What’s In My Travel Bag?

May 12, 2014 / caitlinemccann / 4 Comments

I just got back from a weekend at home in St. Louis, Missouri for my grandparent’s 50th anniversary. It was a really special weekend for my family, since we rarely can get all of us together. Congratulations, Grandma and Grandpa! And of course, it was Mother’s Day too. Love ya, Mamma!

When I do weekends away, I usually try to minimize my makeup to the essentials. My makeup had to suit going to church service, family photos, and Sunday brunch. All slightly fancy things.

So here is a peek into my makeup bag from a weekend home.

It may not look like it, but believe me this is minimalist makeup packing for me.

There are some good ole’ drugstore basics here like an Oral-B toothbrush in a $1.00 travel case, my travel size Degree Women’s deodorant, my Venus razor, and my Target up & up makeup remover wipes.

Makeup wise there are also some drugstore goodies. All of mine were purchased at my local Walgreens. Two of them, I have already mentioned in previous posts: the Rimmel Scandaleyes Nude Kohl eyeliner and the Wet n’ Wild Eye Shadow Primer in For my Primas.

The other two drugstore goodies are the Revlon Age Defying CC Cream in Light and Maybelline 24 Hr Color Tattoo in Sunwashed Sky. I am obsessed with these two products. The Revlon CC Cream is so light and natural looking, I can even use it without a primer. Plus it has SPF so I can leave the house quickly and feel confident that I look good and am being kind to my skin. The limited edition Color Tattoo is quickly becoming one of my favorite bases. Post-primer, I glide Sunwashed Sky over my lids and it works as a single shadow look or blends beautifully with grays or purples.

I also brought a single shadow stick from City Color’s Bronzy Shadow Pencils Pack. The shade is Charcoal Grey and is super blendable. I love using this creamy pencil along my crease over Sunwashed Sky. Which is why I brought my Bare Minerals Crease Brush with me. Soft, circular motions blend the cream shadows together for an easy, stunning smokey eye.

Urban Decay’s Naked Palette was a valuable addition to my travel bag. I used the shade Buck to fill in my brows. Then I used Half Baked, a shimmery golden shade, on my lid, and Smog, an olive-y brown with shimmer, on the crease. There are endless looks with these Naked palettes, which is what makes them so perfect for traveling. Even though I appreciate that the palette comes with a brush, I like having a variety of choices. So, I also brought a Sephora travel brush set. My Mom got these for me years ago, but there is still a comparable set available. Let me tell you, it got a ton of use this weekend.

Ever since it arrived in last month’s ipsy bag, I’ve been loving my Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide On Eyeliner in Black Velvet. It goes on smooth and makes even a novice beauty lover look like a pro. I’ve written about this product more than once, so I’ll just let it be awesome all on its own.

Then there is the Pond’s Clarant B3 Moisturizer. This little travel size product is packed full of vitamins and helps correct dark spots. My skin feels petal soft when I put this on for the night. At home, I don’t use it every night but it is in my rotation.

Another recent obsession is my Ulta Extreme Wear Mousse Blush in Peach Glow. I had never used a cream or mousse formula blush before. Consider me a convert because this is the best thing ever. It glides on, feels silky smooth, and actually lasts all day. For my fair complexion the peach shade gives a natural-looking healthy glow. Then I would dot my sample size of Benefit’s Highbeam along my cheek bones for extra sheen.

For lips, I brought my go-to basic, Clinque’s Chubby Stick in Curviest Caramel. The perfect warm neutral shade that goes with any look. More lipstick than gloss, but there is a nice buttery texture that leaves your lips happy.

P.S. The bag is from a limited edition Carolina Herrera set that were at Target a few years ago. The set has three different patterns and three different sizes, all reminiscent of 1920’s art deco. The set was a gift, but you could probably still find it on eBay.

That may sound like a long list, but I promise this is me packing light.

If you’re interested in me doing a full product review of any of the makeup I took on my trip, please let me know in the comments.

April Beauty Favorites

April 27, 2014 / caitlinemccann / 3 Comments

April has flown by, which is a shame because it is such a lovely month. The weather is gorgeous: warm and breezy without being overpowering. In a way, that’s also my makeup philosophy for spring. I want my face to feel light, fresh, and colorful without being too loud. Here are my favorite beauty products that help me achieve that April freshness.

1. It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Conditioner Plus Keratin : You know how luxurious and shiny your hair feels when you leave the salon? This product absolutely extends that feeling. After I shower, I pop my hair into a Turbie-Twist and go about my business for a bit. Then before I bed down for the night or leave the house for the day, I spray the Miracle Leave-In product lightly over my hair and brush it through. After three weeks of doing this, my hair is healthier, shiner, and softer. And it smells lovely. My boyfriend has even commented on how nice my hair smells. Can’t beat that. This little 4 oz. bottle can retail upwards from $18.99 depending on where you buy it, but I’d say this product is worth it.

2. Voluminous Power Volume 24H Mascara: According to its description, this mascara is infused with collagen. The goal there being fuller, plumper looking lashes. I’m not a scientist, but goal achieved. It’s also just fine for sensitive eyes. I use the color Black Smoke and love how full my lashes look. The volume is definitely there too. Maybe not the most natural look out there, but I favor this mascara for nights out. For $7.95, I’ll take it over false lashes every time.

3. Clinique Quick Corrector in Light: THEY NO LONGER MAKE THIS PRODUCT. Talk about trauma. People are selling this for over $25.00 on eBay when it originally retailed for around $15. I have been hoarding this little tube in my drawer for a while now. And, yes, I know makeup can expire. But the Quick Corrector still gets the job done. I use it more now for highlighting than for straight concealing. The creamy consistency and full coverage are perfection. The light tone is also an ideal brightner. If anyone has found a dupe for this one, please let me know!

4.Wet N Wild Take on the Day Eye Shadow Primer: This little nugget is part of Fergie’s Center Stage collection and is titled For My Primas. I know there are some lovely eye primers from brands like Urban Decay (I have a sample pot next to my bathroom sink), but for those budget conscious beauties, this Wet N Wild primer is an ideal substitute. It has a light color that creates a lovely base for shimmer and matte shades alike. A tiny dot covers my lid and I don’t see creased color in the mirror hours later. It’s a must have for $4.99.

5. Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Apple Pink: I’ve already raved about this product in my ipsy bag review, but I have been using this lip balm several times a week since the bag arrived. The color is exactly the shade of pink that I love. It’s more of a lush peony shade than apple. The little lip brush adds a precision element to application and the matte formula also moisturizes your lips. Some mattes look cakey, but this one just settles on to look natural. Grab yours for $19.00 here.

6. NYX’s Eyebrow Push-Up Bra: Go ahead, take a second to giggle at the name. I certainly did when I saw it in stores last month. The brown half of the pencil is a universally flattering shade to fill in your brows, and the pink side highlights underneath your brow and inner eye corners. My Mom once told me that one day I would care about the illusion of fuller brows, and that day has come. This pencil is easy to use with instant results. It fills in my brows and looks utterly natural, and the highlighter portion gives the brows a natural lift. For $10.00, it’s a must for a fresh face.

These are my ultimate faves for creating a fresh look this April, but they’re great products that will carry me through other seasons as well. Hope you enjoyed my April Beauty Favorites!

e.l.f. Haul and Review

April 11, 2014 / caitlinemccann / 12 Comments

As you might have noticed I’ve been slowly exploring the realm of beauty blogging. Part of that is trying to bring you more reviews when I come across products I love (or hate). Recently, e.l.f. had a deal where if you spent over $25 they would include a spring showers gift. If you love makeup but don’t like stretching your wallet too far, e.l.f allows you to play around with color and finishes without feeling guilty. Their products retail for anywhere from$1 to around $30, but the higher price items are usually package deals and sets. So for a total of $34 I got all the goodies you see below, which includes the spring showers gift set.

My e.l.f. haul. All this for $34.

These beauties all arrived Thursday, and I spent this morning playing around with most of this bounteous haul. Some of the products I have immediate pro or con reactions to and others might need a longer look-see before I can make final judgement, but here are my initial thoughts for you.

Eyeliner and Shadow Stick in Green/Moss. I am madly in love with this product after one use. This green shadow is amazing. It’s more of an olive-y green but it’s also super blendable. The formula is creamy and highly pigmented too, plus it lasted through an afternoon in the California heat. The liner is alright–you’ll have to keep layering it on for definition. Both have a hint of shimmer but it’s not overwhelming, so if glitter isn’t your thing don’t panic! The best part? The stick is $3. For my look below I used the shadow as a base, covering my whole lid, and then lined my eyes with the moss shade.

Little Black Beauty Book Warm Edition. I used three colors from this palette and since there are no labels, I’m just going to describe them. On the inner third of my eyes I used an olive toned gold (looks a bit like fool’s gold on the lid), which added some shimmer. I also bought two brushes from e.l.f. not pictured above. Using one of these blending brushes, I took a matte brown and placed it on the exterior corner of my eye is a v-shape. Then for highlights I used a bone shade along my brow. The colors in the palette are a lot of fun and I’ll definitely play with them more–some of them seem to fade faster than others. The beauty book was part of the spring showers free gift but the palette with 48 shades retails for $6.

Waterproof Lengthening &Volumizing Mascara. At first I was a tad hesitant about the mascara because I’m a loyalist to my Neutrogena Healthy Volume. But this stuff might just win me over (not enough to change over completely but enough to add the e.l.f. to my rotation). The brush is more narrow than the average volumizing mascara. The formula itself doesn’t feel heavy and it didn’t flake off or smudge. I’m pleasantly surprised since I didn’t actually purchase this mascara; it was in the gift set. Normally it retails for $3, so give it a shot.

The full look. Check out ‘dem freckles!

Makeup Remover Pen: LOOOOVE. Have you ever gone a bit overboard with your eye shadow or lost control of your liner? It’s tricky to fix your mistakes once you’ve applied foundation, concealer, shadow, etc. This thing completely obliterates errors. I was able to sculpt the exterior shape of my eye shadow for a more pro look. I would highly recommend this pen! And it retails for $3! Get on it, ladies!

Poreless Face Primer. I’m becoming a primer convert. I can be kind of lazy with foundations and such, so the added step of primer always seemed painful. I dig this Poreless Primer though. It takes care of pores and fine lines, giving you a natural, flawless finish. When I first put it on it felt a tad waxy but the feeling disappears once the primer sets up, leaving skin quite silky. I used my Aveeno Clear Complexion BB Cream for a foundation, and frankly it’s never looked better. I credit the primer for the extra oomph. Retail: $6.

Baked Blush in Peachy Cheek. Jury’s still out on this one. Pigmentation is medium strength and the peach color is nice, but I’m not yet ready to commit or quit. This was also part of the gift set so maybe my ambivalence stems from not having chosen it myself. I’ll keep you posted. If you’d like to check it out for yourself, it’s only $3.

Baked Highlighter in Pink Diamonds. Another gift set surprise. It arrived broken but that sort of thing has never stopped me. It gives a subtle shimmer so I brushed it along my cheekbones. Ultimately, I didn’t love or hate this product. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, but it will get used nonetheless. Retail: $3.

An everyday look for spring.

Mineral Lip Liner in Peachy. I’ve never been a big lip liner person, but I decided to give it a shot. I wear a lot of nude shades, so the peach seemed like a natural fit. Not sure how I feel about this one. I mean…it works. Will it make it into a daily rotation, probably not. And the running e.l.f. theme, $3.

Matte Lip Color in Coral and Rich Red. Matte is such a beauty trend right now! So that’s what got me to purchase the Rich Red color. The coral, luckily enough, came in the spring showers set. I am such a gloss girl, even my lipsticks are on the buttery side, so it felt a bit weird to have “dry” lip. I used the coral shade in today’s look and I’m not mad at it. Good color. Didn’t dry my lips out. But it also didn’t last more than an hour, hour and a half tops. So you’d have to reapply. I haven’t tried the rich red shade yet but I’ll let you know if there are any differences from color to color. Guess what? These are also $3 a pop.

Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in Movie Star. How sweet is that color name? Even though I’ve been on a nude kick for my lips, I adore a good red shade. Especially if it’s more of a blue-red. I think the product title is a bit of a misnomer, because it feels more like a balm. I wore this color yesterday and it lasts fairly well, but it has more of a sheer coverage. The formula left my lips feeling straight up juicy. You might want to reapply every few hours though. If you’re interested in this Gloss Stick it costs $2 individually or you can get it online in a three-pack for $6.

Lip Exfoliater. Well I’m definitely a fan of the concept. All year long I struggle with chapped lips. I moisturize them. I drink enough water. And still my lips flake up. I put this on before bed last night and then again this morning: you apply using a circular motion and then dab off any grit left behind. It’s not an immediate transformation but I can tell it’s gradually working. Lips are not chapped today! So far soooooo good. I’m going to keep up the routine and see what happens long-term. Grab yours for $3.

Daily Brush Cleaner. Not a happy camper with this one. Where it was most obviously not working was with the highlighter. The brush I used is still tinged pink and I need to wash it properly. This cleaner is supposed to help you go between brush washes, which I would love to be able to do. It’s also scented, and I’m not sure if I like that. I’ll give this another shot, but I think it’s a bust. Luckily, this was only $3 so I can’t be too upset. But I am disappointed.

Some stuff I didn’t really mention: The brushes (blender and smudge) seem nice. They’re not the highest quality and are a little scratchy, but they do the trick for $3. I also received a Hypershine Gloss in Flirt as part of the spring showers promotion. I haven’t tried the gloss yet but I don’t have high hopes for it. I’ve had e.l.f glosses in the past and haven’t been too impressed with their longevity or color. But, hey, it was free.

Holy Moly that was a long post! And a lot of makeup! Overall, I’m quite pleased with my e.l.f. haul and so is my wallet. Everything I purchased came from their online store, so prices might vary if you buy elsewhere. Hope you enjoyed my rambling reviews. More beauty posts to come, but likely not so lengthy.

$20 and Under: My Top 5 Spring Beauty Buys

March 23, 2014 / caitlinemccann / 2 Comments

My Top 5 Beauty Buys for Spring 2014

Little known fact about me: I’m a makeup addict. More specifically, I’m a drugstore makeup addict. Not that the big name brands aren’t fabulous (big fan on Clinique) but when you’re a student, rewarding yourself with some lipstick or nail polish that’s less than $10 is much more justifiable. When I was working on my B.A. in Ohio, I used small makeup purchases as rewards for good grades. Whatever motivates you, I suppose.

So instead of being secretive about my makeup habit, I’ve decided to share what my favorite beauty buys are for spring. I won’t pretend to be some kind of expert on application or trend predicting, but this is what has drawn me in this season.

1. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup

My skin is super sensitive and rather pale, so finding a foundation that is gentle enough but that also matches my skin tone can be tricky. Most foundations clog up my pores, but Neutrogena is always a safe bet for me. The healthy skin line has antioxidants and 20 spf, plus it blends well. When I take my makeup off at night, my skin feels soft and clean. I use the shade classic ivory, and it retails for $12.49.

2. L’Oreal’s Extraordinaire by Colour Riche

When I was at this year’s Sundance, they had a L’Oreal vending machine that gave you a free lip gloss every time you tweeted about the product. That was some kind of wonderful. I tweeted a lot. I came home from that trip with about seven shades of this stuff, and they’re all amazing. The gloss is silken and very pigmented, which translates to a stain when the gloss gradually wears off. The swatch below is of the color Blushing Harmony 103 and retails for $9.99.

3. Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner

It’s a mouthful of a title for one little liner, but I adore this product. Personally, I prefer cream based liners over pencils or liquids. They tend to apply smooth and are more subtle. A liquid or pencil is a bold statement on the eye and I prefer for my actual eye shadow to be the statement piece. I have three on these particular eyeliners, but for spring I think the nude shade will be more on trend. Apply it on your waterline to have the same effect as a white liner–wider, whiter looking eyes. The nude color is also great for a natural look. I also swatched the silver and deep blue liners so you could see the nude color better. Each eyeliner retails for $4.49.

Product swatches for Neutrogena, L’Oreal, and Rimmel.

4. Wet N Wild Color Icon Bronzer

I’ve always been intimidated by bronzer. My past adventures with the stuff have yielded an Oompa Loompa look that is just not cute on anyone. But I took a chance with this Wet N Wild brand in Reserve Your Cabana, and I’m glad I gave it a shot. This powder bronzer is well suited for fairer skin and leaves nothing but a healthy glow behind. It comes in two other colors (Ticket to Brazil and Bikini Contest), so all skin tones can get their glow on before summer begins. Sorry I don’t have a swatch for this, but it’s rather subtle. Retails for $3.99.

5. Julep Nail Color

Julep is a fun website/product for those that love nail color. You can become a Julep Maven and get a customized box of nail color or product for $20 a month, but what is great about this system is that you don’t have to fully commit to buying every box. If the colors of the month don’t move you, you can pass on the box and save your money. My favorite find lately has been the creme finish Libby, which is a delightful teal shade. It’s a vibrant shade that will still go perfectly with your Easter dress. Fun tidbit: Julep names all of its nail polishes after women. Retail is $14.00 or $11.20 for a Maven.

So those are my favorite beauty buys for under $20 each. The Julep nail color is the only one you won’t find in a drugstore, but I couldn’t resist adding it. If my favorites are anything to go off of, I think glowing natural tones with pops of vibrant color is going to be “in” for spring.

What do you think will be “in” for spring at your beauty counter?