A Beauty & Travel Blog
A blog for beauty, travel destinations, travel tips and personal adventures, lifestyle and all roads in between.
It goes without saying you're working with limited real estate when traveling with a backpack, but that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your makeup entirely to make room for your shoes. With a few tips, you'll have what you need without taking up too much space.
Read MoreYou know when you can barely walk into your closet and you're at the point of critical clothing mass where you just want to set things on fire?
Okay, you probably shouldn't actually do that, but you can wrangle your wardrobe down to something easier and more manageable, using a method the Internet has dubbed as the "French Five Piece Wardrobe."
Read MoreLast weekend in my last bit of makeup shopping for a good while, I stopped by Nordstrom's because finally, blessedly, there was a Charlotte Tilbury counter. I could finally swatch this highly coveted brand in person, pick up a few things, and see if it's really worth all the hype it's getting by everyone from pro makeup artist to the online beauty community.
Read MoreNuance by Salma Hayek at CVS is, to me, an underdog brand that doesn't get as much love as it should. Some of that is the weirdly small to non-existent marketing behind it, were I to guess. The color cosmetics line is pretty straight forward, but there's some real gems in the skin and haircare range worth grabbing.
Today, I'm talking about a pretty awesome cleansing oil that's both drugstore and less than $11. But, like all goods things such as Firefly, it's too good to be true as CVS has apparently discontinued it. You might still be able to find bottles of it, though, and I highly suggest stocking up.
Read MoreI picked this up on a whim at CVS, hearing some good about it. Alas, I think this is more suited for those who already have really good skin and don't need much coverage because it's pretty sheer. I make it work right now by using a lot of concealer where I need to color correct and even things out, but I wish it were just a little more packing in the pigments department.
Read MoreIt was halfway through flipping through Porter magazine the other day that I noticed a common thread in all the editorial makeup, even in the fashion ads- the makeup was neutral and minimal. Features were subtly enhanced in a low key, chic way.
Minimal makeup is back for Spring 2016. Think a fresh, skin-like palette, neutral eyes with slight definition, natural looking brows, soft barely there blush and sun-kissed bronzing, and the my-lips-but-better look or soft colored lip colors.
Using few old and new products in my stash, I've created a pretty easy minimal makeup look perfect for everyday wear, school, work, or casually hanging out.
Read MoreDo you like cleansers that work well, smell great or maybe don't smell much at all, and don't burn the ever loving crap out of your eyes?
Then for the love of God, skip the Shea Moisture Peace Rose Oil Complex Sensitive Skin Facial Cleansing Oil.
Read MoreIn a sea of contouring and strobing comes a shiny, fruity beacon with pops of color for this summer that could very likely become a top loved palette depending on texture and application. Considering this is Too Faced, I'm very optimistic about these prospects.
While there still isn't a release date yet, the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette, part of their upcoming Summer 2016 collection, could be the go-to palette for me this summer.
Read MoreDoctor Bronner's can be used as shower gel, bath soak, washing hair and face in a pinch, as laundry soap, etc. etc. It claims to have 18 uses, but as travel goes I care about it as shower gel, face wash, and laundry soap. I have tried it on my hair, without Doctor Bronner's follow up Hair Rinse, and found I didn't like it. But then again, apparently you're supposed to use the slightly acidic hair rinse to counteract the alkali in the soap. Without it, it makes the hair feel a bit dry and off.
Read MoreAfter being really bored with my hair and thinking maybe I'd cut bangs back in, I go and chop half it off instead. Yep.
Read MoreI've recently gotten into cleansing balms, because quite frankly I think they're amazing. A good one removes makeup gently, cleanses, and leaves the skin baby soft. When Sunday Riley launched Blue Moon Tranquility Balm, featuring the blue tansy oil popularly in their night oil Luna, I figured it was a good time to test!
Read MoreAs someone with dark brunette hair, finding the perfect eyebrow pencil can be Sisyphean to say the least. So many pencils, even listed as dark brown, lean reddish brown and end up looking a bit rubbish on my brows. I've had luck with Tarte Emphas-Eyes and Anastasia Brow Whiz pencils, but they aren't cheap at $19 and $18 respectively.
And then L'Oreal said, "hey, let's dupe that!" Probably.
Read MoreMuch belatedly, considering I was in Paris in October, here is my French pharmacy/City Pharma haul. Given than it's been over two months now, I've had time to test these products pretty thoroughly so consider this a haul and a review after months of trial.
Read MoreNew Year's always seems to bring the idea of "New Year, New You" and resolutions, and while I'll be waist-deep in this concept for work over the next few weeks (yay, content marketing for e-commerce!), instead of making "new me" as a goal for 2016, I've decided to look at it more as me, in-progress, and continue working on existing and newer goals as opposed to the idea I need to become a new person.
Read MoreDuring Christmas week, I decided to order a few ColourPop Creme Gel Liners and Lippie Pencils after deciding I needed the Aquarius Lippie Pencil from their collab with Kathleenlights.
Read MoreThe holidays are upon us which means I've made my trek back east for two weeks to visit friends and family. This year, I scaled back a lot in what I normally bring for makeup, at least "scaled back" by my standards. :)
Read MoreWith the weather outside growing cooler and already living in a dry climate, winter becomes the time for careful consideration in the skincare department. I normally have a bit of combination skin, but it does get drier in winter. I've found the best routine that works for me is cleanse-acid tone-spritz tone-serums-treatment-moisturizer. With that in mind, I've broken down my winter skincare favorites by where they sit in my routine. I prioritize gentle exfoliating to combat any flakiness, brightness, and moisturizing overall during winter as my desired results. Most of what I recommend should work for all skin types, but your skin mileage may vary and ultimately what works for you will work for you. :)
Read MoreEmma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm is a product I've seen get a lot of love by the fabulous Caroline Hirons, Tanya Burr, and many other UK beauty bloggers. While browsing through Liberty in London, I found it in one of the displays and decided to buy it and see if it lives up to the hype. And oh, does it ever. It is the hype.
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Want a great mascara for about the cost of a latte? Obviously yes, because who doesn't love a makeup product that's cheap and cheerful and does a good job. I was at Ulta last month actually look for this mascara's neon pink sister that I Love Extreme Crazy Volume mascara, but since that one has been raved about so much on Youtube, they were out of it. So I picked this one up instead for $3.99 and let me tell you, it's pretty good.
It's called triple black because it's supposed to 1- give maximum volume, 2- add density to lashes and 3- is carbon black for intense darkness.
Well, two of three ain't bad. I do notice there's definitely an uptick in volume, and it is quite black on my lashes, but I'm not convinced on the density part.
Still, it's a great workhorse mascara that's under $4 and is the one I decided to pack for my upcoming vacation. I really like brushes like this one, and honestly, this is pretty up there for me with Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes, which is one I reallllllly love, especially layered. Which, layering these two? Really, really nice.
This is my first essence product, and as I hear quite good things about the brand's affordability intersected with quality, it likely won't be my last.
You can find essence products at Ulta and some other drugstores and grocery stores depending on your area.
It's officially Fall and pumpkin spice, apple cider, changing of leaves time and I am full of the excite! Sure, the leaves don't change so prettily in the Bay Area and cool Fall days can be far and few between, but I will get a bit of autumnal weather in England so there we are.
As it is now Fall, I decided to play along with Jaclyn Hill's Fall Favorite Tag. Make sure to check out her video!
Read MoreA beauty, travel and lifestyle blog featuring beauty reviews, travel tips & featured places, destination guides, lifestyle posts and more. Let's explore together!
