Let’s Talk About Change

Things have changed. I don’t know how that quote goes verbatim but it’s something along the lines that the only constant in life is change. I don’t know if it happened when I turned 30 or if it happened in August around the time that I was in the hospital and then diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia but I’ve had this stressed out, yet apathetic feeling towards Beautiful Basics. I don’t love Beautiful Basics right now.

I’m approaching beauty in a way that is different than I ever have before. I’m evolving, and I didn’t allow my blog to change and grow with me. The big secret is this: I’m not that green anymore. I still check labels and have a lot of brands and ingredients that I just won’t allow into my makeup bag (parabens? NEVER!) but my primary focus has shifted from clean beauty to cruelty-free and vegan beauty. The good news is that many vegan products are made with healthier ingredients. I’ve been so afraid to admit that to you since it’s highly likely that you’re around because of my green, clean beauty roots. I don’t want to not use beauty products that aren’t labeled as GREEN. I just don’t. I really like Urban Decay, ULTA brand, Wander Beauty, Nudestix, and Stila. I just do. But of course, I still love clean brands, too.

The second issue I’ve been having, though, is the fact that I am enjoying having less. I don’t want a hundred lipsticks or 40 different facial masks. I have what I want, I like what I have, and I’m using what I have. There’s something so freeing about that. I have 9 blushes/bronzers. Is that a lot for an average person? Maybe. It still might be more than I need but I use them all. There isn’t a single color that I do not like. I have 11 lip colors. I think that’s an awesome and manageable amount. I wear them all and I just think that’s the coolest thing. I’ve had a large collection since I got really into makeup in college and it grew once I became a blogger.

The same goes for my skincare and hair products. I have a single shampoo, that I use every time I wash my hair and have repurchased many times. I know it works for me. Same for my skin care. I have 1 daily moisturizer and 1 cleanser. I’m addicted to them both. I have 3 facial masks, a handful of serums, and 3 treatments. I know them well, I use them, and I enjoy using them.

I previously had more product than I could ever possibly use and I’ve now managed to make it so my beauty stash brings me joy, instead of stress. I’m so proud of myself for this but it makes for a boring beauty blogger.

The final issue I’ve been experiencing is the fact that beauty hurts. Thanks to my Trigeminal Neuralgia putting on makeup is sometimes extremely painful. Using scrubs or masks or treatments can hurt and continue hurting me for days. This alone has changed beauty for me. I want to keep things simple, to keep from getting more hurt, which means I’m not experimenting with new products or trying different looks.

So, things have changed. I have changed. My outlook on beauty has changed. And now, Beautiful Basics has to change, too. In my New Year, New Content post I told you about wanting to change things up but I feel like this post was also necessary. Hopefully, you’ll stick around for what comes next.