Best Beauty Products to travel with!

I love traveling! Plane that is! and I travel by plane a lot. But sometimes there are consequences you have to face when packing your makeup/toiletry bag. 

First of all, if you have any LIQUIDS OVER 3.0 OUNCES, you need to transfer them to the right size bottle. Anything over 3.0 ounces will be confiscated from your carry-on bag. -_- If you want to learn more about this click HERE. This is important if you are packing face wash/moisturizer or toner. (unless they are already travel sized.) If they don't have the shampoo/body wash you like in travel size, then use these little 3.0 bottles. I got mine from Wal-Mart.

They are really cheap, like $1.00 each, and they come in different containers, like spray bottles, screw-lid cream jars, & squeeze bottles, so it's pretty convenient for whatever you are packing! 

Caboodles Case

Caboodles is one of the most popular brands for makeup cases. They come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Whether you are packing for a trip, or just wanting something to store & organize your makeup in, this is a good brand to go by!

There's even a removable divider for easy organizing! :D

Mine I believe, is an "IT Bag", which is the smaller sizes of cases. I can't remember the specific name for this one, but I love it! The pattern is just adorable! It's small enough for travel and comes with attached rings to hold your brushes along with a plastic cover to protect them. (since this is a smaller case, it's better to use travel-sized brushes, because some regular brushes are too long) It comes with pockets everywhere on the sides to store whatever you'd like.

It zips up, so no worrying about anything spilling out of your case!

 As for the face, like I've mentioned before you definitely need to bring face wash & moisturizer. You need to always have a clean face wherever you go along with a good moisturizer to protect your skin and keep it hydrated. *Moisturizers with SPF are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as it protects the face from harmful UV rays* It does not matter if you are traveling in the winter; your face can still be susceptible to harmful UV rays at any time of the year!

I decided to bring my Gigi's Daily Facial Cleanser, It's made from real dark honey & Acai berry. It removes makeup & impurities from the skin. It also smells very good, like a sweet smell, not quite like honey like it says. I love it because it's simple & doesn't have too much in it; it's a little more on the natural side. Products with too many harsh chemicals are not good for the skin. I had to transfer the face wash to a smaller bottle because it is way over 3 ounces.

I also use Gigi's Balancing Face Moisturizer. It contains Baobab fruit & Soy to protect & soften the skin as well as the dark honey is included too! It's also supposed to balance the skin's complexion out, while it  firms the skin as well, keeping it healthier looking. I didn't need to transfer this, because the bottle is only 2 ounces! Yay!

If you are interested in the Gigi brand here's the link: Click!

Garnier Nutritioniste Nutri-Pure Detoxifying Wet Cleansing Towelettes 

Perfect for travel! You don't necessarily have to buy this particular brand, but I will explain why I love it!

• It obviously removes makeup.
• It contains ingredients that help purify the skin & detoxify it, keeping it completely clean from everything.
• It's very gentle on the skin with a pleasant scent to it. It hasn't irritated my skin like other makeup remover wipes.
• It contains Vitamin B5, Vitamin E & Green Leaf Extract. This is very nourishing for the skin & helps restore complexion.

 

I love the fact that it completely cleans your face from everything including toxins. It comes in a resealable pouch so no need to worry about spills or drying out. And the best thing I love about this is: IT DOESN'T REQUIRE RINSING :D!!!! How more convenient can you get? You can use these practically ANYWHERE! You don't need sink or any water whatsoever. I think these are the best things to travel with instead of messy makeup remover bottles & cotton balls. Its like a sink and face wash in one! :D

  Oil-blotting sheets

A lot of you know what these are, so I won't hype on about it. They are little sheets that basically remove all the oils from your face & makes your face look less shiny. They are small enough to put in your purse, so they are great for traveling. A must for oily-prone skin! You can find them at any drug-store or supermarket in the face-cleansing aisle.

Revlon Illuminance Crème Shadow 

Very great for people who don't want to pack a whole lot of makeup, but would like some colors to pack in one. You don't even necessarily need brushes either, so that is a plus for light-packing. (You do however need to use CLEAN fingers if you do not pack brushes. I don't want to be the one to blame if you get an eye infection, haha.) 

I chose the color shades called "Skinlights" It's perfect for those who don't want a whole lot of color, but something that can add more definition to the eyes. The color, Skinlights also works great because they are neutral colors and and can go with any skin tone & any outfit for any occasion. 

It also comes with a nifty mirror. Not one of those cheap looking mirrors either. The view is pretty crisp, so you can see every detail when  you apply your eyeshadow.

It's pretty pigmented and doesn't really crease, so I don't believe you need a primer to apply before hand. However, you could use these cream shadows as a base for any powdered ones you layer over.

The shadows also come in different colors, so if you're more daring or just experimenting with colors, you can get different shades. If you want to check out the other ones, here is a link: Click Me! :)

Brush Guards

I was pretty skeptical about them at first, but I decided to give them a try. I'm a big Coastal Scents fan, so that's how I found out about these little guys.

These are good for protecting brushes, so the bristles won't bend or break. They come in different sizes and have different packs for specific kind of brushes. 

They are good for drying brushes after cleaning too.

Just slide the guard on (ALWAYS put on from bottom of handle first NEVER go against the bristles. This will prevent your brushes bristles from getting bent backwards & getting ruined!)

Tahdah!! Ready to store, travel, or dry! :D

If you are more interested in these brush guards click here.

I have beauty a tip for you! (Though some of you might already know this! :P)

Lipstick can be used as a multi-purpose beauty tool!

Skip the brushes & blush! Lipstick is an essential tool for light packers, because it can be used as a lip color (duh) AND a blush! Lots of people, including makeup artists, use this method when blush is not handy. All you do is apply a small amount on your cheeks and blend in, until harsh lines and blotches are gone. A lot of people prefer pink & coral-colored blushes, so be careful with red lipsticks!


If you have no idea what kind of makeup to pack, I will provide a small list for ideas.

• Lipgloss - If lipsticks are not your thing, lipgloss can really brighten up your face & make your lips look fuller. It's a common beauty item found in most purses!
• Mascara - Some people don't like eyeliner, but wear mascara. This is a must, because it will make your eyes look more awake & bigger without messy eyeliners.
• Neutral shimmering eyeshadow - Another a mult-purpose tool for light packers, you can apply this to the brow bone & inner corners of the eye for more definition as well as applying it right above the cheek bone for a highlighter. (This will make the face "glow" and appear more radiant.)

• Eyeshadow Palettes - This is for people who don't prefer cream eyeshadows. They come in wide varieties of colors, and this will keep you from packing tons of single eyeshadows.
• Concealer - If you don't want to pack foundation, but want to cover up certain spots on the face, whether it's from pimples to under-eye circles, this a is very handy product. It's not as big as foundation bottles & you can carry it in your purse.
• Travel Size Body Sprays - This is optional, but if you want to freshen up, (You never know who you might sit by LOL) this is a good item to have. Like the name says, make sure it does not exceed 3.0 fl oz.

Another beauty tip: Be careful when deciding to bring liquid foundation that is not in your carry-on bag, because sometimes the pressure of  underneath the plane will cause the the bottles to possibly explode and cause a huge mess!

Happy Traveling!!

Hold it! Wavemaker Beach Spray!

 

I recently bought this at Sally's Beauty Supply, and I have been told it works good. I was pretty skeptical at first, because I've always had bad luck with hair products, so I thought I might give it a try. My hair doesn't like to make pretty beach waves by itself, so I was thinking I could use some help! 

Well let me tell you, IT WORKS! 

I absolutely LOVE this stuff! It smells like summer in a bottle, if you don't know what that smells like, I'll try my best to explain. It smells similar to Sun In Hair Lightener with a pleasant lemon scent.

A little bit about this baby:

It help creates texture for "at the beach hair."  It blocks moisture loss, so your hair doesn't get dried out & you won't end up looking like a frizz-ball lol. It also contains UV protectants to keep hair from getting damaged from the sun.

You can spray it on damp or dry hair. It does not matter. :)

All you need to do is spray it (not a whole lot, just enough for you to style it) and start grabbing your hair in a scrunch like motion and hold it for a few seconds. Do this a couple of times and viola! Beautiful beach waves, without the need of an actual beach!

HINT: If you want super wavy beach hair, sleep in overnight braids, and use the spray the next day! :D

 I did mine with dry hair:

 

This is great for cut-textured hair with layers (like mine) My hair doesn't feel weighed down at all by the product & it was very easy to style

      This is also great for those who don't have a lot of time getting ready in the morning or if you just have a busy schedule. By all means, I highly recommend this!

Summer Must Haves & Tips!

Avon Magix Face Perfector

 

This is prefect for those who tend to get really oily skin in the summer (like me!) What is really interesting about this product is that it comes out as a cream, but when you apply it to your face, it turns into a powder consistency. Pretty neat huh? It's very lightweight so this can be worn over or under your makeup. It's been said to reduce shine for up to 10 hours & also reduces the appearance of pores and fine lines. You don't need to use a whole lot, & just use for the areas that tend to get really shiny looking (a little goes a long way). It also contains SPF 20 which is great for those sunny summer days. I also like the fact that it has a translucent coverage so it's great for all skin colors! The smell (to me) is very tolerable; it smells like a light sunscreen. It also makes my skin feel very soft.

Coral Lip Color!

Who says you can't rock coral-orange lips? Orange is definitely a spring and summer shade. You don't have to wear a lipstick and go full out orange. If you just want a little color, try a coral-orange lipgloss or just lightly apply a lip liner or lipstick. It pairs very well with neutral eyeshadows. (You don't want to overdo the eyes with bright lips!). It is perfect for warm skin tones. If you are cool toned, try a little something with more blue-based pink in it.

Waterproof Mascara

Falsies by Maybelline is by far my favorite brand of mascara. It lengthens and thickens mascara. But any brand that is your favorite, stick to waterproof mascara for the summer. It's not only great for swimming but for humid conditions to wear you could possibly sweat your makeup off & comes in handy for those teary-eyed moments.

 Colorful Eyeliner

I'm wearing Make Up Forever's Aqua Eyes waterproof eyeliner in "7L" (Turquoise)

Summer is a great excuse to wear any bright eye colors, whether it's eyeshadow, eyeliners, or mascara. Now if you don't like all those crazy colors on your eyes with the eyeshadow, and you only want a little pop of color, all you need is a colorful eyeliner. Gel is preferred. It's handled very well with water and only comes off if you rub your eyes or taking it off with makeup remover. It's also easier to apply & remove than pencil liner. If you have no idea what colors to wear, you can always go by your eye color. Here is a simple guideline for first time trying.

For Blue eyes, try blue, brown, or silver eyeliner. 


For Brown eyes, try purple, gold, or a bronzy-pink color.


For Green eyes, try plum, emerald, or a pink color.


(note: purple has more blue tones than the plum color!)



For a more dimensional look, apply a darker shade of eyeliner on the outer corners.

Now everyone is different, like me for example, I think purples compliment my blue eyes, so DON'T be afraid to experiment with different colors. You don't have to go by the guidelines, they are just a few options for people who have never tried this. Be your own advocate :)
 

A Moisturizer With SPF 15+

It is a definite must have for summer. Moisturizers help the skin from drying out and many factors can associate with that in the summer. Like the pool for example, the chlorine can be very drying to the skin. The hot sun can also be very drying and damaging to the skin, so make sure there is SPF in the moisturizer that you are buying. Be careful though, you don't want to wear this if taking pictures with FLASH on your camera in a dark area, this can cause your face to be white as a ghost and not matching the rest of your body. The SPF reflects off the light from the flash and causes "ghost face". It doesn't  happen to everyone, but I'm giving you guys a fair warning. :P  Try applying a face primer with NO SPF after applying moisturizer (with SPF) and then apply your foundation with NO SPF. Sounds confusing, but will prevent "ghost face." hehe.

Ombre Nails!

I've been noticing the "Ombre" trend on the nails are very popular this season. It's been around for many years & is a very fun and interesting look. If you don't know what the ombre style is, its basically a color fading into another, usually from the same color family. There are 2 different types of ombre-style nails.

This effect is the one where each nail has a different shade (of the same color family) on each nail, either making it from darkest shade to lightest or vise versa. This will give the effect of the colors fading into each other with each nail.

Then you have the gradient-like effect where the color fades from top to bottom on each nail. Personally, this is my favorite style because you can use different colors. 

How to do the gradient-effect:

It's very simple to do. All you need is a cheap cosmetic sponge, white nail polish, and 2 or 3 different shades of the colors you want to apply including a color in between to help blend the 2 main colors together, and a top coat. 

Apply 1-2 coats on your nail with the white polish (this will help the gradient stand out better.) 

Then apply the lightest shade out of your choices (paint to about the middle section of the nail). 

Then drop a few drops of the polish of your choice for the middle section onto a piece of cardboard or something you don't mind getting polish on. Dab your sponge into it and immediately start dabbing the middle section of your finger and you will notice that it's giving off the "fading" effect. 

If you are using 3 shades then go ahead and apply the 3rd shade with the sponge as well to the bottom or top (depending on if you do the darkest at the top or bottom.) Don't go too far over each color, because you still want the colors to show through & you want to avoid it looking too "murky". Apply a topcoat and you're done!

Here's the same style that I did on my toes with a coral and a yellow. Ahh toes in the sand<3 and yes my toes are long, haha. This was at Point Pleasant Beach, NJ btw :)

No Heat Beachy Waves & Different Types

Do you want to have that at the beach hair, without using heat? Make sure to plan it a day ahead, because this is an overnight procedure. 

Okay okay, we all know braiding your hair & sleeping in it overnight is one of the ways, but if you braid them different ways, you can get different looks!

Fishtail braid waves - These are a little bit more messy, but that's the point! The waves are tighter and a little but smaller, (depending on how you divide the braids)

If you don't know how to do a fishtail braid here's a video show you! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcNCn1gbhXg

Regular braids -  These are more popular than the others. It will make bigger waves than the fishtail.

French Braids - The difference is french braiding will give you more volume at the top of your head, so if you need more volume, then try this method!

For all of these methods, apply a texturizing spray to you hair and roots to keep the hairstyle looking more natural and to keep it's shape. Try avoiding regular hairspray if you want a soft look.

I will let you find out the results on your own ;) Try it out!

Here's me with the fishtail braid waves going on!

Rimmel London Nautral Bronzer!

This one is also a budget-friendly product! Not a big fan of bronzer, BUT once I tired this one, I grew a huge liking to it. I recently started tanning, so this helps a lot to darken the face & match the rest of your body just a little with a sun-kissed glow. It also helps to lightly contour the face! 
 There's no shimmer to it, and that is why I love it. Bronzing products with shimmer in them tend to make me look like an oil slick, but everyone's skin type is different. If you have oily-prone skin, try to avoid products with shimmer in them...they can tend to make your skin look more oily than it normally is. This product is great for people [like me] who have this problem!

Since this is a more natural finish, if you are looking to dramatically contour the face, I wouldn't recommend this because using too much can look too orangey; it's meant for light usage.

Lemon Juice as a highlighter?

Yes, I'm sure you've heard of this. I love it. It lightens my hair up just a little to bring out my natural highlights. All you need is some lemon juice and a spritzer bottle, and you're good to go. Just dampen your hair a bit and spray it on. Then lay out in the sun for about 20 minutes. It won't happen drastically, but if you do it for days in a row, you will start to notice your hair getting lighter. It beats spending dollars on store bought lighteners that works just the exact same.

I will add more to this post if I try any new summer items! 

Love, Ash
 

At Home Spa Treatments :) (more to come soon!)

Chocolate Face Mask (Yummy!)

Chocolate for your face? Yup, it's actually a very common method for exfoliating the face and getting rid of free radicals. It is also rich in antioxidants and vitamins, and tightens the skin. Chocolate contains something called tryptophan, an essential amino acid that is a precursor of serotonin, and serotonin is what makes the happy brain chemicals, boosting your mood up, making you feel happy. Now that doesn't mean melt down some Hershey Kisses or that chcolate bunny from last Easter and applying it to your face. Big NO-NO. You want to use coco powder or raw dark chocolate (not milk) Just as long as it does NOT contain sugar or milk products. There are pre-made chocolate masks at specialty & drug stores, but you can always make it at home for cheaper! You even might have all the ingredients sitting in your cabinet!!

Here is a recipe that I use:

(This is for about 1 serving)

• 2 Tbsp Cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 2 Tbsp GROUND Oatmeal (if you only have whole oats, grind them in a blender or food processor until you reach a powdery consistency.)

Mix the ingredients together until well blended. It will become a paste-like substance. With clean hands or a small rubber spatula (like one you would smooth out icing with) apply the mixture on your face. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes, then wash away with luke-warm water (not too hot or cold.) Pat your face dry with a towel and apply your favorite moisturizer. Your skin should feel tighter and have a glow to it. Your mood might be boosted up a bit as well. Hope you enjoy it!

Yogurt Face Mask

Yogurt is very essential for the face. There are live bacteria in the yogurt called probiotics that help get rid of the bad bacteria on your face that causes acne. (believe it or not!) It will make the skin feel cooler, so this is great during the summer! It will also tighten up the face and get rid of redness or any irritation on your skin. It might not smell the greatest but it works wonders and I use it all the time!! My pimples tend to go away and prevents my face from new ones popping up. Try using this mask twice a week.

All you need is a tub of plain yogurt and you are ready to go. Do NOT use flavored yogurts (the sugar and additives are not good for the skin) So use PLAIN yogurt. Organic is the best way to go if you can get your hands on it. If not, don't worry, you can use regular plain yogurt or even Greek yogurt. 

NOTE: I do NOT recommend if you are allergic to dairy or anything in yogurt.

Use about 2 or 3 tablespoons of PLAIN yogurt or until your face is moderately covered. Let sit for about 10-15 minutes. You will start to feel a cooling sensation while waiting, sometimes even a tingling feeling, so don't freak out. Then rinse with luke-warm water and pat dry with a towel. Apply your favorite moisturizer. Your face should feel refreshed and any previous redness on your face should decrease.

I do NOT recommend if you are allergic to dairy or anything in the yogurt.

Oatmeal Mask

Oatmeal is known to be a gentle exfoliate and help reduce acne. It also soaks up excess oil on the face, so if you have oily-prone skin, this mask will work for you. Oatmeal masks are very beneficial by themselves but can include other additives to increase the strength of what you want done, such as glowing skin, or tighter skin.

Recipe for Oatmeal Mask:

 *For oily skin*

3/4 cup ground oatmeal (grind in blender or food processor if not already ground)

1 Tbsp. honey

*For dry skin*

Use the same ingredients above, and add a cup of mashed banana to the mix.

Mix ingredients together to for a paste-like consistency. (Dry skin remedy will be a little mushier from the banana) With clean hands or rubber spatula apply on the face until covered. Let sit for about 15-20 minutes and rinse with cool water. Apply moisturizer (especially for the dry skin)

Egg Yolk Mask

For dry & irritated skin

Egg yolk is known for skin-tightening properties as well as moisturizing the face. It mainly consists of water and fats so it will retain the skin's moisture. It also helps diminish blemishes as well. It's totally safe for the face & people have been using egg yolk face masks for years!

Here is a recipe that I came up with and I am in love with it!

• 2 Tbsp. ground oats
• 1/2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 raw egg yolk only

Mix all the ingredients together until it becomes a yellow paste. Apply to the skin and let sit for about 15 minutes. The mixture will start to dry & your skin will start to tighten up. You won't be able to move much of your face, so be prepared lol. Then rinse with warm water and wipe off the excess with a wet washcloth. You skin should feel softer, firmer, and less irritated looking. Then apply moisturizer right after you dry your face. (If you are wondering what the milk does, it helps diminish redness & the oats exfoliate the skin, getting rid of dirt and impurities, making the skin glow.) I hope you decide to try this out!