They say you can find pretty much anything in a woman’s handbag. Well, I wouldn’t say that I carry everything in mine, although that’s not for the lack of trying. One of my friends though, absolutely does have everything in her bag. I mean, she is a mom, so that might explain her superpower of having a very rich inventory that all magically fits into an average-sized, “everyday” handbag. Traveling with her is the best. Need makeup wipes? She’s got them. Rubbing alcohol? She’s got it. Stain removing pen? Yup. Got that too. Just the other day I had an awful attack of bad back pain and didn’t have any lidocaine patches or nerve pain medication with me. “You want some ibuprofen?” She asked while digging through her handbag. “No, thanks, that won’t help. I’ll take some heroin though, you got any?” I said jokingly. She chuckled while still digging through her handbag, then looked up at me with a curious smile. “Oh God, please do not answer that!” I said. Everyone burst out laughing because she’s just known to have e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g under the Sun in that little bag of hers. I now try to minimize the amount of stuff […]

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The following content includes referral links and or PR/Gifted products (*). Read my disclosure policy for more info. Mascara is definitely one of my weaknesses and if there’s one product I hoard… it’s definitely it. I was actually doing pretty good in this department over the last couple of months and haven’t been buying too many new ones. Of course, this had to change when Too Faced released their new Damn Girl! mascara. At first, I thought that I have found myself a new “holy grail” of mascaras. It had everything I love in my mascara. The wand brush so thick it grabs onto every single lash, the formula that gives crazy volume and a super black tint while also being easily layered and clump-free (you have to coat the lashes with a side to side application to prevent clumping). My lashes looked amazing… until the mascara dried and I noticed that the lift it gives them doesn’t last. My eyelashes have a natural curl to them that most mascaras emphasize/compliment, not this one. It just makes them look kind of… flat and straight. I also noticed that it transfers easily on to eyelids throughout the day. Definitely not smudge-proof. Shame, because […]

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Well, here’s another post I never thought I’d write: how to pack for a weekend trip. I’ve been a notorious over-packer ever since I can remember. It doesn’t matter if I was going away for three weeks or three days. Actually, for some strange reason, packing for a weekend trip has always been more difficult than getting ready for longer getaways. It might be because most of the time when I travel, it’s for periods longer than two weeks. I mean, I can’t help it. I just like to be prepared for every scenario and know that I have access to everything I need, at any given time. Being an over-planner and a control freak will do that to you. Strangely enough, I’ve noticed that my packing habits have improved significantly when I introduced a mindfulness practice into my life. Whenever I had plans of going away somewhere, I’d always go shopping, buy a bunch of new outfits for every day of the trip. Then I’d stress about not having enough room for everything or about having to pay any excess or overweight baggage fees, if checking in bags. Mindfulness practice helped me shift my focus to things that actually […]

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The following content includes referral links. Read my disclosure policy for more info. Not sure if it’s just me, but sometimes some of those most-loved products I once found amazing just kind of stop working for me after a while. Usually, when this happens I take a little break and when I go back, they once again, blow me away and I find myself thinking “why did I ever stop using this??” This happens every single time. This is exactly how I’ve been feeling lately about one of the very few powders I’ve been using for the last year or so. Never thought I’d like anything nearly as much as my beloved Diffused Light, but I guess you really should never say “never.” Finding a finishing powder that helps set makeup, keeps those slightly oily parts in check while also making sure that my very dry skin stays happy, is quite a mission. My favorite new makeup purchase this month definitely ticked all the boxes. Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Setting Powder is pure perfection. There really isn’t anything I don’t love about it. The formula/texture is silky smooth, very fine and weightless; it has a natural, sheer matte finish and […]

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I have been LOVING lip gloss products lately- as you can probably tell by a couple of my recent makeup bag posts. There have been so many beautiful lip gloss releases lately, and I have to admit that a pretty glossy lip goes very well with a fresh, minimal makeup look I’ve been going for lately. My newest gloss obsession are Rimmel’s Stay Glossy glosses. They don’t have a sticky formula and feel just like lip balm, but with a beautiful, shiny finish. I wear them both alone and over other lip products and they work great with both options. My favorite out of the few I use is Dorchester Rose which is a delicate baby pink. I finally tried Glossier’s Skin Tint and it works just as I expected- nothing more, nothing less. It’s has a very sheer formula with minimal coverage, so it’s a nice everyday kind of product that just makes getting ready in the morning very easy. I’ve tried using it with a buffing brush, beauty blender, and just my hands and I think that keeping it simple works best. When using a beauty blender and a brush I feel that both just soak up so […]

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