Another year, another New Year’s resolution to make and break. I’m not one to make excuses for my minor misdemeanors, but let’s face it, life happens—and with it comes all kinds of impediments that make following the rules impractical. So to break the cycle this year, I’ve decided to stop making grand promises that I can’t keep and start streamlining my beauty resolutions to make it more…well, feasible.

1.       Wake up 10 minutes earlier. 

Mornings usually find me scrambling around like a lost puppy, leaving me no time to dry my hair thoroughly—let alone, put proper makeup on! So this year, I promise to add 10 minutes to my waking moments so I could groom myself accordingly before facing the world.

Here’s the plan:

2 minutes – After cleansing, apply moisturizer, sunblock, lip balm and foundation and eye primers.

3 minutes – Partially dry my hair.

2 minutes – Apply foundation, eye makeup (shadow and liner), blush and lip color

2 minutes – Continue drying my hair.

1 minute – Curl my lashes, apply a coat of mascara and lip gloss. Finish with a pump of hair serum applied at the ends of my hair.

(For more 5-minute makeup ideas, click here.)

2.       Declutter.

Hoarding has always been one of my worst traits. I tend to hold on to things: post cards I snagged from museums, newspaper issues bearing important events, movie tickets, parking receipts, Starbucks napkins, clothes I’ll one day wear, and yes, makeup products from eons ago. Before this year concludes, I promise to sort my makeup and skin care products, and toss the old and unusable ones away.

(For a quick guide on makeup expiration, click here.)

3.       Try a new trend every month.

With all the hot new colors coming out this spring, there’s no way I’m playing it safe this year! Some of the trends that I intend to master include colored, geometric eyeliners (emerald green makeup will be big this year, as Pantone’s color of the year and all), bold brows and voluminous lashes, and bloody-red lips (I know it’s not exactly new, but does this ever go out of style?).

(For more Spring 2013 makeup trends, click here.)

4.       Invest in key tools.

With multipurpose products and affordable, professional-quality tools available for every beauty junkie and newbie alike, there’s really no excuse for slacking off on your beauty routine. Here are some key investments I’ve made so far:

Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System – Three words: money well spent! It’s on the pricey side, but believe me, once you’ve tried this, you’ll never use your fingers to cleanse your face again!

Blowout Beauty Ultra Power Professional Hair Dryer – If I want to keep up with the schedule I’ve listed above, I have to have a power tool like this to make it happen. I tried this hair dryer and it really cut my hair drying time in half. The best thing about this is that the finish is super sleek that I never have to use a flat iron afterwards to tame my wayward strands!

Still on my wish list: TEMPTU Signature Starter Set

5.       Finally, be a little more diligent about my beauty routine.

I’ve been on the nice list for religiously slathering myself with layers of moisturizer and sunblock all year round; however, I do feel that I fell short on hair and nail care. So this year, I promise that no matter how busy life gets, I’ll make it a point to get a trim every 3 months (per hairstylist advice), do weekly deep conditioning treatments, and get a mani/pedi every 3 weeks.

There you have it—my 5 beauty resolutions! Do you have a list of beauty resolutions, too? Go ahead and share it with us!!!

OK, so maybe the idea of the end of the world (or an impending zombie apocalypse) is a bit too far-fetched. You can blame that on my recent trip to Peru, where I’ve had an exceptional, first-hand encounter with the brilliance of the Inca culture—a.k.a. one of the three ancient cultures believed to be proponents of the 2012-is-the-end-of-the-world phenomenon. Or it could be the inevitable effect of my growing addiction to TV gore (thanks, Walking Dead!). However, with all the talk about climate change, World War III, and Planet Nibiru colliding with Earth sometime this century, you can never tell when something unthinkable can happen. So, with this in mind, with or without a real Armageddon threat, I’ve put together my own beauty survival kit.

You must think I’m vain. You must think: why does she need beauty products in the event of an emergency of doomsday proportions?? Well, my friend, in case you’re not aware, our skin is our first level of defense against the world at large. It regulates our body temperature and protects our internal organs from bacteria, adverse environments and extreme weather conditions. Not to mention, our skin, hair and even nails are also the best indicators of our overall health. So, as you assemble the practical things that will help you thrive in the event of an apocalyptic episode, make sure to keep these products on hand. Actually, you can use them any time to ensure healthy skin.

1. Let’s start with the basics.  When I think of Armageddon, extreme temperatures come to mind—either there will be too much UV contact or total darkness. Whatever the outcome, it’s only prudent to arm yourself with a powerful sunblock and a time-tested moisturizer. If you can find one product that does both jobs well—like La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX Daily Moisturizing Cream with Sunscreen—the better! A lip moisturizer with SPF is also a must-have.

2. I don’t need to tell you that in the event of a power outage, hot water—or maybe even water itself—will not be available for your bathing pleasure. Don’t worry, there are other ways to keep yourself clean and fresh in between showers, like anti-bacterial hand sanitizers, on-the-go cleansing wipes, facial and body mists and dry shampoos. You’ll also find these products extremely useful, especially if you find yourself taking refuge in the jungle. I should know, I always bring these products with me whenever I go on camping and hiking trips.

3. As serene as nature can be, unfortunately, you would have to share the rest of the jungle with our cute little crawlers, blood-sucking fliers and poisonous plants. This is where insect repellents and itch-control creams can come in handy. If you have room for skin-soothers like aloe vera, thermal spring waters (a godsend!), and cooling creams, feel free to throw them in the pack as well.

4. Finally, you know those hypothetical questions they usually ask, like what is that one makeup product you’d want to have with you when stranded on a desert or a secluded tropical island? If you don’t have an answer to that yet, you better start thinking of one as early as now. As for me, the only makeup product I brought with me during my crazy Peruvian expedition was my jane iredale Dream Tint SPF 15 Moisture Tint. It’s a moisturizer and sunblock in one that offers just the right amount of coverage. So if it worked exceptionally well for me during my bargain-hunting spree in crowded Lima—and my hiking trip to the Andes mountains under the scorching sun—I’m confident it’ll work for me just fine when the dawn of the dead strikes (sorry, I couldn’t resist).

Pack these products along with sufficient water, some canned goods, protective clothing, a flash light, matchsticks, a medical kit and a badass machete and you get better odds at surviving the end of the world. Remember, if the Mayan/Incan calculations are correct, you only have approximately 18 days to pack your survival kit…and make each moment of your life count. Good luck!