Depotting UD Book of Shadows and Why Depot?

I've been on a major decluttering and organizing kick since the end of December. I've been donating clothes and pulling household items for a town-wide auction 'o everyone's junk that my fiance and I attend every year.

In my makeup stash, there's a few things that I've been doing to help organize and declutter. I've been working my way through trying products in order to decide if I'm going to keep them around or not (several bronzers have been cut from my stash). I also went on a major depotting spree. I already did a post about a DYI freestyle palette, but I also recently picked up some Z Palettes since they had some on sale.

I didn't do a very good job taking pictures of the depotting process because I was honestly more concerned with actually getting items depotted. I also found that depotting Urban Decay shadows from cardboard packaging isn't all that difficult.

Things you'll need to depot an Urban Decay Book of Shadows:

• A prying tool of some sort (I'll show a picture of mine shortly)
• Rubbing alcohol
• Cotton balls/cotton pads
• Something to protect the surface you are working on (I used paper plates)
• Labels (optional - I prefer 3/4 inch removable, round labels - they fit well on most of the products I've depotted)

 My particular prying tool was a small flathead screwdriver that was included in a all-in-one tool kit my mom gave me a few years ago. I wish the tip had been skinnier, but it served its purpose.

 The above picture is what remained after I mangled my Book of Shadows IV. My particular method of depotting was to peel away the layers of cardboard from the top until I could get underneath the shadows to pry them up (Tip: if you aren't confident that you will remember the names of the shadows, write out the labels before you start ripping the cardboard apart.).

Once I got as much cardboard pulled up as I could, I just slide my mini screwdriver underneath the pan and gently pushed up. You can kind of see in the pictures that most of them came up relatively easily since the purple overlay on the cardboard didn't come up on most of them. I had a little bit of trouble with the top row of shadows wanting to crack, but I'm almost positive that it is because I initially didn't peel up enough of the cardboard at the top of the palette. The shadows that had started to crack were easily saved since Urban Decay shadows are so buttery; I just had to gently press them back into place.

After I had the pans pulled up, I placed them on a paper plate. I was careful to keep them in the same order they were in while still in the palette so I could label them correctly. I used rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad to rub away the leftover glue. On some of the UD palettes I depotted, getting rid of the glue wasn't a big deal. The pans from the first Dangerous Palette were a pain in the butt to get clean. I read elsewhere about someone using Goo Gone to help remove the glue. I tried it, but it didn't seem to work very well, and I was afraid of getting the Goo Gone on the eye shadow, which wouldn't have been a good thing.

 Here's a look at a labeled eye shadow pan so you can see what my labels looked like.

As for why to depot? Take a look:

This is a size comparison between the original Book of Shadows IV and my new palette. Depotting can be a HUGE space saver. The downside is that you lose the special packaging, but if you aren't overly concerned about that part, you can really condense your collection without getting rid of products. 

 Are you a fan of depotting or do you like to keep everything in its original packaging? 

EcoTools Day-to-Night Clutch Set Review

I don't know about all of you, but I feel like I had a crazy week this week. I subbed every day (one of them was a half-day, but the rest were full days), had tutoring two days after school, helped on of my guard girls write a routine on another day after school, and had a doctor's appointment. It wouldn't have been bad, but I had a headache ALL week. It started on Sunday and came and went through last night. I was so tired last night that I was in bed by around 8 p.m., and I didn't get back up until around 8:30 this morning.

Sadly, with everything going on and not quite feeling right, I didn't get a post up yesterday. I've been trying to stick to having posts up every Tuesday and Friday, and I just didn't have enough of them done ahead of time.

I'm making up for it today though by bringing you a review of a relatively new brush set by the company EcoTools.

EcoTools is an earth-friendly company that makes their brushes from synthetic taklon bristles, recycled aluminum ferrules, and bamboo handles.  Best of all, their brushes are sold at places like Walgreens, Walmart, and Ulta for super-affordable prices. If you keep your eyes peeled, you can often find them for BOGO 50% off at Walgreens or Ulta.

I picked up the Six Piece Day-To-Night Clutch Set when EcoTools had an amazing Cyber Monday sale - 50% off everything with free shipping. The everyday price on the EcoTools site is $16.99, which isn't bad for five brushes and a cute little clutch.

Here's a look at the clutch on it's own. It has elastic loops on the inside to hold the brushes in the set. You could also throw in a couple more loose brushes if you wanted. I personally won't use this much (if at all), but it is more functional and convenient than other brush holders that EcoTools has included with their sets.

Before I start talking about the individual brushes, I will say that every single EcoTools brush that I have is super soft. 

Round Powder Brush - Because of the size, I've been using this for blush instead of powder. I like the shape and density of this brush because it helps me get a light blush application. I can see how this would be a good brush for powder for the same reason. You will be less likely to over-powder with a brush like this compared with a brush that is more dense.

Stay-There Shadow Brush - This is a classic EcoTools brush. You can find this same shape in a couple of their other sets. I find this particular brush shape too large and fluffy for applying shadow to the lid, but this is my absolute favorite brush for applying my matte highlight to my browbone and to help blend out my crease color.

From top to bottom: Pointed Concealer Brush and Smudge Brush

I'm including a picture of these two brushes together because my individual pictures are deceptive about the relative size of these brushes.

Pointed Concealer Brush - I use this as a crease brush because I like how precise it is for applying color.

Smudge Brush - I also use this in the crease. It is smaller and doesn't have a point. The size makes it great for applying a super dark color to the crease.

Lip Liner Brush - This is another brush that is included in other EcoTools brush sets. I've never used it to apply lip color, but I can tell it would work well for this. It is also a good size for adding an inner corner highlight or as a small concealer brush.

Final Thoughts

I just flat out love EcoTools brushes. They are soft, inexpensive, and good quality. They have a decent variety of brush shapes. I own nearly every brush they have put out. My only real complaints with their brushes are that a lot of them can only be purchased in sets and they often include a lash and brow brush as part of their sets. I'm really excited about some of their new brushes that just came out, but I'm going to wait to pick them up. I'm trying to cut back on my spending for a little while after my shopping spree at the end of 2012.

I clearly have a tendency to use brushes in ways they were not intended for. Are you that way too? Are you as happy with EcoTools brushes as I am?

NYX Blushes - Review and Swatches

In my quest to keep up with regular blog posts, I dug back through my folders of pictures from the past year and moved the ones of the products I haven't reviewed into their own folder. I'm hoping to knock out most of them over the next month or so. If you notice my watermarks or lighting looking different in this post and others, it's because some of these pictures were taken with a different lighting set-up and/or were edited using a different program.

(Tangent! I ordered a Softbox Light Box Cube, which should be arriving this week. I'm really excited to get it! I'm hoping it will help eliminate having to deal with shadows and glare on products. I'm also excited to have a more consistent backdrop so I don't have to worry about hiding the wall in my half-bath that is less that pretty.)

Back on topic: One of the products that somehow hadn't gotten reviewed was NYX powder blushes. These are currently listed at $5.99 on Ulta.com, but they can frequently be found on sale both at Ulta and at other online retailers (for example, they are currently selling for $4.50 on CherryCulture.com).

The packaging on NYX blushes is really basic. I personally really like the fact that it isn't overly flashy or bulky and doesn't come with a cheap, awful blush brush (Physicians Formula *cough, cough*).

NYX Powder Blush in Desert Rose

NYX Powder Blush in Dusty Rose

I currently only have two NYX blushes in my collection: Desert Rose and Dusty Rose. Desert Rose is a bright reddish-pink, and Dusty Rose is exactly what the name implies: a dusty, muted pink.

Left to right: Dusty Rose and Desert Rose

As you can see from the swatches, both shades are matte and have really good pigmentation. Both blushes blend nicely onto the skin. I couldn't wear Desert Rose if it didn't. I have to blend the heck out of it to make it work for me because it is so bright and pigmented. Both blushes still look good after about 8 hours. Dusty Rose is a bit more faded, but it is still visible. If I had to go out in the evening after a full day at work, I would probably touch it up. Desert Rose could probably make it all the way to bedtime because it is such a bright color to begin with.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoy both of these blushes. They are a nice addition to my collection, and the odds are pretty good that I will be adding more NYX blushes to my collection in the future. They perform incredibly well, especially for their price-point. The line also has a really good range of shades to pick from.

Do you own any NYX blushes? What do you think of them? What colors should I add to my wishlist?

Favorites of 2012

Last year, I started my blog with three posts on my favorite products of 2011. I'm having a much harder time coming up with my favorites for this year for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that a lot of my favorites are still the same. The second reason is that I tried out so many new products this year that I don't feel like I've used many products very consistently.

To see my favorites for 2011: Best of Face, Best of Cheeks and Lips, and Best of Eyes.

Hair

I didn't even think to include hair last year. I'm not a huge hair person. I don't experiment with my hair very much, but I do have some standout products that are such staples that I'm not even going to include them in my finished product posts anymore.

Nature's Gate Tea Tree Shampoo, Pomegranate Sunflower Conditioner, and Biotin Conditioner (not pictured) - These are my staple haircare items (I didn't like the Henna one all that much, but I pulled an old picture). The Tea Tree Shampoo keeps my scalp from flaking, and the conditioners do a great job of helping detangling my hair. I buy them and finish them consistently. Oddly enough, I am listening to a YouTube video by NYCGeorgette, and she said she hated the Pomegranate Sunflower conditioner and said it made her hair really greasy. Maybe my hair is just really dry...*shrugs*

SalonGrafix Conditioning Cleanser - This is another product that I recently saw a terrible review on while watching YouTube. Jen from the channel From Head to Toe hated it. She said it wasn't anything like the Wen Cleansing Conditioner. I've never tried Wen, so I can't compare the two. I will say that I tried using this once when I had product in my hair (currently a rare occurrence), and it didn't work very well. However, for lazy days when I just don't want to have to mess with a separate shampoo and conditioner, this works great. I plan on keeping a bottle of this in my stash at all times.

Skincare

 Silk Naturals Kiss Cleanser - This has been my regular face wash for several years now, and I love it. It removes all but the most stubborn eyeliner (and possibly waterproof mascara - I haven't had a waterproof mascara in a while). It's a really basic cleanser. I had no qualms about having my 7-year-old niece us it over Christmas when we were playing with her makeup that she got as a Christmas present. I recently resolved to stop testing other cleansers because I always go back to this one. I don't need to search for anything else.

Essential Oils - I started adding essential oils into my skincare routine around November-ish after Christine from the PinksoFoxy YouTube channel and her Beauty Travel Channel blog did a couple videos and blog posts about them. I use a mixture of tea tree oil, lavender oil, sweet orange oil, and rosehip oil. For carrier oils, I have just been using Tarte's Maracuja Oil, Josie Maran's Argan Oil, and grapeseed oil that I purchased at WalMart. The place that I have noticed the biggest change is actually on my legs. I get ingrown hairs on my legs all the time, and I have a lot of scars. I feel like both have been reduced after starting to use these oils.  

Warning!!!! If you want to experiment with essential oils, please check out Christine's information and do some research. Essential oils should be used sparingly (I only have a few drops of each in the two dropper bottles in the picture). The underside of my arms broke out in bumps this week, and I think it was because I used a body scrub with essential oils and then used my regular oil mix after my shower, so I ended up using too much overall. Please be careful!

Makeup

Nars Sheer Matte in Siberia -  This is probably the best match I have ever found for my skintone. It hasn't quite reached Holy Grail status yet, but it is a really nice foundation. Sadly, I wasn't able to wear it for several months because I got too much of a tan over the summer (which is why there isn't a lot gone from the bottle).

Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation in Translucent Light - This was my go-to foundation for the summer months (it's too dark for me during the winter). It was quick and easy, and it gave me just enough coverage. I actually went through two of these during the course of the summer and fall. My main compliant is that I couldn't wear it on days when I knew I would be sweating a lot because it started to feel really gritty and gross on my face. It was fabulous though for days when I was just making a quick run to the store or something like that.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Shimmering Powders in Rose and Champagne - When I grabbed for a cheek highlighter this year, it was likely one of these two. They are both subtly beautiful. I even used Champagne a lot as an inner corner highlight for my eyes and on the browbone.

Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Trio in Walking on Eggshells - This was my go-to trio for when I didn't know what I wanted to use. It has become an cult classic for a lot of people because it is such a basic, easy palette.

Lorac Pro Palette - This is a relatively new purchase for me. I bought it in December. I'm going to repeat what a lot of other people say about it. I love the versatility and the mix of shimmers and mattes.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils - I'm showing the Ocho Loco set here, but I'm talking about the liners in general. I bought the Naked set of mini pencils last holiday season, and I enjoy them all. It took me a while to get used to how soft and creamy they are, but now I'm comfortable using them and grab for them most days.

Prestige Waterproof Eyeliner in Suede - This liner is on-par with the Urban Decay ones. I particularly love this color because it is a great soft brown for my pale skin. It works really well with Walking on Eggshells for a subtle look. I will eventually pick up more colors in this line.

Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Lip Glosses - I'm really sad that these have been discontinued! I love them. I love the creme brulee scent and the non-sticky formula. This is the gloss that I reach for the most. The one thing I would change is having the guys on the top. It is a cute, novelty thing, but I don't like having them there when I'm subbing at a school. Having a lip gloss with a guy in his underwear on the top isn't exactly school appropriate.

Real Techniques brushes are the first, third, fifth, and seventh brushes from the left.

Real Techniques Brushes - I have bought quite a few of these over the past year. The brand has a good variety of brushes. I use the Expert Face Brush, Stippling Brush, and Deluxe Crease Brush every day. I use the other brushes that I have consistently.

I'm sure I've forgotten some things from my list, and I'm going to kick myself the week after this gets posted when I grab for something that I love. *shrugs* That's how these sorts of things go I guess. I also want to mention again that nearly all of my favorites from last year are still favorites and/or Holy Grail items for me.

What were your favorites from 2012? Is there something I HAVE to try this year?

Finished It!!! Volume 7

It's that time again. I get to throw away the stash of empties that have piled up.

Bath & Body Works Night-Blooming Jasmine Shower Gel - This is a scent that I fell in love with during college, and I still really enjoy it. It isn't part of the permanent line anymore, but it is usually available during the semi-annual sale.

Gud Vanilla Flame Body Wash - The bottle says this scent is a combination of vanilla and rice milk. This is a really good scent for people who don't like their scents to be too sweet. This was a decent body wash, but it was a bit expensive (I think I paid close to $7 for it).

Salon Grafix Conditioning Cleanser - I am declaring this product to be such a staple that I won't be including it in my posts of finished products anymore, just like I'll no longer be including my regular shampoo and conditioner). I love this for those lazy nights when I don't want to mess with two products. I recently saw a person on YouTube say that this product is awful compared to Wen, which I've never tried, so your results may vary.

Giovanni D:tox Purifying Facial Scrub - I've had this for too long. I like it when I first got it, but then I just stopped using it. It's not overly scrubby, so I was able to use it every day when I was using it. One pet peeve of mine though is the packaging. I hate when bottles like this have their labels painted on in such a way that they start flaking off.

Philosophy Amazing Grace Shower Gel - This was a freebie that I got in an Ulta order. I'm not a big fan of the Philosophy perfume scents. For me, Philosophy shower gels are over-priced for what they are, and I'd probably never purchase them unless there was a good sale or value set, and I would stick with their sweet, foody scents.

John Frieda Precision Foam Color Conditioner - I'm going to stop throwing these in too. I like the John Frieda hair color enough that I'm going to stick with it for the time being. The conditioner that comes with it is okay.

 Mary Kay Satin Hands Vanilla Sugar Hand Cream - I got this free through a drawing a long time ago. I enjoyed the scent, but the hand cream itself wasn't anything special. I don't plan on repurchasing.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E - Another product that I've had around for way too long. I finished it up by using it on my feet and cuticles, but of which are super dry this time of year. I currently have a stick version that I'm using on my cuticles. I don't plan on repurchasing the tub for the time being.

Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 - This was a decent face moisturizer and met my requirement of having an SPF of at least 30. I don't think it helped my skin tone at all though. I'm currently testing out the CeraVe daily moisturizer, so I'm not repurchasing this one.

The Body Shop Peppermint Smoothing Pumice Foot Scrub - The Body Shop had an AMAZING Cyber Monday sale, and I couldn't resist. This little sample was part of a goodie bag that was $30 with any $30 order. It only lasted me about 3-4 uses. It felt nice, but it didn't have a lot of scrub to it, and my feet have pretty hefty calluses, so this didn't really do anything for them. I won't be purchasing a full size.

Sally Hansen Cuticle Oil with Vitamin E - Honestly, I'm guessing on the name of this. I've had this for way too long, so the name has worn off the bottle, and I'm too lazy to check. This was too oily for me, and yes, I do realize that it was an oil. It didn't absorb very quickly, and I've decided that I generally enjoy cuticle creams.

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil and Josie Maran Argan Oil - I started experimenting with essential oils in my skincare routine a couple of months ago. Since essential oils need a carrier oil, I figured I might as well use the ones already in my stash. I'm really liking the essential oils, but I didn't notice anything special about using these particular oils as the carrier oils. Once my stash runs out (I have a 1 oz bottle of the argan oil and 2 full-sizes of the maracuja oil to work through), I'll be looking for a cheaper alternative.

This is my attempt at clearing out all of my little sample packets. I have a ways to go, but it's definitely a start!

Strivectin-SD Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks & Wrinkles - Not nearly enough of a sample to tell if it is effective.

DDF Erase Eye Gel - I felt like this eye gel was masking the problem more than it was attempting to fix the problem. It has dimethicone and mica in it, so it feels like a primer and has a slightly shimmery, yellow tint to it. I wasn't a fan.

Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum - This felt nice and didn't leave my hair feeling greasy.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple - I had been wanting to try this because so many people love it, so I was excited to finally have a sample to try. I think it was causing my skin to break out. I'm not positive on that, but it did push me over the edge to commit to my current face washes and stop trying out new ones. I'm happy with what I have (Silk Naturals Kiss Cleanser and Mario Badescu's Acne Facial Cleanser). It works, so I'm not going to mess with it anymore.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil - This didn't do a very good job of removing my eye makeup, which surprised me.

Silk Naturals Cucumber & Rhassoul Clay Mask - This came as an extra in a Mystery Adventure Club package a long time ago (MAC was a program where you got a package with all of the gift with purchase shades for that given month along with some sort of fun extra). Silk Naturals masks come in powder form, and you mix in the liquid, typically water. I was feeling adventurous, and I used witch hazel with this. I liked it, but it has never been released for sale, so I couldn't get it. I also have several other face masks to use up.

Jergens Daily Moisture Dry Skin Moisturizer - It's a lotion. It felt okay. I have a ton of lotion in my stash.

Asian Cream Cleanser - I have no idea what the brand is. This was part of my Secret Santa package. It burned my eyes a bit.

Hanfang Anti-oxidizing Mask - This was a sheet mask, and I couldn't deal with leaving the sheet on my face. The eye holes weren't quite large enough, and it would have driven me nuts. Instead, I just got as much of the liquid on my face as I could (which was actually quite a bit) and used it that way. I don't think I will be picking up more sheet masks.

I took these shampoo and conditioner packets with me while traveling over the holidays. None of them were anything special.

Kiss My Face Vanilla Honey SPF 15 Lip Balm - I think this is the last Kiss My Face balm in my stash. I like them. This felt kind of goopy by the end, and I've had it so long, I don't remember if it always felt that way. It wasn't totally off-putting though. I just dabbed it onto my lips instead of swiping it on. I might eventually buy more of these.

C.O. Bigelow Lemon & Black Cherry Lip Balm - I bought this back when they were on clearance at Bath & Body Works. It wasn't until after I bought it that I realized it contains shea butter, which causes my lips to crack. I used it some on my lips, but not much. Instead, I used it on my cuticles to get rid of it.

Badger Pink Grapefruit Lip Balm - I like the Badger lip balms. I just wish they had an SPF.

Buxom Lipstick in Amsterdam - I got this in the Sephora Give Me Some Lip set from a couple of years ago. The color was a bit too brown for my taste. I'm also not a big fan of lipstick. I won't be purchasing any of these.

Boyfriend Perfume Sample - I like this perfume, and almost more importantly, my fiance likes it. I might eventually buy this perfume, probably in roller ball form.

Subversive Apothecary Serum - This was a freebie sample that I got a long time ago. This is supposed to be an amazing anti-aging serum, and a full size of the serum is really expensive. I've been using essential oils (with a carrier oil, obviously), and I just decided to pour this into the mix to get rid of the sample vial.

Tarte Gifted Mascara - I've mentioned on here several times that I'm not a fan of Tarte's Lights, Cameras, Lashes mascara. It flakes on me. I didn't have high hopes for this one either, but I got it with a QVC kit, so I figured I would give it a try. I really liked it. It worked much better than the LCL mascara. I used it for 3 months, so it's time for this one to go away.

Tarte Smooth Operator Finishing Powder - This is such a fine powder that a cloud of dust kicked up every single time I used it. It didn't help that the sifter came off and dumped all of it into my swirling bowl. I ended up mixing in my Meow mineral foundation hoping to minimize the dust cloud. It didn't help much. I'll be getting a full size in a QVC kit in February, and I may try it again to see if I can get it to work. At this point, I wouldn't be purchasing more of this if it wasn't part of a kit.

Tarte Clean Slate Primer - I don't know if you can see, but there is a lot of product still left in this tube. This is the old packaging, and I have not verified if the current Clean Slate Primer is the exact same formula or not. Either way, this packaging was horrible. It made it really hard to get product out, and I've just given up. I know I could cut the tube open, but I don't really like that idea. I read a blog post (I think) a long time ago where a woman explained that she doesn't cut open her Urban Decay Primer Potion tubes (obviously the old style packaging of that) because tiny fragments of the plastic would end up in the product. I'd rather not be rubbing jagged plastic fragments all over my face.

Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar Light Peach - I think this is the third time this product has shown up in a finished products post. I use it every day. I love it. It's HG for me. Enough said.

That's it for now. I'm really happy with the fact that I was able to use up a bunch of samples and things that I've had for way too long. Hooray for reducing beauty product clutter!

Tarte Beauty and the Box in Brewed Awakening - Review and Swatches

Tarte sets on QVC are a special weakness of mine. Today's Special Value sets are nearly impossible for me to pass up, especially when they have an auto-delivery option. A bunch of products priced well below retail value? Exclusive colors? Early access to new products? Yes, please! I have a hard time featuring the extra shipments of these sets on my blog though since it is hard to impossible to get your hands on them unless you are already signed up to receive them.

Thankfully, Tarte seems to have listened to my silent plea, and they have released several TSV exclusive products/shades into their permanent line. The first of these products that I'm going to talk about it their Beauty and the Box in Brewed Awakening, which is currently selling for $22 at Sephora, Ulta, or Tarte's website.

First of all, please take a minute and admire the packaging. It's a cute cardboard box that reminds me of the Benefit box powders, but the Tarte box is slightly bigger and made from heftier cardboard. Each color selection also has a different design on the box, which is a nice touch.

On to the actual shadows!

Left to right: Foam, Raw Sugar, Espresso, Roast

As you can see, the box contains four colors, but they are pressed together in the same pan. I'm not in love with this design because it seems like it would become a pain when I get close to hitting pan, but since that will probably never happen, it doesn't bother me too much. Each color is also wide enough that a brush fits easily, so it isn't challenging to get just one color on my brush.

Left to right: Foam, Raw Sugar, Espresso, Roast

My experience with these shadows is about the same as it has been with every other Tarte shadow I've tried. They have okay but not good pigmentation, but they apply well and stay all day when I use a primer. With this particular quad, I'm not a big fan of the color Foam, but I think that is mostly due to my skintone. This sort of peach just looks odd on me. It's also the least pigmented of the bunch and a bit hard to work with. I really like the rest of the colors. They work well together to make a neutral, everyday look.

Bottom line: Would I pay full price for this shadow quad? Sadly, no. I'm a big fan of Tarte as a brand, but their shadows don't impress me. I get excited every time I see a new palette from them, but then I have to talk myself down because I know I'll be disappointed when I compare them to my Urban Decay palettes.

What Tarte shadows do you own? What do you think of the quality?

New Year, Blog-iversary, Goals

Happy New Year everyone!

I can't help but be a little cliche here...2012 went by so fast!

I hope you had a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve. Mine was spent at home with my fiance watching a movie. We're not very exciting, but it was an enjoyable, relaxing night before winter break ends and we have to go back to work.

It is officially my blog-iversary (my first post might actually say January 2, but that's because I decided to create a new Blogger account after publishing my first post, so it got taken down and reposted). I've had a lot of fun over the past year, and I look forward to improving during the course of this year.

Here are some of my blogging goals for this year:

• Increase my number of readers - This is pretty much a given for any blogger. We work hard at what we are doing, and we want people to see and read it. 
• Post more consistently - I went through time periods when I didn't post much at all, and I'd like to try not to do that this year. My goal is to post at least 1-2 times a week.
• Improve the quality of my pictures and content - I think my pictures have improved a bit this year, but I know I have a lot of room for improvement. I want to get more consistent on how I format and organize my posts as well. They still feel a bit haphazard to me.
• Make my posts more personal - This has been hard for me over the past year. I'm guessing most of you reading my blog don't know much of anything about me. As an educator (yes, I consider myself an educator even as a substitute teacher), I'm used to being pretty private about things, especially things published online. I need to work on finding a better balance.

Along with my general blogging goals, there are some other goals that I'm wanting to work on this year:

•  Reducing my makeup collection - This is going to be a hard one for me. It might be more realistic to aim for keeping my makeup collection at approximately the same size. 
• Shopping my stash - This might actually help with the previous goal. I want to work my way back through the products that I have to determine if I really need to keep them or if they can get added to my blog sale. (SHAMELESS PLUG: You can check out my blog sale here! I'm willing to negotiate, so let me know if you are interested in anything.)
• Buy less - This is definitely connected to the first goal. I'm a sucker for new products (even more so when they are limited edition). I'm also a sucker for sales. If I can get a good price on it, I want it, even if I don't need it. I also had a horrible spending binge at the end of 2012. There were just too many good sales that I couldn't pass up. 
• Get better organized and declutter - This includes my makeup collection and the rest of my house. I actually made some progress with this goal over the past week. The closet in my home office was overflowing with empty shipping boxes and other items because they weren't organized. All of the empty shipping boxes are now gone, and the items in the closet are in a much better order. I'm also going through my giant stack of magazines pulling out the things I want to keep and getting rid of everything else. 
• Get into better routines - I love the concept created by the FlyLady, and I tried doing some of it last year, but then I got busy (and slightly depressed), and I let everything slide again. It's time to give it another try! 
• Eat better, exercise more, blah, blah, blah... - Yep, another cliche and something I will probably fail at, but it's always worth a shot, right? 

What are your goals for this year?