bride-to-be beauty timeline

With wedding season gearing up fast and furiously in addition to being surrounded by engaged people (including BOTH of my sisters), I have been asked quite a few times recently for skincare advice for bride-to-be’s! Even if you’re not engaged, it’s beneficial to have a timeline in mind when considering switching up your skincare routine or preparing for another event.

photo courtesy of my sister, Emily!

Pre-Wedding Beauty Timeline

8 months before

This is the time to address any skin concerns you may have, such as acne, hyperpigmentation, fine lines & wrinkles, large pores, etc. There are SO many resources online to help you identify your skin type and suggest a skincare routine! If necessary, visit a dermatologist to get more insight as to which products could benefit you.

A great start is: Cleansing your skin twice a day, using a serum or treatment targeted toward your area of concern once a day, and using at least one kind of moisturizer (morning and night).

*hint: retinol is GREAT at improving both acne and fine lines, and you can find it in many drugstore products! Just look for retinol on the label. An added perk is it makes your skin glow, however, you have to be extra careful in the sun and liberal with your usage of SPF if you decide to use retinol because it increases your skin’s sensitivity to the sun.

6 months before 

If you would like to improve your exercise and eating habits, start now! Exercise helps your skin glow and reduces stress, which helps with acne and fine lines. Eating good “skin” foods (usually high in good fats as well as lots of veggies and cutting back on sugar) will make your skin look radiant.

5 months before

Nail down the hair and makeup look you’re going for on your big day and hire someone to do your hair and/or makeup if you haven’t already. Pinterest away for inspiration!

3 months before

You should have started to see results from your new skincare and exercise/eating routine! This is a good time to start targeted treatments such as once weekly masks, wrinkle treatments, peels, and acne treatments. One of my go-to’s is anything with glycolic acid; I love a good peel. Now there are plenty of gentle, affordable products containing glycolic/alpha hydroxy acid available! One of my favorites is First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads.

1-2 months before

Do a hair and makeup trial run so you know exactly what you’ll look like on your wedding day! This is also a good time to test different self-tanners, nail polishes, etc.

2 weeks before

Refresh your hair cut and color! If you don’t do color, a clear glaze will make your hair shine without altering your current color. Start exfoliating a few times a week to maximize the “glow” you have been working on.

Try to avoid limit alcohol, sugar, and salt-rich foods at this point to avoid the negative consequences they reap on your skin (I know it’s hard!).

3 days before

Get a manicure and pedicure, a spray tan, wax, stay out of the sun, shape your brows, and get lots of beauty sleep.

If you don’t feel a need to change your current skincare routine, or don’t have much time before your wedding, hop in the timeline wherever you want! These are just my personal suggestions starting from ground zero.

Happy wedding season!

New York Fashion Week: Beauty Re-Cap

Most people look forward to New York Fashion Week for fashion (obviously). From models' off-duty street style, to the celebs sitting in the front row, to the actual clothes on the runway, Fashion Week seems like an endless source of inspiration for the fashion-obsessed.

However, others of us look forward to Fashion Week for the beauty inspiration. Every show has a distinct hair and makeup look, yet there are always common beauty trends to be found for the upcoming season. While some designers go for bold, shocking hair and makeup looks, others incorporate beauty looks that us mere mortals can actually pull off.

From the dead-ish look at Altuzarra, to smokey eyes at DVF, there was a look from this week for everyone. I could go through each designer's beauty look separately to point out what is so great about it, but I can't ignore the fact that there was an overwhelming presence of a single beauty trend for Fall '15: effortlessness. 

That's right folks, the "no makeup makeup" and "I woke up like this" trend is stronger than ever and here to stay. This is great news for us normal people! No need to buy the latest color-saturated products - it's all about looking your best naturally.

The makeup was minimal, with a sheer wash of color on the eyes or lips (or neither), the focus was on the skin and natural beauty. The hair was low maintenance, embracing natural texture and simple styling.

Below are my favorite I Woke Up Like This looks from NYFW:

Prabal Gurung 

Derek Lam

Donna Karan

Jason Wu

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Philip Lim

Tibi

Michael Kors

Tommy Hilfiger

My personal favorite all-around beauty look this week is tied between Prabal Gurung and Michael Kors! Which New York Fashion Week look is your favorite?

P.S. Check out  more Fashion Week beauty looks here and here (source of all photos).

there's a new, cool kid on the block: glossier

I realize I am a little late when it comes to proclaiming my New Year's Resolutions, but I honestly didn't give it any thought until January 2. Oops. 

This year, I simply want to take better care of my skin. By washing my makeup off every day, moisturizing on a regular basis sticking to a solid skincare routine I think I'll look and feel a lot better. Also, let's be honest here, I received Glossier's Phase 1 set for Christmas from one of my sisters so it seemed like a good time to start being serious about skincare.

Hint: if you don't know, Glossier is Into The Gloss's spinoff beauty brand created by Emily Weiss (you might remember her as super-intern Emily on The Hills). It's pretty effing cool that a beauty brand was born out of a blog if you ask me, or Forbes.

I have only been using this set for a little over a week and I'm OBSESSED. I can seriously already tell a difference in my skin texture; it looks and feels more even and more glowy! I can't make this stuff up, people.

The tie for my favorite product is between the priming moisturizer and the moisture tint. I use this priming moisturizer every day on top of my favorite serum, and actually look forward to slathering the stuff on my face. The super creamy texture is great but even better is that it completely moisturizes my skin (read: no dry flakes) WITHOUT making my face oily which is truly miraculous. The "priming" aspect does seem to work as my face makeup doesn't slide around as much throughout the day. 

If velvety cream existed this would be it

On the other hand, the moisture tint is simply amazing. I was skeptical at first because it looks pretty unassuming out of the bottle since it's runny and only comes in three shades, but it's definitely a power product. The coverage is medium, it covers imperfections well (still need concealer for pesky blemishes and dark circles) but makes my skin g-l-o-w. Since it lets my freckles show through it looks like a "me but better" version of my face and I'm not sure I'll ever try another face makeup again.*

Looks like totally the wrong color, but is perfect blended in.

*if you're looking for heavier coverage that covers everything, this may not be for you.

The smoothing face mist is pretty awesome, I guess, but I have to admit I'm not much of a face mist person. I have heard of people using it to set their makeup or simply to feel more awake during the mid-day slump (ya hear me, 2 p.m.?!), but I haven't  decided when it will be my go-to. To be continued...

The balm dot com is pretty much the bomb dot comb, as to be expected with any petroleum-based product. You can use it literally anywhere; I use it on my lips, eczema patches on my elbows, under my nose, tops of cheekbones for a glow, etc. I compare this to Elizabeth Arden's infamous Eight Hour Cream; it's a product you never want to leave home without, even if it basically is just glorified vaseline in a tube.

The do-it-all product

The tote and padded plastic travel bags the came with the goods. Not pictured: the cute, quirky stickers included as well.

Who was I before Glossier?! These products have quickly become essentials and I don't think I can ever live a day without them again. Word on the street is that Glossier will be debuting more products, including makeup, this year and I can't wait to see what my new favorite beauty brand has in store!

giving into highlights

Most people don't chose to lighten their hair with highlights for winter, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I've been growing my hair out for a few months now, so not only does my hair already look "blah" because of the awkward growing-out-a-bob-phase but the color looked super flat. Up until a few days ago, my hair color completely lacked depth and dimension so I decided to get a trim to liven up my locks and add a few highlights as well. I have given myself highlights out of the box once a year for the past few years in anticipation of summer, but have never gotten them done professionally. I decided it was time to splurge and have my stylist add in a few highlights to add dimension to my hair while I grow it out.

Since the goal wasn't to lighten up my hair (which I will do in the spring), I didn't want many highlighted pieces or super blonde ones. I had heard of balayage (French for "hair painting") highlights before and wanted to give it a try since they look so natural. The balayage technique, basically randomly placing highlights without foils, really appealed to me since I'm growing my hair out and don't want to go to the salon often for touch-ups.

Randomly selected pieces for a natural look 

Jen has been cutting my hair for years so I knew I trusted her to do my color as well. I showed her pictures and explained to her the look I was going for, which was to not change my natural color just enhance it. She painted lightener on my strands randomly all over, being careful to not go all the way to the roots which would defeat the purpose of "natural" looking. It was important to me to not go too light, but to keep the same color with a little more dimension. 

Jen and me! Please ignore the rat's nest that is my hair after a two-day bun...

After enjoying a glass of wine (is there any other way to get your hair done?!) she washed and trimmed my hair per usual. The end result of the highlights and a much-needed trim was just what I wanted! I think the balayage highlights will keep my in-between-length hair looking fresh and interesting for a while.

Right after my appointment. You can really see the dimension the highlights added! If only my hair would look this shiny and smooth all the time...

Different lighting at work the next day.

Still in the "awkward" growing out phase, but I actually like how my hair looks now!

What are your thoughts on highlighting? 

Kendall Jenner is the new face of Estee Lauder

What a savvy move for Estee Lauder!

While I have always liked wearing Estee Lauder products, it's definitely been perceived as an older brand. Kendall will definitely attract a younger consumer, and may be able to help shift the aging perception of the brand in millennials' minds. I'm excited to see where this goes!

http://www.esteelauder.com/kendall 

image from esteelauder.com

adult acne

If you thought you would retire from acne around the same time you retired from being a teenager but are still dealing with it, join the club. It can be frustrating to deal with acne when you feel like you've finally grown up in most areas of your life but your skin is lagging behind. I had multiple people ask for this post so if you're struggling with this issue, you're definitely not alone! 

As someone who has struggled with acne on and off for years, I have tried countless acne remedies and treatments. I feel like I've finally found what works for me, but that's the catch: everyone's skin is different so everyone's solution is different. 

Personally, my best acne skincare routine is all about prevention instead of treatment. My acne tends to be more hormonal - a few under-the-skin cysts versus many little pimples. This means that drying acne treatments (i.e. products containing salycilic acid) don't do much for me and I'm better off keeping my skin clean and calm.

I didn't start this routine all at once, but gradually increased use of products so my skin didn't freak out and even now I only use my acne products sparingly. 

Every day I:

• Wash my face using an acne cleanser once a day at night. I just rinse my face with water in the mornings instead of using cleanser because I find my skin becomes dry if I wash too often.
• Moisturize with a gel-based moisturizer (any light moisturizer will do). A common mistake people with acne-prone skin make is not moisturizing because their skin is oily and they think moisturizer will make it worse, when actually, your skin will produce even more oil if it isn't moisturized because it's trying to make up for a lack of hydration. Don't believe me? Try using a moisturizing serum before joining the moisturizer club.
• Avoid touching my face or picking at possible zits. This never turns out well (it will most likely leave the area inflammed or even scarred). Just don't do it!

Two-three times a week I:

• Use a tea-tree toner post-cleansing and pre-moisturizing. Tea tree is a natural acne-fighting ingredient and makes your skin feel ah-mazing.
• Use a glycoloic-acid based treatment Glycolic acid speeds up your skin's cell turnover rate, decreasing the chance your pores will get clogged with oil and produce pimples. Exfoliating can be tricky with acne because sometimes the harshness can make a pimple problem worse instead of better, but glycolic acid gently and effectively exfoliates. 
• Go to sleep with a thin layer of retinol on my face. You can find tons of drugstore products containing retinol these days because its an ingredient found in a lot of anti-aging products. Retinol will definitely make your face worse instead of better initially, so if you're thinking about stealing your mom's wrinkle cream and giving it a try I recommend sticking to it for at least six weeks to see results. (Tip: also apply moisturizer or facial oil over it if your skin becomes dry)

As needed I:

• Use a spot treatment. If a zit pops up out of nowhere I'll dab a tiny bit of blemish-clearing gel on it. Look for spot treatments containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
• Take a prescription pill. I'm in the process of weaning myself off this right now, but it helped me tremendously when I was suffering from moderate acne.

A big part of preventing acne is lifestyle. I believe that drinking a ton of water and exercising regularly helps my skin more than anything else; just make sure you wash your face or use a face cleansing wipes post-workout so the sweat doesn't clog your pores. Also, I know that my cystic acne tends to flare up after consuming a lot of dairy due to the hormones in cow's milk, so I try to limit it as much as possible (except for cheese, duh). Not sure if cutting down on dairy could help you? Try eliminating it from your diet for a couple weeks and see if your skin improves at all.

Keep in mind that it is possible to overdo it. If you get a bad breakout, do not panic and slather every acne product you own on your face because you may do more harm than good. Be gentle with your skin and have patience! In the meantime you can try switching up your foundation/concealer to a higher coverage.

If you still feel like your acne is making you self-conscious I really recommend considering a dermatologist. I found a great skincare routine incorporating a prescription cream, pill and birth control when I was really struggling with my skin a couple years ago.

And the friend you have who never washes her face or even owns concealer? No, it's not fair, but move on! Stressing and being upset about your skin definitely doesn't help the issue.

I hope my skincare routine gave you some inspiration! What do you do to prevent or deal with breakouts?

splurge vs. save: makeup

When it comes to makeup, I can be a bit of a snob. I prefer pricey cosmetics. Nothing makes me feel quite as pretty as using makeup that’s encased in beautiful packaging that makes me look forward to using it, or even simply looking at it. Putting on your makeup shouldn’t always be a mundane chore you’re required to do every day; the process of “getting pretty” should be an experience you look forward to (at least every once in a while).

While I think that some pricey makeup is all about the pleasure in owning it, such as my $33 lip balm a.k.a. Dior Lip Glow, I truly believe that some expensive cosmetic products are worth the splurge because they perform better. It’s important to differentiate between splurging on makeup because it’s better than its drugstore counterpart, and splurging on makeup to treat yourself every once in a while because it makes you feel good (I’m looking at you, Benefit Hoola).

Splurge-worthy products perform better – meaning they look better and last longer. Think makeup you get at Sephora or department stores. This makeup isn't that expensive when you get down to it because it's more pigmented = less product to get the desired result = product lasts longer. 

My personal opinion on which products are worth the money:

• Foundation/BB cream: You don’t have to spend a fortune on it, but I believe in spending a little more when it comes to makeup that goes on your face for two reasons. First, your skin is your body’s largest organ so you should treat it well and be considerate when it comes to slathering chemicals on it. Second, I am acne-prone and have found that drugstore BB creams clog my pores and make my face produce more oil. In face makeup I look for an oil-free, multitasking formula that I don’t feel guilty about layering on my skin. I like Tarte and Pur Minerals. 
• Eyeliner: I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this one but I’m sticking to it. Eyeliner is my favorite cosmetic product; I have owned just about every color and kind you can imagine. I find that drugstore eyeliner is less pigmented, which means I have to use more of it and press hard when applying it in order to get the color I want, and tugging at your eyelid (the thinnest skin on your face) is definitely not helping to prevent wrinkles or irritation. Also, I find that drugstore eyeliners I’ve tried don't stay on for long and are more prone to traveling around my eyes throughout the day. I like Bobbi Brown (gel), Estee Lauder (pencil) and Stila (liquid).
•  Blush: Again with the putting-chemicals-on-your-skin thing. I prefer cream/gel blush because it lasts longer than powder and looks more natural, and I haven’t found a drugstore version that doesn’t turn my cheeks into an oil zone yet. I like Josie Maran.
• Cream Eye Shadow: This was a no-brainer splurge for me because I’m lazy when it comes to eye shadow. I dip my finger in a neutral shade, swipe it across my eyelid, and count on it staying there all day without moving. I like Make Up For Ever.
• Makeup Brushes: Pricier ones won’t shed, are nicer to your skin, and will last longer if you clean them regularly. I like The Body Shop.

 In my opinion, these products are not worth the splurge:

• Mascara: Let me tell you a secret...The only difference how mascara makes your lashes look lies in the brush, not the formula. While I’m obsessed with my Benefit They’re Real mascara, it’s definitely one of those products that just makes me feel good to own (that’s what Christmas is for, amirite?!). I love how L’Oreal Voluminous makes my lashes look just as much, with a cheaper price tag.
•  Bronzer: I love matte bronzer because it looks more natural compared to shimmer, but my recent purchase of Benefit Hoola left me underwhelmed. I like how it looks in my makeup bag, but it doesn’t look any better or last longer than my favorite Physician’s Formula bronzer.
• Lip Balm: I can’t speak to lip stick because I haven’t experimented enough to have an opinion on it (though I'm dying to try Bite Beauty). Lip Balm on the other hand, is not splurge-worthy to me. I love how my cheap Baby Lips balm looks, as well as my fave balm Dior Lip Glow. 

Toss Ups:

• Concealer: I recently splurged on a Nars concealer, which I am a proud owner of, but I honestly don’t think it performs any better than my favorite $11 Body Shop concealer. I’m inclined to say splurge on concealer since it goes on areas you don’t want to draw attention to so it needs to look good and last long. I’m still searching for “the One.”
• Powder Eye Shadow: With a good, splurge-worthy eye shadow primer I think the less-pigmented drugstore shadows would be okay. However, I like Too Faced best.

Not sure if you should splurge or save? MAC and The Body Shop’s cosmetic products are usually priced in between the splurge-y Sephora stuff and the cheap Walgreens stuff, and both have great quality without a hefty price tag. If you're thinking about taking the plunge and splurging on a product, see if you can get a sample or buy a travel-sized version first to try before you buy.

Which products do you splurge and steal on?

p.s. Stay tuned for skincare and hair editions!

DIY manicure

We all paint our nails, but how many times do we just lazily slap some polish on then pick it off a couple days later? I'm definitely guilty.

Now that I've started working I realize I can't sport my classic chipped, blue nails anymore since it's not professional-looking. While going polish-less is the easiest and most realistic option, sometimes you just gotta put in a little time and effort to groom your nails. Even if you don't want paint color on your nails, it's still a good idea to regularly trim your cuticles and file your nails down so they look clean. Not only will it save you time and money by not going to a nail salon, it can be something you look forward to!

the only supplies you need

First, take off any existing nail polish with nail polish remover and wash your hands with soap after to ensure nail polish will really adhere to your nails. Then clip nails if needed, but definitely file your nails regardless so whichever shape you choose (oval or squared) all nails look uniform in shape.

Next, clean up cuticles with a cuticle trimmer. This is one of the most underrated nail products ever! You can get one for super cheap from the nail section of the drugstore - mine is Revlon. You use the pointed end to push your cuticles down, then the metal end to get the dead skin off (I realize these are horrible instructions but I can't really explain it - I promise it's intuitive!).

Here's the time-consuming part. Take the time to paint your nails with a clear base coat, two coats of color (allowing plenty of time to dry in between), then finally a clear top coat. If you're the type of person who hastily paints a couple coats of color on your nails and that's it, you're better off having bare nails because the polish is going to look bad and chip in no time. It can be frustrating to sit and wait for your nails to dry, but try to pass the time by reading or Pinteresting and if you're really rushed just run your hands underneath cold water and they'll dry faster.

Make sure you're keeping your hands and cuticles hydrated by using hand cream daily, and keep up a manicure by reapplying top coat every other day to prevent chipping and dullness.

If you turn grooming your nails into a mini spa night with a face mask and a magazine, it'll be something you actually look forward to every week, and who doesn't feel prettier with manicured nails?

get your game face on

Football season has officially started with the NFL opening game last night, and I couldn't be happier (Go Marshall and  go Panthers!). Football and all-pumpkin-everything combined with the perfect weather, easily make Fall my favorite season.

For some, football season means wearing your favorite jersey and heading out to a tailgate and game every weekend. For others, it means yummy food and beer in front of a TV. Regardless of your preference to watch the game you want to be focused on the game and having fun, not worried about how you look.

Football games often mean spending all day outside in the sun drinking, and the last thing you want is to head somewhere after the game with a face full of smudged makeup. You know the girls who wear a ton of makeup to sporting events and look silly? Don't be that girl. You aren't there to make a statement with your bold lip or smokey eye, you're there to have fun and cheer on your team (or at least pretend like it).

In order to ensure you go from tailgate to game to post-game festivities looking flawless, stick to minimal, neutral makeup with staying power. This way, you can feel good about spending all day (and night) supporting your team and beer-drinking habits and leave all cosmetic products at home.

game face necessities

My favorite long-lasting products for game time are:

1. Tarte BB Tinted Primer: I've said it before and I'll say it again: this stuff is amaze balls. It's lightweight (read: doesn't look like you're wearing makeup on your face), but covers extremely well. A little bit goes a long way and the best way to apply is to put a small amount on your fingers, rub your fingers of both hands together, then smear all over your face and blend.

2. The Body Shop Concealer Stick: It's no secret that this is my favorite concealer. The reason I like it so much is because it covers under-eye circles and blemishes well, so I don't need two different concealers. Apply this under eyes and on blemishes where needed, but don't worry too much about covering every little spot.

3. Josie Maran Waterproof Cheek Gelee: Waterproof blush means this stuff doesn't budge. It'll stay on until you take it off, even through the hottest day for a game. Apply lightly to get a healthy flush; once again, don't go overboard.

4. Benefit Hooola Bronzer: This is a recent purchase of mine from the #FlyBenefit vending machine at the airport, and I'm already obsessed! This bronzer is perfect for game day because there's no shimmer in it (matte=natural). Dust a little on your forehead, sides of nose, chin and hollows of your cheeks for a natural-looking glow.

5. Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner in Black: Stila isn't lying when they say "Stay All Day" because this stuff doesn't budge. If you haven't mastered using liquid eyeliner (yet), not to worry. Draw small dashes as close to your lash line as possible then connect them and you'll have a straight line! Since I have small eyes I like to add a small flick to the outer corners of my eyes, think mini cat-eye, but it's still appropriate for game day.

Tip: if you have lighter eyes or hair, stick to brown instead of black - it looks much more natural.

6. Make Up Forever Aqua Cream for Eyes in Warm Beige: I definitely don't recommend wearing eye shadow to sporting events, especially if it's outside in the heat, because you're basically asking your shadow to crease and look horrible within a few hours. However, I do like to put a tiny bit of this on my brow bone and at the inner corner of my eye.

7. L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara: No need to get waterproof mascara for football season, unless your favorite team loses a lot and it makes you sad.

These are my favorite picks to create a minimal game face that will last all day long!

is everyone bobbing without me?

It's no secret that everyone in Hollywood is chopping their locks into chic bobs lately, but Emma Stone's recent bob-formation automatically amped up the short-hair game.

image from refinery29.com

I've had a bob haircut for six years and decided I would grow it out after college, but Emma is making me question my existence without short hair.

Victoria Beckham, the original bobster of the early 2000s, sparked a trend in short, stacked bobs that was quickly adopted by soccer moms (See: Kate Gosselin).

A few years later, Gwenyth and Jen kinda made the lob (long-bob) cool, but it didn't pick up too much speed.

 Karlie Kloss hit the bob scene hard in 2012 and really set a fire to the trend, causing celebrities and mere normals alike to chop off their hair...

And so it begins: the bob/lob is the "it" cut. For now.

Are you going to hop on the bob train?

 *all images from Google Images

Makeup Genius by L'oreal

It's Monday. Mondays are slow. Mondays I am bored.

Naturally, the answer is to try on makeup.

I've been hearing buzz around L'Oreal's new beauty app, Makeup Genius, for quite some time but haven't gotten around to downloading it until I reached the point of extreme Monday-ness today.

Upon opening the app, your camera quickly scans your face to get a good idea of your features. You can then try on various products in eyeliner, eyeshadow, lipstick, lip gloss, lip liner (wtf?) and blush categories. Some eyeliners, such as the gel one, are drawn on as a cat eye and some (like pencil) are drawn on smoky. 

Even though I was trying SO hard not to bust out laughing in my cubicle, I am so impressed with how real the products look. It looked like I was actually wearing the products! Not only does the color look real, but the texture was even there - my lip gloss was shiny. As if this isn't advanced enough, the products move with your face! I moved all around and made different poses, opening and closing my mouth/eyes and the products stayed on the entire time. Unbelievable. 

Besides being able to switch color swatches and from product to product easily, you can share your looks on social media or save them for easy product reference next time you're at Walgreens and remember the awesome lipstick you tried on at work without actually trying it on.

Besides a couple of the eyeliners being drawn onto my eyeball(s) at times, this app is freakishly accurate and awesome. I'm not going to lie it has definitely convinced me to go out and buy a couple of L'Oreal products I tried on now...

Now photos, for your viewing pleasure:

As you can see I am new to this and wondering what is going on while trying not to laugh. But I do like this lipstick!

Things are getting fun. Always wanted to try blue eyeliner, but I'm not sure I would apply it this heavily...

Love this look. It's the most symmetrical cat eye I've ever had. If only my eyeliner could look like this in real life...

Things turned ghetto for a hot sec

My favorite look: clear gloss, light pink blush and brown eyeliner applied with a heavier hand than I usually do.

Next time you're bored and have some time to kill, play around with L'Oreal's Makeup Genius app and send me some pics!

summer skincare

Summer is a time filled with cold drinks, cookouts and zits. Between the killer trio of sunscreen, heat and sweat, breakouts are almost synonymous with summer - no matter who you are.

Since I'm not willing to give up pool days and can't control my body sweat, I've altered my skincare routine to ensure I'm not a greasy mess. 

the good summer trio

• Once a day (should be twice a day, but who's counting?) I use acne wash on my face and chest/back. While this would be a little harsh for my skin in cooler months, it's perfect for Summer because it has salicylic acid in it a.k.a. prevents breakouts. Psst - when washing your chest and back make sure to leave the cleanser on for a few minutes so it can get into your pores since the skin in these areas is thicker than the face.
• A few times a week I use Tea Tree Toner post face-washing and pre-moisturizing. Toner is an important step most people neglect in their skincare routines: it gets all the leftover grime and residue out of your pores that cleanser didn't grab. Tea tree is a natural acne fighter, but the best part is it makes your skin feel amazing.

• Lastly, I switch to a gel moisturizer during warmer months because my skin isn't as dry and doesn't need thick moisturizer combined with the North Carolina humidity. No thanks. It is still really important to use a light moisturizer in the Summer, even if you have oily skin, because it prevents your pores from over-producing oil (and preventing more pimples) - which is more prone to happen if you cleanse but don't moisturize. A gel moisturizer gives the perfect amount of moisture and makes for a great makeup base.

If you want to be super fancy and feel an amazing zingy-ness when you apply your skincare products, store them in the refrigerator. Not only does this prolong the product's life, but makes it feel super refreshing. Make room for actual groceries in there.

How do you change your skincare routine during Summer?

summer in a lipstick

Famous last words: "I walked into Wal-Mart for a six-pack of beer, and came out with that plus a lipstick."

But it happened! Yes, it did.

A few months ago, I was on a hunt for the *perfect* matte, orange/red lipstick and it was a hard time in my life. It consumed all of my thoughts, this perfect lipstick, yet after countless hours spent in Sephora and Ulta I still couldn't find it so I gave up. I thought all hope was lost until I stumbled into Wal-Mart seeking the beer fridge until I saw IT. 

Don't let it's humble packaging fool you

Wet 'N Wild MegaLast Lip Color in Purty Persimmon. I know you're not supposed to do this but I had to swatch the color on my hand to believe what I was seeing (I bought it so it's okay), and it was everything I've been looking for and more! I would have paid a disgusting amount of money for this lipstick but it was less than $2. TWO DOLLARS! 

This lipstick is perfect because:

• It's matte - Matte is younger, fresher, and better for bright colors.
• It stays on forever - I've tried some expensive "long-lasting" lipsticks and they don't come close to this one. 
• The color - This perfect blend of red and orange is what I think of when I think of Summer, and is usually flattering on all skin tones.

Awesomeness

Even though Wal-Mart doesn't have this particular Wet 'N Wild lip color on their website you can find it at Walgreens, and for $2 what do you have to lose? 

travel favorites

I have an obsession with any product that is travel-sized. Not only are the miniature-sized products cute, they are ideal for any trip!

Whether you're celebrating Memorial day with a "staycation" or flying somewhere with a carry-on, these TSA-approved products are my go-to's for traveling:

Herbal Essences Shampoo- I'm lucky and can get away without conditioner, but this shampoo leaves your hair feeling soft and is so much better than hotel shampoos!

Tarte BB Primer- Even though it's a primer, I always wear this BB cream by itself. It feels absolutely amazing on my skin (like silk), and provides the perfect amount of coverage! It also contains SPF 30 Sunscreen and lasts for 12-hours (no, really) so it's ideal for day-long Memorial weekend festivities. Can you say cookout?

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel- I like to switch up my moisturizer in Summer because my skin is oily and doesn't need as thick of a moisturizer. This one is perfect because it mattifies shine AND works as a primer.

The Body Shop Body Butter- I currently have this travel-sized body butter in 6 different scents - this one is Mango. I love it because it's more moisturizing than a lotion (perfect for after-sun) and won't melt in your bag. And it smells delicious!

Aquage Sea Salt Texturizing Spray- I don't like to travel with a blowdryer or straightener to warm destinations because they take up extra space in my bag, and not to mention fry your hair! I use this spray after the shower without brushing my hair, then scrunch and let it air dry. It gives a natural, beachy look and will make your boyfriend happy when it cuts your getting ready time down in half ;)

These are my favorite travel-sized products! Blush, bronzer, eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara tend to be small anyway so I always bring my regular ones but limit the amount. I stick to neutral shades - a black or brown eyeliner, plus gold and bronze eyeshadows and one lip color. Whether you're staying at home or going somewhere fun for Memorial Day Weekend, these are great products to have!