New Years Resolution and Self-LOVE

Hey dolls!! I hope that your 2012 is starting off as wonderful as mine has been thus far. I like to be optimistic about a new year... you know, the whole "in with the new, out with the old" theory.

The idea of making a New Years resolution (and actually sticking with it) is something that has always been difficult for me. You ask yourself every year, "What do I need/want to change?" The obvious answers (for me) are: #1. to loose weight, #2. shop less, save more, #3. spend more time with family, etc... But this year I decided to think about what I need to change about my beauty/skincare routine. With 2012 bringing my 30th birthday, I have started paying verryy close attention to my skin. It seems to show when I'm dehydrated or tired much more easily these days. So with that in mind, my New Years resolution was to take better care of my skin (and body). Here's how I plan to do this:

#1. HYDRATE!! Definitely need to start by drinking more WATER!!! I spend so much time running around throughout the day that I often forget to drink water. Even though I don't drink soda, I do drink a lot of hot tea and coffee. Gotta take the good with the bad I suppose. Perhaps this cute water bottle will help...

#2. MOISTURIZE!! This could really go along with my vow to drink more water. The more hydrated the skin is, the less likely you are to notice signs of tiredness or aging. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I am 100% in love with the Complete Comfort Creme from MAC Cosmetics. I practically bathe in this stuff every night. And the new Mineralize Skincare line is pretty impressive so far as well. I especially like the Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Eye Cream! I swear my dark circles are a thing of the past. Everything in this line has 77 bio-available minerals to help pull moisture from the air to the skin!

#3. DECLUTTER!! Time to clean out my makeup kit as well as my personal stash of daily makeup. My dirty little secret is that my vanity currently looks like this:

So yeah... I need to clean up a bit. Besides, some things may be reaching their expiration dates soon. Click HERE for a good article on when to toss beauty products.

Perhaps the most important thing I need to focus on for 2012 is just being good to myself. No more self-destructive thoughts/behavior. I doubt many know this about me, but I've struggled with image issues for as long as I can remember. I think this is what really ignited my interest in makeup. As a teenager, I fought a constant battle against acne. Ugh! I hated having my picture taken because I was convinced I looked horrible in all of them. And I didn't actually win the battle against acne until my early twenties when I learned that I have very dry skin and must focus on a gentle, moisturizing skincare routine rather than harsh cleansing (which at the time, I thought meant stripping my skin of all oil). Part of hating the way I looked when I was younger also had a lot to do with my weight. For some reason, I always felt fat (and not in a "ph" kinda way). I was not confident in my body and so I reached out to beauty magazines hoping to find who I was supposed to look like. But in reality, this just made the problem worse because I was comparing myself to models and I will never (repeat, never) be a a model. Then about 5 years ago (at my heaviest), I went through a very traumatic break-up with an even worse relationship as a follow-up. I lost over 30 lbs. and often looked frail and thin. I was so unhappy and tried to control my emotions through not eating. I knew I was on a self-destructive path but it was a habit that I couldn't break. I started counting calories and became obsessed with my weight. I would skip out on work, dates, friends, etc. to work out. Sometimes, twice a day. It was the only thing that helped me clear my head and feel like I had control over my life. And since I seem to be in an over-sharing kinda of mood tonight, I was finally able to reach a healthy point in my life after a few years of therapy. I'm a strong advocate of therapy. Even if you think you don't have any issues, it NEVER hurts just to talk it out. So here I am, "fat" and happy. I still struggle with image issues. I still count calories every day. I still skip out on things just to work out. I still obsess over my weight. BUT now I remind myself that I there are people who love me just the way I am. So I eat a cookie if I want. I go to happy hour with my friends. I eat late night sushi dinners with my boyfriend. I spend 4 hour lunches with my Dad and can kill an entire day shopping for nothing with my Mom. I sleep in rather than go for a bike ride. I go out without makeup (well, mostly). And I tell myself that being a size 4 at 5'3" is HEALTHY. And that's what I call progress...

I follow the blog, OH SHE GLOWS. It's a great source for vegan (gluten-free) recipes, workout tips, and overall inspiration. The blogger's story is something that I think most women can relate to. And I often re-read this entry about Self-Love. Because it's true. Without Self-Love, I have nothing.

Cheers. To 2012 being the best yet!!