What I Packed: Toiletries & Beauty

One thing I think everyone hates doing is packing. I mean, unpacking is the absolute worst, but packing is just terrible. At first it's fun and you think about cute outfits you're gonna wear, and items you bought specifically for a trip or pieces you don't get to wear enough, and then the doom sets in. Can I bring just two pairs of shoes and make them work for everything or do I really need to pack all four? How can I pack such and such without ruining/wrinkling/breaking it?

A few weekends ago, I started this blog post for my beauty items and just didn't get it finished in time to post before we left.  I thought about scrapping it altogether, but I always like to see beauty and travel posts and went ahead with it. Full disclosure, my beauty/bathroom bag tends to be larger than my clothing! Since we were gone for just less than two weeks, had a full agenda including a wedding, I thought out what I’ll be packing that will get me the most use and be versatile. When I first seriously started thinking about what I wanted to pack I promised myself that I wouldn’t overpack and paid attention to which products I used most often and which I could leave at home.

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! This week has flown by for me and I'm ready to relax with the family this weekend. Work has been busy and getting home is always a big shuffle and our nights slip right through my fingers. The girls have been so cute playing together and Emma heads for the stairs as soon as we put her down to get up there. She is so fast and just laughs and laughs as she climbs each step. She hasn't figured how to get down them so we have to watch her like a hawk.

I've been super busy planning her birthday party this week and getting things together and shopping for it. I still have a lot to buy and I need to nail down the menu, but I'm so excited with the direction it's going. I'm working with some really awesome shops and I'm excited to share everything soon. I've been driving myself crazy with what to get her too for her first birthday, what are some of your favorite items? So far we've bought her a chair and a latch puzzle and I don't know what else! Please share some ideas with me!

This week's Friday Favorites is a mix of beauty and fashion pieces, just a few things I've been wanting to share and review with you guys!



I’m not sure if you remember my Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette review (btw, it’s on sale for $25 now here and here!), but I was in the market for a new shadow palette and was looking at the Tarte Tartelette and Tartelette 2 In Bloom palettes and decided to instead get the UDxGwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette (which I LOVE). Even though I’m thrilled about the UD Palette, I still had the Tarte palettes on my mind. When Matt and I went to Vegas for our anniversary, I picked up this little Tarte Tease set (along with this highlighter) to test out their shadows. I love the colors in this palette, they’re beautiful and it has a great mix of matte and shimmer shades. It also has a slight vanilla scent to it as well, which I was surprised by, but like. This was my first experience with Tarte shadows so here’s a quick review: I get very little fallout from the shadows and the pigmentation is great, but they can be a touch chalky. They’re lasting power is so-so, with primer I get about 8-9 hours of wear. I’ve been loving using this palette, the size is great and I love the versatility of the colors. The shadows are true to color and work great for everyday wear. I’m still thinking about getting the Tartelette 2 In Bloom palette, it was on sale a few weeks ago and I didn’t get it and regret it now!



When it comes to my skin, I swear by Image Skincare and I was running low on my cleanser so I picked up this daily cleanser on a whim. My skin can be sensitive and is prone to drying, so I’m always worried when I try new face washes… and I freaking love it. It has only the slightest scent, removes my makeup, cleanses my skin, and is super mild. I’ve been using it for several weeks now and it’s really great! It doesn’t leave any residue and has a great consistency. It doesn’t foam when using my fingers, but foams nicely with my face brush. I typically shower at night and will use their makeup remover cleanser first to remove the majority of my makeup and follow up with this cleanser. After using both together, I rarely have any makeup residue. I’m pretty surprised by how well of a cleanser it is considering it’s available at drugstores. I will definitely continue to use this cleanser and would recommend it for anyone with sensitive skin.



I’ve included these shorts in some weekend post or another, but I had to include them in a Friday Favorites. I tried them on several times before biting the bullet and purchasing them and I’m so glad I did. They are super comfortable and the fabric is extra soft. Between being pregnant, postpartum, nursing, and weaning, my sizing has been all across the board. I’m so thankful for elastic waist everything right now!



I posted this pic on IG (kristen_lawler) a bit ago and I am just loving this Alex and Ani bracelet. A girlfriend gave it to me and I've worn it every day since. It was so sweet of her and I love how it looks with my watch, I picked up this L'Oreal Julianne's Nude thinking it was the Doutzen one, rookie mistake not to double check, but I'm loving it! It's the perfect pinky nude and very natural. This is my first L'Oreal lipstick and the formula is so creamy and moisturizing that I also bought Blake's Pink. The pink collection is matte and super dry, I much prefer the nude collection's formula over it. Influenster also sent me this Marc Jacobs Glow Stick and it's pretty on it's own, but I've been using it as a base for powder highlighters and it makes your cheeks pop!!

We also received the sweetest bonnet from Little Sun Hat for Emma (it actually fits Ellie too!). It's adorable and reversible so we get twice the use from it. I love that it has a bill to keep forward to protect her from the sun, but that it can also be folded back. It's absolutely adorable and I love the sweet prints.

I've been living in this hat since it came in, it fits so perfect! I typically don't wear baseball caps, my head is kind of small, but this one is more shallow and it fits just right on my dome. If you've been on the hunt for one, check it out, I've been looking forward to the weekend all week just so I could wear it again!

Hope you all have a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Recent Beauty Purchases

As I was taking pics for this post I had to keep taking more pics because I would forget about stuff I've bought and haven't used yet, but wanted to include in the post. I've bought a thing here, an item there, several things have seemed to just jump into my cart at Target. That happens to you too, right? You go to Target for five, maybe six things, and you leave with a full cart. Then you're unpacking and putting things away and realize that you have two eyeliners, a mascara, mousse (which I did forget to include in this post, it's L'Oreal ), a top, and some home decor. It never fails!

On Sunday, I cleaned out a spare makeup drawer and threw out a few items so I don't feel quite as bad about my totally unnecessary purchases. I really need to toss out so much more. I try a lot of new products and brands it really starts to take up a ton of space. It's not as bad as it used to be when Nordstrom, Ulta, and Sephora were all just around the corner from me. Now Ulta or Sephora is a 20-30 minute drive and the closest Nordstrom is a solid 45 minutes away. For some reason, I don't really buy makeup/hair products online, so my beauty hauls have slowed down. Plus, taking a toddler anywhere that has beauty samples is a nightmare!!! Maybe I should just order online...

Anyways, here's what I've bought the last couple of weeks. Some of them are repeat buys, but a lot of them have been purchases to try something new. I've tried a few of them already and have shared my first impressions about them below.

Meg tried this and liked it, so I bought it. Did I need it right now? Nope. I haven't used it yet, but Meg gives great reviews and tries a ton of stuff and when she mentioned this I snagged it so I wouldn't forget! I always really, really, want to try NYX HD Concealer which is supposedly a dupe for NARS so that will be making it's way into my makeup bag on my next Ulta trip.

I have a lipstick from this collection in Blushing Beige 915 and really like it so I wanted to try the shade darker and about Nude Lust 920. I'm super happy with them both! I don't know if I have a preference of one over the other, they both are creamy and great shades. 920 does have warmer pigmented color to it. I usually top them both off with MAC Boy Bait or Urban Decay Walk of Shame.When in doubt, wear nude I always say!

As you can tell from yesterday's mascara review post, I love mascara and wanted to give this Lash Sensational one a try. The wand's bristles look like they could really help in pushing up your lashes and giving extra length. I don't typically care for short bristles on a wand, but I think that the mix of long on one side and short on the other might me a good mix to really coat your lashes. I've heard good things, will report back.

The NYC Eyeliner is a re-purchase, it's an amazing eyeliner! I never would have tried it, but makeup artist Brittany Layne (Jason Aldean's wife) raves about it so I tried it and fell in love. It's true black that doesn't fade and lasts all day long. I've heard good things about NYX so I picked this one up too.

Typically, I like Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair conditioner, but I've been liking a lot of L'Oreal's hair products lately and thought I'd try this Damage Erasing Balm a whirl. The bottle that one use can repair up to a year of damage? That sounds like a challenge to me!

L'Oreal has some really great hair products and one thing I hate doing is blowdrying my hair. I don't know why, I just style the front and crown and flip my head over for the rest and it takes me all of 7-10 minutes to do the whole thing. Still, I loathe it. Obviously, this Quick Dry Primer Spray needed to make it's way to my bathroom. I've tried it twice and the first time I felt a difference in time, but not so much the second time. I'll keep using it to see if it was just a Jedi trick or if it really works. It smells incredible though.

Another repeat buy for me. I really dig a light leave-in conditioner for my ends. All of the bleach, styling, and heat can be killer and I need a little extra to save my tresses. I don't love this one, but it's light weight and works for now. I swear a few years ago every brand had a leave-in conditioner, but I can't find any now! It seems like they're a thing of the past. Do you use one? What do you like? What should I use instead?

So I've been using a stretched out purple scrunchie around the house and to separate my hair while styling since 1995. 1995!!! It was a Christmas gift from my dad (aka, grandma) and I only know the year because it was the first year my parents had separated. I'll hold onto the scrunchie forever probably, but I really needed some new ones that had some actual stretch. Laugh all you want about it, but these are so soft and don't pull your hair at all. These feel like heaven when your hair is pulled up in them.

My favorite moisturizers are from Image, but I've also been using Aveeno and it had just ran out so I picked this Neutrogena one up to replace it. Veronika recommended it and I really like it so far. I use my Image ones at night and have been using this one in the mornings.

What are some of your favorite beauty products? Have you tried anything new and loved it lately? Hope you're all having a fantastic day, thank you for reading!!

Recent Beauty Buys

Maybelline Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer (in Nude)
After reading how Cara from Maskcara raves about this product, it’s been on my radar for a few months. I finally purchased it last week and have been happy so far with it. I’ll do more of a review later about it, but my first thoughts are positive. It has a thicker consistency than I had expected and really does act as a concealer and not just a highlighter which is a cool combination for a product.

Cover Girl Invisible Concealer (in Light)
The last time I wore the Cover Girl brand, I think I was in high school or my first years of college. To be honest, I haven’t been fond of their products so I haven’t tried any of their new lines in years, regardless of what good things I’ve heard. Recently, I’ve had a few breakouts and needed a concealer to cover them. I was looking for two specific ones, but of course the store was out of every product in my color. The Cover Girl brand caught my attention and it was a good price so I figured if I didn’t care for it, it’s no skin off my nose if I threw it away after one use. Surprisingly this has been a great find! The consistency is just right, the color blends seamlessly, and it doesn’t feel heavy or weird on my skin after application, plus there’s no weird scent! Woohoo!

L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara
I’ve been using Maybelline Volum Express The Rocket Mascara for a while and I do like it (I’ll probably re-purchase it, I like to have two mascaras to rotate), I’ve been missing my tried and true L’Oreal one. This is just a re-purchase for me, but you can never go wrong with this great mascara. It doesn’t flake, dry out, or run and is a must-have for me.

Neutrogena Naturals Acne Foaming Scrub
To deal with the above mentioned break outs, I also bought this face scrub. I’ve been using the makeup remover wash for months (years even?) and absolutely love it so I thought I’d try the line’s acne wash as well. I’ve only used it a few times so far, so I can’t give a full review yet.

L'Oréal Sublime Bronze Tinted Self Tanning Lotion (in Medium)
Another re-purchase for me. I really like using this and the Jergens Natural Glow lotion. The L’Oreal one has a shimmer to it, so you’re ready to party after each application. It gives you an instant bronzed tint and will self tan after a couple of hours, just like regular tanning lotion. The L’Oreal has a great scent (Matt loves it on me) and is really easy to use without getting any streaks. Check out my original review post here.

MAC Creme Cup
I've been wanting to get my hands on this lipstick forever, but they are always sold out. I've finally have it and I'm so happy with the color! It's gorgeous and more of a pink-nude and is a great color for all day wear and into the evening. I think next time I stop by the MAC counter and they have one in stock I'll pick it up to have a spare.

L'Oreal Paris Advanced Hairstyle Boost It Volume Inject Mousse
I have a love/hate relationship with mousse, I go back and forth using it and not using. This product didn't do anything special for me, it didn't stand out to be above other mousses I've used of different brands. When I used it in combination with my Redken Guts 10 it was way too much product, but is fine on its own. I'll continue to use it, but I don't think it will be a re-purchase for me.

L'Oreal Paris Boost It High Lift Creation Spray
I bought this spray to work together with the mousse, it's just glorified hairspray. It smells delicious though. It does keep the volume/teased hair up longer than just a standard hairspray and  more oomph over all. I think it may be a re-purchase in the future.

What products have you bought this season? Have you tried anything new?

My Beauty Wishlist

L'Oreal Colour Riche Caresse Wet Shine Stain- Pink Perseverance

NYX Lip Liner- Nude Beige / NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss- Sugar Pie

Fresh Sugar- Sugar Petal Tinted / Neutrogena Revitalizing Lip Balm SPF 20- Healthy Blush 

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter- Raspberry Pie / L'Oreal Colour Riche LeGloss Lip Gloss- Baby Blossom

Essie 2013 Spring Collection in Bond with Whomever, Madison Ave-hue, and Go Ginza
Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure- Café Au Lait / Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

I use my Notes App on my IPhone to keep track of makeup I want to check out as I come across it on blogs, Pinterest, InstaGram, at the store, in magazines etc. See my list for yourself:

Then whenever I get the chance to check them out in real life, I can remember the brand and color. This list is seriously just a partial list. I had a longer list on my old phone before the switch to the cool kid club. Not everything on the list works out once I see it in person, or is too similar to something I already own, but I like trying new products and colors and this has been a great way in helping me to remember what I want. Surely, I'm not the only who does this??

Have you tried any of these products? Are they worth purchasing? Let me know!

PS Yes, I realize I need another polish or lip product (or eyeshadow for that matter) like I need a hole in the head. 

Product Review: Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover

Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover

Now, you remember my past post about my disappointment with Neutrogena One Step Gentle Cleanser (see the post here). Clean and Clear stopped making my favorite foaming eye make-up remover and I've been on the hunt since. Lots of you gave me tons of recommendations I wanted to try, but since being pregnant, I've started to use more natural products on my skin.

For eye-makeup remover, I prefer a foaming wash that also removes my face make-up. It just seems so much easier to remove my eye-makeup that way with less scrubbing and pulling around the area. It's so hard to find a good foaming one! I was all over the aisles at the store when I found this one.

From Neutrogena's site, this products is: Completely cleans skin and removes makeup in one step without stripping skin’s natural moisture. This Peruvian Tara seed bionutrient rich cleanser is clinically proven to soften skin naturally. Developed for gentle eye area." It's also 86% Naturally Derived, the rest being products to make the mixture blend and maintain effectiveness.

Here's my review:
-One pump is more than enough
-Cleans off my mascara, eyeliner, shadow, and eye primer completely off! Face make-up too.
-Smells nice
-Doesn't burn my eyes if it gets under my lid
-Moisturizing and not drying whatsoever (which is super important for my dry sensitive skin)

I'm in LOVE with this face wash! I want to buy it in bulk. I also want to try their pore scrub and night cream too. Maybe I'll pick it up on my next weekly Target run. Seriously, run out and get it!

Beauty Favorites of 2012

After seeing Meg from O. is Me's Top 2012 beauty picks, I knew I had to share mine too. Meg always has great makeup tips and products posts, and is the mother to the cutest little munchkin! She inspired today's post about what my favorite products were this past year. Most of them I've talked about on the blog and linked to their reviews, but some of them, this is the first they've been mentioned and  reviews will be coming soon. Most of the products I use I've found from bloggers I follow and before I buy most things, I Google blog reviews!

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Spray (review here), Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo (review here), TRESemme Salon Silk Serum (review here)

Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover, Oil of Olay Pro-X (review here), Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub (see my routine here), Complete All Day UV Moisturizer

NYX Matte Bronzer (I buy medium in the summer and light in the winter), MAC Blush in Warm Soul (review here), L'oreal True Match in W3 Nude Beige, MAC Blush in Easy Manner from their Glamour Daze collection

MAC Eyeshadow in All That Glitters and Phloof (they're my everyday and blend awesome with the Naked palettes), Maybelline Lots of Lashes Mascara (review here), Billion Dollar Brows Brow Powder in Taupe (review here), Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer in Brightener 60 (I use this under my eyes, but also down my nose and above my lip), L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen Mascara

Fresh Sugar Lip Balm, MAC Boy Bait, Revlon Lipstick (any color!), Bath and Body Works Mentha Lip Shine in Vanilla Mint

Do you use any of these products? What were your favorite beauty picks from last year?
If you have any questions about my favorite products, ask me below or send me an email!

Fave Bath Products + Monthly Must-Reads: September 2012

Yay! For the first time I'm linking up with 10 other lovely bloggers for our must-reads monthly. I'm super excited to work with these lovely ladies, and be sure to check out their posts at the end of this post! Here is our post topic for today:

Question of the month: What bath products are you currently using? 

I'm pretty simple in the shower, nothing fancy schmancy here. For shampoo, I love Tressemme 24 Hour Body Shampoo, and I use Neutrogena's Clarifying Shampoo (review) once every 1-2 months, Macadamia Deep Repair Masque (review) once a week, and simply Dove White bar soap everyday. These are really the only products I use regularly and have used for a long time, sometimes I'll swap in Dove body wash instead of the bar, but that's really no big deal.

What bath products do you swear by?

 If you want to see my skincare products check out this post.

Question of the month:

• Alison*Elle - Alison's treated herself to a birthday splurge from Chanel.
• Beautygirl24 - Noelle celebrated her birthday in a sparkling gold skirt.
• Ella Pretty -  Ella's dressing for fall - she's loving her chambray shirt & heart scarf.  
• Lilly's Style - Lilly's is enjoying mixing bright colors.
• Lindsay J Everyday - Lindsay's been loving leopard.
• Love, Lipstick & Pearls -  Kristen has been loving jeweled headbands for fall.
• Schnelle Couture - Danielle revealed all of her party details and the gender of her new baby!
• Sequins and Stilettos - Skylette has jumped into two fall trends in one with bordeaux and printed pants!
• The Currently Obsessed -Mehreen loves her Chanel this Month (and this Chanel "esque" tweed blazer!) 

Wash, Tone, Moisturize

The last couple of weeks I've received some comments and emails about my skin care routine, so I wanted to do a post about the products I use. Some of these items I've done reviews for in the past and have been using for year. Right now I'm using a make-up remover I don't care for, so it's not included, but got some great suggestions I'll be testing out in the future.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub
This wash is effective enough to fend off acne, but gentle enough to use everyday without drying me out, plus it smells delicious.

L'Oreal Go 360 Clean for Sensitive Skin 
I've been using this cleanser since it came out and I love it. I use it combined with my Oil of Olay Pro-X Cleaner. 

Oil of Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System
I use this cleanser almost everyday, but will skip a day or two depending on my mood. It's a great exfoliater and really helps my skin to glow.

Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner
This toner is awesome and because it's alcohol-free it doesn't dry out your skin. I use this every morning before moisturizing.

Oil of Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin

This is my holy grail product, I've used it since high school. I really love all of the Olay brand products and will probably start to use more as I age. Which, you know is happening right now so I should probably hop on it.

Mary Kay TimeWise Firming Eye Cream
This little betty is a gem, I only use it at night because it's a little bit thick and I don't like to layer make-up on top of it.  

My skin is pretty normal, but it's easily dried out so I mostly use sensitive skin products to stay on an even keel. Like, I said above, I've used most of these products for years and don't really care to stray. If I feel like my skin needs something more or what I'm using isn't working anymore, I'll always start to see what else is out there that I can try. 

What does your skin care routine look like? What are your holy grail products?  

Product Review: Neutrogena One Step Gentle Cleanser

Neutrogena One Step Gentle Cleanser 

So I've been using a Clean & Clear foaming eye makeup remover since high school and it's been discontinued, which totally bums because I was a loyal user for over 10 years! I bought 8 bottles online when I had trouble finding it in store and never saw them again. Tear.

My last bottle recently dried up and I've been on the hunt for something fabulous that takes everything off without scrubbing my face down all rough and tumbly. I saw this bottle of Netrogena Cleanser and thought I'd give it a whirl. Oh, and on top of all this make-up hubbub, I bought waterproof mascara  by accident and it's such a beezy to get off, so I've really taken this wash to the test.

Here's more about the product, directly from the site:

"One Step Gentle Cleanser does double-duty as a cleanser and makeup remover. This rich, silky foaming formula combines the cleansing power of a face wash with the effectiveness of a makeup remover. The single-step approach shaves minutes off your bedtime beauty routine.

-Rich, silky formula cleans skin without stripping moisture
-Rinses completely clean
-Dermatologist tested
-Hypoallergenic"

Here's my review:
- One pump of product does the job
- Removes all makeup completely, without having to take off your first layer of skin
- Slight burn when it gets in your eyes, but no different than any other eye remover I've used
- Easy to rinse off, no residue
- Very drying, the skin around my mouth/nose is a little flaky

Overall I'm happy with the product and will use it up completely, but I do want to try to find a product that works just as well but isn't as drying. Any suggestions?

What do you use to remove makeup? How do you remove your eye makeup?

Product Review: Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo

 

Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo

Sometimes I can use a ton of product in my hair; leave-in conditioner,  mousse, root spray, and let's not forget a ton of hair spray. Using so much on an everyday basis, combined with washing my hair only twice a week my hair can get grimy over time. In walks my beauty magazines raving about how great this Neutrogena shampoo, and I'm all over it. Plus, it's less than $5, woohoo!

The bottle says to use this once-a-week shampoo treatment to instantly remove residue that can cause bad hair days. Then go back to your favorite shampoo and you'll find it working better than ever.

• Instantly removes heavy, dulling residue caused by shampoos, conditioners and styling products
• Cleans hair thoroughly, easily rinses clean
• Mild formula won't cause irritation
• For all hair types  

Personally, I use this shampoo only every other week or once a month. The formula can be drying, so I focus it mostly on my roots and follow up with using a deep condition like my Macadamia Deep Repair Masque. When I read other reviews before buying this product, some women said they used it more often, so whichever works best for your hair type. The shampoo also has a very strong clean smell that lasts a day or two and can be smelled over any products you use on your hair. I didn't mind it at all, but others may. I really feel a difference in my hair when I use this product, my hair feels so clean. I would definitely re-purchase the bottle.

Have you used a clarifying shampoo? Have you tried this product? What did you think?