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Beauty resolutions that won't be hard to keep

We're a week into 2018. Have you lost 20 pounds and saved $20,000 yet?

Please don’t wear makeup to bed.
Please don’t wear makeup to bed.Read moreiSTOCKPHOTO

We're a week into 2018. Have you lost 20 pounds and saved $20,000 yet?

While you take another stab at those goals, here are some beauty resolutions for the year to add to your list.

Bonus: These will be easier than losing weight.

Wash your face every night. Don't go to bed wearing makeup, friends. Ideally, you should remove your makeup (try Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, $6.99 at drugstores) and then give your skin a scrubbing (I love Purity Made Simple Cleanser, $24 at Sephora). But if that sounds like too much at the end of a long day with the kids not having school again because of snow/cold/ice, here's a little trick: Keep makeup-removing wipes on your bedside table. (I like Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes, $6.49 at drugstores.) Even if, exhausted, you fall into bed still rocking a smoky eye, you can remove the makeup before you fall asleep.

Actually use all of the stuff in your medicine cabinet. If you're not washing your face before bed, you're not applying serums and lotions that can improve both the look and feel of your skin. At the very least, you should be using a moisturizer every night, but if you have other potions on hand, make a point to use them, too. (Hey, if you've got 'em, that means you already bought 'em!)

Get enough sleep. The myriad health benefits of a good night's sleep aside, you'll just plain look better when you're well-rested. Fine lines and wrinkles are exacerbated by exhaustion; dark undereye circles look worse. Aim for at least seven hours of shut-eye a night for a week, and see how much better your skin looks.

Ditch old makeup. It doesn't last forever! Mascara should be replaced every three months; lipstick at least once a year. Powders, like eye shadow and bronzer, are usually good for two years. Bottom line: If you don't remember when you got a product, play it safe and toss it.

Keep your makeup brushes clean. Makeup brushes should be washed at least once a week to stop the spread of bacteria and to keep colors from being muddied as you switch from one shade of eye shadow to another. You can buy a product made for cleaning brushes (I love Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner, $24 at Sephora), but baby shampoo works well, too. Wash them at night, and they'll be ready for use the next morning.

Alison Smith resolves to buy more lipstick in 2018. Got a burning beauty question? Email asmith@philly.com.