Quick Beauty Tip #3: the many functions of baby wipes

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Quick Beauty Tip #3:

Baby wipes…they can play an even more valuable role outside of the bathroom/away from the changing table.

For me – baby wipes come in handy in other situations – specifically for air travel, car travel, at the beach, and while applying make up  

And when I say baby wipes, I mean baby wipes…not antibacterial wipes…I usually go with sensitive skin-version.

 How/when I use them:

  • Aside from hand sanitizer and lotion, I always pack a travel size set of wipes in my purse when flying. They’re great for freshening up during/after a long flight (hello, layovers!).  You never know when there might be a spill, and patting one on your neck mid-flight can cool you off…especially if you’re a nervous flyer like me!
  • I keep them in the car…good to have around if you’re eating something sticky, or during the summer when eating an ice cream cone in traffic, who else does this?!
  • At the beach – maybe I have OCD, but I have to have wipes at the beach. I hate sunblock/sand hands, ew. I use the wipes to get the sand off my hands / keep myself stick-free
  • When I am doing my make up, I use one to wipe my foundation-covered hands. Or, if I am blending eye shadows with my fingers (which I usually prefer over an applicator), I wash my finger tips clean with a wipe, as not to mix colors! Some people might go to the bathroom to wash, or use a towel, I find baby wipes helpful while I’m in the midst of doing my make up

 Typically, I use the CVS-brand Soft Clothes for sensitive skin:

They have a $0.99 travel pack which is great, takes up little room in my purse. Target also has good wipes, for cheap (up & up brand)

 If you’re looking for an eco-friendly, paraben-free alternative – they sell Punky Business wipes on Drugstore.com. They’re a bit more expensive @ $4.99 a pack, but they’re gentle, made in the USA, and better for the environment.

Tried & True: Covergirl Lipslick

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A lot of us have that one make up or product we’ve used for years…

One such item for me is: Covergirl Lipslicks Lipgloss* in Cutie

The tried & true CG...this thing has been through war with me

I have literally used this since high school…and keep it in my purse at all times. It costs less than <$5 at CVS (link below to find on drugstore.com).

Cutie is a neutral color – I use it year round. It looks good on a variety of skins tones – I know, because it has been successfully shared over the years (how many times do we borrow each other’s lip glosses at the bar? Germy or not, sometimes you have to do it)

I took the above picture of my CG Cutie gloss while out to dinner the other night…I was trying to show that I use cosmetics/products available at a variety of price points. I am willing to pay more for better quality…but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy, and continue to purchase high quality products that also happen to cost much less. My goal is to share a variety of products, at a range of price points…it all comes back to the quality. I also like to share paraben free/healthier alternative products when I find something good.

This gloss is a great go-to, and won’t break the bank.

Do you have a ‘go to’ beauty product that you’ve used for years? If so, please share!

*for reference, this gloss, it is not paraben free

The hunt for…the best self tanner continues

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Finding the best self tanner is like the hunt for the best pizza in Boston – there are so many alright ones, a couple bad…and then, a few noticeable leaders.

Back in February, I did a post on self tanners (link at the bottom of this post!)…Since then, I have been relying on a couple of  ‘go to’ brands. However, recently, I was convinced to try a new brand of self tanner called: St. Tropez. I resisted at first because I wasn’t interested in spending more than $15, let alone $40 on self tanner. But, one of the helpful ladies at Sephora guided me in my purchase and how best to apply the product…and the end result was REAL GOOD.

St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse (link to product below)

  • First, she suggested I go with the bigger 8 oz. size for $40…considering the next size down was the 4 oz. size for $30!
    • The cost to ounce ratio is $5 for the 8 0z. and $7.50 for the 4 oz. Dang!
  • She asked me if I would be applying the product in a bathroom with tile floors/white grout…I am indeed! She recommended I DON’T go with the spray because that can be messier and get into cracks and crevices. She suggested I go with the foam – that is easier to apply and stays put
  • Her most helpful suggestion was to spend an extra $6 on the Tan Applicator Mitt (link to product below). It’s reuse-able, and washable. It provides an easier, streak-free application…and it helps buff out uneven color. You squirt the foam directly onto the mitt and rub it around:

St. Tropez Tan Applicator Mitt

  • The foam is a brown color, which I found helpful when I was applying because I could see where I was putting it/not putting it. It blends in well, so once it was applied it wasn’t a funky color…I could have gone out with it on

The end result…natural looking tan color…I even used the mitt to apply some to my face. I feel like it gave me a healthy glow with one application – the color developed over time, but the initial tint gave me an immediate, yet subtle glow. Another thing I liked, the bottle still feels full! Despite using ~10-12 pumps to cover my body, it doesn’t feel like I made a big dent in the bottle. If anything else, get the mitt because it should be helpful in applying most self tanners!

(next time, I’ll do a before and after shot of the color!)

St. Tropez – buy @ Sephora or Sephora.com (I’m sure it’s sold other places too, but there is where I got mine):

For the original self tanning post, which includes a review of a lower priced (and great!) self tanner – click below: http://wp.me/p1kq6s-R

The link to BLINK

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ok sorry, that is cheesy, but I had to do it…

Blink’s site is up and running – they are the company (out of Hanover MA) that did the awesome eyelash extensions reviewed in the post  ‘Splurge: eyelash extensions’ link to post: http://wp.me/p1kq6s-6h

Link to Blink 🙂 below

www.blinklashextensions.com

Splurge: Chanel liquid eyeshadow

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Technically the street name is: Chanel Ombre D’eau Fluid Iridescent Eyeshadow

Chanel has a thing for fancying up product names

CHANEL OMBRE D'EAU FLUID IRIDESCENT EYESHADOW in Delta

You can find it at most dept stores – I’m partial to Nordstrom (scroll down for link)

As this post is titled, this eyeshadow is a splurge. However, it is a good liquid shadow and to me, worth the extra investment – why?

  • At $32, you want it to last, and I’ve had my first bottle for almost a year, and I wear multiple times a week
  • The shadow itself, lasts long. I put it on in the morning, and it lasts through until evening
  • Once applied, it dries quickly and stays in place
  • However, it doesn’t get dry or flake off
  • Most importantly, it doesn’t crease. I have found that, with other liquid shadows, the shadow gravitates towards my eyelid creases and clumps, which looks messy
  • It is iridescent in nature, but not sparkly. So it’s not too over the top for work
  • You can put one layer on for a more subtle look, or you can apply multiple layers for a more dramatic look. I apply one coat for work or 2-3 coats per eye if I’m going out at night
  • Because it’s liquid, it travels well…you don’t have to worry about broken/crumbling shadow
  • It’s not designed for sensitive eyes/skin – but it hasn’t bothered mine, which can be finicky

 How to use:

  • It’s technically a liquid powder, so you need to shake it before you use it each time, to combine the ingredients
  • Swipe lightly over the eye, give it a couple of seconds to dry, apply another coat(s) if you’d like!

 I have 2 colors both of which are very neutral and can be worn everyday – they are Delta, which is more gold/nude and Source which is a pale pink. Both of these colors make a good base for other, deeper colored shadows.