What's in my Travel Beauty Bag?

      I'll be heading out of town next weekend for a few days so I wanted to show you all what I'll be taking with me makeup-wise! I am going to do a separate post that will have a more detailed travel essentials in a few days when I go on a longer trip, which is in a few weeks. I'll show you what I would pack, TSA regulations, and all that good stuff! So keep a look out for that.

     Anyway, the trip I am going on is a road trip I won't have to be as conscience about the weight of my items. But that doesn't mean I'm going to pack my whole makeup collection with me since I'll only be gone for a few days. I want to make sure that I bring only the essentials!

1. Foundation:  You want to make sure that you bring a reliable foundation. My current favorite is the Covergirl Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 (mouth full...whew). It gives me a medium to full coverage, but still looks natural (with the use of the Beauty Blender). It's been quite hot where we live and the foundation holds up very pretty well considering that it's a liquid foundation. I can give a more in depth review, if you would like? Let me know!
2. Powder:  If you have an oily complexion, and the summer heat intensifies that, I highly suggest bringing a powder with you. I have extremely oily skin that gets worse as the temperature rises. Even though the MAC Studio Fix powder is meant to be a foundation, I like to use it lightly as a finishing powder to mattify the face and to add a little bit more coverage. 
3. Bronzer and Blush:  I am going to be bringing my bronzer and blushes that I know will work with any look that I go for. The bronzer I am bringing is from Bare Minerals in the shade Warmth, which is a great shade that brings dimension to my face. The two blushes I am bringing are from MAC in Springsheen and Sunbasque. Springsheen is my pinky peach shade and Sunbasque is a bronzey peach shade, both give me a natural glow that I love for summer (or all year long)!
4. Eye Shadow:  Be sure to bring some shades that are versatile so you can create a natural-to-night look using a couple of items. I am bringing my Revlon quad in Additive, which has neutral and dark shades. Next, I am bringing my L'oreal shade in Golden Sunset, which is a beautiful champagne color. Lastly, I am bringing my cream eyeshadow from Flower Cosmetics in Good as Mari-Gold because it is a great cream/gold shade that not only makes my eyeshadows pop, but keeps my eyeshadow from creasing too!
5. Mascara, Eyeliner and Eyebrow Pencil:  You will want to make sure you bring your favorite mascara that will hold up in the summer heat. I am bringing my waterproof Covergirl Lash Blast and Jordana Best Lash Extreme (I layer the two mascaras to get nice full lashes). Along with a good mascara you want to bring a good eyeliner too, like the Jordana Fabuliner (only $1.99, give it a try!). I think there is a trend with the brand Jordana because my eyebrow pencil is from there too! Jordana has really good products for prices that can't be beat.
6. Lips:  I am not a huge lipstick person, but I do love the NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Natural. Also, I have a small sample of Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in Rose. These shades are great with any look! 
7. Makeup Tools:  I saw a local Walmart was now selling the Brush Guards (they are super affordable too!), which were originally only sold online! Brush Guards help keep your brushes from getting bacteria, damaged, and maintain shape in storage (great idea vs. bringing a brush roll, which can take up a lot of space). I was super excited to see that I could purchase them in store. I have a picture provided below of what they look like on and off brushes. I'll be bringing my Beauty Blender, eyelash curler, a few face brushes and eye brushes. I made sure to keep my box that I received my Beauty Blenders in because I knew it would be great for traveling (it has an opening to let the sponge breathe). My Urban Decay makeup setting spray is essential too, even though it may seem like a gimmick it really does work! It keeps my makeup lasting all day with little to no touch-up required.

Now just a couple items to note when it comes to packing. First, if any of you receive samples of any beauty sort, I highly recommend to keep those! They become handy when it comes to travel. It's easier to travel and dispose of sample products vs. bringing your full sized items that can weigh down your baggage or having to transfer products to other bottles. Secondly, travel sized items are great for being on the road (or in the air)! The bag that contains the purple bottles are my skin care products in travel size from Michael Todd. The moment I found out that they had travel sized sets I had to purchase it immediately and it helped that the sets were on sale too, so it was meant to be! Lastly, I do recommend to plan out what you know works best for you makeup-wise. Something that is "fool proof" so that when you take those certain products you know that it will give a great end result every time.

This is what everything looks like all together!

 I got my makeup bag from Forever 21. They have the cutest and affordable travel cases ever, I got mine a while ago, but I'm sure that they have other cute ones out there. 

What's in your beauty bag when you travel? Do you have any tips for traveling? 

Let us know below!

                                                                                               ♥

Bathing Under the Blazing Sun

Summer time has finally arrived!  Goodbye snow boots, scarves, and hefty jackets; hello shorts and bikinis!  This article contains my typical sunbathing ritual and products I recommend using.

I was born with a natural tan hue.  As I got older, my skin pigment would differ throughout the year.  During the winter months I spent most of my time indoors due to the chilling temperatures outside.  At that point I’d much rather drink hot cocoa than risk slipping on the ice.  So as you can tell--not a whole lot of time was spent under the burning sun.  But as soon as May hit the streets, so did I!  But I wanted to get my natural shade back as well.  Most people take in rays differently than others.  It also depends on where you live too.  If you reside in the Northwest part of America then the sun won’t be as harmful compared to living in Hawaii.  I took a trip there last summer and although it was absolutely beautiful, I got my first serious sunburn on the first day.  And we only spent three hours in the sun!!  Thank goodness for aloe vera, right?

Most dermatologists recommend using sunscreen with more than 15 SPF and I completely agree.  Below is a chart provided by Hawaiian Tropic that recommends certain SPF for specific skin types. When I’m out and about with family or friends, and I know we plan to stay outside for most of the day, then I break out lotion with more than 20 SPF.  Though, if you’re looking to lay out in the sun for a while and soak up the rays then here is what I recommend:  Hawaiian Tropic’s Dark Tanning Oil.  Due to experience (trust me, I’ve tried many), oil tends to give a more even tan compared to tanning lotions.  I have yet to find a tanning lotion that works best for sunbathing purposes--but if any of you have come across one then please leave it below in the comments!  It would be greatly appreciated.  Hawaiian Tropic’s Dark Tanning Oil doesn’t feel too thick on my skin and even though I take a shower afterwards, it still leaves a moisturized feeling.

Source: http://www.hawaiiantropic.com/SunFacts/SunSafety.aspx
  

Typically, I lather up with oil and wait around for about 15 minutes to let my skin soak up most of it and then I head out the door to set down my towel.  Please be sure to stay hydrated beforehand!  I cannot stress this enough.  The sun can take a lot out of you.  Although sunbathing can leave you with great results, a headache and dehydration shouldn’t be one of them.  Maybe get some music going too.  I try to treat sunbathing as a relaxation method; take in the rays and your environment.  Be sure to bring a timer with you too.  Lay on your stomach, or back, first and set the timer anywhere between 8-15 minutes.  This is for one side only, then flip.  Don’t lay on one side for more than 15 minutes.  This could lead to extremely harmful damage to your skin (especially if you’re using an oil without SPF).  After laying out on each side, hop into the shower to rinse of the rest of the oil.  I normally exfoliate, but not roughly, to remove the oil.  After the rinse I completely dry off and add an after sun moisturizer.  I recommend Hawaiian Tropic’s After Sun Moisturizer in Lime Coolada.  Mmmm, this lather is so rich with vitamins and nutrients.  It contains a high amount of Aloe Vera to help with any sunburn you might have.  My favorite benefit about it is it replenishes any moisture you lose from sunbathing.  Once you evenly cover yourself with this moisturizer, right away you’ll notice how soft and hydrated your skin feels.  The smell is also a nice touch; it’s not too strong but refreshing and cool.  You can find either of these products at your nearest drugstores. I lay out in the sun about 2-3 times a week. I try not to do it too often for my own skin's health.

Left:  HT After Sun Moisturizer       Right:  HT Dark Tanning Oil

If you all have anymore advice about sunbathing then we would love to hear it!  We’re open to new ideas.

Happy sunbathing!

Top 5 Drugstore Brand Eyeshadow

 Eyeshadow is one of those items that I would usually be willing to splurge on, if it is good quality and a color that I don't have in my collection. However, most high end brand eye shadow can get pricey and will range from $14-$30 for a single eyeshadow. I don't think I'd ever go past $15 for an eyeshadow! That doesn't mean you can't find alternatives/dupes at the drugstore for a quarter of the price. I feel like some people discredit the drugstore because of the cheap pricing, but that doesn't mean the quality isn't there. Don't get me wrong, you get what you pay for at the drugstore sometimes, but that doesn't mean there aren't hidden gems that can be found in your local drugstore.

     So I went through my collection and chose my personal favorite drugstore brands. Most of the items are under $10 and if you go to places like Walgreens or Rite Aid you can usually find some sort of deal if you look in your weekly circular or online. Let's get started! (Note: I didn't use a base on any of these shadows!)

Wet n Wild (MAC Alternatives) 
     
     First off, I do want to apologize for most of my swatches being limited edition, but as you can see the eye shadows swatch so smooth and beautifully. The shadows that are part of the permanent line are just as great as what you see below! If you have ever purchased any of the Wet n Wild shadows before you would know how pigmented these shadows are! You can't beat the price either, for the eight pan palettes ($4.99) and single shadow ($1.99).

                     Limited Edition: Nude Awakening                                             Limited Edition: Going in the Wild

Left: MAC - L: Expensive Pink R: (Alternative: Penny) Right: L: MAC - Satin Taupe  R: (Alternative: Nutty)

    I would like to point out that the shades above are similar to the MAC shadows (I'm not saying they are dupes), if you are wanting a cheaper alternative ($15 vs $1.99). I know that they may not look identical, but if you are okay with the minor differences, then go for the drugstore ones! 

   Limited Edition: We're Blasting Off, Silent Treatment and Dancing in the Clouds                Walking on Eggshells

L'oreal

      The L'oreal Infallible shadows are more expensive ($6.49 @ Walmart), but that's made up for on how silky smooth these powder-cream shadows are. They have a wide range of shades, I've only tried out these two, but for the most part (from what I've seen) all the shadows are very similar to consistency and pigmentation. The L'oreal single shadows are pricey ($3.49 @ Walmart) too, but not too bad considering the quality you are receiving. I would like to point out that the lighter shade shows up a lot better with a base underneath. I love to put the Golden Sunset shade on top of the Flower Cosmetic's cream eyeshadow (swatch shown a few paragraphs down) in Good as Mari-Gold. It's a perfect combo for summer! After such a great success in these finds, I will definitely be on the look out for other shades.
 

         Left: Limited Edition: Blinged & Brilliant Right: Eternal Sunshine       Single Shadows: Left: Gilded Bronze Right: Golden Sunset


E.L.F. 

     Eyes lips face to be exact. For the price and quality that you get for these shadows you really can't complain. The quad on the left is $1...that's right $1 and same with the single eyeshadow in the pan. The Studio Line for ELF is a little bit more on cost, but nothing significant. Their packing for the Studio line is a little bit more sleek than the original line (reminds me of Nars), so I think that's why the price is a little bit more. For example, the eyeshadow was $3 vs. their usual $1 (like I said nothing crazy) and I've used other products from the Studio line that I thoroughly enjoy as well (let me know if you would want to see a review on more Studio Line Products from ELF).  One thing to note, when you order on www.eyeslipsface.com you can usually find great deals when placing an order online. Like free gifts with purchase, free shipping or 40%+ off purchase. Overall, the shadows can be a hit or miss sometimes, but thankfully the ones I've picked up have been great!

 LtoR: Quad: Butternut (I only swatched the darker shades of this quad. I use these shades the most out of it, swatched on hand, far left)

Middle Single Swatch: Raspberry, a beautiful plum shade I love to wear with golds. 

Far Right Single Swatch: Wheat, I love this shade a lot, as you can see I've used more than half of it up!  

NYX  

      I love NYX for their wide range of colors and quality. I purchased my shades at Ulta, but you can order online at www.ulta.com or www.cherryculture.com. I do suggest if you're able to go swatch these in person I would do that over basing your opinion from swatches online (sometimes online swatches aren't what you thought they were). The quality of these shades are definitely comparable to higher end brands. The only thing I want to say is that some shades may be a little bit more "chalky" than others, which is another reason I would go check them out in person. However, if you do have issues with it being too chalky, just tap off the excess on your brush. Like I said earlier, their shades can range from bright colors (like primary colors) to more natural colors like the ones I have posted below. These shadows are reasonably priced ($4.99 @ Ulta) and can be found on sale at times. I want to pick up some more, but there are so many to choose from!

                                         LtoR: Smokie Mountain, Sensual, Deep Bronze and Champagne

Maybelline & Flower Cosmetics - Cream Shadows

     I thought I'd end this post with some of my favorite cream shadows, since I showed you all my favorite powder ones. The two brands I have are Maybelline (round packaging) and Flower Cosmetics (square packaging). I only recently purchased the Flower Cosmetics cream shadow in Good as Mari-Gold (swatch far left) a few days ago, but I've tested it out for the last few days and I am in love with the color! It is the perfect gold/peachy color for summer. The downside is that Flower Cosmetics can only be found at Walmart and may not be at every location. The consistency of the Flower one is more on the mousse like side vs. the Maybelline Color Tattoos, which are more of your standard cream shadow. The Flower Cosmetics cream shadow was on the pricey side ($7.98 @ Walmart), but I've never had a cream base shadow like this before, so I thought I would give it a try and I am sure glad I did! The longevity of the product works really well with the rising temperatures that we've been having lately. I do suggest placing a shadow over the top of it if you have oily lids, otherwise you will see creasing within a couple hours. Now for the Maybelline Color Tattoos, they are pigmented and affordable ($5.49 @ Walmart). I find that these are similar to the MAC Paint Pots. I have a few of those as well and the color payoff and longevity are definitely comparable.

LtoR: Good ad Mari-Gold, Barely Beige, Too Cool, Bad to the Bronze and Gold Shimmer

Are there any hidden gems that you all know about? Hope you all liked the post!

If any of you have any suggestions, comments or questions...

Let us know below!

♥

To Sulfate or not to Sulfate

That is the shower-beauty question.  In most over the counter shampoo products the cleaning agent "Sodium Laureth Sulfate" exists.  Next to water, it is the second most used ingredient in a majority of over the counter shampoo brands such as Herbal Essences and Pantene.  It is a low-cost and adequate foaming agent.  Don’t get me wrong, I used to love using these brands’ hair products.  Most Dove shampoos and conditioners left my locks feeling uber soft and silky.  Let me share a short story of my discovery of Sulfate-Free products...

Years ago, I had a friend who was very conscious of what she fed her hair.  She would periodically consult with a beautician and soon her hair began to shine more.  It was a small change to others, but one that I noticed more from being around her everyday.  I asked what made the change and she described her experience of Sulfate-Free shampoos, conditioners, and heat protectants.  I was amazed.  I was even more blown away when I saw the price! The average price of Sulfate-Free shampoos are typically around $15.00.  As a high school student, this was just a little out of my price range.  I would be using that money towards school supplies, lunches, and a prom ticket rather than beauty products.  Then I asked how one can notice the difference between Sulfate-Free and Sulfate shampoos.  She shared a trick with me:  Take about an inch-thick piece of your hair (dry) and run a comb down the strands.  After a few times of running it through you’ll notice small white flecks left behind on the comb.  Essentially that is wax from the Sodium Laureth Sulfate agent left behind on your strands.

Eventually I began to save my money and finally bought a set of Sulfate-Free products.  Results were not present within the first two weeks.  My hair is naturally wavy, so the hot flatiron and curler are always plugged in and ready to go.  Most days the end of my hair strands felt dry as if they would snap off, ugh!  But soon, after a full month, my hair began to feel very soft--even after using heated hair tools.  I mean really soft!  I was so impressed.  It felt healthier too!  I remember showing my mother and sister; I insisted they touch the godly softness of my locks!  Without styling my hair, the healthy feeling continued.  It felt less heavy and more free-flowing.

Now, I’m not saying you should go out and spend large amounts of cash on high end products that are Sulfate-Free.  From my own experience though (and opinions from others), I truly recommend it.  
Especially if:

1.  You use excessive amounts of heat on your hair and style it on a daily basis

2.  Color/Dye it often (more than twice a year)

Shampoos that contain Sodium Laureth Sulfate can fade dyed hair over time.  Some people have also experienced dried and irritated scalps from using these cleaning agents.  It comes down to your preference and lifestyle.  Personally, I've been using Sulfate-Free shampoos and heating protectants for more than a year and my hair has been thanking me every single day.  Currently I'm using Rusk’s Deep-shine Color Repair (Sulfate-Free Shampoo) and AG Hair Cosmetic’s Firewall Argan Flat Iron Spray (Sulfate-Free).  Both have been in use for more than half a year and so far--I’m loving it!

If any of you are interested in more reviews of specific Sulfate-Free products then please make a request (leave it in the comments).  If we get enough then we’ll test drive a few and write about our experiences.

The Beauty Blender - Worth the Hype?

The Beauty Blender - Makeup Sponge

     For the longest time I held off on buying the Beauty Blender... I mean c'mon... It's a makeup sponge.  I never thought to use the cheap, white and prism-like ones before anyway.  I thought, "Why would this be any different?"  Since the initial hype of the product, I decided to purchase a cheap one from T.J. Maxx... Worst sponge ever.  I don't know if it was the specific one I had purchased but it did nothing for my foundation.  If anything it made it worse!  It absorbed far too much product and blended horribly.  No bueno.  After that experience I was turned off from cosmetic sponges... But not for long. 

     One day I was watching a YouTube video (hollyannaeree) and she stated that there was a discount code for the makeup website, www.beauty.com.  Of course, being the makeup junkie that I am, I had to see what kind of products the website had to offer and I saw the Beauty Blenders.  I thought, "Why not? Maybe they are worth the hype..."  I went a ahead and purchased the two pack with the cleanser. 

(Image from http://www.beautybay.com/)

     Originally it would have cost me around $39.95 (plus free shipping over $25!), but since I had the 20% off coupon I was able to get it for $31.96!  Well, it's not a significant difference, but hey... I'm a college student, so I'll take all the discounts I can get!  I thought it was a great deal considering the cost of one beauty blender is $19.95 and one bottle of cleanser is $9.95.  I basically got an extra one for free, score! 

     Now, onto the actual product itself... The most important part!  I had to do my research on this product just to make sure I would be using it correctly... I didn't want to ruin a $20 sponge. After watching a few tutorial videos and familiarizing myself with how to use, clean and take care of the Beauty Blender, I finally used it.  And the verdict?

I LOVED IT!

Totally worth all of the hype!

     I use the Beauty Blender for all my liquids (foundation and concealer) because it smooths out the liquids without making it look extremely thick.  When wetting the sponge (very important), the moisture works so well with my liquid foundation; it blends like a dream. 

Left: Wet with Water     Right: Dry

(Both images from http://kimiyajoon.com/2013/04/10/beauty-blender-vs-sonia-kashuk-blender/) 

It gives me a natural look that I couldn't get with any brush and the coverage is fantastic.  Brushes can absorb and waste a lot of product.  With that being said, if you have really sensitive/acne prone skin you will need to clean this after every use.  It can become unsanitary if you go without washing it after multiple uses.  I believe it can lessen the longevity of the Beauty Blender too.  I've had it for a few weeks now and the sponge is still working wonderfully (as I would except a $20 sponge should) and hopefully will continue for many more months.  I will make sure to update you all when I feel like it's time to swap out for a new Beauty Blender sponge.  Hopefully not anytime soon! 

If you have no idea, like I did, on how to use the Beauty Blender Sponge then follow the steps below provided by Sephora.

     What do you all think of the Beauty Blender?  Do you think it's worth the hype?  Let us know below!  We would love to hear your opinion.

           ♥

Welcome to Our Page!

We thought it would be great to give you all a small introduction about ourselves and what our blog will soon become.  As you can see from our title we’re two young women, Liberty and Allyanna, and we both attend the same University--that’s how we met! It’s funny, because we’re on opposite ends of the degree spectrum, Business and Anthropology. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t share the same interests in all things health, hair and beauty related topics.  

And this is how it all began... One very sunny afternoon, sipping on our Starbucks© sweet teas, we were discussing our history with cosmetic and hair products.  Suddenly, a bright smile appeared on Liberty’s face and she asked, “Why don’t we start a blog?  Share our thoughts with the rest of the world!”  Allyanna thought this was a fantastic idea!  Unfortunately, our finals were only a few weeks away.  So we had to put a halt on the creativity train and wait until summer began. 

Welp!  Summer has arrived and we’re super stoked to start sharing reviews, tips and tricks, thoughts, and more.  We hope it will spark an interest in you! So please make sure to subscribe and we’re open to feedback/comments.

P.S.  Check out our links to Instagram and Twitter!  Please be gentle, they’re new accounts.