Beauty On The Go

November 19, 2015 in Skincare

Since we’re coming up on the season of lots of traveling, whether it be to visit family for the holidays or going on a trip of your own, I thought it would be a good idea to round up some beauty bits that make keeping up a skincare routine while away super easy. I’m not actually traveling anywhere for awhile, probably not until next summer even, but I can still pretend, right?

WIPES | Before you go all “clutching your pearls” on me, hear me out. I was totally against face wipes until I tried the Juicy Bamboo Natural Facial Cleansing Oil Cloths* from Kaia Naturals. They’re not a true face wipe, but rather a cloth (made of bamboo fibers) soaked in a lovely cleansing oil. These contain skin-loving ingredients like honey, jojoba oil, and sunflower oil and none of the harsh, stripping agents in traditional face wipes. Because of the oils they’re a dream for makeup removal, but they don’t leave a greasy residue whatsoever. These are perfect for traveling as you could use them on a plane to remove your makeup easily, or you could even bring them as your sole makeup remover - cutting out the need to bring along a cleansing oil that could spill inside your luggage.

MASK PODS | You know me, I love a good pamper session. You shouldn’t have to give up a nice weekly masking session just because you’re away from home, so now many brands are coming out with these convenient little mask pods. I’ve been testing out some from Nügg Beauty - the Hydrating, Revitalizing, Deep Cleansing, and Anti-Aging Masks*. These are so affordable, and depending on how heavy-handed you are, they can last up to two or three applications. I think the Hydrating and Revitalizing masks would be especially great for de-stressing the skin after a flight. The Hydrating Mask contains camellia seed oil and spirulina extract among other nourishing oils to really re-hydrate and moisturize dried out skin, while the Revitalizing Mask has flaxseed and peppermint oils, along with glycerin and aloe to really energize and plump up the skin. The minty-cool feel of this one felt so nice and actually really relaxing to use. They also make a Soothing Mask that I haven’t tried, but that sounds absolutely perfect as well. These are normal wash-off masks, but if you want to simplify your routine and just slap on a mask and drift off to sleep, the Sephora Sleeping Masks are lovely. I’ve tried the Lotus, Pearl, and Rose Masks, and they’re all beautifully hydrating on the skin. Glossier is also now selling a set of mask pods - their masks are amazing so I’m tempted!

SAMPLES | I’ve spoken on here and on Instagram how my sample hoarding is a bit out of control - I’ve got a whole makeup bag stuffed full of sachet samples, with deluxe samples laying around my beauty drawer as well. These are perfect for popping into your bag so you don’t have to bring a full size product with you. I also like saving the little tubs the deluxe samples come in to depot my favorite full size products into. I’ve got a sample of the Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm I’ve been hiding away for about a year, along with some other really nice products from NUDE Skincare and Jurlique. I can picture just throwing all these samples into an overnight bag and giving myself the ultimate pamper session while away.

What are your essential beauty products for traveling?

Three Fall Eye Looks for Any Time Limit

November 17, 2015 in Makeup

After my complete avoidance of any kind of eye makeup besides mascara for awhile, I’ve become fully ready to jump back onto the bandwagon. My life is pretty low-key, so I never really have to get super gussied up in my day to day life, but I do like how putting in that little extra bit of effort makes me feel. I’ve basically got three different eye looks I’ve been rotating through depending on how much time I give myself to get ready, all with the most fall-appropriate colors, of course.

If I’ve left myself no time at all, I like to do a really quick and smudgy look. I usually go for the Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense in Intense Black Honey applied close to the lash line and then smudged out with a pencil brush or my finger. The deep burgundy color makes it perfect for the fall season, and it gives it a little bit of an edge that’s different from your basic black without being too “out there.” I think the burgundy really goes well with my brown eyes, too. The other product I might reach for for the quickest of looks is a cream eyeshadow stick. I love cream eyeshadows anyway, but having them in stick form makes them even easier to apply. My two favorites lately have been the By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock and its more affordable dupe, the Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 05 Rosy Brown. The mauve-y bronze-y taupe color is another one that’s perfect for the season.

If I’ve got a little more time on my hands I’ll go in with a powder eyeshadow that takes a little bit more blending. But my favorites to reach for for this look are ones that blend out to slightly different colors, making it look like you’re wearing multiple shades when all you’ve done is slap one shadow on. MAC does these kinds of eyeshadows really well - my favorites are definitely Sable and Woodwinked. Sable is similar to Misty Rock, a warm taupe-y bronze with a bit of mauve, and Woodwinked is a really nice warm bronze. Both have shimmer in them, but when blended out into the crease the shimmer seems to disappear.

If I’ve actually given myself a reasonable amount of time for once, I’ll get a little fancy and actually apply more than one eyeshadow. My go-to for these looks has been the BECCA Ombre Rouge Eye Palette (full review & swatches here). It’s the perfect warm-toned, matte palette. And because the shades are matte, I feel like it’s more acceptable to go a little more dramatic with them for work. I like applying the second shade, a dusky pink, all over the lid and then blending a mix of the next two medium brown shades into the crease. If I’m really going for it, I’ll also smudge a bit of the darkest shade into my lashline in lieu of eyeliner. I mentioned never having anywhere too fancy to go, but if I do want to amp up this last look a little, I’ll press a bit of the Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Boy Band onto the lid - the warm copper-y bronze complements the warm tones of the BECCA palette perfectly.

What are your go-to eye looks for fall? Are there any other quick & easy products you’d suggest?

The Sephora VIB Sale Haul

November 14, 2015 in Makeup, Skincare

I don't do too many haul posts on the blog, but this hoard of goodies was just too exciting to not share. Unlike last year when I only picked up a new concealer during the Sephora sale (where VIB Rouge members (Nov 6-9) and VIB's (Nov 13-16) get 20% off of everything), this year I went a little more HAM. I've just gotten so much more into beauty since starting this blog (which I didn't think was possible), and there were so many things I wanted to take the opportunity to try.

I first jumped at the chance to try some new things from Belif since it's a new brand at Sephora, and I'm totally into all the Korean skincare that's becoming popular over here. I had to get The True Cream Aqua Bomb because I had a sample and absolutely fell in love with it. It's basically an amazingly hydrating yet lightweight cream. It's been really good at plumping up my skin and fighting my constant dehydration so far. The other thing I had to get - I knew I would love it based on the name alone. It's the First Aid Anti-Hangover Soothing Mask. This is not to say that I'm hungover a lot (actually never), but my skin gets very easily dehydrated and can quickly start feeling irritated and stressed. I've used this once so far and I'm in absolute love. It kept my skin hydrated and dewy even four hours after washing it off, and it also knocks a lot of the redness out of my skin instantly.

As for makeup, I finally jumped at the chance to get my hands on the Too Faced Love Flush Long-Lasting 16-Hour Blush in Baby Love. I've seen it on so many of my favorite blogs, from Makeup-Sessions to Brooke Elise, and I knew I'd love it because of my ultimate love of neutral blushes (see my Neutral Blush Edit for more evidence). This is more of a slightly peachy nude than a mauve-y nude on me, so it's justifiable in my eyes. It doesn't make me look too rosy and flushed, which some blushes can do, and it does last quite awhile (I can't vouch for 16 hours because I never wear makeup for that long).

I had been watching lots of Lisa Eldridge videos before I made my initial order, so I think that's how I ended up with the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in my cart (I got shade SC-1). I've been breaking out more than usual lately, so I'd love to try my hand at pinpoint concealing since I've still got such a love for lightweight bases and natural-looking skin. When mixed the two shades perfectly match my skin (sorry about the used product shot - I couldn't resist testing it out), and so far it's been perfect for covering up any spots or redness.

The last thing I got for myself was the Bite Beauty Matte Crème Lip Crayon in Glacé. I've had this on my "To Buy" list for most of the year, but I always second-guessed the purchase because I had so many other neutral (and dusty mauve) lip products. I'm glad I finally caved, because it's one of the nicest colors and nicest matte formulas I've tried. I think it's got a permanent space in my work bag now.

Lastly, I got a couple birthday presents for my mom (her birthday was Wednesday so I'm not giving anything away by writing this!). She loves looking through the Fresh displays in Sephora, and she also loves chocolate even more than I do, so I had to get her their new Cocoa Body Exfoliant. It looks and smells like chocolate frosting. And I also got her the Fresh Body Lotion in Citron de Vigne. The Sugar Lemon scent smelled a little Lysol-ish to me, and the Citron one still smelled nice and citrus-y, which I knew she'd like.

I think this has now become one of my favorite times of the year - does this mean I'm a true beauty lover now?

Did you get anything in the Sephora sales?