GLAMOUR confidential

Happy, happy, happiness to you, gorgeous Ms GLAMOURZON! Whether you’re dancing till dawn in a whirl of glitzy heels and cocktails, or revelling in a deliciously makeupand action-free zone, we wish you a great ending for 2017 and blessed beginnings for 2018 – all connected by love and beauty. What to carry over into the new year? Here’s some of what we learnt for life in the year that was, as we –

Live the life. Fill it with GLAMOUR! Pnina Fenster, editor “Woman power was my 2017 lesson, from marches and #metoo to our #Poweredbywomen issue. Coming up in 2018: sisters on the up and up!” “Take time to travel, explore and rejuvenate. If your reserves are low, you can’t give freely to others who may need help.” – Michelle Brownlee Smith, deputy editor and beauty director “Don’t be afraid to take big risks. A lesson that’s already paying off for this year.” – Ziyaad Bassier, art director “Live to the fullest. My cousin, Joan, passed away from cancer last May and that’s where my lesson came from: if there’s something you want to do, just do it! Don’t wait.” – Lesley Mathys, syndication executive “In 2017, I started letting go of the need to control everything and saw that a little crazy is actually when the fun happens. My one-year-old taught me to live in the moment.” – Staci Lazarus, managing editor “If you want something you’ve never had, do something you’ve never done. I moved to Paris for a year, and being without a safety net helped me grow and strengthened my faith. To find out where you really belong, go on an adventure.” – Eloise Brink, senior copy editor and features writer

“Sharing quality time made my friendships solid, and that won’t only be for this year; it will be forever!” – Tumi Moletsane, copy editor “I got my precious cat, Smudge, and she taught me that a fluffy friend makes even bad days more bearable.” – Danica van der Veen, online editor “I discovered that I could rock natural hair every day. Hello, wild side, you’ve set me free!” – Jesé-ché Lillienfeldt, beauty assistant “I learnt I could do anything if I put my mind to it, including running from Joburg to Cape Town for charity. More in 2018!” – Sarah Tuft, special projects and events manager “I saw that I shouldn’t sweat the small things. ‘Be the best you’ is what I’ll take from 2017.” – Meg van Eck, digital and online assistant “I became more budget conscious, making lunches instead of buying take-outs. This small change will also make a big difference in the new year.” – Tina Tshangela, fashion assistant “Say ‘yes’ to more things. Life is more exciting when you step out of your comfort zone, after all, that’s how I landed my dream job and met the love of my life.” – Kirsty Jardine, junior designer “I saw the power of setting goals, and now, after buying my first car, I’ll set new goals for 2018.” – Lauren Williams, promotions assistant “A better fitness routine! That’s definitely coming with me into this year.” – Tania Durand, fashion assistant “Appreciation! Especially for GLAMOUR, where I learnt so much and got the best opportunity I could ask for.” – Zeneth Kakora, GLAMOUR work experience “I learnt that it’s totally OK to reset and start from scratch if life isn’t going as planned.” – Lucille Dyosi, beauty work experience