Have you ever felt your eyelids starting to close as you drift off after a long night but then suddenly remember that you’re still wearing a full face of makeup? You groggily think, “What if I just sleep in my makeup this one time? It can’t be that bad.” Listen, you’re not alone. I’ve been there. Actually, I am there. While I’ve gotten way better with the whole “sleeping in makeup” thing, I still have some bad beauty habits that I need to curb. Yes, even at 40-something years old!
Bad beauty habits—like skipping sunscreen or using the same mascara for way longer than you’d care to admit—happen to the best of us, even beauty editors! They creep in slyly and slowly, a mix of convenience and laziness, until you’re wondering why you’ve got a gnarly zit and new signs of skin damage. Don’t stress (at least, that’s what I’m trying to tell myself); the start of a new year is a good time to take a good, long look in the mirror and be real with ourselves—even if that bathroom mirror needs some serious cleaning.
Maybe it’s time to finally give your makeup brushes a deep clean. Honestly, when was the last time you really did that? Maybe it’s time to start incorporating that step in your skincare routine that you know will make a difference if you actually stick with it. Maybe it’s ditching those makeup wipes once and for all. My goal for 2025 isn’t perfection. It’s consistency. To make myself accountable, I’m confessing all of the bad beauty habits I’m leaving in 2024. Please, don’t shame me.
1. Not Washing Makeup Brushes Regularly
Be honest with me: When was the last time you gave your brushes a proper cleaning? Weekly? Monthly? Ever? I have had a terrible habit of not keeping my makeup brushes clean for years. Now, before you start making vomiting noises, here’s a disclaimer. Because I’m a beauty editor who has been gifted with makeup brushes throughout the years, my collection, as you can imagine, is bigger than the average makeup user’s. Sure, it’s a privilege to have an ample number of makeup brushes at my disposal, but it allows me to toss the dirty ones in a pile and grab a clean one at any time. Not good!
In 2025, I’m committing to a weekly date with my brush cleanser. It’s not just to prevent this sort of hoarding scenario from happening in my bathroom, but it’s also to ensure that I don’t accidentally use a makeup brush for too long. After all, clean foundation brushes allow for smoother blending and fewer chances of waking up to a breakout. As for tools, I swear by my Sigma Beauty Makeup Brush Cleaner Mat ($30) paired with EcoTools’ Cleanser Shampoo ($7) to get all the residue out. Liquid cleansers are also great, especially in a pinch. Cinema Secrets’ Professional Makeup Brush Cleaner ($32) is a makeup artist go-to.
EcoTools
Cleanser Shampoo
Cinema Secrets
Professional Makeup Brush Cleaner
Sigma Beauty
Makeup Brush Cleaner Mat
2. Having Incomplete Routines
As if this list of confessions couldn’t get any more shameful, one of my worst beauty habits is I sometimes half-ass my routines. There will be weeks where I realize I haven’t exfoliated at all or miss a day or two of flossing. I know. Skipping steps in my regimen can end up doing damage in the long run, so this year, I’m committing to being completely thorough. I vow to do everything from wearing SPF even though I’m inside all day (I do work near a window, eek!) to using a mask every week and exfoliating! The two I have on my radar are Jadé Complexions’ Crystalline Marine Facial Polish ($70) and Sachi Skin’s Complexion Clarifying Accelerator ($78).
JADÉ Complexions
Crystalline Marine Facial Polish
Sachi Skin
Complexion Clarifying Accelerator
PS: My exfoliating goals include everything from head to toe. A good body bar, like Soft Services’ Buffing Bar Exfoliating Body Bar ($28) will keep my keratosis pilaris in check.
Soft Services
Buffing Bar Exfoliating Body Bar
I’ll even make sure my oral routine is on point. Aside from regular flossing with my favorite Cocofloss Dental Floss ($10), I’ll get an electric toothbrush that has an automated timer. This way, it’ll ensure that I’m spending enough time on my chompers. It’s also an excuse to get this Moon x Hello Kitty Electric Toothbrush ($80) that I’ve had my eye on. This is the year of elevated routines and consistency!
Moon X Hello Kitty
Electric Toothbrush
Cocofloss
Woven Dental Floss
3. Using Too Many Cotton Pads
I am a major micellar water enthusiast, but I fear I have been too dependent on cotton pads. Besides being a waste, my trash can and the planet have had enough of my endless cotton-pad consumption. Using a pad every time I use micellar water, which is almost daily, has turned my bathroom into a full-blown environmental crime scene. In 2025, I’m making the switch to reusable options—they’re softer, just as effective, better for my wallet, and way more sustainable. Plus, they’re super easy to clean and reuse. I love using Daily Concepts’ Daily Reusable Rounds, ($10) for removing my eye and base makeup and Take My Face Off’s Vlada’s Mitty Pout ($22) for taking off my longwear lipstick.
Daily Concepts
Daily Reusable Rounds
Take My Face Off
Vlada’s Mitty Pout Reusable Ultra Soft Lipstick Removal Cloth
4. Skimping on Sleep
Beauty sleep isn’t just a cute phrase—it’s literally science. However, getting sufficient sleep is also something that I and about one third of U.S. adults struggle with, according to the CDC. I know it’s not ideal or even healthy. Sleep is when your body repairs itself, including your skin, but exhaustion may increase the risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia, and a whole host of other uncool things. In 2025, I’m setting serious boundaries: no screens an hour before bed, comfy sheets, and actually aiming for a solid eight hours.
Moon Juice
Sleepy Magnesi-Om
I’m pretty good with taking magnesium for my gut health, but being more mindful about how I take it, like focusing on it as part of a sleep routine, could help me be more consistent. Moon Juice’s Sleepy Magnesi-Om in Cherry ($98) is a tasty before-bed beverage.
There’s also a whole theory that red light therapy may promote better sleep by being less disruptive to our circadian rhythm than blue light. I’m open to trying something like Helight’s Sleep Red Light Device ($139) and the Mito Red Light Lamp ($50), which would also help me with my reading goals for the new year.
Helight
Sleep Red Light Therapy Sleep Device
Mito Red Light
Red Light Lamp
5. Not Hydrating Enough
I may have been minding my business, but I have not been staying hydrated. Between too many peppermint mochas and forgetting to keep my water bottle filled, I’ve been living that parched life. I can feel the dry skin on my face as I type this. Not cute for this perimenopausal gal! This coming year, it’s water bottles on deck (hello, new Owala water bottle) and humidifiers, like any of Canopy’s fabulous ones, on high.
Owala
Freesip Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle
Canopy
Portable Humidifier
6. Forgetting to Put Products Back in My Purse
Please raise your hand if you’ve ever left the house without your lip balm, hand sanitizer, favorite red lipstick, or backup liquid eyeliner because you kept it in another purse. Bueller? Bueller? I know I can’t be alone in this. I’m constantly switching out purses, so I’m always forgetting something. Sure, I can keep every single purse stocked with a red lipstick, but it’s still not enough. A beauty editor is always prepared, and in 2025, I’m making sure I’m never caught slipping. My purse shall be fully loaded, Mary Poppins style. All I need is some sort of catchall dish stationed in the same spot so I can make the switch smoothly and effectively.
Edie Parker has the coolest Spotted Catchalls ($195), and I’m obsessed with these Me Make Pretty Stacking Trays ($45). Now, all I need is an organization system for my massive purse collection, and I’m set!
Edie Parker
Spotted Catchall
Me Make Pretty
Heart Stacking Tray