Gritty Pretty’s Guide To Making Practical Beauty Resolutions

Call it blind optimism, but we’re making beauty resolutions this new year. Yes, again.

A few lessons we’ve learned from past failures… make short term goals. Do them for a solid month, and if you want to continue, plan for the next month and so on. The other tip is to start in February – the month New Year’s resolutions go to die. By kicking things off when the shiny newness, festivities and public holidays have subsided, your habit’s got a better chance of sticking.

Oh won’t you join us and make 2018 the year of great skin?

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DRINK MORE WATER
(BY ADDING A SUPPLEMENT)

The problem with water is that isn’t very appetising (read: does not taste like coffee). By adding some flavour by way of  supplements like the highly rated, award-winning The Beauty Chef Glow Powder or superhuman Elle Macpherson’s The Super Elixir by WelleCo, not only are you making water easier to consume by the bottle, you’re adding nutrients, prebiotics and probiotics to it, which your skin and gut will lap up.

Another savvy hack is to fill up two 1L water bottles on your desk. That way when you finish one bottle, you don’t have to get up to re-fill and your hydration momentum isn’t stalled by inevitable laziness.

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GET 7 HOURS OF SLEEP

Mounting research suggests that blue light radiation from our devices throws off our sleeping patterns and hinders our ability to get to sleep. Setting an alarm to “wind down” and detach yourself from electronics is a good start. Introducing a sleep app might make you more aware of your habits (i.e. guilt-trip you into doing “sleep” better) and finally, Gritty Pretty’s Creative Director (an insufferable insomniac) swears by This Works! Deep Sleep Pillow Spray. You can discover more sleeping aids we’ve tried and tested, here.

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WEAR SUNSCREEN EVERY DAMN DAY

Wearing sunscreen everyday isn’t so hard when you find the right one that works under or with your makeup. To get you started, here’s what our beauty expert team uses religiously:

• “Bioderma Photoderm BB Cream 50+ (super fluid) mixed in with La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Anti-Shine SPF 50+, or Dermalogica Pure Light SPF 50+ which targets pigmentation” – Wendy, Beauty Editor.
• “Jurlique Sun Specialist SPF 40+ works well under makeup.” – Morgan, Creative Director
• “I’ve been testing the water-resistant Avéne High Performance Sunscreen Emulsion Face SPF 50+, which I like for beach days but my old weekday faithful is MECCA To Save Face Superscreen SPF 50+. As well as this, I also wear a foundation with added sunscreen protection like IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream SPF 50+. Never one – always both. – Eleanor, Founder & Editor
  
• “Daily, I wear Skinstitut Age Defence SPF 50+, but I also love Wotnot SPF 30+ Natural Sunscreen for days at the beach.” – Eliza, Advertising & Partnerships Director

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INVEST IN MORE NATURAL PRODUCTS

Let’s get something straight: we love our actives – they work, and if ever posed with a case of natural versus chemical, we’ll always choose the one that delivers the best results. Increasingly though, natural brands are stepping up offering the same coverage, longevity and results of their chemical counterparts. This year, make it a goal to introduce more natural beauty into your routine since reducing your chemical load can have its benefits.

To start you off, here’s a few to get on your radar (tested, reviewed and loved by us): Sodashi Enzyme Face Polish, Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Léché, The Jojoba Company Pigmentation Oil, RMS Master Mixer, Jane Iredale Amazing Base Loose Minerals SPF 20+, Skin by ECOstore Purifying Cleanser and Rejuvenating Body Moisturiser.

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MASK… MORE

Masking is one of those beauty ideals that you have good intentions for, but somewhere along the line you just “run out of time”. Bull sh!t. A foolproof way around this is overnight masking. Replace your nightly moisturiser once a week with Alpha H Beauty Sleep Power Peel with 0.5% Retinol (for brightening and anti-ageing); cult favourite Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask for hydration, and for summer-torched hair give Sephora’s own Hair Sleeping Masks a try. We also can’t get stop obsessing over La Mer The Hydrating Facial – it’s $350 for six face masks ($58 per mask), which is an investment but hey, your body’s largest organ is worth it!