As a beauty editor, you’d think I would have my beauty game in check. In a lot of areas I do—but I’m also human, so my makeup brushes go far too long between cleanings and I don’t always remove my makeup before I work out. This year though, those things will change. Join me with beauty resolutions of your own. Dry-brushing, anyone? (I’m not there yet either; maybe next year.)
Clean my makeup brushes once a week
Every Friday I think of my weekend ahead and get this delightful feeling that I’ll have time to wash my makeup brushes—finally! I am an avid makeup-wearer, so I have a collection of about six brushes that I use daily. I’m aware of the product buildup, not to mention oil and dead skin that ends up trapped in the bristles, and yet I still fall short and end up not bathing my brushes as frequently as I ought to. This year, I commit to using my yet-to-be-opened BrushPearl and to pop the top on my Real Techniques Deep Cleansing Gel, which smells so yummy that it’s almost an incentive to suds up.
RELATED: 4 Major Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Makeup Brushes
Mask on Sundays (or at least one night a week)
After a really good spin class, I dream of getting home to shower and throw on a sheet mask to relax (really, what’s a better way to wind down after some killer cardio?). Then I get home and I’m sucked into an endless cycle of watching TV with my roommate—why don’t I just shower and then mask while I binge watch? Good question. That’s why it’s on my list, and I think I’ll have my roommate mask with me, making the ritual all the more fun to do. My fave: Dr. Jart+ Water Replenishment Cotton Sheet Mask.
Use cuticle oil and hand cream every night
I preach about how our hands are one of the first places to show our age, and yet I pick my cuticles and let my digits get dry and cracked. I’ve been told by several manicurists that cuticle oil not only improves the appearance of your nails, but helps them grow, too. I really have no excuse because the TenOverTen Rose Cuticle Oil Pen makes it so easy to apply; I’ll be leaving that baby right next to my bed along with the Filorga Hand Cream. I’m addicted to its spa-like aroma, plus it packs anti-aging superstars like hyaluronic acid and collagen.
Remove my makeup before I work out
As bad as it is not to, there are just some nights after work when the last thing I want to do is wash my face in addition to working out—they’re both things I need to talk myself into doing in the first place. But every time I don’t wash my face and allow the makeup from my day to remain intact as I sweat, I wind up with a face full of blackheads, or worse, the first signs of a cystic pimple brewing deep below my skin’s surface. So to not hate myself each time this happens, I’m going to be relying on my trusty Glov On-The-Go Makeup Remover. To use, slip the microfiber pouch onto your finger, add water, and then wipe your makeup away—no cleanser necessary. All I have to do is throw it in my gym bag and then actually use it…there’s no excuse!
Double cleanse nightly
I got a facial a little while back at the Erno Laszlo Institue, which was a truly luxurious experience. My aesthetician turned me on to their Detoxifying Double Cleanse Travel Set. It comes with a cleansing oil and bar soap that both exfoliate and draw out all impurities. I love the little case that it comes with, too, so that my bar of soap isn’t exposed to germs in the bathroom or shower. With the trend of protecting skin from environment effects like pollution, I plan to do all that I can to keep my pores gunk-free and skin squeaky clean.
Set a self-tan schedule
There’s nothing like feeling good in your own skin, and that’s a little bit easier with a tan—at least for me. Every time I get a spray tan, I feel like a million bucks, but instead of committing to weekly spray tans (because that would be $$$) I’m going to get better at using self-tanners like St. Tropez Tanning Essentials In Shower Gradual Tan in Medium. It provides subtle radiance to my skin after just a few minutes in the shower. To get a healthy glow on my face, I’ll be adding a few drops of Tan Luxe The Face Self Tan Serum in Light/Medium to my moisturizer of choice.
Screw the lids tightly on my products
This one probably seems like something I shouldn’t have to actively try to do, but I am who I am. Just this morning, I opened my makeup bag and my Glossier Stretch Concealer was without a top. Luckily, it didn’t dry out or get over everything—but I haven’t been so lucky in the past. I’ve had cream eye shadows turn solid and worthless after only one use, and eyeliners become dull and broken.
Use a pre-shampoo treatment
I like my hair to look good—who doesn’t?—but I rarely have time to style it post-shower. That’s where a pre-shampoo treatment comes in; it’ll treat my hair before I even start my regular shower regimen. When my strands could use a surge of moisture, I’ll apply Philip Kingsley Elasticizer. If I need a deep-clean to lift dirt, oil, and built-up dry shampoo, Dessange Paris Purifying Clay Pre-Shampoo Mask will be my go-to.
Get into using essential oil
I once sat next to a woman on a plane who whipped out an essential oils kit before takeoff and cocktailed her own in-flight mixture to relax and repel airborne bacteria. I want to be like her. I already have my Vitruvi White Stone Diffuser set up in my apartment, and I plan to learn more about their uses and how I can take a more holistic approach in my treating things like headaches and stress.
Experiment with new colors
Although my makeup routine is far from minimal—I use an average of about three eye shadows every day—I tend to rely on the same look everyday. Instead of trying to scrape the remnants out of the shadow pots in my Morphe 35F Fall Into Frost Palette, I’m going to leave my comfort zone of rich coppers and rosy tones and switch it up with colors like the blue and green in The Estee Edit Gritty & Glow Magnetic Eye Palette, which also has a pearlized champagne gold and burnished rust shade that will help with my transition from warm to cool colors.
