YOUR BEAUTY GOALS: 2017 !!

[jemly]

so i was just talking to my coworker about how, whether or not i like it, i always feel stronger--like i can tackle the world better--if i'm feeling good about myself physically. this led to us talking about our "beauty goals" of the new year, how we want to refresh ourselves, what image we want to project onto the world, etc. so, with that in mind, what are your goals this year ? 

disclaimer, though i doubt it's necessary because we're all lovely: one person's goal may be the polar opposite of another person's goal and that is ok ! it's not to diminish what other's want to achieve. i think it's key to keep this in mind, particularly in the age of instagram beauty one-upping, if that makes sense ?

1. more minimal makeup. not necessarily less product on my face, but just a more toned down, chic, light hand and vibe. 
2. keep hair as healthy as possible, but let it go wild. i will be compensating the more light handed makeup with unashamedly ginormous unkempt hair ! 
3. spend less money on makeup, but i'm ok with spending (what i can) on skincare. i'm working on decluttering my collection, just a bit, and i'm happy to spend time really using and loving the things i have. 
4. get new glasses that i love, wear more regularly to give my poor eyeballs a break. 
5. but still go full-on out of this world avant garde glam if i want to. my point being: no reason to be self conscious in 2017 !

i'll add more below if i think of any. how about you guys ? super eager to hear what everyone's goals and thoughts are........

[Melissa136]

@Tamara76 It's only 4 days into the new year and I already have items in my basket 😄 Granted, I didn't push the button yet but the temptation is too much...

[flyte]

1. Shop my stash more! Sometimes my stash feels like a mini makeup counter and I should use that to my advantage.

2. Eat as healthy as possible. Veggies, veggies and more veggies! I have a really sensitive stomach and my skin pretty much reflects what I eat.

3. Low low low buy on makeup. Replenish if needed. Same with skincare.

4. If I do need things, try to save up for the two big sales of the year. Otherwise unless there's great GWP or points, save until then.

5. Watch my spending overall. Even though i have a budget, it can be a shock how much a random item here, or a random item there can add up to. 

6. Bake and cook more. My baking could always use improvement and I do like sweets 😄

7. Wait until sales to buy non-makeup stuff too.

8. Remembering and appreciating everything I have in life.Beautiful life? Haha.

9. Trying to work on my insomnia...

10. Kind of more health than beauty, but maybe consider an IUD. I'm pretty dependent on birth control pills for my hormonal chin acne/pimples though 😞

[MariekeBT]

HI @flyte, I deal with a lot of hormonal acne too which is the main reason I got on BC. I think an IUD may actually help with hormonal acne (it helped my friend with her's!) but definitely talk to your doctor about it. I believe my doctor mentioned it too when I told her about my hormonal acne. (: 

[ashlynaf]

@flyteThese are all basically exactly my goals haha.  You also inspired me to try and bake and cook more.  

I definitely need to keep shopping my stash.  I recently went through my lipsticks, and I have so many great colors.  I want to do some kind of rotation to get more use out of all of them, but I'm not sure what to do yet.  Same goes for eyeshadows.

I went through getting an IUD.  If you want an opinion from someone who has had it done, let me know!

[CC3616]

I loved reading everyones! Lots of great motivations to think about now. 

1. Keep up my skincare routine and don't get lazy! I've been really happy with my skin lately and I know it's a result of the TLC I've put into it. It's also a nice opportunity to take some self investment time. 

2. Use up products I have here, but also not be afraid to ditch something not working for me in the name of not being wasteful. 

3. Be a better GWP/multiplier/promo stacker, but only for things I will use! I travel a lot so mini's are great for me. They're also great to take to work since I "live" there for a day and it's much easier to have things there than lug them back/forth every 3rd day, also having 2 of everything would be too expensive! I have also been able to do a couple rounds of womens shelter donations thanks to all the help of everyone here sharing things and would love to keep that up.

4. Keep up a good diet at work. I'm generally very good about this at home and my boyfriend is a saint for eating all the healthy things I make, but eating together as a shift at work is seen just as much as bonding/social time as it is a meal. Letting them feed me garbage always shows and I need to be better about sticking to what I take or pre-planning compromises with them. Say no to the ice cream, Courtney!

5. SLEEP! I work 24 hour shifts and my sleep schedule sucks, heightened by the fact that I sleep horribly at work. Continue improving my bed-time routine and making changes in my day that will help at night. My skin looks much happier when I get the rest I need.

6. Think about how much I will use something before purchasing and the value of it versus use it will get, not just the price. 

[MariekeBT]

@CC3616, I am with you on #1! I've recently started a very very long skincare routine but I really love when I stick to it. It takes some times but it's a great way to relax before bed and my skin loves it. (: 

#5 also speaks to me! I wake up very very early to commute and I've been mostly good about sticking to a bedtime but sometimes Netflix is just calling my name! 😉 

[ashlynaf]

#2 is something I need to do too.  I have 2/3 empty bottle of GA Luminous Silk sitting in my throwaway pile right now, but I can never bring myself to throw it out.  It works for SO many people and everyone seems to find it to be HG status, but every time I use it I'm disappointed. I need to just get rid of it already.

[shyvicki]

Here are mine:

1. Use up what I have before buying more. I have so many eye shadow pallets I'm not sure how I'll use them all up. Same with lip gloss and even face cream and oil.

2. Quit pulling on my eyelashes. It's always been a nervous habit of mine. I need to replace it with another habit, but not sure what.

3. Find the right haircut. My hair is currently down to my shoulder blades. I'm looking for something versatile and won't take long to fix in the morning (and, no, shaving my head is not an option).

[CC3616]

I pull one spot on my eyebrows, I understand!!! I don't know how/why I picked it up, but it's SO hard to stop.

[Titian06]

@shyvicki & @CC3616 - I pull out my eyelashes and eyebrows.  It's called trichotillomania (the hair pulling crazies).  It's an obsessive compulsive disorder.

My eyelashes keep trying to grow back in, but my eyebrows no longer grow back.

I started in 2000 after going back to college.  For me, it is aggravated by stress and depression.  I found that doing something with my hands helps, so I crochet.

[ExquisiteGypsy]

I battled with trich for years. Such an awful feeling to be unable to stop doing such a repetitive thing like pulling out your hair. It was actually the birth of my daughter that snapped me out of it for good after months of success stopping cold turkey but then falling off the wagon time and time again - although childbirth is a pretty extreme remedy and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to everyone! 😆 I wish you the very best of luck in kicking your habit!

[k617]

Here are mine!

1. Buy fewer products in general and focus on what I've hauled in 2016

2. Figure out my adult acne issue - 27 years of clear skin and all of a sudden I'm getting more breakouts around my mouth/chin area. I have a few ideas:

• Hormonal/stress issues - around the time my breakouts flared up, I was going through a lot of stress: I had a pretty bad back injury and was taking drugs for a short period of time which I suspect messed up my hormonal imbalance. Plus, around the same time, I switched to a generic brand of BCP. In September I switched back, but I've read it takes up to 6 months for your body to get used to the new BCP.
• Lipstick - maybe I really can't wear cream lipsticks if it causes breakouts around my mouth/chin
• Overexfoliation & undermoisturization - in 2016 I saw my skin change to less oily, I might be crossing the line from combo normal/oily to just normal. I might need to cut back on my exfoliation (BHA in AM, AHA in PM) to account for this change and make sure my skin gets more moisture.
• Using too many products - I got really into skincare products in 2015 and that carried into 2016. I think it's possible I'm using too many products. I'm going to try simplifying my skincare routine.

3. Eat cleaner = happier body, healthier looking skin

4 (bonus). If I can work out my skin issues, start wearing foundation less frequently until I can go foundation free

[greenchilli]

@k617

Adult acne (or just the occasional spot) can strike well into the 60s and beyond.   

I will be 42 very soon, and stress, diet, and hormones play a key role in how my skin does.

I typically have a good diet (last month not withstanding), so the challenge is to manage stress and be patient as the body adjusts to my 40s.  

[k617]

Thank you @greenchili!

I guess I'm somewhere in between full on acne and the occasional spot...I currently have 3 active red spots (1 emerging, 1 recovering and 1 stubborn little bugger which I suspect is a papule and won't leave for 2 weeks) but combined with some of the red marks from previous breakouts, looks like acne.

I'm just so used to pimples disappearing within a few days and just leaving a mark. I've never had more than 3 active spots at a time, I remember in University I had a cluster of them form a triangle, and St. Ives apricot scrub took care of it (though I wouldn't touch that stuff now).

I probably stress a little too much about my skin, which likely doesn't help. Red spots are just so obvious on my face, because I'm pale and don't have redness anywhere else on my face, so every spot that hangs out on my face looks horrible!

[greenchilli]

@k617

Hang in there K!  I think it might settle down soon.  When I turned 40 I didn't have a large breakout, but I was getting one or two painful spots often.  That was unusual for me.  What had I done differently?  Nothing at all.

When I went to the derm, she attributed it all to hormonal changes.  Understanding the cause was such a relief.  

P.S:  I spell my handle with two "L"s...for when you tag me 😉

[k617]

Hahaha @greenchilli is that why my tags haven't been going through?! My bad!! 😄

I mainly suspect that hormones are to blame. In the past, I've eaten way unhealthier, used worse skincare products, had less sleep, etc.... even though the GOOD parts of my skin look better now, I'm getting these breakouts still.

I'd feel better if  hormones are really to blame. It's probably the one thing that's out of my control, so all I can do is accept it and deal with it!

[Titian06]

@k617 - I'm with you on #2!  Although I've only had clear skin for 17 years (cystic acne from 10 to 35), I started breaking out on my chin in cysts this past summer.  I stopped BCP to take the hormone test (I'm staring menopause squarely in the face) and then stayed off for an extra month.  When I went back on, my pharmacy gave me a different generic BCP, which I used for three months.  I started breaking out within the first month of using those pills.  During the third month, I called the pharmacy and insisted upon being returned to my original BCP.  Now I'm back on those pills, but I'm still breaking out in cysts.

I have had an allergic reaction to two different brands of lipstick, but neither one caused my chin to break out.  In both cases, my lips swelled up to the size of blimps, burned, and itched.

When my skin changed from oily to combo/oily to mostly normal (now), I did not have a problem with breakouts, just dryness.  I only exfoliated once per day.

If you figure something out, please let me know!

[k617]

Thanks @Titian06! I guess I shouldn't count my baby years hahaha... for me it was clear skin up to 27, then bang it was all gone!

My insurance will cover less of my current BCP this year, and switching brands will bump it back to 80% I'm scared of changing again just because I don't know what it'll do to my body. I was on my current BCP for almost 6 years before switching to generic... maybe my body just really didn't like what was happening. I'm almost afraid to get off of BCP completely fearing what might happen to my face 😞

[Kay522]

1. Work on not buying more makeup and using up what I already have.

2. Be willing to invest more in skincare if it works for me.

3. Work on being more active and eating better. I have clothes that I love but don't fit, and I told myself that if they didn't fit in one year (which will be this coming July) I will donate them. No point keeping clothes that don't fit for ages, it's only going to bring me down. I have a goal, I have a time limit. I'd love to wear those clothes again, but I'd rather own clothes that I'm happy and that fit me as I am. But i'll make the effort and I'll try.

4. Work on my laziness, especially when it comes to keeping things clean and organized. My bedroom especially has been neglected and it's a mess. But, I've already started working on that.

[KellW]

1. Stick to my weight loss/work out goal (when I work out and feel good, I fell like I look better as a result).

2. Use up the products I have (The end of 2014 was the start of my beauty addiction, 2015 was my year of make-up exploration, and 2016 was my year of figuring out what kind of make up I like. I'm hoping that 2017 can be the year of perfecting my skin care AND make up routine). 

3. On that note; perfect and routinely do my skin care routine (Whenever I got really overwhelmed with school, I would start skipping over my skincare routine and then my acne would start flaring up, and it would turn into a very stressful cycle. I want to get out of that very bad habit). 

4. Either finish up the products I keep telling myself to use up or get rid of them because they are just taking up space.

5. Don't buy products for the sake of GWPs and don't go for GWPs that contain products that I don't really need. (This was big for me. Sure my money goes farther when I'm able to get 10 items for the price of 1 item, but if I'm not in love with all 10 items then my money isn't actually going farther because instead of having 1 item that I love, I have 10 items that are 'eh' for me. 

6. I need to stop getting so mad at myself when I'm heavily procrastinating. Getting mad doesn't solve anything and just starts my stressed out, very bad, no good cycle (which is how this connects to beauty 😉 ), so I need to be proactive instead of getting down on myself when this happens.

[unfungirl]

#5 is something I really need to work on!  I am avoiding the promo code thread because I know that I can't resist a good GWP!