no matter how lazy I'm feeling, then following up with toner, lotion, and eye cream.  I want to exfoliate and moisturize my body more regularly as well.  I also believe that regular massage is essential to help circulation. 

So, do you make resolutions every year? (Feel free to post a link) What is your top beauty resolution this year? 

New Years Resolutions and 43 Things

New Years is by far my favorite holiday.  While most holidays are sort of cozy times spent with family, New Year's Eve is an elegant and exciting night to get dressed up and celebrate with friends.  It is glitzy and glamorous, an evening filled with glitter, sparklers, fireworks, and champagne toasts to a new beginning.  Besides the New Year Eve celebrations, what I love most about New Years is it is a time to come full circle, to look back on what you have done over the past year, and decide where you are going in the new year.  Many people do this by making new year's resolutions.  

In popular culture, the new years resolution is regarded as something you say you will do, but promptly forget.  For me, though, new years resolutions are a serious and important part of my life.  When I heard about the custom as a little girl, I immediately embraced the idea.  I recall scribbling out new year's resolutions at my grandma's kitchen table when I was about ten.  Haha..I wonder what my ten year old self wanted to achieve... If only I had that loose-leaf page!  I do have a little notebook where I have kept new years resolutions and other goals since my late teens.  I regard my resolutions as true goals.  Sometimes they are goals I can achieve in a year's time, others are ongoing and life-long.  While writing my new years resolutions, I let my self dream big.  What is amazing to me, looking back, is that some of my resolutions were just pie-in-the-sky fantasies when I wrote them down, but years later I have completed many of those almost-forgotten goals that I once thought impossible.  This does not surprise me, since I strongly believe in the law of attraction.  For me, writing down goals each year in the form of new years resolutions is not an act of empty promises, it is a means to use the power of intention to build a better life.

Since this process is so important in my life, I wanted to share with you a website called 43things that I use which allows you to list goals you would like to accomplish.  43things is a slightly interactive goal-setting community. You can view other's goals, "cheer" goals (the 43things equivalent of a facebook "like"). You can comment on posts or message members.  When you complete a goal, you can write a post about how you did it to help others who want to do the same thing.  You can also read "How I Did It" posts to get information about your goals.  Completed goals are added to a things done list so you can look back on what you have accomplished.  I find this site so useful and helpful in keeping my goals in sight!  I try to check in often to read my list of goals and make any updates.  

I said the site was slightly interactive because, while your posts are public, your profile is very low-key and only gives as much information as you want to put out.  My 43things profile is very discreet and without information that identifies me such as my picture.  Some people use their real name and photos, it depends on your taste.  You also don't have to interact with other members if it doesn't interest you.  You can use it strictly as a place to keep track of your goals.  I like the "cheer" aspect though, to me it's almost like a little prayer for your goals.  So, I cheer others and like to get cheers.  I have also had experiences where someone posted something helpful or said one of my posts benefited them, and that is pretty awesome! 

43things has a separate list to add your new year's resolutions.  You can check them off when they are accomplished, and look back on prior years.  So, if you are thinking about setting some new year's resolutions, you might want to check out 43things, its a really useful website.  

I wish you the best luck in accomplishing your dreams in 2013!  Hope it's a wonderful year for you.