The Weekend Away Bag

By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be out of town for a weekend away with my boyfriend for our anniversary - on Monday it will have been 5 years since our first date! Since I’ll only be away for a night, I packed only the beauty necessities and tried to make use of a few samples I have lying around. Today we’re going to an art museum and then out to dinner, and tomorrow after we check out of the hotel we’ll be going to a baseball game - so we’ve got something exciting for each of us planned. 

Starting with the skincare I’ll be using tonight, I’m bringing along the Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Melting Cleanser, because it’s awesome at makeup removal and is really good as a second cleanse (and morning cleanse), too. I’ve decided to skip the Pixi Glow Tonic for just one night so I don’t have to bring the big bottle of it with me, and I thought I’d take advantage of a relaxing evening by bringing along one of my current favorite masks, the Origins Original Skin Retexturing Mask. It’s purifying, exfoliating, and hydrating, and I have a small sample size - a win, win, win, win. For my serum I’m going to finish up my sample of the Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum, since I’m bringing along the mask. This one has been brilliant for keeping my skin clear and smooth. And for moisturizer, I’ve just got to bring the Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cream. I got this last weekend and I’ve been obsessed ever since. It’s incredibly moisturizing, but really lightweight, so it’s one I’ve been loving morning and night. And I've just got the bring along the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask - this is something I apply every night without fail, and I wake up with thoroughly hydrated lips.

Onto the makeup bits, I’m also bringing along a newer addition to my base collection: the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream. I’ve been testing this out for a week as well, and so far so good. It’s got a lot more coverage than my other tinted moisturizers/BB/CC creams, so I can skip concealer (I'm still bringing the Clarins Instant Concealer just in case because I love it), and it’s got an SPF of 50. Since I’ll be out in the sun tomorrow at the game, this will be perfect. I love it so far because despite the high coverage and SPF, it feels so lightweight on the skin and looks incredibly natural - the name is spot on. For eyes I'm just going to keep it simple with a wash of my favorite cream eyeshadow, the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadow in Marie Antoinette. This stuff doesn't budge on me despite having both oily and hooded eyelids, so it's definitely a win. I'm bringing my trusty Tweezerman Eyelash Curlers of course, and the Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara - my favorite at the moment. For brows I've got my usual Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Medium Brown. I don't think I could live without it. For my cheeks I've brought the unbelievably beautiful Charlotte Tilbury Colour of Youth Cheek and Lip Glow from the Norman Parkinson Collection. Despite it being quite creamy and almost balmy, this lasts and lasts on my skin and gives me a lovely natural flush. If I'm not feeling the lip products I'm bringing, I can pat this onto my lips as well. If you know me you know I can't be without a highlighter, and I'm going low-maintenance this time and bringing the rms beauty Living Luminizer. I've spoken about this multiple times because it's just such a beautiful product. If you like a dewy, natural glow, you need this. Lastly for lips, I'm bringing along the duo I can't get enough of lately, the Marc Jacobs (P)Outliner Longwear Lip Pencil in Prim(rose) and the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Petal. The Marc Jacobs pencil lasts forever on the lips, and the Fresh lip balm is super hydrating and leaves the perfect natural color.

What are your staples for a weekend away?

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GUEST POST: Summer Splurges & Saves

-Special thanks to my sister, Taylor, for writing this post!-

As a full-time student, summer is the only time I can actually work a job that pays decent money. And with that money (and my distinct lack of impulse control), often come splurges. But, with the ever-looming fear of student loan debt, a few saves are made along the way as well.

The first is equal parts splurge and save for me, just to get the ball rolling. It’s the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream. Mine’s in the shade Buttercream if you happen to care. But let’s just pause for a second so I can thank God this came into my life. Seriously, as someone with patchy skin and large pores, I had previously given up on ever having something more than concealer as coverage. But my prayers were answered in the form of this tinted moisturizer. It’s a splurge at $29 for not too large of a tube (35 mL, so it could be worse I suppose), but a long-term save because it has booted my YSL Touche Eclat Foundation out of my favorite list (and this is half the price. Once again, all hail the makeup gods.)

My next splurge is a product that has been popular for way longer than I have even been into—or even wearing at this point—makeup. Yup, it’s the Nars Laguna Bronzer. I stayed away from this for so long because my Irish skin was so scared of how dark it was (and I was a little afraid of the $39 price tag) and I figured there was no way I could make it work. Oh my friends was I wrong. I know it’s a cliché but it really does blend like a dream (Literally, I was applying it in my dream the other night, no joke.) and I have never dealt with it looking orange or muddy. It just makes me look like I’m healthy, which you know, I happen to be into.

My wallet breathes a sigh of relief as I bring to you my first real save—the Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara in Deep Brown. This one checks all the boxes I was looking for. Sets my brows in place? Check. Dark enough to match my hair without being tinted red? Check. Fill in gaps? Check. And all for only $7.

I have been in the market for some Mac eyeshadows for a very long time now, so this splurge was more of an inevitability than anything else. It’s the Burgundy Times Nine Palette and oh let me tell you I’m in heaven. I have hazel eyes so the golden/burgundy shades are perfect for making them pop. I’m sure you’ve heard time and time again that Mac eyeshadows are amazing and this is me telling you everything you’ve ever read was telling you the truth. This palette is my new baby (although most babies don’t cost $41.)

And let’s finish with a save. It’s no secret I, as well as most people, are very likely to splurge when it comes to lip products. I myself invested in a new Nars Audacious Lipstick (in Audrey. Swoon.) just a few days ago but I decided not to go into that too much since Kelsey has it as well/has probably talked your ear off about it. But I’m also here for cheap but lovely lipsticks, and that’s what I found in the Revlon ColorBurst Balm Stain, specifically in the shades Honey and Lovesick, although I do own 5 others. I’ve worn these non stop this summer: they’re super easy to apply and the colors are beautiful. All around, an amazing $8 spent on each.

(Hey the best part is all of these can be put together for one awesome look. Which I do. Every day.)

Taylor is a 19-year-old Political Science major/Journalism minor at Northeastern University. She would love to run a beauty blog of her own, but as she doesn't have enough time she takes over on Beauty by Kelsey from time to time. She likes cats, feminism, and pretending she's Leslie Knope.

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"No Makeup" Makeup Essentials

Lately my go-to makeup look has been more of a minimal, "no makeup" look. Since I have to be at work for 7am on the dot, I like to spend as much time in bed as possible and therefore go for quick, slap on and go looks. Lately I've figured out some products that have become absolute necessities that make a no-makeup look even easier.

I always try and predict when I'll want to do a really minimal look, and I'll always use the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil the night before. Massaging in a couple drops of this at night ensures I'll wake up with more even, clear, and glowing skin, so it really cuts down on the amount of makeup I feel like I need on my face. I've pretty much justified the price to myself because of the amount of foundation and concealer I'm saving. I've done a full review on it if you want to read more about it.

Once I've woken up in the morning and cleansed my face, I'll always reach for this little power duo from Glossier: the Priming Moisturizer and the Perfecting Skin Tint. The moisturizer has become my favorite one ever because of its redness reducing capabilities. Even though the Luna oil takes a lot of the redness out of my skin overnight, using the moisturizer keeps my skin cool and ensures it won't get red during the day. What I really like about this moisturizer is that you can layer it on in areas you need more moisture and it won't pill and rub off. After the moisturizer comes the tint, and it's definitely the sheerest coverage base I own. It has just enough coverage to even everything out, but freckles and the spots that make you, you will still show through. It blurs out pores and some lighter spots though due to the diamond powder it contains. It lets the prettiest version of your own skin shine through - your skin but better indeed, rather than a mask of makeup. Using the two of these Glossier products gives the skin such a natural glow that lasts all day, no highlighter required (but of course I do highlight anyway, you know me).

Lastly, I always need a bit of concealer. I've got a few dark acne marks that I'm working on fading (the Luna oil has been amazing for this), and I've always got dark circles camping out under my eyes as well. A newer addition to my collection and my newest addiction is the Clarins Instant Concealer. This is really meant to use under the eyes, but I've found it works great all over the skin. It's super lightweight but packs a good amount of coverage in (not as much as my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, but close enough). It has the most natural skinlike finish of any concealer I've tried and doesn't ever dry me out or look cakey - it is water-based after all. I'm really glad I gave into the hype around this one.

So there you have it, a your-skin-but-better, quick and easy base sorted. When my base looks good, I don't even feel like I need to reach for much more - maybe an eyebrow pencil, some mascara, and a lip balm. What are your go-to products for a "no makeup" makeup look?

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