The past year has been one of amazing change and growth for me. I graduated college, left my first real-ish job as editor of the university newspaper, jumped into a career as a social media consultant, learned to let go of people who didn't bring me joy, watched two of my closest friends get married, lost someone who I loved, and began to find myself-- as cheesy as that sounds. Okay, it's not like those were huge events-- well, some of them were-- but they have paved the way for some major changes to come in 2016.

But before we think about the future, it's time to reflect on the past. Last year I posted a few sort-of resolutions and goals and I wanted to post a little update on if I made any progress with them.


Be kinder to others. Be kinder to myself. I won't say that I've accomplished this goal because, really, it isn't that type of goal. I have made strides to become more positive and to weed out negative thoughts, which has helped me be a kinder person. I'm not always kind-- trips to Walmart are especially difficult-- but it's something that I will continue working on.

Read good books. Watch good movies. Look at good art. I did technically read good books and watch good movies... I just didn't read or watch a lot of them. And I think maybe part of that was because I didn't carve out a lot of time to just sit down, relax, and take in a good book or movie; I always felt like there was something more important to be done. Maybe me-time should be a 2016 goal. I did, however, take a class on Western Art, so I learned about a lot of interesting and amazing art. Checkmark.

Take care of myself. Cleanse more. Moisturize morning and night. Definitely a goal I've accomplished. I mean, I have a routine now! I never had one of those before.

Eat more fruits and vegetables. Drink more water. Use that NutriBullet more. Mission accomplished. I use my NutriBullet to create smoothies filled with fruits and veggies nearly each morning.

Meditate. Breath. Be positive. Again, this is a goal that is constant work and not one that I feel like I can say I've accomplished. I do meditate occasionally, though I want to do it more. I don't take enough time to just be and breathe, sadly. I have, however, been working on being more positive and I think I'm headed in the right direction.

Support local businesses, local artists, local musicians. I did go to a couple of local art shows and I've been supporting local artists and musicians though social media. And I've definitely been shopping local more often-- how can I not when Kin Ship Goods is a local company?

Overall, I don't think I did too shabby. But I really feel like 2015 was just a springboard for an even better 2016, and I hope to harness that optimism and use it to accomplish even more in the next twelve months. You know, stuff like...

I'll be honest. This was the year I fell out of love with makeup. Makeup just wasn't bringing anything new to the table and skincare was lookin' all fine and clean and pretty... I just had to switch it up. Same with my hair care; it was like my side chick or something. I'd forget about her for a while but when I remembered to go back to her, she'd treat me well. Now, I'm totally against the idea of side chicks in real life, but when it comes to beauty I think it's acceptable.

So that explains why the makeup products I loved in 2015 were mostly old favorites or new versions of old favorites. My MUFE Ultra HD foundation has been my trusted friend for most of the year, always covering my red cheeks but leaving my skin looking natural. My Hourglass Ambient Lighting blushes give my face a little bit of color and glow while not making me look like a clown. Rimmel's Smoke N' Shine eyeliner and my Smashbox Full Exposure mascara really help me define my eyes-- and they both stay put most of the day without any smudging or raccoon eyes going on.

My tried and true favorite brushes are amazing and affordable: Real Techniques and ELF. I was already a fan of Real Technique's powder brushes-- the fluffy orange one pictured is great for setting makeup or applying powder foundation-- but I recently received some of their eye brushes and they are all honestly perfect for what they do. My two favorites are the base shadow and smudge brushes; the smudge brush helps me put some color below my lower lash line without it going too low. As for the ELF brushes, always go for the black-handled Studio line! They are soft, they don't shed, and they are usually only $3 or $6. My most used are the powder brush (which is great for foundation and patting in large areas of concealer), the blush brush, and the contour brush.

Some of the little odds and ends I've love are my Nails Inc. Gel Effects nail polishes. They make your nails feel strong and they last a decently long time. Plus they just have some really gorgeous colors. My Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt perfume might by my absolute, 100% total favorite of the year, though. It's just this perfect earthy, woodsy, natural smell that I never get tired of-- which is good, because it's a little pricey.

My hair care side chicks this year have been Moroccan Oil and Bumble and Bumble's Don't Blow It creme. I use the Moroccan Oil when I want to tame frizz and have a sleeker, smoother look, and the Don't Blow It creme when I want to show off my natural waves. Sometimes I even get a little naughty and use both, but that does tend to leave me looking a little oily by the end of the day.

Last but not least are my skincare loves. I still love all of the products I featured in my skincare routine post from a few months back. But the stars of that regime were definitely Sunday Riley's Good Genes and Luna Night Oil. My skin had looked more brilliant and glowy than ever before when I was using these two nightly. Unfortunately, I ran out of Luna a while back and haven't been able to push myself into actually purchasing it-- the $105 price tag is a little scary.

And for those nights when I'm so tired I don't think I'll be able to make it through my skincare regime, I use-- wait for it-- Walmart brand makeup remover wipes. I have tried so many types of makeup wipes, from Simple to Neutrogena to Say Yes To..., and these are by far the best. The packaging is great, with a locking lid to keep your wipes from drying out, and boy are they saturated with product. They aren't too harsh on my skin and don't have much of a smell to them. Plus you can get, like, two packages of thirty or so (if not more) for less than six bucks.

What beauty products were you loving in 2015? Were there any surprising products you tried?

I want to start of this week's Life Lately by saying that I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, no matter what you celebrate. But now that Christmas is over, the start of a new year is right around the corner and that means that a lot of us will be trying to come up with resolutions to make 2016 the best year ever, am I right?

I've been thinking about the upcoming year for the past couple of weeks. What do I want to bring into my life in the new year? What goals to I want to accomplish? What do I need to change? I definitely know the answers to a few of those, and if you asked me to jot down a list of resolutions I totally could (and probably will). But today I've also been hit with a major realization: I shouldn't depend on these resolutions.

We all know the jokes about resolutions that get broken by February, if not sooner. And I think the reason why we break our resolutions so easily is because we put too much pressure on ourselves to keep them. It is overwhelming to start out on what is sometimes a new life journey in just a day. There is something to be said for easing into new habits and mindsets. And our resolutions don't even have to start at the beginning of the year! If one of your goals is to work out more, but you only make it to the gym a few times in January, that's okay! You still have eleven months to make it work for you.

Many of us also seem to think that if we don't accomplish a certain goal, we have failed. But something we need to remember is that, sometimes, things happen for a reason. Go ahead and roll your eyes (I would), but sometimes the reason you didn't get that job is because a better one is waiting for you. Sometimes he didn't put a ring on it because the love of your life is still out there. What may seem like a failure could be a stepping stone to something way better.

And that is why, even though I am making a list of resolutions and goals, I'm not going to be dependent on them. I am going to let my resolutions grow, or die, or change as they need to. I am going to set my intentions for the new year and hope that the universe allows that, or something better, to find it's way into my life.

But I want to know... Do you make resolutions for the new year? What are they for 2016?

Christmas is almost here! I'm more excited for the holiday than I usually am thanks to the amazing weather we've been experiencing here in West Virginia. It's feeling more like early or late summer than the beginning of winter, so obviously Santa Claus is real and has gotten my multiple letters asking for no snow.

But I do admit that the lack of chilly weather makes it difficult to get into the holiday spirit. While I'm not a fan of cold weather, I am a fan of sweaters and boots and scarves and ridiculous knit hats. It doesn't fully feel like Christmas if I'm not in those sorts of clothes. So I've had to find other ways to get in the spirit, and this playlist has been it. It's an eclectic mix of my favorite holiday tunes. From pop-punk to pure pop to jazz to instrumental... It's all there. And it's even in a nifty little playlist on Spotify so you can listen, too! Enjoy!