I never ever do New Year’s resolutions. Setting myself up for failure?! No thank you! Instead, I’ve started the last years with a commitment to myself: to be happy. I spent large portions of my life being unhappy for various reasons, and that seems like such a waste in our very finite time on earth. So, yeah, be happy.

Nevertheless, I’m apparently more introspective than usual (big life changes seem to do that to you), and translated into my beauty life I’m in a questioning mood. I don’t have any answers to my questions (yet), which run along the following lines, but we’ll see what the year will bring, right?

  • Do I truly need this new limited edition piece, and this new skincare product?
  • When has the beauty world become so repetitive?
  • Even though I love nearly everything in my stash, why don’t I use it more?
  • What is my impact in the world? (Yesyes, very metaphysical, but stay with me for the next paragraph, okay?)

These questions all led to a tentative list of things I want to find out during 2019.

Use it!

use more spend less
My makeup drawers, waiting to be used.

I want to make a true effort to use my stash of makeup. I’ve become quite good at not amassing unholy amounts of skincare and bodycare (yay!), but my drawers of makeup are something else. I don’t know where this might lead me – trying out new techniques or downsizing dramatically? We’ll see.

Do I want it – or need it?

shop your stash challenge
The larger box contains my unopened skincare products, the smaller one is products I’m thinking of throwing out and am trialling for one last time.

It has been truly never easier to know about our ecological impact in the world. I’ve been bombarded with posts about sustainable brands in my timeline, and have seen so many challenges lately: Shop your stash, project pan, what have you. And with that came my determination to really look out for the ecological and ethical footprint I leave in the world whenever I buy something. That doesn’t only mean I’ll be on the lookout for sustainable, eco-friendly and cruelty-free brands more, that also means that I want to question myself more when shopping. Do I want it or do I need it?

Is skincare important?

I’ve been drawn to skincare a lot during the last few years. That journey started with self-optimisation in mind (my skin was never good from my teens onward), went on with me being fascinated by the science of it and finally, finding a sense of community within the group of skincare nuts that inhabit the internet. In the wake of the rising of a new feminism last year, I nevertheless have to ask myself: is the whole thing empowering or not? Is it adhering to a self-imposed standard or not? These are questions I want to explore more in 2019.

Figuring out my skin

minimal skincare routine
Skincare I want to consciously trial in 2019.

Speaking of skincare, here’s a wholly practical resolution: I want finally to stop to use every shiny new ingredient that companies come up with. My skincare routine works – somehow. It wobbles along the road, sometimes a bit smoother, often not that smooth (hah!). Therefore, I want to trial all the actives I’m using for at least a month in their own and see what my skin likes and what it doesn’t. That means I’ll only use one active in my routine for a while and then switch for the next while I’m using the same cleanser, toner, moisturiser etc.

Find the truth in reviews

And finally, I want to engage in forums and small blogs more. All the scandals of 2018 have taught me that honest reviews are hard to come by, and while I love reading the big blogs and watch YouTube like every other beauty junkie, I watch and read those like I’d watch and read Allure’s or Glamour’s offerings.

Also, trying to be happy.

What about you?