What's your New Year resolution? 

2018 is almost here. As we shake the dust/glitter from our feet of 2017, what practices will you roll over into 2018 and what will you leave behind? With the new year comes inspiration and the hope of a brighter tomorrow. To get you inspired, we've come up with four resolutions that every lash artist should make for 2018.

Many lash artists are lashing up to 10 hours a day or more; leaving little time for self-care. Over time, this lack of self-care can lead to serious, physical, mental, and emotional consequences that can be impossible to reverse. It's important to find a balance between your lash life and your outside responsibilities. Find a way, whether it's 15 minutes before or after work, to pick up around the house or fold laundry, so that when you have a "day off" you're not spending it doing all of the chores that you didn't make time for during the week. Getting into this habit will allow you the time to make the most of the hours you aren't working, whether that's going for a hike or just hanging out with friends, it will be well worth it!

Taking more time for yourself doesn't necessarily mean scheduling time off, although that may be what you need. Taking time for yourself can be done in little moments throughout the day. For example, an excellent way to take time for your body is to schedule stretching breaks in between clients. Even if it is 2 minutes, go to the restroom in between clients and get your stretching in. Here is a great guide to get you started on the right track! 

A way to take time for your mental and emotional well-being is meditation. A great app that I have found, for those of us that have a hard time sitting still in silence, is Headspace. This guided meditation app makes it easy to integrate into your daily routine. You can meditate at any time, but I've found it most helpful to meditate at the start of the day. Starting with meditation helps to set you up for a successful and balanced workday.

It may sound simple, but this is a big one that many lash artists ignore. Dehydration can lead to dry skin, headaches, and even bad breath! It is recommended to drink half your body weight in ounces. So, for example, if you weigh 120lbs you should be drinking 60oz of water throughout the day. And no, coffee and soda don't count! There is no substitute for water when it comes to hydrating. To increase your water intake, keep a water bottle close to your workstation and take sips throughout your appointments. I've found that using a container that has a straw has been helpful to get me to drink more water as sipping through a straw takes less effort somehow! My new go-to is the Starbucks wink cup that is insulated to keep drinks cold in and stylish.

If plain water is not your favorite, spice it up with a BPA-free infuser water bottle such as this one that includes markers to make sure that you are drinking enough throughout the day. A great mix that is anti-inflammatory, immune boosting, and tastes great, is Strawberry/Lemon/Mint. To make: put half a lemon, 4 strawberries (quartered), and 3 mint leaves (torn) in your infuser, fill up the bottle with filtered water and sip throughout the day. 

Another important resolution is to grow your community. Whether it's deepening friendships, networking with other lash artists, or finding people with other common interests, it's important to get out there and be known. This need is especially real for lash artists that work by themselves. Meetup.com is a great space to connect with people that you have shared interests with; you can also create events if you see a space for something new in your area. Facebook forums are an excellent way to connect with other lash artists, asks questions, and maybe find artists in your city to network with. Like any relationship, growing your community takes work and time, but the reward of having people around you that "get it" and can support you in your goals is well worth the effort. 

Lash Affair loves to support our clients in their goals. One way we provide this support is through our Brand Ambassador Program. In addition to exclusivity in testing products and receiving discounts, Lash Affair promotes and offers business counsel/support to our BAs that ensures their continued success in this ever-changing industry.

There are many things that we, as artists, can work on, but being too hard on yourself can leave you feeling overwhelmed and under motivated. Pick one area of your technique that you want to work on, and be specific. Maybe you want all of your volume fans to have even spacing between each lash. Maybe you want lashing the left eye to be as easy as the right eye. Maybe you want to work on selecting the right kind of style that suits your client's eye shape. Once you have picked something to improve upon, post in a lash forum for advice, sign up for a private mentoring session with an artist that is good at that technique or sign up for a full training to grow your skills in general. 

Once you gather some ideas to implement or you've undergone additional training, you have to practice. Block off time in your books to schedule a model, this can be a friend, family member, or even a stranger. Just someone to practice on for however long you need to until you have a breakthrough or you feel more comfortable with that technique. The benefit of this is that you won't feel pressure to rush or be afraid to try new things as you would for a paying client. 

Whether you choose one of the above resolutions or you have some of your own, remember to give yourself grace if you're not progressing as much as you had hoped. Share your list with someone else and be each other's accountability partners so you can have friendly reminders for when you get distracted. 

Let's all raise a glass to the lessons we've learned in 2017 and here's to a wonderfully amazing 2018! Cheers!