New Years Resolutions Revised

Hi, my name is Carly and I am a product junkie. It's true. And to some, this may not seem like a profound or even surprising revelation because its not. However, every January I somehow convince myself (much like the rest of the world) that I am going to become a completely different person this year and going to simplify my life. So after Christmas I haul hug trash bags of unworn and unseen clothes to donation drop offs, I unload my books on my friends and the library, and I vow this will be the year I stop buying so much stuff, namely products. I do so in the name of good Ol' Mother Earth as half the stuff on my vanity probably contains dyes, chemicals, and any amount of unknown cancer-secreting compounds it is no good for me or my planet, and since I spend the rest of the year planting trees, donating money, recycling, composting and working for the environment I should do the same inside my bedroom.

Yet, there is this deep, dark, loud voice that sounds a lot like Gollum from Lord of the Rings creeping up over the next few months after reading a magazine or going through the mall that says, "hmm...pretty eyeliner" "OMG! Look at her skin!" and "My hair could do that too if only I had...", which makes me immediately drop unheard of amounts of cash on items I would have never before considered essential to my existence. And this process happens over and over again until finally I look over in the shower and at my vanity and see hundreds of half-used products I will probably never get rid of and then am faced with the quandary: throwing it out would be wasteful, however using harmful products on my skin simply because I have them doesn't seem like the best idea either...ahhh! And then I sit down and cry and go outside away from the mocking products before me. And this happens every year.

So far, after looking at my list of resolutions from last year I think I did pretty well. I stayed active, I eat pretty well, my clothes all fit in my closet (snuggly, but hey, I am a girl after all), and I haven't dyed my hair. However, the looming products list is still vast and wide. In fact I'm pretty sure I still see some makeup I had while I made my resolution list last year! So this year I am making a different vow, one that I actually came up with a few months before 2011 and so far am sticking with successfully. This year I am going to embrace my product junkiness! I am going to revel in it. I am going to throw out the things I don't use but I am not going to feel bad when yet another attractive sales girl wins me over with her lipstain. Yet, I am setting some guidelines for my purchasing frenzy.

1. The product must be as eco-friendly as possible. No parabens, no sulfates, as little amount of chemicals or fragrance as possible and hopefully organic. Thankfully being eco-conscious is now en vogue so this makes this set even better and I don't have to feel badly about using it or not.

2. I must research the brand and make sure they are cruelty-free before even considering looking at anything in their line. If not, then I am out. There are so many brands out there now making a huge stride towards helping the animals and there are so many brands out there that it is just silly to buy something that tests on animals when I can find an equal product which doesn't.

3. If faced with the option, buy from an independent. My mother used to be a painter and now makes gorgeous crystal necklaces, and I've seen similar things around the mall, however I always like hers better and I wonder, "why would someone buy something inferior when there is a superior product available?", yet I do the same thing. With the advent of online marketing, catalogs, and online stores like Etsy, it is so easy to find an affordable gift or product that is handmade, satisfies options 1 & 2 and helps out independent business owners. So why wouldn't I do that?! I admit its harder when it comes to makeup, but soaps, candles, and lotions are made my local farmers all over the place, especially in the Northeast, so I am going to make an effort to support the local businessmen and women.

4. Before buying, check it out online. I have found making the effort to check for something online instead impulse purchasing stops me from buying 50% of the items I could have sworn I wouldn't live without. Not only that, but it also ensures that things I do buy I truly want, and saves me some money becuase oftentimes I can find the same product or something similar for less if I hunt around online. Downside is that hunting around online often means I end up with something else I might like to have, its a vicious circle, but it makes me happier.

With these tips in mind, I can now proudly say I have rid myself of the extra drawer under my sink of doubled up products and I now have my makeup bag at a manageable size. Additionally, I have bought a few books on Eco-beauty so I now make my own eye makeup remover, and might even venturing into doing the same with lotions. All in all, I am happy with my products and my high maintenance lifestyle and embracing it with some ground rules is way easier than lying to myself for 11 months then getting depressed every January.

Just for reference here are some brands and products I absolutely love!

Brands that are eco-friendly and cruelty-free: Tarte, Josie Maran, The Body Shop, Ouidad, Carol's Daughters.


And so, for those of you with my affliction won't have to go on wondering, here's what I am using as my products:

Shampoo: LUSH Cynthia Sylvia Stout or if I'm traveling, the Kharma bar. It smells like beer in a good way, and makes your hair oh so shiny.
Conditioner: Kheil's Argan Smoothing Conditioner. It is the best ever! Makes my curly, fried hair calm and serene.
Body Wash: Sicilian Blood Orange Mafia Soap by Mount Harmony. My mom and I used to work for the company, as such I will probably be cutting off soap from these logs until I die, however all the soaps are homemade and smell magnificent. Here's the link, but if you really want to try one, I'm sure I can get you a sample from our hall closet! http://www.mountharmony.com/
Body Scrub: Fresh's Brown Sugar Scrub. This was a Christmas gift because even on my most binging days I wouldn't spend this much, but it is lovely and makes me oh so soft.
Face Wash: Philosophy Purity Cleanser. I fell in love with Philosophy and their multi-tasking line of shampoo, body washes, however this face wash doesn't make my oh so sensitive skin freak out.


Moisturizer: Josie Maran Argan Oil. I cannot describe how weirdly fabulous this stuff is. I also love the bronzing oil, but when I am feeling lazy this is all I need that I went all out and bought the big bottle.
Makeup Remover: I make my own! Mixing 1 Tablespoon of castor oil and 1/8 cup of grapeseed oil (both can be found at most local grocery stores) and dump into my old makeup removing bottle. Make sure to shake before using.
Body Lotion: Pure coconut oil. Can buy it at any health food store. It comes either in liquid or solid, but I like it in solid form because it melts in your hand and on your skin when you rub it in and it smells divine!


And finally, things that don't leave my purse without me being very, very sad:

Ultrabalm by LUSH, which is good for dry hands, knees, elbows, lips, and occasionally used to make a cream eyeshadow. It also smells like honey to me, which is always a bonus in a moisturizer.
Hi! That's me! Josie Maran's finger paints. As you can see I mix them around a bit, but they make a good on the go eyeshadow cream, blush, lip color, and highlighter. It is also made with Argan oil which I will explain makes me oh so happy below.
The Big Kahuna in my opinion. Josie Maran's Argan Oil. Obviously this isn't the one that goes in my purse, but I keep the sample in my purse and refill with the big one. I use it as a moisturizer, defrizzer, cuticle fixer, and all around everything fixer to my body. If it weren't so gosh darn expensive I'd probably bathe in it.
The bees knees in lip care! Sorry, I had to. Burt's Bees lip balm in pomegranate because HWSNBNITB has an aversion to all things mint (weird, I know), so this makes me still kissable in his eyes.
Tarte lipstain in Moody. I liked the name and the fact its not really pink and stays on fairly well. It claims to give you 6000% moisture back on your lips which is quite a statement, but it doesn't dry mine out and that's all I have to say about that.
Victoria's Secret Sexy Little Things NOIR Body Mist. I know, I know, I try not to be a VS fan, however this smells amazing, is relatively inexpensive and comes in a plastic bottle I can't break, so it is Carly-proof.

Finally, some non-related beauty products I find essential (and yes, I do have a very large purse):

The Body Shop Satsuma Hand Sanitizer. Now, I generally don't buy into the hand sanitizing craze and do believe it causes super bugs, but that's a story for another time, and seeing as I occasionally work with children and take flights, I find something necessary. This kind has no chemicals and only has alcohol as its acting agent. Not to mention it smells pretty good.
This is a small, pocket sized reusuable bag that clips inside your purse or your wallet which I find fantastic since I often go to places only needing one thing and come out with a dozen. What I find extra amazing is that I am able to get it back into its little package here without the help of NASA!
Finally, I know you will think this is weird, but its a glass straw! Now hear me out: I love drinking things out of sippy cups. The best things are in one: Blizzards, Slurpees, movie theater soda, however I have recently learned so much waste and production go into each plastic straw, not to mention the paper packaging, the shipping and of course the actual one-use straw. However, I didn't want to give up the fun of sipping, so my beloved bf gave me this as a gift and I have to tell you its the best! It comes with its own squeegee cleaning pipe and case to carry around with and comes with a lifetime warranty! LIFETIME! Now that's something I can get behind. So I do not have to go without anymore and I can sip my slurpee guilt-free (well, sort of, if you don't count the plastic cup or the sugar content or the calories, but I'm only human, and I don't...baby steps).

So that's my resolution. To embrace me and I think you should all do the same (especially you fair-weather gym goers becuase you are taking up bench space lifting those 5 lbs. weights I know you are going to give up on come February, so accept your fate now and let us gym rats do our work!) Phew! Had to get that one off my chest. Be you this 2011. Just a better version and I will try to do the same.