breaking out of a beauty or fitness rut—these are pretty popular ideas around the beginning of the year. But how to accomplish these somewhat vague goals is a bit trickier.

Sometimes it's as simple as trying a new fitness class, or taking a risk with your look. And since that's what contributor Hala Daher does for Houstonia every week, we're gathering some of her most successful experiments—and the least—as a field guide for anyone wanting to shake things up in 2017. 

1. Aerial Dance: If someone who's afraid of heights can do it, why not you?

2. The 10-Step Korean Skincare Routine: "It’s time consuming, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for my skin."

3. Floating Tank: "I think I finally mastered meditation! All it took was $75 and about 1,000 lbs of Epsom salt."

4. Twerking Class: "As cliché as it sounds, it was an awesome celebration of being a woman." 

5. Facial Mists: No more runny makeup! No more red blotches or heat-stressed skin!

6. The Wet Hair Look: "The end result was surprisingly cool. ... all the added moisture brought out my big curls."

7. Parkour: It's great way to work on mobility and agility and in a way that is fun and restorative (plus you can find free classes at Discovery Green).

8. Dry Oil: "I’m now a silky smooth, forever-changed woman."

9. Shaving Your Face: "The end result was perfection: clear, smooth skin minus any peach fuzz."

10. Nipple Cream: Surprise, it’s amazing on your lips and other dry parts of your face. (See also: coconut oil.)

As for the beauty experiments that Hala was less than impressed with, you can go ahead and skip spray-on nail polish ("My hands looked like I had gotten into a bag of ketchup chips,"), the no-poo movement ("I seriously considered wearing a hat every day to cover up the mess,") and edible collagen ("Of all the weird, useless things I’ve tried in the name of beauty, this might be number one.")