New Year's Resolutions for Makeup

With every new year, we all hear a lot about the top resolutions people make for themselves, and why they want to make changes in their lives. Losing weight, traveling, doing good deeds, and getting organized are some aspirations most people aspire for. Of course, they're great resolution ideas and all, and it shouldn't hurt to try. There's always room for self-improvement, right?

Personally, I wasn't a believer with making new year resolutions before. I figured I'll quickly fall out of practice after a couple months, and fall back into my usual habit. Maybe I was just shooting for the boring 'most popular' and stereotypical resolutions, or ones that other people expected of me. But those never worked as well as I'd hoped because they were things I wasn't truly interested in at the time.

This got me thinking: what resolutions should I consider? The key is to direct the goals toward enjoyable experiences. I know they've got to be important, but also realistic and practical. So I've finally decided to hop on this 'new year's resolution bandwagon'. Instead of general lifestyle changes, I'm focusing on resolutions for my makeup hobby. I know I've got a few embarrassing flaws tied to my makeup use, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one with the same problems. Let this be our reminder to take care of these matters because it's never too late to make our daily interests even better for our health of mind and body.

4 NEW YEAR'S MAKEUP RESOLUTIONS TO MAKE :

1. Wash makeup brushes regularly.

This is probably the biggest 'makeup sin' I've committed. I must admit, I often get lazy to wash my brushes. If I'd just wash them at least once a week (instead of once every few weeks or more than a month), I could maintain the brush bristles in cleaner, better, and stronger condition. Overusing them may lead bacteria build-up that can irritate the skin. And as more product gets trapped in the brush, the hairs can loosen and shed out making it more difficult to apply your makeup precisely. As a result, I'd get more tempted to purchase new brushes instead—which leads us into my next resolution point...

2. Lessen spontaneous makeup shopping sprees = save time and money.

I have a bad habit of buying products, trying it once, and never touching them again. On top of that, I hardly make the effort to return items I don't even like. My makeup collection continually piles up with junk I don't need. To avoid this mess and hassle, research information, read reviews, and compare prices on one or two products before going out on a wild makeup hunt. That way, we can stray away from wasting time and money on random purchases.

3. Remove makeup before sleeping.

Sometimes we will forget to do this, and other times we may be too stubborn and lazy. But it's highly unhealthy and unsanitary if we don't take the time to remove all makeup before heading to bed. Wearing makeup for a day can naturally collect bacteria, dirt, and oil on the face, which may cause more wrinkles as it weighs into fine lines. The layer of skin on your face is much thinner and more sensitive compared to the rest of the body, hence making it vulnerable to breakouts, infections, and irritations. Removing the makeup before sleeping allows your skin to breathe and could save you some prep time the next morning. ULTA beauty stores has a variety of effective makeup remover items which you can find listed here with affordable prices and reviews.

4. Cut down makeup application time.

Applying makeup can take an excessive amount of time for me. I tend to get bogged down into the details of the procedure and my 'perfectionist' side slows down the whole process. It's important to practice simpler makeup looks, to find easier application methods, or to simply skip wearing makeup for a day more often. That way, I can cut down the time it takes to get prepped and dressed. I know I want to look good and 'put-together' for the day, but it's better to have more time to do other (more) important things, too. If you're headed for work, school, or an event, makeup should NOT be the reason why you were late. I know I've those close calls before, and the stress to rush on your makeup is unnecessary.

Overall, makeup should be a fun experience, and these related steps shouldn't be forgotten in that experience either. Hopefully this has been an insightful read, and hopefully has inspired you to come up with some makeup resolutions for yourself as well! I'd love to hear what y'all come up with (maybe I need to pursue more makeup resolutions myself).

Happy 2014, my friends!

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