People keep asking me...
"When are you going to start your beauty blog?"
To which my reply was always, one day soon... maybe! Because truthfully, it was a terrifying proposition to delve back into blogging. After graduating college, I started a mildly successful film & television blog called, Do You Have A Flag? I faithfully kept this blog going for two years and then, life did what it does best, and took over.
When I started Do You Have A Flag?, I lived at home, had just started started my first post-collegiate "real job," was single (and ready to mingle), and had no idea what my life might look like long-term. I'm now married, on my 5th "real job," but in my first real career as an art director, and I've gone from living in Brooklyn for many years to buying a house in Westchester County. So, life is a little different now to say the least. But my need for a creative outlet seemingly hasn't changed.
For years I have been quietly hoarding beauty products. I've spent hours on YouTube watching tutorials, listening to the soothing sounds of Lisa Eldridge, and attempting to perfect my liquid liner technique. I went from owning 3 beauty products for most of young life that I had no idea how to actually use (concealer, blush, and eye pencil), to having an entire closet devoted to makeup and skincare. I slowly started to understand the true purpose of makeup, the importance of washing my face every night (and wearing SPF), and why contouring can be the devil if you don't do it the way Rose-Marie Swift says to. When I look at someone's face, I can tell you what eyebrow pencil will suit them, what color eyeshadows will complement their natural coloring, and what lipstick will be just enough to get people talking. I have learned (and continue to learn) a lot about beauty–what it really looks like. So, that's been me for the last 8 years. But now, I'm turning a new corner in my relationship with makeup.
On November 27, 2016, I turned 30. No, I did not freak out about entering a new decade. I welcomed it! But with that milestone came the realization that I was a) spending WAY too much money on products, and b) had no idea what the heck I was actually putting on my face every day. I had a closet full of products I barely used, and no idea what was in them.
No bueno.
So, going into 2017, I'm setting some goals. Call them resolutions if you must, but only if you must.
1. I'm giving myself a $50 max monthly budget for makeup/skincare purchases. That may seem like a ton to some of you, and nothing at all to others. The idea being that it's enough to repurchase my basics that may need to be replenished, and try some new things (yay!). But it will keep me from overspending. Whatever doesn't get spent monthly will get put into my "pushka," aka my charity donation pile. And should I be a bastard and overspend any way, I'll have to donate the amount I spend over to charity too.
2. The days of not knowing what I'm putting on my skin are over. Not only do I want to make sure all the products I'm using are cruelty-free, but also want to work towards using primarily organic natural brands. Not 100%, because c'mon let's get real. But at least 85%. These days, it's actually not too hard. In addition to that, I'm going to start being better about what goes into my body too. 'Cause if I want to age gracefully, those two things have work in tandem.
3. I'll be doing makeup & skincare collection purges monthly. Right now, I do them maybe quarterly, if I'm lucky. But it's time to trim that closet back into a single shelf.
4. For the love of god, I'm going to drink more water. This will likely be the hardest bullet to tackle for me. When I'm stressed, when I'm tired, or even just every day, I typically have trouble remembering to drink water. But only good things can come from staying hydrated, right?
One resolution from years past, was for me to make more "me time" so I could give more back to others the way I wanted to. I'm happy to say I've been able to do that, and I can show what's worked for me. The plan for this little space of web is to share all I've learned to date, the products I can stand by, the many beauty mavens I admire, and easy ways to implement a beauty routine you enjoy into your life. I promise no self-righteousness, and plenty of screw-ups to follow. But, the ultimate goal is, less money + less products (that I actually know what's in them) = one healthier, smarter, more beautiful me.
If that sounds like something you might be into following along with, then stay tuned.
