Makeup I travel with + tips

Although I knew I wasn't doing anything special over this recent Thanksgiving break, I wanted to bring home some makeup to have in case something came up. Turns out I barely wore any makeup at all over the 4 days I was home in central New York, which was a really nice break. It's so important to go au naturel sometimes :-) But its always good to have options when your traveling!

Staples:
The things I won't leave town without are: my Tarte eyelash curler, Maybelline concealer, and L'Oreal mascara. These are the most basic things that I need to have to feel presentable enough to leave the house (ha!)
I also like to bring my Maybelline mattifying powder, this almost qualifies as a staple but its not quite as necessary as the things mentioned above. I use this to set my under-eye concealer and also to reduce oil in my T-zone.
The pink Beauty Blender has been something I have used a ton lately which is why I decided to pack it. I use the tip of it to apply the Maybelline powder under my eyes. I also use it to press powder onto other areas of my face for additional coverage.

I always like to pack a blush in case I apply foundation. I don't feel like blush is necessary if I'm not wearing anything on my face, but after applying foundation I need to add some color to my cheeks. The one I packed is a Maybelline Fit me blush in a really neutral color. Packing neutrals is smart because they are versatile and can be used in any situation that may come up while your out of town.

When it comes to foundation, I often bring one I haven't gotten a lot of use out of. I recently purchased this foundation from Rimmel and decided to take it home with me. I like having a foundation in case I do end up going to dinner or out at night.

I absolutely love my BB cream from Maybelline. I use it a lot when I am running errands or doing anything else during the day and don't want the heavy coverage of a foundation. It evens out your skin but leaves the color so you don't need blush or bronzer.

The pencil looking thing is a NARS eyeshadow crayon. I grabbed this because it is easy to apply, a wearable color and a good traveler (won't crack or crumble if my bag gets dropped).

The object with the black cap is my Covergirl liquid eyeliner. I use this several times a week so I decided I should bring it because it really completes an eye-makeup look. I like that little bit of extra definition it gives so I knew if I ended up going out I would want it.

This Smashbox palette was something I took because I haven't used it in a while. I always like to bring home a palette that has been neglected so I am forced to use it. This particular one turned out not to be the best choice because it contains mostly pastel colors, great for Spring but not so much for Fall. Regardless, palettes are your best bet for travel because they are space efficient and will give you a lot of options.

Lastly is brushes. I packed a foundation brush, a large powder brush and a blush brush. I also included some of my most used eyeshadow brushes. I try to focus on taking only the brushes I think I will need to save space.

Summary tips:
-If you are in a rush or have limited space, make sure to include your absolute staples
-Pack eyeshadow palettes instead of individuals to save space and give you the most variety
-Pack products that are resistant to damage (eyeshadow pencil instead of fragile individual eyeshadow)
-Make sure to include that one product that you feel completes your look (mine is my liquid liner), this way even if you don't have all of your products, you will have what you need to feel put-together.
-Consider packing products you like, but have neglected, bringing them with you will force you to get use out of them.
-Consider packing neutral colors so they are versatile for any situation.
-If you are in a rush or have limited space, pack only the brushes you absolutely need

NOTD: Essie Head Mistress

I have been seriously slacking on my nail uploads! Truth be told I haven't had a ton of time/energy to do my nails these past few weeks. They kept getting worse and worse so finally I caved and gave myself a mini-manicure using Essie's gorgeous Head Mistress. My camera and this color were not getting along which is why the pictures look a little low qual. When I tried to shoot my nails in the light the color on my camera turned out much more orangey-red than what the actual color is. In person, this is a deep, rich autumn red/oxblood. I think I ended up capturing the color pretty close, but the picture turned out kind of dark. Anyways, I highly recommend this color for this time of year and it applies so nicely!

Essie: Head Mistress

Drug store favorites tag

I have done a tag once before- these are series of questions that circulate Youtube. I think they are fun to do once and while to switch things up :-). 

1. What is your favorite drugstore makeup brand?

My favorite drugstore brand is probably Maybelline. I love their BB cream and have several of their Eyestudio eyeshadow palettes. They have a wide range of products and they always seem to feel high quality and work well. A close second would be L'Oreal because I absolutely love their Infallible eyeshadows.

2. What are your favorite face, cheek and lip products?

Face: Maybelline BB cream, Revlon Colorstay foundation or Maybelline Stay Matte foundation
Cheek: Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blushes
Lip: Revlon lip stain & balms

3. Least favorite product?

Least favorite drug store product that I've picked up is probably the Revlon Airbrush foundation-review here or Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse foundation

4. What is the best makeup bargain?

Best drugstore makeup bargain would have to be drugstore foundations. You get as much quantity-wise as with a higher end foundation at a fraction of the price. Plus, if you find the right one for your skin it can work just as well for you as a high end foundation!

5. What is your favorite underdog product? (Something you love that often gets overlooked?)

Probably my L'oreal telescopic clean definition mascara. I don't hear much about it, but it's my all time favorite mascara and I couldn't live without it! As far as products that I love but tend to overlook, it would have to be my Revlon lip butters. I love them, but they don't have the best staying power so I find myself opting for the lip stain/balms instead.

6. A drugstore product that is overpriced?
I have to say some face lotions seem awfully expensive for drug store. The Cetaphil I buy, for instance, is upwards of $15! That seems cheap in the grand scheme of things, but pricey for drug store.


7. Your best drugstore dupe(s)!!

Maybelline Color Tattoos and Makeup Forever Aqua Creams 
Revlon Lip stain and balms and Covergirl Chubby sticks or Tarte Lipsurgence


8. Drugstore product that isn't worth the hype?
Maybelline Mega Plush mascara. Lots of hype around this product, and it is decent for volumizing and lengthening. But the whole claim is that your lashes stay soft and supple throughout the day- I don't notice much of a difference between this mascara and my others in terms of lash softness. Plus, the brush is huge so I am always getting smudges on my eyelids when I'm trying to use it. 

Leave your answers to these questions below!!

My sister: Before and After

My sister let me do her makeup while we were home for Thanksgiving. Thanks Lyd!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for everyone that stops by and checks out Beauty Banter- thank you so much!!

MAC Limited Edition Glamour Dave Fluidline: Catch my Eye

MAC has released a great limited edition collection for the holidays. It sold out so quickly I barely had a chance to see any of the products in person. They looked great online, but I have to see it in person to know whether or not I want to buy. With these limited edition collections, once the stock is gone, there are no reproductions. That urgency creates a frenzy among MAC lovers and everything gets scooped up in a ridiculously short amount of time. Anyways, I was passing by the Nordstom MAC counter the other day and I always like to stop and check out whatever collection they have posted up at the moment. I saw this Glamour Daze collection fluidline in "catch my eye" on display. As I said I hadn't planned on getting anything from this collection because it was sold out everywhere, so I was surprised to see it on display. I swatched it and absolutely fell in love with the color. Its very unique and not something I've seen before. Its a greyish-taupe color with gold glitter in it-perfect for the holidays. I asked the sales associate if there were any more left. She looked around and came up with one that was only there because someone had cancelled their order. If you can find one of these now I would be shocked because I believe they are sold out pretty much everywhere. Of course, besides loving the color the fact that there arn't anymore left totally made me want it! These fluidlines are great because you can use them as an eyeshadow base, an eyeshadow or an eyeliner. I'm excited to try this out and I plan to create a fun holiday look using it, which I will make a post on! Did anyone manage to grab anything from this collection??

Quick Post: Control Concealer Creasing

We all hate those annoying creases we get under our eyes after applying concealer! To reduce these, gently rub a Q-Tip over the creased area. It removes excess concealer and will make the crease disappear.  After you've done this, set the concealer with powder so that it lasts all day!

Gift ideas for boyfriends/husbands

Guys are notoriously hard to shop for. Unless he specifically tells you what he wants, it can be a losing battle trying to pick something out that he'll like. Here are some gift ideas for those hard to shop for boyfriends and husbands. Some are very generic and others are a bit more creative! I'm not going to lie, I had to rack my brain a bit to come up with these. But I will certainly add to these as I think of more!

A baseball cap.
A generic one like the one above or one representing his favorite sports team

A sporting good of some kind based on his favorite activity or sport.
My boyfriend loves golf so I am getting him a golf club for X-mas this year

I actually saw this one on Groupon: An introductory helicopter flying lesson!
This is great for guys that are into planes/helicopters, flying, mechanical stuff ect!
Click here for more info!

A night or weekend in a local hotel.
Staying in a hotel for a night or two can be so much fun for couples. Even if its
in your own town, it can still make for a special occasion!

Get this- you can actually set it up so your man can drive a crazy, luxury car
around a track. This would be an awesome experience for exotic car lovers!
Click here for more info!

Does your sig. other love cooking or is super into health? A year-long subscription to a magazine
like Food or Men's Health is a thoughtful gift that your guy will enjoy for months!

A guy can never resist a cozy and rugged pullover- perfect for winter months!
The one above is Patagonia. 

For the daredevil. Has your boyfriend/husband been blabbing about wanting a crazy
experience or adventure? Maybe he has always talked about sky-diving but never took the plunge,
Pre-pay for a sky-diving session and give him the thrill hes been craving!

Slippers can be a man's best friend. My boyfriend couldn't live without his
Ugg slippers. A cozy, high quality pair of slippers that will last may be that
gift your guy never knew he wanted, but will love once he has them.

Is your man into tattoos? Maybe he has been dying to get a certain tattoo
but hasn't had the extra money or the time. Go to his favorite tattoo parlor and
pick him up a gift certificate to put towards his next/first tattoo!

Duh! Game tickets! Every guy's dream right?
Pick his favorite team and grab him some tix. It can be a fun outing for the two of you.

A weekend away is a great gift for a guy that loves to get out of town.
This can get pricey, but if you have the extra cash this gift can be wonderful for
both of you! Time to relax and re-kindle the romance.

A gift certificate to his favorite restaurant is always a great go-to gift.
Take him out and order a bottle of wine or champagne to make it festive!

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

This foundation was raved about by one of my favorite Youtubers, Pixi2woo, so I knew I had to give it a try.
Its a creme foundation, so it has a thick, but very smooth texture. It blends easily into the skin with a brush or your fingers and has medium to full, buildable coverage. This foundation is great for knocking out redness and creating a very evened out complexion, but you will need concealer to tackle stubborn blemishes. I have worn this product twice and both times it stayed on nicely throughout the day and seemed to combat oiliness, especially with a setting powder. Interestingly, it is also very moisturizing, so you would think it would create shine but I have not found that to be the case. This quality makes it great for all skin types. On Sephora's website the description says that this product adds luminosity to the skin; but I find that the finish is more matte- natural, but matte. This foundation has a very subtle scent to it, so it shouldn't be bothersome for people that are sensitive to strong smells.

One downside to this product is the shade range. The range is not terrible, but I have seen foundations with 2-3 times as many color options. Luckily, the color that I am sampling now is a really great match for my skin. It's important to take home a sample and look at the color in various light before purchasing. The color may look like it matches in the store, but may look completely different in broad daylight. Sephora is great about giving samples, so don't hesitate to ask! Another downside is that this product can look and feel heavy on the skin if you apply too much because of its thick consistency. A tiny bit goes a very long way because it is so pigmented so its easy to over do it. Start with a small amount, and then build up as needed so as not to look cakey. Obviously the price always has to be listed as a downside- $43. This is pricey, but it will last you absolutely AGES if you decide to purchases because of the itty bitty amount that you need per application.

Overall, I give this foundation a thumbs up. It has solid coverage and doesn't make my skin shiny. I also think it could work for pretty much any skin type. Have you tried this foundation? If so, I'd love to know what you think!

*My color is Rose Ivory

Check out the video to see it applied!

Quick Post: Ulta Sale

Brad's Deals alerted me about a sale Ulta is having on a 77 piece makeup set. $200 value down to $14.99 with code 72831: "The makeup collection 54 eyeshadows, 9 lipcolors, 6 cheekcolors, and more. Shipping is $5.95 or free with $50". 

The Easiest DIY Lip Scrub!

I was in Sephora the other day and came across a lip scrub by Tarte for $16. I actually contemplated buying it because I was looking for something to use my 20% discount on and my lips have been super dry and chapped ~you know they're bad when every lip product you put on clings to all those little dry patches- gross. Then I was like, there's no way I'm spending $16 on something that I can make myself (thank God for moments of clarity)! How hard can it be right? I knew that a lot of scrubs use sugar, which I had and I have also heard of homemade scrubs using honey, which I also happened to have. So, I had a go at it!

Step 1: Gather your ingredients!

Step 2: Get a small container and something to mix with. Pour in a small amount of sugar and equal parts honey. I would recommend making only enough for 1 usage because I'm not sure how well this would store- it might harden up. Stir the contents together!

Step 3: Gently buff the mixture onto your lips, focusing on the areas that are most dry. Do this as long as you want and then rinse the mixture off. Load on Aquafore of Vaseline to seal in the moisture! All those dry patches and bothersome pieces of skin will be no longer! AND this tastes great!

I love that I know everything that is in this scrub and it is all perfectly edible ingredients, no freaky chemicals! I will definitely be using this scrub again when my lips start to chap up. Hope you guys found this useful!! xx

Lana Del Rey Makeup

I'm actually not super familiar with Lana Del Rey's music, but she definitely has a signature 60's inspired look. I think she pulls this makeup off so beautifully and it looked like a fun one to try and re-create! Sometimes its hard to see exactly how well the makeup matches until I compare it after I have uploaded the picture. Here, I see that I could have curved the eyeliner flick a little bit more towards the eyebrow. Hope you enjoy!

                                   

Gifts under $30: Beauty

1. MAC Guilty Passions: 4 crushed metallic pigments in warm colors $32.50 (2.50 over sorry!
2. Sephora- Betsey Johnson Too Too Pretty scent and shimmer set $19
3. Sephora- Betsey Johnson for OPI mini nail color set $24.50
4. Sephora- Ralph Lauren Big Pony Pink to go fragrance duo $22.50
5. Sephora- bareMinerals Spotlight On: High Shine eye color (sale) $18
6. Sephora- Chloe miniature fragrance duo $18
7. Sephora- Ciate Caviar mini bar $29
7. Sephora- Korres Butter Than Ever cheek and lip butter set $25
8. Sephora- Benefit Feelin' Dandy lip and cheek kit $28
9. Sephora- Diorshow New Look mini set $28.50
10. Sephora- Josie Maran Moroccan Bazaar Shimmer and Glow Argan Essentials $28
11. Lush Melting Snowman bath melt $5.95
12. Lush Lemony Flutter hand cream $16.95
13. Sephora- Nails inc The After Party nail trio $25
14. Lush Sexy Boy gingerbread man massage bar $8.95
15. Sephora- OPI Tinsel Town two piece nail color set $10
16. Sephora- Smashbox Try It Kit: Smashbox's iconic products in mini form $19
17. Sephora- Sephora Collection Blinged Palette $15
18. Sephora- Tarte The Stand Outs: Limited edition best sellers kit $25
19. Sephora- OPI Tinsel Town 8 piece set $29.50
20. Sephora- Sephora Collection Flo Refillable Fragrance Atomizer (great for travel) $15

**Sorry guys, I screwed the numbers up a little bit. There are two 7's but my picture got deleted somehow so I couldn't go back and correct it. Hope this isn't too confusing!!

Click on the number to go to the website of the item!

Convenient Curls

When you're getting ready for a night out, try pinning up your curls while your doing your makeup. I used my clipless curling wand, but a curling iron would work just as well! Create your curl and then slowly slide it off the barrel of the curling tool, press it to your head and pin it in place! This will keep your hair out of your face while your doing your makeup. It also helps to set your curls so that they will last longer throughout the night! As you can see from the pictures my curls are basically still intact by the end of the night!

Before going out

At the end of the night

Love it or Hate it?

One of Kim Kardashian's picks for ShoeDazzle. Part of me loves this and part of me is like, ehhh. Regardless these are certainly flashy and will make a statement. Do you love them or hate them?!

Gift Ideas Under $30: Accessories

1. Boda Boda Neckwarmer in Purple Fuzz: $28
2. Nordstrom- BP iPhone Kitten Case: $14
3. Nordstrom- Diane Von Furstenberg Single Heart iPhone case: $28
4. Nordstrom- Kate Spade iPhone case: on sale for $19.98
5. Express V Stitch Fabric wristlet: $29.90
6. Express Aztec Print Oblong scarf: on sale for $19.90
7. The Limited Small Zip wallet: $24.90
8. Francesca's Collections Endless Circle scarf in Grey: $24
9. The Limited Phone Wallet wristlet in Blue: on sale for $19
10. Urban Outfitters-Cooperative Animal Convertible Glove in Pink: $20
11. Urban Outfitters-Spacedye Convertible Glove in Neutral: $18
12. Urban Outfitters- Animal Ear Warmer in Grey: $19
13. Urban Outfitters Flower Frown Headband in Silver: $16
14. Urban Outfitters- Kimchi Blue Crosshatch Printed Eternity scarf in Clear: $29
15. Urban Outfitters- Cooperative Conversational Print scarf in Red: $24
16. Urban Outfitters Sherpa Ear Muff: $24

*Click on the number and it will take you to the website of the item!

MAC Glamour Daze Image makeup

 This image is from the MAC holiday collection: Glamour Daze. I love everything about this ad and I think this model is SO stunning!  I thought it would be fun to try and re-create the makeup. Looking at the pictures I could have paled out my lips even more to match the image better. They seemed so pale to me when I was doing it but the model's lips almost blend in with her skin! I also think her nails look so nice, but I they are probably really tricky to do by yourself. Are you planning on getting anything from the holiday collection? I definitely am!

MAC lipstick: Dark Side Review and Swatches

MAC Dark Side

MAC lipsticks never disappoint. They are creamy, highly pigmented, and don't leave your lips dry. I am totally into the plum lips lately and this color is absolutely gorgeous. I saw a girl that I follow on Youtube (Amarixe) wearing this color and I knew I had to have it. It is very dark and almost bordering on goth but thats what I like about it! It actually looks a little bit lighter than it is in the pictures. When I wear this out I will definitely be pairing it with warm colors on the eyes and face to balance out the darkness. I don't want to look like a Vampire! (Actually I kind of do ;-) ) These dark colors tend to highlight paleness and can look very harsh if the rest of the face isn't warmed up a bit, at least against my skin which gets very light in the winter. This lipstick won't have the staying power of a lip stain or a long-wearing lipstick, but if you just want to wear it for a few hours you should be totally fine! Are you into this lip color trend!?
Retails for $15