Last year, we helped you prepare for 2015 by suggesting some New Year’s resolution specifically for makeup artists. Our suggestions were designed to help you get organized, make space, and generally enter the New Year feeling refreshed and ready!
We all know that New Year’s resolutions can be difficult to keep. Things are often busy after the holidays and forming new habits or breaking old ones is never easy. Even if you didn’t keep them, New Year’s resolutions are still worth making! It’s better to try than to not bother setting any goals at all.
What we suggested in 2015
Last year, we encouraged you to make resolutions that would help you feel fresh and prepared to take on the New Year. Clearing, cleaning, and de-cluttering were common themes throughout our suggestions.
In 2015, we encouraged you to:
- Clean out your makeup bag
- De-clutter your communications
- Revamp your online presence
- Master a new technique
- Refresh your outlook
Each of these resolutions was easy enough in itself, right? Things become more challenging, however, when you try to make them into new habits!
How did you do?
Did you follow our advice leading up to 2015? Like most people, you might have started out strong and become distracted as time went on. Maybe there were some resolutions that you stuck with and others that fell by the wayside. Don’t stress! You can take another crack at these same resolutions for 2016!
Maybe you decided to adopt these new habits last year and had great success? In that case, it’s time to set yourself some new goals! Which other areas of your personal and professional makeup artistry might you improve upon? Based on the things that benefitted you most last year, what kinds of things would you like to achieve or give up in the next 12 months?
Remember to choose realistic goals that you can really commit to! The goal isn’t to hold yourself to a harsh standard. The New Year is simply a little extra motivation to take steps towards constant self-improvement, both personally and professionally.
Get ready for 2016!
If you set yourself makeup-related New Year’s resolutions last year, you might already know which ones you’d like to repeat or expand upon. You might also be inspired to set completely different goals based on your experiences.
Here are some New Year’s resolutions we’re going to try out for 2016!
1. Experiment with a new product
Have you had your eye on a trendy new type of highlighter that you want to try, but aren’t so sure about? There’s no time like right now to step outside your comfort zone and try a new product instead of relying on your usual staples. Are you a liquid liner addict who’s never tried getting your beloved winged effect with a gel liner instead? What are you waiting for? Try it in 2016!
2. Learn another new technique
Have we mentioned that makeup artists never stop learning? That same old idea holds true in 2016! It’ll benefit you to stay on top of the latest trends, so try something new and practice until it’s perfect. Maybe the technique you want to try isn’t new to the industry but it’s brand new to you. That’s okay! Expanding your skill set is never a bad thing. Choose a technique you’ve been marveling at for a while and make it happen.
3. Seek out a new learning opportunity
You can learn in more ways than one! Whether you’re ready to commit to an entire master class or simply just thinking about an assistantship with a more experienced artist during Fashion Week, set yourself a learning goal. Next, analyze the steps you’ll need to take to get there. If it helps, create a step-by-step strategy for working towards your goal and establish a timeline to keep yourself on track.
4. Network with a new professional
Is there someone in your local area that you’ve always wanted to work with? Perhaps you know of an extraordinarily talented model, photographer, or hair stylist whose work you can practically picture your makeup skills complementing. Maybe now is the time to approach them about working together! Consider what you know about professional networking, communication, and etiquette. Think about that professional’s style and area of expertise. Which examples of your work might interest them the most? Formulate a concept, prepare your portfolio (or a tailored version of it), and get in contact!
5. Get your work published
Is there one very professional picture in your portfolio that you’re especially proud of? Did your request to work with the model, photographer, or hair stylist in the previous resolution result in gorgeous new shots that you can’t wait to display? Consider submitting your work to a blog, magazine, or other makeup-related publication! Research works that might be interested in your style, review their submission policies, and seek all permissions necessary to use the photo. Submitting your work for publication gives you the opportunity to widen your scope, reach new audiences, and add an impressive note to your makeup resume!
Tell us about it!
Did you try one of our New Year’s resolutions in 2015? Tell us about your experience in the comments below! Did you make your own New Year’s resolutions, or do you have other ideas for this year? We’d love to hear about those too! Happy New Year!
