New Year's Beauty Resolutions

Other than vowing to continue living a life where I put my goals, wishes, and dreams first, like I do every year, I rarely make New Year's resolutions. I find them to be poorly planned and given loftiness that almost always deflates in mid February.

 Over the course of the past year I have become more playful with the idea of cosmetology and the power it has over so many women and even men. Not only do I think about it's roots in ancient Egypt but I also play around with different looks on myself. Putting on makeup is the one task I do somewhat daily that I actually enjoy aside from eating and sleeping. Because we spend so many hours over the course of our year with our favorite beauty products in hand, I decided I would structure a few resolutions around exactly that. Beauty.

1. Take it off

 This year, before I even think about putting it on, I must vow to myself that it will come off. If I don't I will wake up with mascara stained pillow cases and a lovely batch of acne to wage war against all week. So this year I resolve to hitting the sheets makeup-free.

2. SPF. SPF. SPF.

Despite the permanent cloud that seems to loom over the city in the winter months, I resolve to slather on sunscreen of moisturizer with SPF every day. Not only is it good for the health of your skin but it also keeps you looking dewy and young...(forever, right?)

3. Clean my brushes

I do this often but probably not often enough. To avoid bumps, redness, and the transfer of bacteria I will clean my beauty brushes at least once a week. I usually rinse them once by one under warm water after slathering them with hand soap. Soaking them in warm soapy water and drying laying down also does the trick.

4. Master the art of eyeshadow

To truly understand become a woman is to apply a good smoky eye. Not to mention there is so much you can do with eyeshadow to add some pop to your winter look with bright shades and metallics. My goal this year is to pick up the right brush and walk away without looking like I'm covered in bruises. A good eye not only looks gorgeous and sophisticated.

5. Accessorize with a bold lip

Lately, lip trends are straying away from the class fire engine red or nude. In an ode to 90's beauty, deep berry shades are making a comback (sans the liner). Even bubblegum pink makes the occasional appearance on the beauty guru. A good lip can add depth to a look and make a typical outfit a shade more interesting.