March 2016 FavoritesDespite March possibly being more hectic than February, my March 2016 Favorites are less boring than last month’s. Ch-check it out.
beautyblender beautyblusherI never was impressed by the beautyblender micro.mini. To me, they just seemed too small to be easily handled. A tiny sponge jumping out of your hands is not a useful sponge. I am, however, a beautyblender classic loyal…and unlike the beautyblender Nude which left me kind of confused, I really love the newest addition to the family – the beautyblender beautyblusher.
I definitely have applied blush with my beautyblender (love it for the Josie Maran Argan Infinity ones!), but a slightly-smaller (without being mini!) sponge would really be ideal for placement and blending.
First – I survived my flights! I shared the contents of my TSA Approved Quart Bag, but what about business trip makeup?
It depends on the trip.
For me, the contents of my quart bag will be more-or-less the same regardless of the nature of the flight. Makeup, however, is going to different significantly between a business trip and, say, flying out of town for a wedding or a brief vacation.
Context is important. I’m attending an conference for a product my industry uses. This means I will be representing my organization to one of our vendors… to me, this calls for trying a little harder than just looking awake (which I can frequently swing at my office, being both a combination of my field and business casual office). I will be in conferences and meetings during the day, and there is a reception cocktail hour one of the evenings, and we will likely have to do dinner-type things with this vendor.
My business trip makeupHere’s what I brought, considering space is a premium:
Sephora Colorful Cheek Ink Gel TrioI’ve mentioned before that I have an interest in non-powder blushes. When Sephora released the Colorful Cheek Ink Gels, I made a mental note to give it a shot.
When I received the Sephora Collection Make You Blush! Colorful Cheek Ink Gel trio before Christmas, I was excited to but ultimately had to set it aside for a bit to get through the holidays. Well, the holidays have now passed and I’m finally settling back into my routine.
The Colorful Cheek Ink Gel trio features three of the six available shades in slightly more (0.35 oz) than half as large a the regular (0.67oz), individual Colorful Cheek Ink Gels.
Sephora Colorful Cheek Ink Gel SwatchesI’m approaching my annual favorites post a little differently than I did last year. Instead of breaking it down by section, I’m just going to slap all my 2015 Favorites together. I liked plenty of things, but these are what I liked most.
Naked2 Basics, $29 – has been my lifesaver. Even when I first swatched it and decided I required it, I didn’t imagine I’d come to use it as much or as often as I did and do. Personally, I think it is superior to its predecessor…but I don’t own its predecessor, so I haven’t run it through the gauntlet, yet.
e.l.f. Studio Blush in Tickled Pink, $3 – is a very subtle, pleasant peachy-pink hue. I wear it the most of all the blush I own; it’s hard to overdo, and isn’t too much for work.
MAC Creme in Your Coffee, $17 – Such a nice MLBB, it stays and wears away well. Reapplies easily, and has that lovely signature MAC lipstick scent. I will repurchase a billion of these.
Today is my first day back to my day job since the day before Christmas Eve; an unpredecented holiday break (my employer has a use-them-or-lose-them vacation day policy) for me. So, as I’m sure anyone in a similar situation can imagine, this first Monday of the year is a molehill that feels like a mountain as I make my way through the motions of my workday. But hey – at least I look awake!
Professionals, students, and Moms, you can relate: Sleep is a beautiful, precious thing. Even though I find significant joy in makeup, one cannot get through the days as a functional human being on joy and/or a perfectly executed winged liner alone.
On a daily basis, I prefer more sleep over more time to primp. I am a Snooze Button fiend. In spite of my extra sleep, I often still look pretty tired and sleepy until my second cup of coffee (and even then, coffee doesn’t cure dark circles). I’m not always a fan of looking like death-warmed-over, though.
Fortunately because I find myself in this situation more often than I care to admit, I’ve become pretty good at handling it. Regardless of the reason we’re time-deprived, most of us have three minutes. Yes, three. That’s it. This isn’t a, “no makeup-makeup look,” that requires you spend more time than you’d ever expect. This isn’t a full blown morning routine complete with sun salutations and lemon water, though – this is JUST making your face look less exhausted without doing a full face. Give me three minutes and I can look like my cats didn’t wake me up three times last night or like I did more harm than good by thrice-striking snooze.
First, concealer, post haste. I still really love Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer, even though the packaging could be better. I’m cracking open my fourth tube, soon – and let’s face it, how often do we makeup fanciers repurchase something 4+ times? Yeah, I dig it. We understand each other.
