So here we are, the last Sunday of 2019! It has been a crazy year for me, and quite frankly, I can't wait for it to be over! My beauty social media platforms have grown and changed in ways that I have never imagined. Pretty surprised that there are actually people who like my beauty content. They're not really the people I expected, but I am happy they're there regardless.
But calling to mind everything that I've learned and discovered about makeup and beauty in general, here are some things I want to share and discuss with all of you, my dear readers:
I've Learned to Embrace Color
I already knew that I liked colorful eyeshadow going into this year, but this was the year that I really just allowed myself to be creative and put as many colorful eyeshadows on my eyes. I didn't bother with browns much this year, and I find that I am much happier for it. I used to just do a splash of different colors in different smoky eyes, now I can do cut creases and more. It's honestly a lot of fun for me.
Most of my palettes are just a bunch of different bright colors now, and I've since decluttered many of my more neutral palettes. I do keep palettes with a dark brown for my brows though.
Glitter Isn't So Bad
I used to hate wearing glitter on my face, as I used to be a crafter - but since more palettes are incorporating a pressed glitter shadow or two, I decided to give it a try this year. It's still messy but I don't hate it as much that I would never use it if it came in a palette though.
I still have heavy preferences for the types of glitter that I want to use on my eyes though, but that's better than completely closing myself off to the possibilities of being creative with glitter. Might still use most of my glitter for crafts though, because I still see it as an art material over being a makeup product. Also, resin art.
I've Had to Let Go of Some Ride or Die Products
Once upon a time, there were makeup products I could never imagine not using. Then, this year, I've found better replacements for them.
I might have to do an updated Ride or Die tag and makeup starter kit post next year for sure.
Cruelty-Free Beauty Also Includes Less Waste Products
I've completely transitioned to using shampoo bars and conditioners this year, and I will likely not change this. I like how the topical application of both products give me cleaner and softer hair, the best results I've seen any hair care products do. I will likely post more hair care content next year because I think I have a nice routine with vegan and zero waste products thrown in.
I have also begun using a menstrual cup in place of just sanitary pads, I'm not sure what my full thoughts on it are yet but expect to see a review about them sometime next year.
I've Discovered That Indie Brands Are Great
I used to think that indie brands were hard to access and therefore, did not bother with them. But after I found out about shippingcart, it got easier to try them out. I've found that indie brands generally have better product diversity and are more affordable than a lot of high-end brands and I have a lot of new favorite brands as a result.
The Beauty Community Can Be Ugly
As my beauty account on instagram grew, I've come across some pretty horrible behavior in the beauty-gram space. I'm not even talking about beauty gurus on YouTube (I've stopped watching to keep my own reviews unbiased), I'm talking makeup accounts ran by regular people. Makeup support groups are common in that space, but the decency to offer mutual support and the amount of social climbing I witness to get more followers and likes is really concerning.
I've gotten the occasional mean or attention-seeking comment on a post or two as well. In a place where people preach about uplifting each other, I see a lot of tearing down as well. I definitely try to be genuine and light-hearted on my own IG account, even I can't deny how much negativity there is out there. I do my best to not contribute to it though, but I wish being on Beauty gram wasn't so stressful or ugly sometimes.
I Really Understand Why People Go on Low-Buys Now
Sometimes, when you have a big collection, a lot of releases really do become boring. I never really had a sizable collection until this year, so I really found myself saying "I already have that!" or "I have something similar to that!" a lot when I saw a new makeup release. A lot of things can really get old fast and you end up buying less stuff as a result.
I know people on low-buys generally go all out and don't buy anything new unless they're replacing something - but I think there are people who do it just because they have a lot of similar stuff and don't get too excited by new releases anymore.
While I'm not saying that I'm intentionally going to be on a lowbuy for 2020, I haven't really been buying a lot of new makeup lately so I don't necessarily have the latest palettes that come out. This will definitely affect my posts for next year too.
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