My favorite things to doodle have always been stuff that has anything to do with being a girly-girl. So the other night while I was randomly doodling, I suddenly got the idea to make a post about 5 of the beauty resolutions I made for the new year. I really have much more than 5, but these are the ones that I feel will make the biggest positive changes for us ladies when it comes to looking and feeling better without really taking too much effort. Accompanying my resolutions are some of the actual doodles that inspired me to write this post :)
1. Invest in good skin care
I think it’s super important for every girl to really get to know her skin well. It took me ages to figure my skin out since it can go from super oily to super dry in the span of a few days. But once I did become a master at being able to tell what my skin needs, then everything just fell into place. I stopped peeling out of nowhere, I was able to reduce my redness and breakouts, and basically I began to be really happy with the overall look and feel of my skin.
Don't be afraid to experiment with different moisturizers, scrubs, toners, etc. Just don’t go overboard! If you want a product that truly works, then be willing to spend a little because some of the more affordable products may not always work wonders for everyone. Believe me, I’ve tried haha! But just always keep in mind that a good skin care routine is something you’ll thank yourself for when you’re older. And the better your skin looks, the less makeup you’ll need to buy!
Some basic tips:
- Cleanse, tone, and moisturize everyday
- Exfoliate at least once a week. (Twice if you’re oily.)
- Wear sunblock every day. This is the secret to aging gracefully.
- Facemasks are amazing if you’re in need of some serious rejuvenating.
2. Get more sleep
Many college students like myself would agree that all-nighters are just unavoidable. Looking like a zombie is the price you pay if you wanna get that A. Or if you’re just a really intense crammer haha. But seriously speaking, depriving yourself of sleep is really one of the worst things you can do to your body. Aside from the usual dark circles and eyebagsmaletas, skin also loses its radiance if it is not able to rejuvenate itself while you're sleeping (which is the best time for it to do so). That’s why I promised myself to get at least 7 hours of sleep as much as possible this year despite the fact that I have 7:30am class every morning.
3. Get better quality brushes and clean them regularly
Skills can only get you so far if you’re not working with the proper tools. I didn’t quite understand this yet when I was younger, so I used to think that any brush would do, even if the bristles would hurt my face. But now I know that the set of brushes you use can really make or break your makeup. Slowly, I started collecting some of the more high-end brushes and I automatically threw out the crappy ones that came free with palettes. I guarantee, it will make all the difference. I definitely have no regrets with my purchases even if they hurt my wallet like crazy.
Many women (myself included) are guilty of not deep cleaning their set of brushes as often as they should. Of course as a makeup artist I deep clean the brushes I use on clients every time I’m working on a different set of people, but I wish I could say the same when it comes to my personal set of brushes. Brushes that are clogged up with too much product don't work as effectively, and not to mention the fact that it may be a cause for breakouts. So this 2015 will be the year that I shampoo the brushes I use everyday every 2 weeks (1 month at the most), which is the recommended amount of time based on my research.
4. Don't neglect your hair
I really wanna bring more life back to my hair which is why I've also decided to commit to taking better care of it. You could definitely say that one of the great loves of my life next to makeup is my curling iron. I love creating different styles with my hair, but of course this results in my hair being dry and damaged in the long run. And to add to that, my hair also happens to by dyed chocolate brown, but I never had the patience to use any special treatments for colored hair even if it desperately needs it.
It was only last year that I discovered the amazing nourishing effects of hair treatments. I used to think that only the ones offered in salons work, but to my surprise, even those treatments that you can purchase in big tubs or even sachets are actually really effective. Not everyone can just go to a salon to have special vitamin boosts or hot oils done, so these are really great alternatives for those on a budget. I've already hoarded on different kinds of these treatments from Keratin to Moroccan Argan Oil variants, so hopefully I can reverse some of the effects my beloved curling iron has done this year.
5. Master the art of makeup
I know a lot of girls who would really love to wear makeup but get discouraged when they don't get it right the first time. Like I said in my first entry, even I still cringe at my old tutorials. But they made me realize that everyone has got to start somewhere, and I know that if I was able to improve my makeup game this much, then anyone surely can! If you're someone who loves makeup as much as I do, then don't ever give up on it as well.