Survival Kit

I talk to people a lot about makeup. Probably more than many of them would like, hehe. In all this talking I have noticed that there are a lot of ladies out that who feel overwhelmed by the makeup world. Let's face it, there are tons of brands, each offering their own multitude of options on any conceivable product. With all these glorious choices it can be a little hard to narrow the focus and decide what products you really Need to have in your makeup bag and what can safely stay on the shelf. I decided it would be a fun challenge to come up with a Survival Kit if you will, for makeup. Maybe you are one of the aforementioned people who are not sure where to begin in your makeup endeavors or perhaps your makeup bag overflowith and you're having a hard time narrowing down you choices, or somewhere in the middle. No matter what, I'm going to give you a really simple list of products that will get you through anything; your first foray into the makeup world, a weekend away, or just your daily grind. Here's a shot of my Survival kit.

Please disregard the wear and tear on the products pictured, they're from my personal stash and they get used quite a bit! Okay, so here's what you'll need for your own Survival Kit:


1) A liquid foundation that matches your skin tone.
         I have found liquid foundation to be the easiest to work with on a day to day basis. It gives good coverage and you don't need any special brushes to apply it. Just dab a drop on your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin then blend it out with your fingers.  Be sure that the foundation you pick matches your skin tone! The last thing you want is an orange face. If your not sure you can make the match alone, take a friend with you the first time you buy a new brand. My hubby is my helper, he has a good eye for it :) Go with whatever brand you like and works best for you. If you don't know where to start I recommend CoverGirl's Clean foundation. It has a nice balance of good coverage without looking oily.   



2) Cream Blush
     I'm a major fan of cream blushes. They give a nice "glow from the inside" look. It's quite a bit harder to mess up with a cream blush because the color is more subtle and blends more thoroughly. You can apply this with your fingers as well. Dab some on the apples of your cheeks then blend in and up toward your temple. I like E.L.F's cream blush in Pink Lemonade.

3) An Eye shadow Trio
       If you don't know where to start with eyeshadow a trio is a great buy. I like Almay's Intense i-color pallettes. They are each made for a specific eye color and the three colors look great alone or seperate. If you want something casual a light wash in the medium shade looks nice or for something more dramatic blend the three colors. There is even a handy dandy diagram on the back of the compact to show you what color goes where!

4) A Waterproof Mascara
    Seriously, non-water proof mascara is just a pain. When shopping for a new brand, remember; the brush makes the mascara! Different shapes and textures make the mascara go on your lashes...differently (I'm not sure there's a better way to put that haha).  My current fave for everyday use is Maybelline Volum' Express One by One. The brush seperates the lashes so they don't look thick and clumpy and the formula stays put pretty well.

5) A Lipstick that you Love & a clear Gloss
    This one is fairly self explanatory. Lip colors are probably the most fun to shop for because it's really hard to go wrong. An easy rule of thumb is if you're going to wear dark eyeshadow, go for a more nude lip color and visca versa. Other than that, find a color that makes you feel pretty and rock it! A clear gloss is alway great to have on hand, you can spiff up  bare lips or wear it over your lipstick for more oompf.
My favorites are NYC clear gloss and Maybelline Color Sensational lipsticks.

These six products can get you through nearly any situation makeup is required and can provide a stress free introduction to figuring out makeup application for beginners. The best part is it won't break your bank. My six products cost me just around $26 and they can all be found at either WalMart of Target. Have fun putting your Survival Kit together :)

What about you? Do you have any Go-To products when you're in a hurry or packing for a trip? Share!

Pool-Proof Your Peepers

Somehow it's already mid-July, summer is in full swing and the heat index is not playing around. I love the perks of summer: tank tops and shorts, long days, lots of swimming and hopefully a vacation thrown in there somewhere. One of the things I really don't enjoy is the constant struggle to find makeup that will actually stay on through the heat and humidity and not end up slding off my face 1.5 seconds after I step outside. As I was pondering this it occured to me that there are even fewer makeup options that can withstand swimming. So I decided to take a few of my fun new products on a test run.  Product number one: Hard Candy- Lash Ink.

I bought mine at Wal Mart. It claims to be lash stain that will last for 4 days, rain or shine, rub proof and water proof. 
Product number two: Nyx-Slide On Eyeliner Pencil

I picked up mine at Ulta. I chose Azure (the really bright blue shade in the middle) to go with my swim suit. This is also supposed to be long-wearing and water proof.
So after a long day of swimming and an unladylike amount of sweating...the result?
They worked!!
The Lash Ink was deffinately a runaway success. I was a bit doubtful when applying it. It goes on pretty cakey. The applicator brush is not my favorite. I used lash comb to spread the product evenly on my lashes and make sure I didn't look like I had trurantula eyes.  After swimming and plenty of eye rubbing I had no racoon circles under my eyes ( my personal favorite *sarcasm*) and no crumbly mascara bits anywhere to be seen. My lashes still looked fresh and pretty.
The eyeliner was not quite as impressive but still did pretty well. It was a little faded and a little smushed to the corners of my eyes (from the aforementioned eye rubbing). There was no slidey-all-over-my-face mess, however, and it still looked pretty darn cute.
So.. if you want to give your eyes a little extra somethin' somethin' this summer I deffinately recommend these two products. Wearing a swim suit can be a little intimidating sometimes, maybe knowing that your eye makeup looks perfect even in the pool will give you a little extra boost of confidence. It did for me!
Happy Swimming :)