What's In My Makeup Bag: Travel Edition

As I mentioned in a previous post, I travel frequently for work. I am currently in DC and will be in Miami at the end of the week (hello warm weather!). I typically only take a carry-on which requires me to pack very efficiently. Below are my must-have makeup products for traveling. 

1. Nars Sheer Glow Foundation- this is my absolute favorite foundation. The dewy finish is beautiful. 

2. Urban Decay Setting Spray- luckily I scored this travel size at Sephora by cashing in points. It's perfect for traveling.

3. Clinique bronzer in Sunkissed- I own quite a few bronzers, but for whatever reason I love this one. 

4. Eyeliner- Urban Decay 24/7 is my favorite. I also always pack a nude liner to help me look awake after long days of traveling (see previous post).

5. Benefit Gimme Brow- I recently started using this and must say I am obsessed. It  is very easy to use and is a quick application. 

6. Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer- I prefer this over my Mac Prolongwear concealer because it is a fast application which is good when I'm getting ready for work.

7. Mascara- I rotate brands frequently, but I like this Maybelline Great Lash one a lot.

8. Naked 2 Palette- I rarely have time to do a full eye in the morning but this palette gives me lots of options. Most frequently I just apply "tease" in the crease and go. 

9. Dior Amber Diamond Shimmer Powder- my favorite highlighter. 

10.Nars Guy Bourdin Palette- this palette is perfect for travel because it includes a highlighter, bronzer, and 4 blushes. Plus everything Nars is amazing! 

Although some of the products are rotated out, these are most of my must-have makeup products when traveling! 

What are your must-haves? 

PS- I am having issues with the comments section of the blog, but will hopefully get this resolved soon!

Thanks for reading! 

February Ipsy Bag

In case you aren't familiar with Ipsy, it's a $10/month beauty bag subscription service. I joined Ipsy in December and overall have been pleased with their monthly bags. I get very excited when their pink mailer arrives in my mailbox. 

This month's bag had an extra treat inside. I earned over 1000 points by referring friends which got me a beauty blender and cleanser- score! 

Here is my February bag:

Overall I am happy with this month's Ipsy bag. They are very good about including full size products. I know many people are probably excited about this full size Zoya nail polish in Odette. I personally don't care for this because I never paint my own nails. 

The Pacifica body butter has a nice tropical smell and will fit nicely in my purse. I hope it moisturizes as well as it smells. 

I am also excited to try Pop Beauty for the first time. This fuchsia lip gloss is right up my alley. 

I'm not sure about this copper "shadow tint" especially because it has a strong smell. I can't imagine that I will like it more than the Maybelline shadow tattoos, but we will see. 

Overall February's bag is a winner!

Do you subscribe to Ipsy or a similar service? 

If you are interested in subscribing to Ipsy check it out here: http://www.ipsy.com/r/6fra

Mac Lipstick Collection and Swatches

I have a confession...I purchased my first Mac lipstick in 2013! What might be even more surprising is that I really didn't wear lipstick up until last year, with the exception of a soft/natural pink. I was always a lipgloss girl until one day I saw a girl wearing bright purple lipstick and I thought to myself "I wonder if I could pull that off." It would so pretty on her, but I was certain it would look ridiculous on me. I headed to the drugstore and bought a few bright shades. Much to my surprise I really liked them (my husband not so much)! I continued to experiment with different colors and brands and gradually an addiction was born! 

I now realize that bold lipstick is all about confidence! Trust me and try it! 

Of all the brands, I love Mac lipsticks! I know that a lot of the shades below are "cult favorites" and you have probably seen them or own them. However I get a lot of questions about my collection so I wanted to share. 

Top to bottom: snob, please me, pink nouveau, saint germain, chatterbox, snapdragon (LE), girl about town, up the amp (my absolute fav), heavenly hybrid (LE), rebel

Top to bottom: Plumful, feeling amorous (LE), dreaming dahlia (LE), viva glam I, viva glam V (great every day color), viva glam Rihanna (LE), pleasure bomb (LE) 

LE = limited edition 

Do you have a favorite Mac lipstick? Have you tried bold colors or do you prefer more natural shades? 

I love trying new products, so please share your favorites! 

Bigger and Brighter Eyes

Last night I had a 5 hour drive from NC to VA for work. I am a sales director for an educational learning company and travel frequently. Once I finally arrived to my hotel, instead of going to bed I stayed up watching RHOBH. I am a bit of a Real Housewives junkie. Needless to say, I woke up feeling and looking tired. 

Thank goodness for makeup! I want to share an easy tip for getting bigger and brighter eyes, which is especially helpful on mornings when you need to look awake. All you have to do is take a nude eyeliner to your lower lash line. This will give the appearance of brighter eyes in one easy step. Any nude liner will do. I recommend ScandalEyes Kohl liner by Rimmel. It is creamy, doesn't smear, and is affordable. 

It is as easy as that! 

Thanks for reading! 

Skincare Favorites

I can't stress enough how important it is to take care of your skin! Your future self will thank you. Skincare is such a personal thing that varies by skin type, skin sensitivity, affordability, and preference. Above our some of the my current favorites. The Clinique products have been a part of my skincare routine for many years; while I have tried similar products I always go back to these. By the way, if you are not currently using an eye cream, I would highly recommend trying one. You may not see noticeable changes but it does make a difference, especially as you age.

If you are like me and some nights get too lazy to take off your makeup, I recommend using a remover wipe. It will take 30 seconds! I love these Ponds ones because they work well and smell amazing. 

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that the Glamglow hydrating mask is a new product in my collection. However, it only took me using this stuff once to know I love it! My skin is dry-combination, normal but this time of the year it gets especially dry. If you have dry skin and can spare a pretty penny I highly recommend this stuff! 

It seems like I was last to jump on the Clarisonic bandwagon, but I'm so glad that I did! I use my Mia 2 daily and love how easy it is to use. I will say that I have been blessed with pretty good skin (thanks Mom!) so I haven't seen major changes since using my Clarisonic but I know it is cleaning my skin at a deeper level than I was previously doing. I use to swear by the Clinique Rinse-off foaming cleanser, but I switched to a liquid product (Purity) after buying the Clarisonic. Both products are, in my opinion, awesome! 

What are your favorite skincare products? Do you use a Clarisonic (or some variation)? I would love to hear what works well for your skincare routine! 

Thanks for reading! 

Soft Kissable Lips

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I wanted to share 3 easy steps that I guarantee will make your lips incredibly soft and kissable! I don't know about you, but my lips get very dry and flaky this time of the year. This can be embarrassing when I want to wear a nice matte lipstick, or when I pucker up to my husband. Below are three easy (and affordable) steps to get soft kissable lips!

Step 1: Exfoliate

Just as we exfoliate our face and body, we need to exfoliate our dry lips. There are a lot of good products out there or you can easily make your own with oils and sugar. I personally use e.l.f's Lip Exfoliator which can be found for $3 at Target. It is infused with Vitamin E, shea butter, avocado, and grape and jojoba oils to nourish and protect your lips.

To Use: Apply to clean, damp lips and massage in a circular motion to exfoliate. Continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Scrub

This step is not required but is in highly recommendation. After applying the lip exfoliator, get a clean toothbrush and gently scrub your lips. This will help exfoliate the lips at a deeper level.

Step 3: Hydrate 

The key to soft lips is keeping them well hydrated and conditioned. After you fully exfoliate your lips, apply a lip balm or gloss. I have tried A LOT of different lip products and my absolute favorite lip balm is the Rosebud Perfume Co. Minted Rose Lip Balm ($7). I put this stuff on before I go to bed and wake up with incredibly soft lips. My husband would like me to add that the tin is somewhat difficult to open....but so worth it!

What are your favorite lip-soothing products?