Have you ever felt your eyelids start to close after a long night out? Have you ever suddenly found yourself still wearing full makeup? What would happen if I fell asleep with my clothes on? It wouldn’t be that bad, I thought to myself. Listen, you are not alone. I’ve been there. Actually, I’m there too. Although I’ve improved a lot when it comes to “sleeping with my makeup on,” I still have some bad beauty habits that I need to curb. Yes, it’s okay even if you’re in your 40s!
Bad beauty habits like not wearing sunscreen or using the same mascara for longer than you’d like are common among us, even as beauty editors. These symptoms, a mixture of convenience and laziness, creep up on you slowly and cunningly. Eventually, you’ll wonder why you’re getting severe acne or new signs of skin damage. Don’t stress (at least, that’s what I tell myself). The start of a new year is a good time to take a long look in the mirror and check in with yourself, even if it means giving your bathroom mirror a deep clean.
It might finally be time to give your makeup brushes a deep clean. Honestly, when was the last time you did something like that? It might be time to start incorporating those steps into your skin care routine that you know will actually make a difference if you stick with them. Maybe you’ll stop using makeup wipes altogether. My goals for 2025 are not perfect. It’s consistency. To hold myself accountable, I’m confessing all my bad beauty habits that I’m going to kick by 2024. Please, don’t be ashamed of me.
1. Not washing your makeup brushes regularly
Please be honest. When was the last time you properly cleaned your brushes? Weekly? monthly? Until now? For years, I had a terrible habit of not keeping my makeup brushes clean. Now, before I make any vomit noises, a disclaimer. As a beauty editor, I’ve been gifted with makeup brushes for many years, so as you can imagine, my collection is larger than the average makeup user’s. Of course, it’s a privilege to have a sufficient number of makeup brushes at your disposal, but it also allows you to throw dirty brushes into the pile and always have clean ones at hand. not good!
In 2025, I commit to using a brush cleanser on a weekly date. This is not only to prevent this kind of hoarding scenario from happening in your bathroom, but also to avoid accidentally using your makeup brushes for too long. After all, using a clean foundation brush will help you blend smoothly and you’ll be less likely to wake up with breakouts in the morning. As for tools, I swear by a combination of Sigma Beauty Makeup Brush Cleaner Mat ($30) and EcoTools’ Cleanser Shampoo ($7) to remove all residue. Liquid cleansers are also great, especially in a pinch. Cinema Secrets Professional Makeup Brush Cleaner ($32) is a favorite among makeup artists.
eco tools
cleanser shampoo
movie secrets
professional makeup brush cleaner
sigma beauty
makeup brush cleaner matte
2. You have an incomplete routine.
As if this list of confessions couldn’t be any more embarrassing, one of my worst beauty habits is that I sometimes go half-hearted with my habits. Some weeks you may find yourself not exfoliating at all, or forget to floss for a day or two. know. Skipping a step in your plan can be damaging in the long run, so this year I’m committed to being completely thorough. I vow to do everything from wearing SPF even when I’m indoors all day (I work near a window, yeah!) to using a mask and exfoliating weekly. Two that I’m eyeing are Jade Complexions’ Crystalline Marine Facial Polish ($70) and Sachi Skin’s Complexion Clarifying Accelerator ($78).
Jade Complexions
crystalline marine facial polish
Sachi skin
Skin color clearing accelerator
PS: My exfoliation goals include everything from head to toe. A good body bar, like Soft Services’ Buffing Bar Exfoliating Body Bar ($28), keeps my keratosis pilaris in check.
soft service
Buffing Bar Exfoliating Body Bar
Also make sure your oral routine is on point. In addition to regular flossing with my favorite CocoFloss dental floss ($10), I also buy an electric toothbrush with an automatic timer. This way, you can be sure to spend enough time on the champer. It also gave me an excuse to buy the Moon x Hello Kitty electric toothbrush ($80) that I had been eyeing for a while. This is the year of routine and consistency.
Moon x Hello Kitty
electric toothbrush
Coco Floss
woven dental floss
3. Too much cotton
I’m a big fan of micellar water, but I’m worried that I’m relying too much on cotton pads. Not only is it wasteful, my trash can and the earth are fed up with my endless cotton consumption. Almost every day I use a napkin every time I use micellar water, my bathroom has turned into a full-blown environmental crime scene. In 2025, I plan to switch to reusable options. They are softer, have the same effect, are easier on the wallet and more sustainable. Plus, it’s very easy to clean and reuse. I love Daily Concepts’ Daily Reusable Rounds ($10) to remove eye and base makeup, and Take My Face Off’s Vlada’s Mitty Pout ($22) to remove long-wear lipstick.
daily concept
daily reusable rounds
take my face off
Vlada’s Mitty Pout Reusable Ultra Soft Lipstick Removal Cloth
4. Cut back on sleep time
Beauty sleep isn’t just a cute word, it’s literally a science. But getting enough sleep is also something I, and about a third of American adults, struggle with, according to the CDC. I know that’s not ideal or healthy. Sleep repairs your body, including your skin, and fatigue can increase your risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia, and many other undesirable illnesses. In 2025, I’m setting some serious boundaries. Avoid screens an hour before bed, use comfortable sheets, and aim for a solid 8 hours in real life.
moon juice
Sleepy Magnesium
I’m pretty used to taking magnesium for gut health, but being more careful with how I take it, such as consuming magnesium intensively as part of my sleep routine, can help me stay more consistent. You can. Moon Juice’s Sleepy Magnesi-Om in Cherry ($98) is a delicious pre-bedtime drink.
There’s also a whole theory that red light therapy may promote better sleep because it disrupts your circadian rhythm less than blue light. I’d love to try something like Helight’s Sleep Red Light Device ($139) or Mito Red Light Lamp ($50). These can also help with your New Year’s reading goals.
Herito
Sleep Red Light Therapy Sleep Device
mito red light
red light lamp
5. Not enough hydration
Maybe I was worried about some errands, but I wasn’t keeping myself hydrated. From drinking too many peppermint mochas to forgetting to fill my bottle with water, I’ve been parched and parched. As I type this, I can feel the skin on my face drying out. This menopausal gal is not cute! Next year there will be water bottles on the deck (hello, new Owara water bottles) and a humidifier on the roof, like Canopy’s awesome humidifier.
Owara
Freesip Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle
canopy
portable humidifier
6. Forgetting to put items back in your wallet
Raise your hand if you’ve ever left the house without your lip balm, hand sanitizer, your favorite red lipstick, or extra liquid eyeliner because you kept them in a separate purse. Beulah? Beulah? I know I can’t be alone in this situation. I change wallets so often that I always forget something. Of course, you could keep a red lipstick in every wallet, but that’s still not enough. Beauty Editor is always prepared and makes sure that I never slip up in 2025. My wallet must be packed Mary Poppins style. All you need is something like a catch-all dish placed in the same place so you can switch smoothly and effectively.
Edie Parker has the coolest Spotted Catchalls ($195), but I’m obsessed with this Make Me Pretty Stacking Tray ($45). Now, all I need is a system to organize my huge wallet collection and I’m good to go.
Edie Parker
spotted catch ball
me make pretty
heart stacking tray
