It was kind of scary how fast 2017 passed by for me. My year was full changes, good and bad, and I can't say that I am the best with dealing with change. I moved across the country, traveled to Europe , and left my job of 5 years for a brand new position in a new city.
Basically, I started over and I am so glad I did. My life was literally refreshed and although it was hard AF it was worth it.

I am already proclaiming that 2018 will be a year of increase and growth for me.

Keep reading for some of my personal and blogging goals for 2018.

Recommit to my Health and Fitness goals

This was a goal for me last year and I have to say that my health is a priority again this year. Although I strive to be pretty healthy by exercising at least 4 days a week, I really do eat like shit pretty often because honestly FOOD IS LIFE. I love a good meal, but this year I just want to cheat less and control myself more. I've been a part time Pescatarian for a few years, but the plan is to go full time this year and eat a lot more green vegetables.

Put at least one more stamp on my Passport

2017 was a great travel year for me. I went to NYC twice, Philadelphia, Paris, Miami twice, and Cabo San Lucas. This year, I really want to push the envelope by traveling more internationally and Greece is at the top of my list. As a kid, I was obsessed with Greek mythology so going to Greece will be life goals for me. The Dominican Republic is also planned for this year as a girl's trip and I'm super excited just thinking about it.

Take better Photos

As a blogger, I want to improve on my photography and editing skills. I am considering getting Lightroom and some additional lighting so that I can take more photos at night. Right now, I have umbrella lights and I use either my Sony a5100 for selfies and Samsung NX3000 for product photos, but I kind of want to experiment with a ring light.

Blog at least twice a week

Because of a bunch of life changes, I found myself not blogging as much as I would have liked in 2017, but it's a priority of mine to change that in 2017. Blogging and beauty is a creative outlet for me and I have to get back to that this year. I miss talking about makeup everyday and even more I miss wearing makeup every day. My life is almost back to normal and I feel really settled and happy in Baltimore so my weekends will be dedicated to my passions in 2018.

Socialize more

Let me let you in on a little beauty "secret". If you are looking for healthy glowing skin, blush and highlight is your best beauty weapon!

For that reason alone, highlighters and blushes are my favorite types of beauty products and probably the only products I have to wear daily.

When it comes to highlighters, I prefer a natural highlighted look and as far as blushes the brighter the better as you will see from my faves. Let's take a quick at some of my favorite Highlighter and Blushes that you have to try out!

Mac Cosmetics Powder Blush Film Noir | $23

This rich warm chocolate blush is the perfect dramatic contour powder for me. I love Mac blushes because they have just the right amount of buildable pigmentation and the colors are super flattering on the skin. Film Noir lasts all day making it perfect for a night out. This powder is best suited for darker skin because it is super deep, but Mac also has Blunt for anyone who is has light to medium skin.

 

Makeup Forever Pro Light Fusion Highlighter in Golden | $39

My favorite thing abut the Pro Light Fusion highlighter has to be the texture. It almost has like a wet gel like texture and melts into the skin, to give a dewy and almost subtle highlight that can built up for intensity. This has been my go to travel highlighter because it looks amazing with minimal makeup, which I tend to lean towards when I'm on the beach. I also love this because it actually lasts all day and I don't have to worry about glitter particles lingering on my face. You can get it at Sephora here.

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette| $59 | Post

This face palette had me at first swatch when I first saw it in Sephora. I'm typically not the type to pick up hyped up products, but I was drawn in by the Prosecco Pop and Rose Spritz. Prosecco Pop is deeper and slighty more golden than Champagne Pop and suits my skin tone so well. I also fell in love with the shimmer in Rose Spritz, which is a Luminous finish blush, because it gives color and shimmer all in one. The highlighters in the palette were a lot more shimmery than I typically go for, but I did enjoy this for an occasional dramatic highlight. This is no longer available in a set, but you can still get Champagne Pop at Ulta and both Champagne and Prosecco Pop at Sephora here.

Bobbi Brown Highlighter in Bronze Glow | $48 | Post

This highlighter has been my go to layering highlighter. It has the perfect amount of glow without being over the top glittery and gives the look of a glow from within. My favorite way to wear this highlighter is paired over a cream highlighter like the Nyx Bright Idea Illuminating Stick for an extra, almost wet look. This highlighter runs for about $48 dollars, but it's honestly worth every penny.

 

Nyx Cosmetics Ombre Blush in Codebreaker | $10 | Post 

This is the first blush that I purchased in last year and was definitely my most used.  I fell in love with the versatility of the Ombre blushes from Nyx because they are so buildable and offer two different shades. Codebreaker is a bright fuchsia that shifts to a violet and I wore this both with a full face and minimal makeup with ease. What initially swatched powdery turned out to be one of the best products I tried all year. You can pick this up about $10 at Ulta here.

What are your favorite blushes and highlighters? Pop some suggestions down in the comments!

 

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I was browsing Ulta's website a few weeks ago and saw that they had added some new Makeup Revolution items to the website. The New-trals vs. Neutral palette caught my eye on the actual TAM Beauty site, but I didn't order it because 12 dollars is too much for shipping in my opinion especially for one item.

I digress.